Photos by J.T. Keith
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Artesia’s Hattie Harrison signs with West Texas A&M
By JT Keith
At 7:45 a.m. Thursday, the Artesia student body sat in the bleachers and watched senior Hattie Harrison sign her letter of intent to attend West Texas A&M on a track and field scholarship.
“Hattie has been a true testament to what a student-athlete is here at Artesia,” said Brian Taylor, the school’s athletic director. “I know she is going to go to Canyon (Texas), represent Artesia well, and knock it out of the park just like she has here.”
West Texas A&M was a natural choice for Harrison. Her mom, Robbie Harrison, is a West Texas A&M alum and Hattie’s sister, Elliot Harrison, was on the track team there.
Harrison has been on the Lady Bulldogs varsity track team since eighth grade. She runs the 4×100 and the 300-meter hurdles, and this year she will do the long jump and high jump. Harrison’s most decisive event is the 100-meter hurdles. She has podiumed (finished in the top six at state) every year since eighth grade.
At the state competition in 2024, Harrison broke the Artesia school record by running 15 seconds flat in the 100-meter to finish No.1 in the state.
“I am blessed,” Artesia girls track coach Mandi Lewallen said. “Not only has she shown her skills, but she is a great kid to be around. She’s very coachable, works hard, and is fun to watch, and we will miss her in all aspects of Artesia High School.”
Lewallen, who has been the Lady Bulldogs’ head coach for the last three years after serving as an assistant coach for 11 years, said Harrison’s leadership and teaching skills make her special.
“She is the hardest worker and wants to do her best for herself and the team,” Lewallen said. “She has done well in everything we have asked her to do.”
And there’s still more to do, Hattie said.
“I want to rebreak the 100-meter hurdles record,” she said of goals set for her senior year. “I would love to be a state champ again. I want to
break in the 300-meter hurdles, which is 45 seconds. I want to try and run a 44 if I can and place top three in that.”
Artesia Car Show steps back in time
Photos by Mike Smith, Artesia Daily Press
Classic tractors, classic cars, a street dance and food vendors greeted car enthusiasts, nostalgia buffs and the general public during March 28 and March 29 during the 26th Annual Main Event Car Show and Cruise in downtown Artesia.
The event was sponsored by the Artesia Car Enthusiasts, Artesia Chamber of Commerce and Artesia MainStreet.
New Mexico State brings Spring Football to the Bulldog Bowl
By JT Keith
Tony Sanchez has come far in life as a former wide receiver for the New Mexico State Aggies.
Not because of his career statistics of 54 pass receptions for 741 yards and five touchdowns during the 1994-1995 seasons. But what those playing days led to when he became an undergraduate assistant in 1996 and a graduate in 1998.
Spring game
In honor of his success in life, Sanchez, head coach of the New Mexico State Aggies, will bring his team to Artesia’s Bulldog Bowl at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 5, for a spring football game.
Promotion
Sanchez, 51, worked as the NMSU wide receivers coach in the 2022-2023 seasons and was promoted on Dec. 24, 2023, the same day that former head coach Jerry Kill resigned.
Kill left to become chief consultant to Vanderbilt football coach Clark Lea.
As he begins his second season in Conference USA, Sanchez will try to improve on a 3-9 overall and 2-6 conference record.
Sanchez said that after being hired, he had to deal with recruiting for the first and second signing days after the loss of tight ends, running backs and safeties when the transfer portal opened.
Sanchez said he knew the holes that needed to be filled for the 2025 season. He has recruited and stabilized the roster while attacking the name, image and likeness (NIL).
What NIL means is “name, image and likeness” which means a student-athlete can sign NIL deals and are able to enter into contracts to endorse products and make money off their personal brand.
Where it becomes problematic for coaches is, there are no regulations on how much money an athlete can make, or how many products they can endorse. Which in turn can disrupt the competitive balance in college sports by allowing some athletes to gain significant financial advantages. Also, an unregulated NIL market may lead to increased scandals, as athletes could be taken advantage of.
