Braylon Vega scored 20 points as Artesia defeated Moriarty 69-32 Saturday at the Bulldog Pit.
Charlie Campbell had 15 as Artesia upped its overall record 7-4.
At 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Carlsbad High School, the Bulldogs square off with the Cavemen in the second round of the Eddy County War.
Complete recap can be found in Thursday’s Artesia Daily Press.
Mike Smith
Artesia Daily Press
msmith@currentargus.com
Artesia High School basketball player Charlie Campbell didn’t have much time to switch from football conditioning to basketball shape.
The 6-foot-2 junior guard went from playing in the 5A state football championship game Thanksgiving weekend to the start of the basketball season Dec. 5 at Artesia’s City of Champions Classic.
As the basketball season rolls into January, Campbell appears to have shaken off the aftermath of the football season and his roundball campaign is in high gear.
Campbell played safety in football and noted a key difference in the demands of the gridiron versus the hardwood.
“The only time I would get the ball was on an interception or something,” he said of his work keeping football opponents out of the end zone. “The (basketball) defense if we run the press or something and if I can just read the court and make plays off the ball then I can find some similarities.”
Campbell jokes he has played basketball since he could walk. On a serious note, the 16-year-old said he began playing organized basketball in fifth grade.
Campbell said the Bulldogs had difficulties during the initial stages of the basketball season.
“Right now, I think we are the best we have been so far, and I just hope we can keep growing as a team,” he said. “These guys (have) come a long way and I’m proud to see where they are going to go.”
As a sophomore last year, Campbell helped the Bulldogs compile an 18-9 record (6-0 in District 4-4A) and advance to the state playoffs where they were eliminated by Albuquerque Hope Christian. The Bulldogs have won six games and lost four this season.
Bulldogs head coach Michael Mondragon said Campbell has matured since last season and is now team captain.
“As a sophomore he started for us for quite a few games and was a role player. This year he has taken on that role as captain,” he said.
Mondragon said Campbell has met the challenge of being a team leader.
“He is a great two-way player for us,” the coach said. “When he gets going on defense, people don’t realize how good of a defender he is and how much he rebounds the basketball.”
On offense, Mondragon said, Campbell is a shooter and acts as floor general at the point guard spot.
“The guys that have been playing with him a long time are all juniors,” Mondragon said. “He has been a big piece of that glue that has kept them together and definitely gives them more confidence and more energy when he’s on the floor.”
Campbell wants to be a guiding force on the court this season, helping his teammates make better decisions and have a greater understanding of the game.
“I just want to make sure they are having fun out there,” he said. “I don’t want them to feel like basketball is a job. I want them to run the floor and get their points, and facilitate with them.”
Campbell isn’t just an athlete, of course. He’s hard at work in the classroom as well as on the basketball court and says his favorite subject is language arts. After high school, he would like to play college basketball and pursue a career in the medical field.
Campbell is a son of Charles Campbell III and Jeanette Palmer. Charlie (he’s Charles Campbell IV) has three brothers, CJ and TK Campbell and Cree Palmer.
Mike Smith can be reached at 575-308-8734 and can be followed on X @MSmithartesianm.
By: Javier Sanchez
I always listen to the first movement twice. Chaos doesn’t just happen. Chaos builds on itself. It uses gravity to envelop, encircle and pull. Beethoven’s 9th symphony epitomizes the conscription of liberty, revolution, the end of the enlightenment period, romanticism and, above all, it brings hope to life. And hope does not come easily.
Written in the early 1820’s, Beethoven’s work came after the French Revolution, the Napoleonic wars, and the complete upending of European life. He saw virtue in what was happening in Europe because it brought order to the chaos. It signaled a new path toward brotherhood and liberty. A new chapter was being written that would settle and put right the confluent tragedy of a foregone darkness.
Beethoven wrote his Symphony No. 9 to chart a new path forward. Full with hope and joy. That’s what the final movement is called, the Ode to Joy, and it has become synonymous with the entire pièce de résistance. It has even become the “national” anthem for the European Union. For good reason. It shows us that between chaos and order lies creation. Chaos is inevitable. What we do at the moment immediately after worlds collide determines who we are.
