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John Baker

Katherine Smith
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John Baker

John “Hill” Baker, 83, passed away on March 20, 2025, in Artesia, NM. He was born on September 12, 1941 to Henry Harrison and Dorothy (Young) Baker in Pecos, TX.

Mr. Hill graduated in 1960 from Artesia High School. He was, always, so proud that he was on the first team to win a State Championship for the Artesia Bulldogs in 1957.

A message from Hill’s last boss:

“Hill’s official title was Senior Lead Machinery Inspector, but unofficially, Hill was the King of the Gulf (Shelf) and had so much influence in what was going to work or not.

He loved working on machinery and in particular (integral) reciprocating engines and compressors.

He knew everyone and everyone knew him in Shell and the contractor’s community but his claim to fame, also, extended to the other operators active in the Gulf.

He was hardworking, hard playing, tough but fair, honest, trustworthy, modest, funny, loving, committed, respected, hardworking anytime, anywhere, and any place.”

Hill is preceded by his parents and grandparents.

Those left to cherish his memory are his loving wife, Patty Baker; sons, Barry Baker and Todd Baker; step-son, John Schafer; sister, Melody Wells (Joe Bob Wells); grandson, Cody Baker; granddaughter, London Baker; 3 great grandchildren; nieces, Mona Kay Wells and Glenelle Wells; very dear friend, Jose Tesillo.

A special thank you to all who diligently and lovingly cared for Mr. Hill at Artesia Healthcare and Rehab. The family would, also, like to thank all those who worked with him at Shell and still kept in touch with him over the years, especially his friends in the community of Poland in Louisiana. Great appreciation must be expressed for Hillary Baldwin for the unimaginable support. There are so many truly special friends who meant so much, we couldn’t possibly name them all!

A private graveside service will be held for Mr. Baker at a later date. Cremation will take place under the direct care of Terpening & Son Mortuary.

Adopt a Tree

Michael Smith
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Adopt a Tree

From staff reports:

Artesia Clean and Beautiful will have seedlings available to be given away at their office beginning at 9:30 am Monday, April 7th until all are gone. Four varieties are available: Desert Willow, Black Willow, False Indigo Bush and Native Plum. These will be given on a first come first serve basis.

AC&B is located at 422 W Main in the basement. For more information, please call our office at 748-3192.

Just do it

Michael Smith
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Just do it

By: Javier Sanchez

We spend our lives in search of happiness. We tell ourselves it’s just around the bend. If only we had a little bit more money. Or I’ll be happy once I have a bigger house. Or a dog. Or more peace. We constantly fly toward the next thing that promises true bliss only to read further into the book of life. The next chapter tells us that happiness doesn’t happen at the end of journey—we find fulfillment IN the journey. Not sure which guru came up with that, though it sounds true enough.

Happiness starts with acceptance. Complete and full ownership of who you are. The most earnest look in the mirror with all of your demons, weaknesses, fears and embarrassing faults staring right back at you. You procrastinate? Fine. You’re a procrastinator (no relation to the fact that I write this past my deadline). You steal. Fine. You’re a thief. You like to sing in the shower. Well, I’m not sure there’s a word for that. But you get the point.

The world is separated into two distinct columns. In the first are events that you can control. In the other are events out of your control. How you approach each column determines the extent to which you can achieve happiness.

A few nights ago, I took the advice I heard either from the book I’ve been reading, “Don’t Believe Everything You Think” by Joseph Nguyen or some self help guru off of TikTok. Nevertheless, the advice led to an epiphany. I wrote down all of the good things or thoughts that happened that day and in a separate column, all of the bad things or thoughts.

I came up with seven good things ranging from ticking things off of my to do list, going to the chiropractor, tidying up my work space. And oh yeah, I exercised in the morning even though I really didn’t want to. On the other side of the page, I wrote down all of the negative things like I ate poorly, I heard that China was developing technology that was leaving our country behind (which made me very anxious), and the discovery of a mass grave of mostly women in Jalisco, Mexico. All in all, I also came up with seven negative thoughts and situations.