Sanchez said the players he recruited are longer, faster, and stronger, and the team has more depth.
“I think the quarterback spot, which is key, is much better,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez previously coached at UNLV for five seasons (2015-2019) as the head coach, compiling a 20-40 record.
Lifelong relationships
Sanchez said the most attractive thing about being the coach at NMSU is he knows the state well.
Sanchez remembers being the wide receivers coach under Kelly McKee at Onate High School. And every preseason, Onate would scrimmage the Bulldogs in the Bulldog Bowl.
One of his favorite memories as a coach in New Mexico was Onate defeating Goddard 17-14 in the 2002 Class 4A state championship game.
“I met some lifelong friends when I played and coached here,” Sanchez said. “I got the chance to develop my football skills there (NMSU) as a competitor, and I started my coaching career there (NMSU), so I know the state.”
How the spring game came about
Sanchez said he talked with former New Mexico State athletic director Mario Moccia about dates, spring football, and getting out of Las Cruces. He thought about the location’s proximity to Hobbs, Carlsbad, Roswell, Ruidoso and Artesia, and playing at the Bulldog Bowl.
“They (Artesia) have great facilities,” Sanchez said. “I played with many guys, Ty Houghtaling, David Patterson, old Bulldog players. The spring game would be nice to play in the southeastern part of the state that loves football.”
Sanchez said he called Bulldogs coach Jeremy Maupin, who talked to Artesia Superintendent Darian Jaramillo and the Chamber of Commerce.
“Everyone got excited about it,” Sanchez said. “We know how much football is loved there and Artesia’s great history and tradition.”
Sanchez said coming to the Bulldog Bowl and sharing a day and a game with everyone would be good – and good to get “Eyes on the Aggies.”
Coaches Clinic on Friday Night
Before the game on Saturday, the Aggies football team will spend the night at a hotel, which Sanchez said will be good for the economy of Artesia and to teach his team how to travel. He wants his players to get into a routine of how the team will travel in the fall.
The college coaches will host a high school coaches’ clinic on Friday night across the street from the campus at the training facility. He will attend some events by A-Mountain Sports that NMSU is still solidifying. A-Mountain Sports is a collective organized by Aggies fans to promote NIL opportunities for student-athletes at New Mexico State.
Sanchez will also host a meet and greet for Aggies supporters.
Game Day
When fans come to the game on Saturday, it will be a spring game – but not like a regular football game, Sanchez said. The game will have offense versus defense, short yardage, goal-line situations, and special team opportunities. After the game, the players will sign autographs and mingle with the fans.
Feds to New Mexico: Burn, baby, burn
By Sherry Robinson
All She Wrote
Our beautiful New Mexico skies have been stubbornly blue for months, and we know what that means. A few weeks ago, Patrick Lohman, of the online Source New Mexico, reported severe drought across the state.
Lohman has racked up more fire coverage than any New Mexico journalist, so when I see a fire story with his byline, I pay attention.
He also reported that “federal cuts could leave one-third of the state without dispatchers to monitor for nascent blazes and fewer firefighters to respond if they blow up.”
Go online and you’ll find colorful maps with the color red bleeding across the page to tell us that above normal fire conditions cover most of the state. Two years of moderate precipitation encouraged growth of fuels like grass and pine needles. Now they’re dry as paper. It’s a matter of when, not if.
“It’s bad, man,” UNM fire ecologist Matt Hurteau told Lohman.
In February the “Department of Government Efficiency” ordered the firing of 3,400 Forest Service seasonal employees. DOGE’s budget cutters were supposed to exempt firefighters. They didn’t know that 75% of the laid-off employees were trained and qualified in wildland firefighting. They didn’t know that most of the agency’s field crews are seasonal employees. They didn’t know that these crews not only clean recreation sites, they maintain trails and thin forests and that both steps are key to fire prevention. They didn’t know that during a fire, they’re also firefighters and fire support. And they didn’t know or care that the Forest Service is already understaffed, which is why every employee is involved in fire management.