In the Judeo-Christian, and to a great extent Islamic, tradition we have a unique way of interpreting the world and how we see ourselves in it relative to others throughout the world. Our religious teachings have imbued westerners with a way of thinking that puts the onus of control and destiny in our own hands. We learned that from God himself. The Bible teaches that in the beginning there was light. It is perhaps the most powerful statement ever made because it begs the question: Where did the light come from? What was this dark mixture from whence the universe was created? This phenomenon is known as creatio ex nihilo, Latin for creation out of nothing. In school we are taught that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. But what caused the first action? Chaos?
The Bible’s explanation wasn’t good enough for scientists curious about how the world came about. Instead of “let there be light,” they use the term Big Bang. There is more than one way to skin a cat. Though we cannot determine how the universe erupted into being, scientists gather clues from what they think happened just moments AFTER this big bang. It is said there was a moment (the wrong word because space and time lose meaning at this juncture) when everything came together and exploded into the expanding universe we know today – the event known as the singularity. Creatio ex nihilo, perhaps? Impossible for man to do. Yet we replicate its methods each time we dust ourselves off or pick ourselves up by the bootstraps.
The ideals surrounding individual freedoms, a strong sense of self and perhaps even capitalism find root in the concept that, though man cannot create light ex nihilo, he certainly can create himself. The idea that we have the ability to create ourselves is innate. The need grows ever more fervent this New Year’s Day. It is time to take stock. It is time to set straight the chaos of the past and put into perspective what lies ahead.
Personally, I must take greater responsibility for the things that I make happen; I must set time aside for those who are important to me; I must sometimes say no. We look for ways to improve. We strive for excellence. We plan and find better ways to put our house in order.
I listen to the first movement of Beethoven’s 9th again, but this time I let it carry me through its entirety. The same theme gets repeated. Clap, clang, bang – the cries of chaos. Beethoven is a genius of cacophony. Where do these sounds come from? Pu-du-du, du-tu-du-du. Dread, fear and uncertainty pervade his universe. The roll and thunder of the timpani, the high-pitched screech of the flute, the rosin-over-horse hair-over steel of the violin strings is maddening. It reminds me of the moonscape on top of the highest mountain I ever climbed on a moonlit night. Black obsidian, sharp like razors, heaped on a barren cliffside on the edge of the world. Ready to be subsumed and broken in a ravine of chaos. This is where wind is born—on mountain tops, in the tumult of primordial energy-ridden, volcanic cumulonimbus clouds. From its highest depths, the wind releases its howls to the world in a singular moment of abject ferocity. This is also where grief, abandonment and confusion erupt into a seething, bubbling heap of dread. Nothing escapes this darkness – not even the hope of light – until we begin to put the chaos in order. That is our redeeming moment. God made us in his image. Inferior, surely. Not on the same footing, but with all the desire and ability to make this world right. From chaos to order. From the unknown to the known.
Chaos has a way of building on itself. I happened to listen to Beethoven’s symphony at a time that I was rereading Sophie’s World. It’s a book about the history of philosophy. One of the first questions is: “Where does the world come from?” Perhaps it was a coincidence that I read this while contemplating Beethoven and learning about the Big Bang. But then again, chaos has a way of building on itself and nothing truly is a coincidence. Then I listened to a new single from one of my favorite bands, Aterciopelados, out of Columbia. It’s called Agradecida, or Grateful. The first line hums in wonderful bellow: “I am grateful to the moon, the sun and the beat of my heart.”
Be grateful for the chaos that comes into your world. Look for the cacophony of light, sound, books and dilemma. This year vow to put them straight by understanding them.
In the face of uncertainty, turn to the light. Orchestrate the moving parts and conduct accordingly. Though we cannot create light ex nihilo, we most certainly can create our New Year. Full of light, hope and joy.
Javier Sanchez is the former Mayor of Espanola, an independent businessman, and El Rito Media investor and columnist.
