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SIMCO offers student grants

Michael Smith
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SIMCO offers student grants

Staff reports

With graduation season around the corner, Salado Isolation Mining Contractors LLC (SIMCO) is accepting applications for college scholarships through its SIMCO Education Scholarship Program.

Graduating seniors from Eddy and Lea counties can apply beginning February 13, 2026, through March 13, 2026.

A limited number of one-time $1,000 scholarships are available to qualified 2026 graduating seniors selected from Carlsbad, Hobbs, and Loving schools. SIMCO will accept applications online until 5 p.m. on March 13, 2026.

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered. Selected recipients will be notified no later than March 25, 2026.

SIMCO realizes that education is the foundation of a strong and thriving community. The recipients of these SIMCO scholarships are the daughters and sons of our employees, our families, and our friends. Celebrating their academic achievement not only provides them with educational opportunities, it enriches our region when they return to work and raise families here.

The online application, along with information about proposal and evaluation criteria, is available at

https://form.jotform.com/230386090101040.

For more information about the SIMCO Education Scholarships Program, contact Dr. Joy James-Foster, Education

Outreach, SIMCO Communications, at (575) 234-7512 or joy.james-foster@wipp.doe.gov

Christ, our hero and Transfiguration Sunday

Michael Smith
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Christ, our hero and Transfiguration Sunday

David Grousnick

First Christian Church, Artesia

Children’s stories are full of characters who move back and forth between different realms of reality.

Take Cinderella, for example. You know the story of four mice pulling a pumpkin, whisking Cinderella away from poverty into an exalted moment of acceptance and glory. In one transforming moment, the servant is transformed into the queen of the ball. Suddenly, everyone can see Cinderella’s beauty and worth.

Or take the story of The Lion King, where Simba, a young lion cub, makes a series of selfish choices that lead to his father’s death. He has to flee. After a long exile, he is challenged to return. While wrestling with the decision, he sees in a pond his own image, mysteriously transfigured into the image of his deceased father. In that moment, he sees the purpose of his life and discovers the courage to return.

Or take Beauty and the Beast, where the beast is transformed by love back into a prince.

In these stories, reality is seen in a whole new way. As for the disciples, during these very mysterious moments on the mountain, as recorded for us in Matthew 17:1-9, the one they had followed up the mountain was transfigured before them.

This Sunday is Transfiguration Sunday. So, what does it mean to be transfigured? Let’s try to flesh this out a bit.

In order to become a minister in most denominations, a ministerial candidate must be examined and tested theologically. The church has a right and an obligation to know if a person is theologically sound before authorizing ordination, so theological questions are asked.

I heard recently about a veteran minister who always asks the same theological question of every potential minister; indeed, he has been asking this question of every candidate for over 30 years.

He begins by asking the candidate to look out the window. The puzzled examinee peers out the window, and the old minister adds, “Tell me when you see a person out there.”

“I see one,” the candidate will haltingly announce.

“Do you know that person personally?”

“No, sir.”

“Good. Now, my question is this: Will you please describe that person theologically?”

In three decades of experience in asking that question, the seasoned minister has found that the candidates tend to give one of two different answers.

Some will say something like, “That person is a sinner in need of the redemption of Jesus Christ.”

Others, however, will respond, “Whether they know it or not, that person is a child of God, loved and upheld by the grace of God in Jesus Christ.”

“I suppose,” this minister reflects, “that, technically, both of these answers are theologically correct. But it is my experience that those who give the second answer make the better ministers.”

The reason, of course, is that they have the gift of “transfiguration discernment.” They are able to see people in the present tense, in the middle of their circumstances, but they are also able to see more than just the present tense.

They can also see them as they were at the beginning of creation and as they will be in God’s future – a beloved child of God.

In the summer of 1941, Sergeant James Allen Ward was awarded the Victoria Cross for climbing out onto the wing of his Wellington bomber at 13,000 feet above ground to extinguish a fire in the starboard engine. Secured only by a rope around his waist, he managed to smother the fire and return along the wing to the aircraft’s cabin.

Winston Churchill, an admirer as well as a performer of swashbuckling exploits, summoned the shy New Zealander to 10 Downing Street. Ward, struck dumb with awe in Churchill’s presence, was unable to answer the prime minister’s questions. Churchill surveyed the unhappy hero with some compassion.