When I compared the good happenings with the bad things, a remarkable revelation transpired. I realized that all of the good things that happened, happened because I made them happen. On the negative side, the things that made me anxious, fearful or basically, all of the things that made me the opposite of happy, came from situations that I could not or did not control. In fact, in my mind, of all the negative things that happened that day, only two out of the seven situations were things I could control.

Taking ownership of everything in your life. Even of the ugly things that make us who we are—represent the essence of happiness. They show us that action makes happiness. Moving toward something beats worrying about things we cannot control. If we are a procrastinator then fix it. A thief? Stop stealing. But to concentrate on the things that are out of our control is a recipe for unhappiness.

Nguyen says that “what we fear is how we imagine we’ll feel if an undeserved outcome happens.” Fear, anxiety and unhappiness come from how we THINK we’ll feel. In other words, all of the negative thoughts in our mind are manifestations of nothing. Literally nothing but the anticipation of an imaginary reaction to something that either hasn’t happened or is something out of my control.

Actions that improve our health, our bodies, and our relationships create the happiness that negativity cannot. We give negative thoughts and other people’s opinions too much power. We are frozen with fear by the what if’s. We only live once. Make it a good one. No one’s going to care about you when you die. But I can assure you that on your death bed you’ll have the regret of not taking that chance or being too embarrassed to take that risk. You’ll look back and laugh and think. This world is silly. Why didn’t I just do it.

Javier Sanchez is the former Mayor of Espanola, an independent businessman, and El Rito Media investor and columnist.

Arrests made in shooting at Las Cruces park

Michael Smith
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Arrests made in shooting at Las Cruces park

Staff Reports

Four suspects were arrested amid the investigation of a mass shooting in Las Cruces Friday night that killed three people and injured 15 others.

The incident was reported at about 10 p.m. Friday at Young Park, 805 S. Walnut St., according to the Las Cruces Police Department.

Tomas Rivas, 20, was arrested and charged with three open counts of murder, along with a 15-year-old boy and two 17-year-old boys who all face the same charges.

Those killed were Andrew Madrid, 16, Jason Gomez, 18 and Dominick Estrada, 19. The 15 injured people were ages 16 to 36.

Police said during a Saturday press conference that the shooting occurred due to “ill will” between two groups of people at an unsanctioned car show at the park.

Young Park and all roadways leading to the park were closed while police investigated the scene.

In response the shooting, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham released a statement condemning the violent crime, and asking lawmakers to take action to address gun violence in New Mexico.

She said Las Cruces recently saw a “troubling” increase in violence and that state resources would be used to assist local law enforcement investigating the shooting.

On Saturday, the final day of the regular 2025 Legislative Session in Santa Fe, Lujan Grisham said lawmakers should expect to return to the Roundhouse this year for a special session targeting public safety.

“The public should demand that the New Mexico Legislature—and all public officials in our state—acknowledge New Mexico’s crime crisis and prompt them to act immediately to protect our communities,” Lujan Grisham said.

“I remain committed to working across all levels of government and with community partners to implement comprehensive solutions that address the root causes of gun violence while providing our law enforcement with the resources they need to protect New Mexicans.”

Artesia baseball coach Jackson Bickel is looking to establish tradition and culture

Michael Smith
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Artesia baseball coach Jackson Bickel is looking to establish tradition and culture

By JT Keith
El Rito Media Sports Editor

Artesia High School baseball coach Jackson Bickel wants to instill in his players what it means to wear the “A” on the front of their jerseys.

In his first year as head coach after serving as an assistant since 2018, Bickel wants to bring back the traditions of Artesia baseball.

Bickel has revived the original A on the team cap to what it was when former Bulldogs coach Dale Bohannon was in charge. Bickel said the goal is to value the history and tradition of playing for the Artesia Bulldogs.

“That A means something,” Bickel said. “We switched it back to bring more of a purpose to it. We are discussing what the name Bulldogs means on the front of the jersey. You win championships when you bring back the A to the jersey.”