Provided by New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University President Valerio Ferme announced to campus Thursday that Mario Moccia will depart NMSU as the university’s athletics director. As part of the announcement, Ferme also stated that Amber Burdge, NMSU’s deputy athletic director for strategic initiatives and leadership, would be promoted to the role of acting athletics director, effective immediately.
“After carefully reviewing the recent report issued by the New Mexico Department of Justice, I felt we needed a fresh start in our athletics program,” Ferme said. “I have utter confidence in Dr. Burdge’s ability to lead our Athletic Department, and look forward to working with her in the coming months.”
Burdge had served as NMSU’s deputy athletic director for strategic initiatives and leadership, as well as the senior woman administrator and deputy Title IX coordinator for the athletics department. Ferme said she is highly regarded for having a student-first mindset and has helped work on NMSU’s strategic response to hazing prevention.
Before coming to NMSU, she was the associate athletic director for student-athlete success services at Louisiana Tech University for eight years, overseeing significant academic improvement and community service initiatives. Before that, she served as the athletic director for Neosho County Community College, where she oversaw 16 sports programs that won six national titles and produced 36 NJCAA All-American accolades and honors.
Her experience also includes leadership roles at Stephen F. Austin and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, with a strong focus on academic and leadership development. She holds a bachelor’s in health and a master’s degree in counseling from Oklahoma State. She also earned a Doctor of Education at Louisiana Tech.
Information and photo provided by New Mexico Department of Game and Fish
Fishing prospects remained the same from 2024 as the new year started this week at lakes and streams across New Mexico with mild temperatures forecast for the weekend.
In Lincoln County, fishing for trout was good using flies, lures and worms at Bonito Lake.
Fishing for trout was good using earthworms at Corona Pond and at Grindstone Lake fishing for trout was good using PowerBait.
Fishing for trout was very good using PowerBait at Oasis Lake State Park near Portales. Fishing for bass was slow.
In southern New Mexico, fishing for walleye was slow to fair using plastic baits at Elephant Butte Lake near Truth or Consequences. Fishing for catfish was fair to good using cut bait. Anglers reported water levels were rising.
At Young Park Pond in Las Cruces, fishing for trout was fair to good using small rainbow-pattern spoons.
This fishing report, provided by the Department of Game and Fish in cooperation with Dustin Berg of www.gounlimited.org, has been generated from the best information available from area officers and anglers. Conditions encountered after the report is compiled may differ, as stream, lake and weather conditions alter fish and angler activities.
By: Pastor David Grousnick
Patrick J. Wilson tells about a friend of his who began his ministry at little First Presbyterian Church in Aberdeen, Mississippi.
His first year as pastor he was visited by three men inquiring about one of his members, a widow who lived by herself. Was she getting out? Were her friends in Aberdeen keeping in touch? Was there anything they needed to know?
The three men explained the situation, gave him their cards – one lived in New Jersey, another in Oklahoma, the other in California – and he was told to call them if there was anything they could humanly do to make her life happier or easier.
These three men arrived each year bearing presents their wives had picked out in the shops of San Francisco and New York. The men had hired a family who mowed the woman’s yard, trimmed the bushes, and checked on tree branches and gutters.
One of the men prepared the woman’s tax returns each year while another contracted repairs on her house or made them himself. Sometimes they helped her shop for a new car. They were meticulous in wanting to check on everything and anticipate every difficulty the woman might face.
Each year they visited the President of the Bank of Mississippi in Aberdeen – there was a regular turnover in young bank executives – and passed out their cards, explaining that he was to notify them of any worldly need this woman might have, and they explained to the Bank President the situation.
So, what’s the back story here?
Sixty years ago, prior to when this story was being told, the three men had been three soldiers standing on the ground floor of a house in Normandy just a few days after D-Day when a German potato masher grenade came bouncing down the stairs. A fourth soldier, the woman’s husband, threw himself on the grenade, absorbing most of its impact.
The three men lived because of his death.