A federal judge ordered the 3,400 workers to be reinstated, but they can still be fired in a reduction in force. The president has asked the Supreme Court to block the ruling.
What’s particularly shameful is that the Office of Personnel Management told these people they were being fired for “poor performance,” an obvious lie that hinders future employment. As one of them wrote recently, they willingly sleep on the ground, sweat and freeze to clear trails and clean campsites, and respond to backcountry medical emergencies – all for very little money.
At the same time, DOGE plans to close the supervisors’ offices of the Cibola National Forest and Gila National Forest. Both house dispatch centers that coordinate fire response by federal, state and tribal agencies and monitor wildfire detection systems. They cover 45,000 square miles. Although U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich has received “assurances” that they won’t close, the General Services Administration has been noncommittal.
UNM’s Hurteau worries that multiple wildfires in the West will quickly exhaust available resources. We’ll have permanent employees providing incident command, along with aircraft, but not boots on the ground. He also worries that under-staffed fire crews, who by nature and culture give their all, will be injured or killed.
The one spark of good news is that the state Forestry Division is in the process of training 1,500 full-time and volunteer wildland firefighters this year. It also has 37 full-time wildland firefighters in three crews.
And the Legislature passed House Bill 191, which creates two wildfire-related permanent funds to bolster the state Forestry Division. The Wildfire Suppression Fund will pay for contract wildland firefighters, equipment and supplies, and vehicle rental and repair. The Post-Wildfire Fund will pay for recovery efforts and environmental rehabilitation.
It’s a great idea, but the appropriation is $12 million, hardly enough to make a dent during a major disaster, especially if Forest Service cuts are permanent and FEMA disappears.
The bottom line is that Elon Musk, who pays close attention to his own bottom line, is leaving New Mexico to burn.
Sherry Robinson is a longtime New Mexico reporter and editor. She has worked in Grants, Gallup, the Albuquerque Journal, New Mexico Business Weekly and Albuquerque Tribune. She is the author of four books. Her columns won first place in 2024 from New Mexico Press Women.
Police investigating double shooting at Clayton and 11th
Adrian Hedden
Artesia Daily Press
A man and woman were shot in the early morning hours of Thursday, April 3, and Artesia police are looking for suspects.
Police found the man, 36, and the woman, 26, suffering from gunshot wounds at about 4:39 a.m. at their residence at the corner of West Clayton and South 11th streets, according to a new release from the Artesia Police Department.
Cmdr. Pete Quinones said the department was not releasing the names of the injured people as they were protected in cases of aggravated battery – the crime he said was committed – under New Mexico law. The same statute applies to other “high-end” crimes such as arson and aggravated assault, Quinones said.
The woman was treated at Artesia General Hospital with “superficial wounds,” read the news release, while the man was flown to an area hospital for treatment of his injuries.
Quinones said police were on scene Thursday investigating the incident, which he said occurred at a home where the man and woman lived. He said the shooting was “definitely not” the result of domestic violence, nor was there any evidence of a robbery or theft.
Police did not have any suspects as of Thursday afternoon, Quinones said. He said shootings were “rare” in the neighborhood, which he described as a “good area.”
“We’re barely in the beginning stages,” Quinones said. “They’re still gathering all the information.”
Anyone with information on the matter was asked to call the Artesia Police Department at 575-746-5000.
A Lesson in Humility
By: Pastor Rick Smith
On our way to Calvary we need to draw closer to Jesus. After all that happened on the Mount of Transfiguration the road for Jesus was headed to the cross. Jesus’ time with His disciples was running out and He was determined to make the best of the time that He had with them. “And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it.” (Mark 9:30). Jesus was trying to keep His presence secret so that He could direct His attention to the disciples. What was Jesus’ focus with His disciples at this time. It is His upcoming death. Jesus tells them plainly, “The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.” (Mark 9:31). Jesus was blunt and His words were perfectly clear and easy to be understood, but His disciples did not understand what He meant. “But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.” (Mark 9:32). Not only did they not understand, they failed to ask for clarity from Jesus on what He meant. They weren’t dumb, but they were ignorant – sinfully ignorant. Why?