Bickel said he wants his players to show that Artesia Bulldogs are fierce competitors – individuals who know how to compete and win in any sport they play.

“Our community expects us to compete in a class way,” Bickel said. “It is a privilege to wear that uniform. These players represent our values and principles and do things right.”

The Bulldogs (6-3) have won state championships in 1976, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1996 and 2000.

Bickel, 33, grew up in Farwell, Texas, and lived there until the oil wells dried up and his family moved. He graduated from Clayton High School in 2009 and spent 12 years in the Army National Guard (2008-2020) while attending Eastern New Mexico University.

The Bulldogs hosted the Artesia Invitational baseball tournament over the weekend and faced stiff competition from Deming, Roswell and Goddard.

Bickel noticed that Deming was ranked higher in Class 4A than Artesia.

“We saw that Deming was ranked ahead of us going into the tournament,” Bickel said. “We wanted to set a tone on those guys (Deming), letting them know that we are the top dog.”

The Bulldogs shut out Deming 10-0. Against Roswell, a Class 5A school, Artesia came back from a 4-0 deficit to win 5-4 and then blanked district rival Goddard, 10-0.

“My assistant coaches are a big key to our success,” Bickel said. “Our motto is next pitch; our coaches have helped instill that message.

Tony Jaramillo is a coach who does everything behind the scenes, Bickel said. “Gentry Doolittle is the pitching specialist and helps with the infielders. Elvis Acosta coaches the first basemen, and Robert Fernandez coaches the catchers. We have a full-scale operation with each coach doing their job to help us win.”

Resiliency is the reason the XTERRA Gold Games are coming to the Village of Ruidoso

Michael Smith
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Resiliency is the reason the XTERRA Gold Games are coming to the Village of Ruidoso

By J.T. Keith El Rito Media

jtkeith@elritomedia.com

If a sporting event announcement by a world-wide company had a one, two punch, left, right, jab, jab Ruidoso scored a one-round knockout on Tuesday, March 25, 2025

XTERRA, an extreme endurance sport triathlon, announced it will hold its World Championship in Ruidoso in the summer of 2026.And when was the last time a world-wide sporting event in Italy was displaced by Ruidoso, New Mexico?

The announcement was made at a press conference at the Downshift Brewery by Steve Andrus, XTERRA-Americas Tour Manager. In his remarks addressing why Ruidoso was chosen for the World Championship, the 6 ‘ 7” Andrus, who looked like he could tackle a mountain trail on foot or bike right that moment, became emotional, pausing to speak and then saying he had seen the village immediately after the fires and floods and had been overwhelmed the community’s resilience. He also loved the terrain for his racers.

So, he looked at Italy, current site of the World Championships, and then Ruidoso.

“Caio,” Ruidoso.

“Arrivederci,” Italy.

This year’s world championship is being held in Molveno, Italy, before moving to Ruidoso in the summer of 2026 for a multiple year commitment. Estimates indicate the local community will receive an economic boost of over $12 million a year.

But that is then and here is now. We get a preliminary glance at an EXTERRA event this summer as a prelude to next year.

August 15 to 17, 2025 XTERRA will hold its Gold Level Event in Ruidoso. The XTERRA Gold Level Event will start at Grindstone Lake Recreation and run through the Trial System in Ruidoso.. The Gold Event will offer a $15,000 purse for the Elite Athletes and will treat the events as a championship-level event.

Also, there will be a 10k event for athletes who are not XTERRA athletes on Sunday., November 17.

How did this happen?

A year and a half ago, Eddie Ryan, the Village of Ruidoso manager of events and strategic partnerships reached out to Andrus inviting him here.

Ryan said he had seen the event before and knew it was high-quality. He wanted it in Ruidoso.

“I reached out to them (XTERRA) and started a conversation with them,” Ryan said. “I was very fortunate to have them come to Ruidoso, and they thought it would be a great place to hold an XTERRA event, so we started the process. And here we are.”

The village had been wracked and torn by the two fires and subsequent flooding, and was in shambles but citizens were fighting back. Andrus visited and saw the heart and fight of the community. He said he saw the resiliency. That spirit that Ruidoso showed in overcoming adversity, fire and floods made an impact on him.