After the war was over in 1945 the three men began making their way to Aberdeen, Mississippi on a regular basis to make sure that this man’s widow would lack for nothing they had within their power to provide for her.
They had been doing that for more than twenty-five years when Patrick’s friend was pastor of First Presbyterian Church.
Isn’t that a remarkable story?
Patrick tells us another remarkable thing: there were eighteen soldiers on the first floor of that house in Normandy. All eighteen of them were spared by the action of that one soldier leaping on a grenade, and after the war was over, three of them made their regular pilgrimages to Aberdeen, Mississippi.
Three out of eighteen: that’s 16 2/3%.
Let me ask you: What would 100% gratitude look like?
Why, it would change the world.
If you make a New Year resolution for 2025, you might consider making a resolution of gratitude toward someone or something. Our world needs more gratitude!
Happy and Blessed New Year!!
David Grousnick, is the Pastor at the First Christian Church in Artesia.
Story and Photos by Adrian Hedden
El Rito Media
achedden@currentargus.com
Firefighters battling wildland blazes in the forests of southern New Mexico have a new vehicle that could help contain the fires and evacuate locals, courtesy of the federal government.
The Bureau of Land Management’s Pecos District Office supplied a 2011 type 6 fire engine to the Bonito Volunteer Fire Department in Alto Dec. 19, augmenting the rural fire service’s resources in the area recently threatened by frequent wildfires.
Alto is situated just north of Ruidoso, amid Lincoln National Forest and historic Fort Stanton, which the bureau manages. The South Fork and Salt fires burned about 20,000 acres and led to at least two deaths in the area last July.
Type 6 engines are lightweight and intended for wildland firefighting. The federal agency was able to provide the vehicle to the fire department as part of a federal program to donate used equipment to local first responders after it has completed its federal lifetime.
In this case, the truck reached the 3,000-usage hour mark, tracked by a clock in the vehicle, meaning it could no longer be used by the bureau to fight fires on federal land.
When such a vehicle becomes available, federal agencies notify area first responders who can apply to acquire the vehicle at no cost to the local agency.
The entire process takes about six months, said Matthew Thomas, wildland fire operations specialist at the bureau’s Pecos District Office.
Factors considered in evaluating the application include proximity to Bureau of Land Management land, the age of the local agency’s equipment and the overall need of the area, Thomas said.
He said the Bonito Fire Department was an ideal candidate because its district abuts and in places overlaps with land managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service and the State Forestry Department.
The transfer will also ensure Bonito’s equipment is consistent with the bureau’s, Thomas said.
“We’ve known for years that they have significant wildfire risk in Ruidoso,” Thomas said. “Usually, the volunteers beat us there. If they have reliable stuff similar to us, we can get there and interface with it.”
Bonito Volunteer Fire Department Chief Spencer Baldwin said the smaller, lightweight type 6 vehicles are good for entering tight areas and evacuating people from the rough terrain of the region.
“The majority of our calls are wildland fires,” he said. “Some of our roads are steep and narrow. These smaller ones are good for getting into the seat of the fire.”
Before being awarded the engine the department had two 2002 type 6s, Baldwin said, but one broke down when the clutch failed while responding to the South Fork and Salt fires.
A new type 6 engine costs about $200,000, Thomas said. The one given Bonito was worth about $60,000, he said.
“It’s a challenge to come up with the money to buy a new apparatus, budget-wise,” Baldwin said. “Our primary thing with that fire was evacuation. It’s hard to get our bigger trucks into tight areas to get people out.”
Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on the social media platform X.
From: El Rito Media
Olympic years and presidential-election years can have a lasting impact on people’s memory. Whether such years also have a lasting impact on history depends on, well, history.
When people look back on 2024, they’ll remember a fascinatingly unique U.S. presidential campaign, which included an assassination attempt, the incumbent president bowing out, and the first woman of color to run for the office.
The vote produced the election of Donald Trump (again) and the first bearded vice-president since Charles W. Fairbanks served under Teddy Roosevelt from 1905-09.
The year 2024 saw wars continuing to rage in the Middle East and in Ukraine, and international troubles and tensions occurring on a regular basis.