The disciples had a problem and Jesus asked them, “What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?” (Mark 9:33). They were conceited, arrogant, and prideful. They were also ignorant and blind to what was about to happen to their Master. But they knew that they were wrong. “But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.” (Mark 9:34 NKJV). First, they wouldn’t ask Jesus when He talked about His death and resurrection. Now they keep their mouths shut when Jesus asked about their dispute. The question they argued over was, “Who would be greatest?” None of us would give them a passing grade for character or compassion. Jesus had told them of His death and they passed that aside to argue over which of them was greatest. Was this instigated by the secret that Peter, James, and John were trying to keep? Were questions asked about their time on the mountain with no answers coming from these three? Did they feel superior because of their time with Jesus there? Were they using what they experienced as an excuse for pride? Too many questions left unanswered, but human nature can make many excuses to puff the ego up.
Look at Jesus’ response. “If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.” (Mark 9:35). Is there anything wrong with desiring to be first? Not at all. There’s always a need for leaders, for those that will get out front and lead the charge. Jesus is first, He is number one, but He said of Himself, “And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:27-28 NKJV). The Jesus way to the top is to be servant of all. Jesus portrayed this to His disciples with a child. “And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.” (Mark 9:36-37). The least little child that belongs to Jesus is to be received as Jesus. Over and over again the disciples had to be taught this truth. The one who is number one is a servant of and for Christ. We serve Jesus by serving one another in love, grace, and patience.
No sooner had this lesson finished when John confronts Jesus with a situation. “And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.” (Mark 9:38). Before we judge John too harshly, we might want to look at ourselves. One of the tools of Satan to steal the gospel seed from the lost is to point out the divisions among Christians. Why so many denominations and so many divisions? It is a difficult lesson to learn. “But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part.” (Mark 9:39-40). Our divisions will one day be over and we will be together forever.
None of us who have put our trust in Jesus can have any reason to boast. The old hymn says, “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe, sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.” Have you heard the gospel of Jesus Christ? God sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins on the cross. Jesus is our Sacrifice for sin accepted by God the Father Who raised Jesus from the dead. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:18 NKJV).
If you have any questions, we invite you to visit with us this Sunday. Worship at 10:50 A.M. We are located at 711 West Washington Ave. Check our sermon videos on Youtube @ricksmith2541. Send comments and prayer requests to prayerlinecmbc@gmail.com.
Rick Smith is the Pastor at Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Artesia.
Capitan’s teen on a million-dollar roping run
Todd Fuqua
El Rito Media
Lincoln County teen Addison Kinser can do something next week that most people could never imagine: earn $1 million in 2.16 seconds (or maybe even faster).
You read that right: $1 million in less than 3 seconds. So, what were you doing when you were 18 years old?
Kinser could win that money for roping a calf at the April 11-12 American Rodeo in Arlington, Texas, and it’s appropriate that the event is being held at Globe Life Field, home ballpark of the 2023 World Series champion Texas Rangers. The American is considered the World Series of rodeo.
It also might be compared with golf’s U.S. Open where amateurs compete against professionals for a shot at a big payoff. The winner of each American Rodeo event wins at least $100,000 along with a trophy belt buckle and trophy saddle.
The $1 million comes into play as a bonus if the winner qualified by competing in what is called the Contender Division – which Kinser did. She qualified for The American by taking second place in breakaway roping at the Feb. 14-15 Central Regional in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Breakaway roping is a discipline in which a contestant on horseback looks to lasso a sprinting calf in as short a time as possible. The event is timed from the second the calf breaks the timing tape coming out of the chute to when the rope around the calf’s neck breaks free, thus the term “breakaway roping.”
Bursting from the chute, a cow can reach speeds of 25 miles an hour in a short stretch.
The roping can be blink-and-you’ll-miss-it quick, as Kinser’s time of 2.16 seconds shows. She qualified for nationals from a field of more than 200 riders, and is one of five competitors – known as “contenders” – advancing from the region to compete in Arlington.