“All of the places we have been,” Andrus said, “you guys have the potential, you guys have a world-class resort horse trail and an untouched market. You have a pride about your community.”

What makes XTERRA unique is the values it possesses in the community. The race is a small part of XTERRA. XTERRA is an off-road triathlon, unlike the traditional triathlon, which has the biking and running part of the race on the road. In XTERRA, the biking and running take place on mountain trials.

Andrus said the World Championship event will be broadcast live across the world.

“We at XTERRA are not looking at this as an event, but an investment in the community,” Andrus said.

The Village of Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford said the economic impact for Ruidoso for the athletes that will come here, it will be an estimated $12 million dollars based on a $60 a-day food budget, which is conservative estimate for a World Championship event.

“This event will influence the region of Southeastern New Mexico,” Crawford said. “For a small town that has been fighting floods, it is hard to believe that we are going to be on an international stage.”

Crawford said the people coming into Ruidoso for the event will be coming over from Europe and that 97% of the people will be outside Texas.

The XTERRA sport started in 1996 in Maui, Hawaii and was there and for 20 years, before moving to Molveno, Italy. The World Championships returned to Hawaii in 2021.

Along with the race, the week will include an Under the Stars Concert at Wingfield Park, a kid’s race. The event will have an XTERRA Movie Night featuring X-Discovery Video Story Collection and a free 10K on Sunday.

According to Ryan, the town has 1,300 hotel rooms, 1,500 RV spaces, and close to 4,000 rooms for short-term rental. The Village of Ruidoso is hoping to have 4,000 people attend the event

The Prodigal Son and The Cherry Sisters

Michael Smith
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The Prodigal Son and The Cherry Sisters

By: Pastor David Grousnick

The Religious Ed teacher read the story of the Prodigal Son to his class, clearly emphasizing the resentment the older brother expressed at the return of his brother. When he was finished telling the story, he asked the class, “Now who was really sad that the prodigal son had come home?”

After a few minutes of silence, one little boy raised his hand and confidently stated, “The fatted calf.”

Henri Nouwen, a Dutch theologian and writer, once toured St. Petersburg, Russia, the former Leningrad. While there he visited the famous Hermitage where he saw, among other things, Rembrandt’s painting of the Prodigal Son.

The painting was in a hallway and received the natural light of a nearby window. Nouwen stood for two hours, mesmerized by this remarkable painting. As he stood there the sun changed, and at every change of the light’s angle he saw a different aspect of the painting revealed.

He would later write: “There were as many paintings in the Prodigal Son as there were changes in the day.”

It is difficult for us to see something new in the parable of the Prodigal son. We have heard the story so many times we believe that we have squeezed it dry of meaning.

Yet, I would suggest that just as Henri Nouwen saw a half dozen different facets to Rembrandt’s painting of the Prodigal Son, so too are there many different angles to the story itself. So, let’s look at the other prodigal son.

The prodigal son himself is well known to us all. Restless, impatient for his future happiness, he comes and demands from the father that which he thought was rightfully his.

He took his money and journeyed to a far country where he wastes it. He wastes the money, wastes his life, and finally ended up doing the most indignant task that a Jew could do – the feeding of swine.

It was then that Jesus says that he came to himself. He arises from his situation and goes back to the father to ask to be a servant in his household. And even as he was a long distance away the father saw him and ran out with outstretched arms to greet him. As the story concludes we have the makings of a grand homecoming party.

So where are we at parable’s end? Are we inside the party celebrating? Or are we standing outside with our arms folded, refusing to come in? Jesus will not tell us how this story will end.

The father passionately invites the older son inside, “pleads with him” to join in the welcome. Curiously, however, we are never told what the older brother decides to do. The story ends but it doesn’t end.

In a world where God does not play fair, this parable forces us to make a choice. Who is the real “prodigal” here? Who is the real “waster”? From the beginning Jesus says that this is a story about two brothers. Which one is the authentic prodigal? Which one has yet to come home to the Father’s extravagant love?