Celebrity deaths of ’24 included a quintet of baseball players who each changed the game: Orlando Cepeda, Fernando Valenzuela, Pete Rose, Rickey Henderson, and the greatest 24, Willie Mays.
Closer to home, a fledgling newspaper group that owns the one you’re reading right now – El Rito Media – added three more companies in June. With five different publications, El Rito now owns more newspapers than anyone in New Mexico.
Why would a company in 2024 purchase newspapers, which some perceive as a dying industry?
We believe there are many answers, but two primary ones.
One: Newspapers are not just newspapers anymore. They are multimedia companies distributing news, information, opinion and entertainment across several platforms.
Two: Too many communities in New Mexico, including this one, have found themselves in “news deserts,” where the availability of plentiful, objective news has been in diminishing supply.
The media the past 15 years or more has been maligned from many directions, much of the criticism deserved. We at El Rito believe that’s part of the reason America needs, now more than ever, the free press our Founding Fathers recognized as vital to our nation.
In Artesia, 2024 saw the centennial of Illinois #3.
Illinois #3 was not a football team, a train route or a paint color.
It was the oil well that signaled the future of Artesia, New Mexico.
The Daily Press worked hard to recognize the occasion and produced a commemorative coffee table publication chronicling the origin of the well, and the subsequent impact the oil industry had, not only on Artesia, but on the entire state of New Mexico and the West Texas region.
We worked hard on the many other stories that painted the picture of Artesia in 2024.
This may sound strange, but we hope the work we did at El Rito in 2024 was the worst we’ll ever do.
That’s because our concerted goal is to continue to improve and better serve our communities each year.
We have seen modest circulation growth and advertising growth in each of our five markets. With continued growth, we’ll be able to invest in and improve and grow our news coverage. Everyone involved with El Rito, from our lead investors to the drivers who bring your newspapers to this community, believes wholeheartedly a better-informed community means a better community overall.
Whether it’s being a watchdog on municipal government or bringing recognition to important accomplishments by our youth, a newspaper can be a reliable provider of vital information to our communities.
We’ve received hundreds of positive comments from readers, businesspeople and community leaders on the work we’ve done in 2024. The support has been encouraging, and we are incredibly grateful for the wide and varied support we’ve received.
But we know we still have a lot more work and improvement to do.
And we’ll need your continued support to succeed.
We’ll need more reader subscriptions and more paid advertising from local businesses.
We’ll need more submissions of content from readers and community organizations.
We don’t see this as our newspaper. We see this is as your newspaper, and ourselves as the facilitator.
With everyone working together, we can continue our progress through 2025.
By Len Ingrassia
Automotive columnist
Nissan Sentra has always been a favorite of ours and the 2025 model is no exception. Its practical side as a compact four-door offers fuel efficiency and oodles of standard safety features for a $20s price.
If you are not expecting rapid acceleration with the Sentra, you won’t be disappointed. It is pokey off the line and while passing on interstates
The non-turbo, four-cylinder engine develops 149 ponies, enough to move the ton and a half sedan to 60 miles per hour from a dead stop in 8.6 seconds at our independent test site. A three-cylinder turbo is expected to debut this model year along with all-wheel drive, currently not available.
Slotted between its smaller sibling Versa and mid-size Altima, the Sentra offers a comfortable ride with available driver assists and suspension controls to improve the driving experience.
Mostly a carryover from last year, this Sentra is part of the eighth generation launched in 2020. To entice new buyers, Nissan has thrown in a maintenance plan offering up to three oil changes in the first 2 years/24,000 miles.
Sentra is available in base S, SV and SR trims. All have standard driver assist features
including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, forward collision warning, rear automatic braking, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning and high beam assist. Our mid-range SV also included standard adaptive cruise control.
In our 200-mile test drive, we were impressed with Sentra’s overall performance. Cabin noise was minimal even with oversize 17-inch alloys, part of a $2,620 Premium Package that also included power moonroof, 360 all-around view, six-way power driver and two-way power lumbar seat, eight-speaker Bose sound and exquisite quilted leather seating.