There are also five contenders each from the West and East divisions, plus the top five in the 2024 world standings. Among the ropers Kinser will face are Martha Angelone and Josie Conner, who both finished in the top four in last year’s American finals. Sarah Angelone won last year with a time of 2.16 seconds, identical to Kinser’s qualifying time this year.
There’s no age limit. Competitors at The American range in age from 11 to 70.
And now Kinser is preparing to make the trek from the wide-open expanses of her family’s ranch north of Capitan to the bustling megalopolis that is the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, with Arlington right in the center of it all and a huge audience – both at Globe Life Field and on national television – ready to watch.
The first round of the rodeo will be televised on Fox Sports 2 (FS2) at 6:30 p.m. Mountain time April 11 with the second round on Fox Sports 1 (FS1) at 11 a.m. Mountain time April 12. The championship round will be televised live on the Fox national network at 3 p.m. Mountain time April 12 and rebroadcast on FS2 at 9 p.m.
Kinser finished third at the National High School Finals Rodeo in 2024, so she’s used to the big stage. But she’s never been on a bigger stage than this.
“This will be the biggest crowd I’ve ever competed in front of,” said Kinser, who has competed in numerous “jackpot” roping events across Texas as well as the Mescalero Fourth of July Rodeo and the Capitan Stampede in 2023. “I’m sure I’ll be nervous, but I’ll work to not let my mind go anywhere else than what I’m there to do.”
Hard work and dedication
To get to this point, Kinser has spent a lot of time in the saddle. A lot.
“I ride about seven horses a day, rope on the sled and then live calves after that,” Kinser said of her daily routine. “I do that pretty much all day.”
Well, that’s not all she does. She’s still a homeschooled high school senior, and she still has to work on her family’s ranch north of Capitan, riding, grooming and caring for the animals. It’s a full day, no matter what your age. And it’s worth it if the work can propel you to the heights Kinser has in her sights.
With many horses to choose from, she says, it’s hard to decide which is her favorite (fact is, they’re all her favorites). But right now she has to pick a horse to ride in Arlington and the choice comes down to two – Ruf and Jlo.
“Ruf came from Weber Performance horses in Oklahoma,” she said. “I saw his sale ad and went to ride him for a few days. I got along great with him, so that decided that.”
“I got a spot in the regionals on Ruf, then Jlo made three nice runs at the semifinals in Tulsa to get me into The American,” Kinser said. “Jlo came to me from a woman named Taylor Cherry in Canada, who primarily used the horse for barrels. But I saw potential in the breakaway, so I turned her into a rope horse.”
Kinser did not reveal Jlo’s purchase price but the cost of a rope horse can range from $3,000 to $20,000. A high performance, accomplished rope horse can cost up to $100,000.
It’s been more than four years since Kinser first tried her hand at breakaway roping after spending time as a gymnast. Her parents Meghan Kinser and Valarde Gonzales, and grandmother Connie Hanley, are longtime ranchers but have never ridden competitively. Addison is the first in the family to take on the challenge of rodeo.
“I had to really work at it to start, but then it started to come naturally to me,” she said. “I just got better and better every day. My parents and grandma have played a huge part in where I am in rodeo today.”
Expert training
As with any sport, rodeo competitors benefit from good coaching. Kinser has had one of the best in Marty Becker, a two-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier in tie-down roping who has trained some of the best ropers in the country.
Kinser got to meet the roping expert after earning the fastest time at a competition in Stephenville, Texas, and winning a chance for a training session. That session turned into an enduring partnership. Given Becker’s travel schedule, they only get to train two to three times a month so the rest of the time Kinser is training on her own with support from the local ranching and rodeo community.
To prepare for her time in the national spotlight, her routine will change just a bit. She’ll leave for Arlington April 7 to get acclimated to the big city and focus on training with Becker for the big event.
“I like working the ranch, but this will be a nice change of scenery,” she said.