“You must feel very humble and awkward in my presence,” he said,

“Yes, Sir,” managed Ward.

“Then you can imagine how humble and awkward I feel in yours,” returned Churchill.

Churchill knew he was in the presence of a real hero. So did the disciples. In fact, they knew they were in the presence of someone whose significance went beyond celebrity, even beyond heroic. He was their Lord, their Master, their King. If we are wise, he will be our Lord, our Master, our King. If we are wise, Christ will be our Hero, too.

Have a great Valentine’s Day weekend!

Artesia swim team finishes second in district

Michael Smith
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Artesia swim team finishes second in district

JT Keith
Artesia Daily Press
jtkeith@elritomedia.com

Artesia swim coach Andrea Ciro could do nothing but smile as she took senior and group pictures with the swim team.

A second-place finish was not the result she wanted, but her team has come a long way since the beginning of the season.

The boys won the 200-yard freestyle with Alec Ciro, Javier Rodriguez, Joziah Murdoch and Aidan Ciro with a time of 1:36.09. The boys also won the 400-meter freestyle relay with the same swimmers, finishing in 3:30.07.

Sarah Plotner finished in third place in the girls 100-yard freestyle. The girls finished second in the 200-yard medley relay, with Plotner, Johanna A. Padilla, Morgan Fisher and Carly DeHoyos posting a time of 2:00.96.

After a rebuilding season with many young swimmers, Ciro said she is happy the boys and girls teams finished second overall at the district tournament on Saturday at the Artesia Aquatic Center.

“Of course, we would have liked to have gotten first,” Ciro said. “I think the kids have had a fantastic meet. We had a lot of great times, and we won many events. It was a fabulous meet; it was awesome.”

The meet saw her son Aidan Ciro break three school records in the 50-meter free, 100-meter free and 100-meter fly, and sophomore Morgan Fisher become a swimming star.

“I am ecstatic that on this given day, he had really good swims,” Ciro said. “He (Aidan) was on and sharp today.”

Ciro said the team battled the flu and other factors, but both the boys and girls have improved since the season began.

With the district meet behind them, Ciro and the swim team now turn their attention to the state meet.

Ciro said the state meet will be on Feb. 19, with the preliminaries on Friday and the finals on Saturday.

“Our goals are to get all our relays into the finals,” Ciro said. “We want to place and get medals.”

Both teams finished in seventh place last year, and Ciro would like to do better than that this year.

“Our kids are different,” Ciro said. “The kids who are swimming at state this year, we just have to see how it goes. The times we’ve had here at the district, you would think we’d surpassed all our goals. We set goals, and sometimes they surprise you.”

JT Keith can be reached at 575-420-0061, or on X @JTKEITH1.

Valentines for life

Michael Smith
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Valentines for life

Mike Smith
Artesia Daily Press
msmith@currentargus.com

Devyn and Callie Garcia offer example of long-term relationship, love of community

A love story that began when two teenagers met at a basketball tournament in Roswell more than 20 years ago is still going strong in Artesia.

The protagonists of the story, Artesia residents Devyn Garcia and his wife Callie, survived the challenges of growing up, moving away from home, starting a family and struggling to make a living, and today are happily married and proud parents of daughter Chloe, 11. Devyn is also a proud proprietor of the popular Schlotzsky’s sandwich shop at 905 W. Main St. and works full time in sales at Sunbelt Rentals.

Devyn, 36, and Callie, 35, met in 2005 at a Gus Macker 3-on-3 basketball tournament where he was playing with best friends Derek Montoya and Bryan Madrid and she was playing on a team that included her twin sister Cassie. Madrid knew the twins and introduced them to Devyn, who recalls being “too embarrassed and scared” to make the first move. Later that night, Callie called his family’s “landline” – didn’t kids have cellphones back then? – and the rest, as the saying goes, was history.

“Thank God she had the nerve to pursue,” Devyn said.

He lived in Artesia and Callie lived in Lovington but the 65-mile distance between them was no barrier to the growing relationship. By the time they both set sail for Las Cruces to attend New Mexico State University, the friendship had blossomed into a serious relationship.