Nissan Connect services are also available allowing remote starting, locking and unlocking, mapping and music services all through your connected smartphone. The subscription-based service can be ordered from a menu of selectable features such as Wi-Fi hotspot ($20 monthly), remote horn and lights, curfew alert, alarm notification among others.
Front seat passengers are treated with Zero Gravity seats that adjust 14 hip to back pressure points while form-fitting an ergonomic position similar to what astronauts use in space. Infiniti and Audi have adopted similar seating in their lineups.
Surprisingly, rear seat passengers have more shoulder and head room than up front, something few rivals can claim.
Inside controls are straight forward and we liked the convenience of control knobs for radio volume and tuning versus drill down tabs found in some rivals. Center mounted climate vents are adjustable and add a cool retro look.
Its continuously variable transmission offered a mostly smooth progression through acceleration although engine noise levels did increase with pedal pressure.
Sentra’s wide stance and higher waistline give the impression of a larger vehicle. Front fascia and wrap around headlamp and taillight assemblies also add a sporty touch to an otherwise sedate sedan.
Sentra’s biggest hurdle remains to improve market share over top rivals’ Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic and Mazda 3.
If you are contemplating a buy in this segment, we suggest taking test drives in its rivals too.
Contact independent automotive columnist Len Ingrassia at editor@ptd.net.
What was reviewed:
2025 Nissan Sentra SV FWD
Engine: 2.0-liter four-cylinder, 149 horsepower
EPA rated mileage: 30 city, 40 highway, 34 combined
MSRP/ as tested: $22,290 / $28,035
Assembled: The Nissan Sentra is assembled at Nissan facilities in Aquas, Mexico. U.S./ Canadian parts content – 15 percent, major source of foreign parts – Mexico – 60 percent, Country of origin – engine and transmission – Mexico and Japan.
Crash test ratings: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) downgraded its previous top safety pick status to a “Good” – its high rating in small and moderate overlap crash testing and downgraded to “Acceptable” in updated side crash testing. Headlight illumination was rated “Poor” and the standard front crash prevention for pedestrians was rated “Marginal”. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded the Sentra five-stars, its highest rating, in overall safety, side crash protection and in rollover crashes. Second best four-star rating was given in frontal crash protection.
Warranty: 3-year/ 36,000 mile basic; 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain. Three scheduled oil changes within 2 year/24,000 miles
El Rito Media Staff Report
Thomas Mabrey, a man who spent three decades dedicating his life to New Mexico high school student-athletes has died, according to an announcement from the New Mexico High School Coaches Association (NMHSCA).
The announcement was made Dec. 30 on the NMHSCA website.
“Today we mourn the loss of a truly remarkable man whose unwavering dedication and leadership left an indelible mark on the athletic community of New Mexico. Dr. Mabrey’s passion for coaches, student-athletes and our athletic community will forever be remembered and cherished,” read the announcement.
He was named NMHSCA executive director in 2008. The Hobbs native graduated from high school in 1985 and enlisted in the United States Navy and was stationed in Hawaii.
After serving five-years in the military, he returned to Hobbs and spent two years working in the oilfields, along with officiating basketball games to remain involved in high school athletics, per the NMHSCA.
He moved to Las Cruces in 1992 to attend classes at New Mexico State University (NMSU). That summer he became an assistant football coach at Mayfield High School and worked under Mike Draper and Jim Bradley where the Trojans won three state football championships and multiple district titles.
He served as Mayfield’s head track coach and won one district championship.
Mabrey earned collegiate degrees from NMSU.
In 2001 he coached high school football in Snyder, Texas and two years later he moved back to New Mexico and served as an assistant director of the New Mexico Activities Association (NMAA) where he directed the state volleyball, basketball, and softball championships.
In 2006 he moved to Farmington and became the athletic director at Piedra Vista High School.
“The state of New Mexico’s athletic community will never be the same without him, but his legacy will on in the lives he touched,” stated the NMHSCA website.
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