While the opportunity to earn big money as a breakaway roper is a tempting opportunity, Kinser is pragmatic about her future. She plans to attend Tarleton State University in Stephenville on scholarship to pursue a business degree. She’ll compete on the rodeo team there.
Of course, she could easily pay her way if she wins the $1 million bonus.
“I would put it toward building my life and future in the equine industry,” she said.
But for that to happen, she’ll need to rope the fastest she can on national television in a packed Major League arena. For anyone wanting to follow her example, she has some simple advice.
“Working hard beats talent. Just work as hard as possible and stay focused,” Kinser said. “It will take over your life, but you have to do it that way. I have no regrets and feel blessed to have this opportunity.”
Celebrating 10 years of Artesia General Hospital’s Bone & Joint Center
Staff reports
This year marks a significant milestone for Artesia General Hospital’s Bone & Joint Center—10 years treatment in Artesia, Carlsbad, Roswell, and the surrounding southeast New Mexico communities. The hospital will celebrate this success at an event at 4:30 p.m. on April 8th at the main hospital’s Green Chile cafe, 702 N. 13th St. in Artesia.
A decade ago, Artesia General Hospital envisioned creating a specialized center committed to providing orthopedic care for local residents. Today, the Bone & Joint Center stands proudly as a leader in orthopedic care, using advanced technology, surgeons, nurses and physical therapy services into one unified team.
Over these past 10 years, the center has aided thousands of patients and family members—helping grandparents play actively with their grandchildren, athletes return confidently to their sports, and individuals regain independence and quality of life through advanced joint replacement procedures and specialized orthopedic care.
The Bone & Joint Center has continually invested in technologies such as the region’s first state-of-the-art Mako robotic-arm-assisted surgery system, which enables precise, personalized procedures and faster recovery times.
“Our success comes from our deeply committed team and our passion for personalized patient care,” said hospital CEO Dr. Joe Salgado. “It’s incredibly rewarding to see our patients regain their mobility, independence, and joy.”
As the Bone & Joint Center celebrates its 10-year anniversary, Artesia General Hospital remains committed to advancing orthopedic care, enhancing patient outcomes, and ensuring the community has access to exceptional healthcare right here in southeast New Mexico,” Salgado said.
Two northern New Mexico resorts offer final weekend of skiing
Mike Smith
El Rito Media
msmith@currentargus.com
Ski season in New Mexico ends this weekend with at least one ski official saying this year’s lack of snow did not hamper enthusiasm at state resorts.
“While we would like to have seen more natural snow, our guests definitely enjoyed a winter of beautiful blue-sky days on a bountiful number of gorgeous groomers,” said Ski New Mexico Executive Director Christy Germscheid.
Sipapu and Taos Ski Valley have big events planned for this weekend.
Sipapu hosts its Corny Closing Days Friday through Sunday, April 4-6, according to the Sipapu website. Sunday’s schedule features “poker laps” as skiers collect cards while taking laps around lift one and competing for the best hand.
There will be corn-themed eats and drinks along with games and giveaways.
At Taos Ski Valley, there will be live karaoke and live music Friday through Sunday, including a performance Saturday night by The Deal, a Grateful Dead tribute band.
A free closing day celebration on Sunday will offer music by Last to Know.
Germscheid said the main highlight of the season was a November storm that set the tone for ski resorts in New Mexico.
“(It) set us up to not only open early in many areas but to create a base that set the foundation for the remainder of the winter,” she said.
Germscheid said Ski New Mexico would move into promotion of ski areas for summer operations including activities such as mountain biking, disc golf, hiking and chairlift rides.
She said planning for the 2025-2026 ski season is also set for the summer months.
Latest ski conditions as of Tuesday April 1:
(Information provided by Ski New Mexico)
Sipapu reopens Friday with a base depth of 14 inches after being closed Monday through Thursday.
Taos Ski Valley had a 26-inch base depth with 55 of 120 trails open.
Note: Snow conditions can change after this report is compiled.
Mike Smith can be reached at msmith@currentargus.com.