Let me share a true story. Back in 1893 there were a group of four sisters. The Cherry Sisters they called themselves, who made their stage debut in Cedar Rapids in a skit they wrote themselves.

For three years, the Cherry Sisters performed to packed theaters throughout the Midwest. People came to see them to find out if they were as bad as they had heard. Their unbelievably atrocious acting enraged critics and provoked the audience to throw vegetables at the would-be actresses.

Wisely, the sisters thought it best to travel with an iron screen which they would erect in front of the stage in self-defense.

Amazingly, in 1896 the girls were offered a thousand dollars a week to perform on Broadway – not because they were so good, but because they were so unbelievably bad.

Seven years later, after the Cherry Sisters had earned what in that day was a respectable fortune of $200,000, they retired from the stage for the peaceful life back on the farm.

Oddly enough, these successful Broadway “stars” remained convinced to the end that they were truly the most talented actresses ever to grace the American stage. They never had a clue as to how bad they truly were!

The Prodigal parable does not tell us what the elder brother did when his father came out to speak to him. It doesn’t reveal to us whether he realized that his envy and disdain had made him just as bad as his younger brother.

Yes, the elder brother had never stooped to find himself in the pigpens of life. He would never have been caught dead carousing with prostitutes or wasting his resources in riotous living but in the end his refusal to rejoice at the return of his sinful brother was, to Jesus, just as offensive.

The tragedy was that he never realized just how bad HE truly was!

Have you been a Prodigal? Then know that this is precisely how much God loves us – always welcoming us home. Jesus says through this parable, “That’s how God loves us.”

David Grousnick, is the Pastor at the First Christian Church in Artesia.

Juvenile crime divides lawmakers

Michael Smith
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Juvenile crime divides lawmakers

By Sherry Robinson
All She Wrote

Scott Habermehl was riding his bicycle to work in the early morning darkness as he always did, when a stolen car driven by a 13-year-old struck him. The force of the collision threw the Sandia National Laboratories engineer up over the top of the car. The driver and his accomplices, ages 11 and 15, raced away, leaving Habermehl to die in the road.

The kids then posted their escapade to social media, revealing that they saw the bicyclist, talked about hitting him, and then laughed as the driver swerved into the bike lane. The two older boys have been arrested and charged. Authorities are still figuring out how to charge the 11-year-old.

News of this crime broke on March 18, after legislators sent their crime package to the governor – without a juvenile crime bill.

“This case is an appalling and heartbreaking reminder of the serious juvenile crime crisis we face in New Mexico – and our lack of tools to properly address it,” said the governor.

Lawmakers this session had two bills aimed at juveniles. On March 6, a committee tabled House Bill 134, the one cops and district attorneys wanted. A weaker bill, HB 255, failed in a Senate vote.

Let’s look at HB 134 by Rep. Andrea Reeb, R-Clovis and a former prosecutor, who had worked with Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman to develop the bill.

HB 134 would have changed the state’s Delinquency Act to include 14-year-olds in the definition of “serious youthful offender,” triggering adult prosecution and sentencing, according to legislative analysis. Along with first degree murder, they could be charged with second-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, robbery while armed with a deadly weapon, and shooting at a vehicle or dwelling resulting in great bodily harm.

On March 6, Reeb explained to the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee, “We’re targeting the worst of the worst” and trying to hold them accountable. “We have 13-year-olds committing murder.”

Opposing the bill were juvenile advocates. Vanessa Hulliger, of Stronger Together, Never Alone, said harsher punishment doesn’t effectively deter juvenile crime. The ACLU said HB 134 would lead to over-incarceration of kids.

Speaking in support, Marcus Montoya, of the New Mexico District Attorneys’ Association, called attention to the effect of violent juveniles on the rest of the increasingly fearful community. The most violent kids need to be separated from other kids.

Reeb pointed out that under HB 134 kids would still receive a hearing about whether they were amenable to treatment. “We’re not giving up on kids,” she said. “Evaluations will be conducted.”

Bernalillo County Deputy DA Troy Gray testified that between 2022 and 2023 there were 24 murders by juveniles and 471 crimes involving handguns. Juvenile crime was up 57%. Without the bill, juvenile offenders would be free at 21, even if they were not rehabilitated. HB 134, he said, would give them the “flexibility of time.”

Rep. Andrea Romero, D-Santa Fe, complained that the bill would commit kids to incarceration with no chance for rehabilitation.

Gray assured her that they wanted to rehabilitate kids, but they must also be accountable. “This represents the worst kind of behavior,” said Gray. Some kids would continue to harm others as adults.

Democrats prevailed in a committee vote to table, but this bill really wasn’t partisan. Sam Bregman, who pushed for this bill, was once Democratic Party chairman. The governor and other Dems wanted it.

What we saw here was the divide between those who want to give child offenders every chance and those who know that some of them can commit heinous acts.

As a former volunteer juvenile probation officer, I see both sides. At times I sat in my car and cried about the kids’ lives. People always ask, “Where were their parents?” Well, most of these kids have zero home life, and drugs, alcohol and poverty play a role. One of the saddest comments I heard: “My mom’s boyfriend doesn’t like me. My dad doesn’t have room for me where he stays.”

Imagine that you’re 14 and nobody wants you.

Years ago, when juvenile crime was in the news, a reader informed me about psychopathic kids and the difficulty of treating them. Some will always be a danger to the public. Legislators need to keep working on this. The governor is correct to hold their feet to the fire.

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.

Mother and son charged in massage parlor prostitution ring sentenced

Michael Smith
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Mother and son charged in massage parlor prostitution ring sentenced

Adrian Hedden
El Rito Media
achedden@currentargus.com

A woman police said led a prostitution ring at massage parlors throughout southeast New Mexico and West Texas was sentenced to a year in federal prison, while her son was released from custody after being charged for his role in the criminal enterprise.

Shaoping Wen, 65, and her son Xu Wang, 42, were sentenced in federal court in the Northern District of Texas on March 18 after being indicted in September 2024 for conspiracy to use interstate travel in aid of racketeering enterprises. Wen and Wang were arrested in March 2024 in Carlsbad and Roswell, respectively.

The pair made initial federal court appearances in Las Cruces, and in September 2024 were extradited to face prosecution in Texas where the investigation began in the Lubbock area.

Wen pleaded guilty in November 2024 and was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison, followed by a year of supervised release. She was also ordered to forfeit $291,990 in cash police believed was tied to the illegal businesses and pay a $1.8 million judgment to the federal government.

For his role in the conspiracy, Wang pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony in November 2024, and was sentenced to time served of 362 days, meaning he already served his prison term awaiting trial and will be on supervised release for another year.

Misprision of a felony means Wang admitted to concealing his knowledge of a felony being committed and failed to report it to authorities. Investigators said he operated the parlors while his mother Wen was out of town, and that both of them were seen paying bail for women arrested in the past for prostitution at the parlors.

Charges stem from raids in Carlsbad and other New Mexico cities

What follows is a summary of the events leading up to Wen’s and Wang’s arrests, according to federal criminal complaints.

Investigators said Wen owned and operated two “illicit” massage parlors in Carlsbad, two in Roswell, one in Clovis and three in the Lubbock area. Other parlors Wen owned in Lubbock were previously closed by law enforcement, police said, due to “prostitution and landlord evictions.”

Undercover operations in New Mexico were conducted in February and March 2024, as police gathered evidence of prostitution at each of the parlors. The number of women accused of prostitution while in Wen and Wang’s employ was unclear as were the women’s ages and citizenship status.

The New Mexico parlors were tied to an initial investigation that began in June 2023 when a “concerned citizen” contacted police about potential human trafficking in Wolforth, Texas, a Lubbock suburb.

Four days later, an undercover operation was conducted at that location. An undercover officer entered the parlor and was greeted by a woman wearing lingerie, who he paid $60 for a massage, read the complaint. She later agreed to have sex with the officer for $140; the officer told the woman he had changed his mind and left the parlor.

Other people in the area subsequently reported suspicions to local police that the massage parlor only served men and that women were getting dropped off with luggage and going straight into the business where they appeared to live. Observers also said the business appeared to serve customers until midnight, and that they would stay for about 30 or 40 minutes at a time.

Advertisements for the parlors were found on known sex trafficking online platforms “Skipthegames” and “Rubmaps,” read the complaint.

Police searched another parlor in August 2023 in Lubbock, finding beds on the floor, hygiene products and clothing that police said indicated women were living there. It was a piece of paper found at that business with Wen’s email address that linked the suspect to the illegal parlor.

Subsequent searches at other parlors revealed similar evidence, along with receipts from stores in Roswell. Police then obtained a mobile tracking warrant for Wen’s red Hyundai Santa Fe, following her to two parlors in Carlsbad in the 300 block of Canyon Street and the 700 block of Guadalupe Street.

Wen was also tracked to parlors in the 1100 block of South Main Street and 2600 block of North Main Street in Roswell and the 800 block of North Prince Street in Clovis. Police later confirmed all five New Mexico parlors were owned by Wen, and she was observed picking up groups of women from the Roswell Air Center and bringing them to the parlors.

Police said sting operations were conducted in February 2024 at the New Mexico locations, where undercover agents reported women who worked at the parlors offered them sex for money.

Police later observed Wen traveling to a casino in Commerce, California, where investigators learned that she laundered money, buying casino chips and cashing out for about $1.7 million in “clean money” between January 2018 and August 2023.

Warm weather ending ski season early

Michael Smith
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Warm weather ending ski season early

Mike Smith
El Rito Media
msmith@elritomedia.com

Warm weather across northern New Mexico this week prompted closure of a popular resort while others prepared for spring and summer operations, ski officials said.

Ski Santa Fe announced in a press release that its closing date was being moved up to March 30.

“Unusually warm temperatures and rapidly diminishing snow conditions have forced us to push our closing date up a week,” read the release. “The season started on a high note with a big November storm allowing us to open early with more opening-day terrain than we have seen in over 25 years.”

Fall chair operations will return in September as the Santa Fe Express takes people on a fall foliage tour, the release said.

Pajarito Mountain, located 56 miles west of Santa Fe, has dealt with springlike temperatures as well this month, said Christiana Hudson, marketing director.

“It’s melting quickly. We have bright sunny bluebird days (with) good skiing,” she said.

Temperatures this week were expected to range from the upper 40s to near 60. Hudson said a closing date for Pajarito had not been confirmed as of Tuesday morning.

“This week is going to be really warm,” she said.

Pajarito and sister ski resort Sipapu, located southeast of Taos, have had quality skiing this spring, according to Hudson.

She said both resorts attracted skiers from New Mexico and Texas during spring break.

Hudson said Texans appear to enjoy spring skiing versus winter skiing.

“Texas skiers love to ski in warm sunshine. People really seeking the powder, they love January and February skiing,” she said.

Hudson said Sipapu has a tentative closing date of April 6.

She said once both resorts shut down, winter operations staff will take a break in preparation for spring and summer activities.

“Sipapu is a magical place in the summer. You go from the high desert to an alpine environment,” Hudson said.

She said Sipapu has disc golf, and Pajarito Mountain offers biking and hiking trails.

Latest ski conditions as of Tuesday, March 25:
(Information provided by Ski New Mexico)

Pajarito Mountain had a base depth of 10 inches with 14 of 53 trails open and 3 of 6 lifts open.

Sipapu had a base depth of 16 inches with 12 of 44 trails open and 3 of 6 lifts open.

Ski Santa Fe had a base depth of 36 inches with 80 of 90 trails open and 6 of 7 lifts open.

Taos Ski Valley had a base depth of 34 inches with 85 of 120 trails open and 13 of 13 lifts open.

Note: Snow conditions can change after this report is compiled.

Mike Smith can be reached at 575-308-8734 or msmith@currentargus.com.

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