The relationship was tested and nearly shattered in Las Cruces as Devyn “partied hard” during idle hours on campus.

“My life went off the rails,” he confesses, recalling that Callie left school and went home to Lovington “to find peace and recover.”

“We separated for a good while,” he said.

But this was a love story destined for a happy ending so Devin came to his senses. “I said, ‘I need to get home and chase this girl.’ So I moved home and asked her to give me another shot and she did.”

Devyn and Callie began a new chapter, in life and love, and in 2012 sealed the deal with a marriage license. In 2014, Chloe was born and Devyn suddenly realized he had a family to support.

“I had to get busy. I didn’t have my college degree and ended up getting an associate (degree) and didn’t really feel like I had anything to offer, other than just a lot of hard work,” he said.

Callie recalls that Devyn was still immature when they reunited but things changed when the couple found a path forward.

“We started pursuing Christ and the Lord became the center of our relationship,” she said. “I saw Devyn grow into a young man and very well-liked. Very respected.”

Her husband developed a good sense for business, she said, started detailing cars and formed a roustabout company cleaning up waste and equipment in the oil fields of Eddy County.

“That was about a three-year stint, trying to run my own business as a 22-year-old in the oil field,” Devyn said. “I learned a lot of lessons early on.”

He said being his own boss helped him develop the initiative and leadership skills he needed to find a career that offered steady income and benefits to take care of his wife and young daughter.

He landed a job as a radio dispatcher at Artesia’s Sunbelt Rentals, an equipment and tool renting outlet.

“I was 24 or 25 and didn’t know a thing about the rental industry and didn’t know anything about Sunbelt. But the pay was good enough,” Devyn said.

He left the world of self-employment in 2017 and moved into the corporate world that has served him and his family well ever since.

And four years ago, Garcia took another leap, partnering with his dad Dennis Garcia to invest time and money into the Schlotzsky’s near downtown Artesia. The sandwich shop opened in December 2024.

“I felt like I took a college class in business between Small Business Administration (SBA) loans, working through commercial contractors and the city (of Artesia) and permits. It was a learning curve and a half,” he said.

“Today it is up and running and it was by far the hardest thing I’ve ever done – but for sure one of the most rewarding.”

Devyn, who played basketball at Artesia High School from 2007 to 2009, has wanted to give back to the community since he returned 14 years ago.

Along the way, he said, he learned valuable life lessons from teachers, coaches and business leaders.

“They just inspired me to really think there is something bigger and it’s right in my backyard,” he said. “Why would I want to leave this community? Why would I want to invest time and effort into anywhere else?”

He encourages younger residents to stay in Artesia and build the kind of future he is building for his family and future generations:

“I hope anybody would look outside the four walls of their house and say, ‘what can I do to help the community?’ I would encourage them to do that.”

Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 extension-2361.

Shovel races return to Angel Fire

Michael Smith
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Shovel races return to Angel Fire

Mike Smith
El Rito Media
msmith@currentargus.com

What started as a quick way for workers to get down the mountain is now an annual event for the Angel Fire Ski Resort and nearby community of Angel Fire.

This year’s Angel Fire Snow Shovel Races will be held Feb. 27-28, according to the resort’s website.

Christy Germscheid, executive director of the Ski New Mexico trade organization, said resort workers discovered when Angel Fire opened 60 years ago that riding downhill on a shovel was the fastest way to return to the base of the mountain once work was complete.

“They decided to turn it into an event,” she said.

Germscheid said the rules are simple: “Just sit on a shovel and race down the mountain.”

The races started in the 1970s, Germscheid said, took a few years off, then resumed and have been run every year for four decades.

“The community makes it attractive for the resort. Most participants are from surrounding communities,” she said.

Germscheid participated in the shovel races in 2001 and finished in second place.

“It is a rush,” she said, noting that some racers are serious about the trek down the mountain while others just race for fun.

“You just point the shovel down and go fast,” Germscheid said.

But there rules, according to the Angel Fire Resort website:

• All shovels must be grain shovels, which are used to move materials such as grain, sand, gravel soil or snow.

• Competitors must wear a helmet and eye protection for all practice and competition runs.

• No physical alterations are allowed, although the seat can be painted, wax can be applied at the bottom of the shovel, and the handle can be taped for an easier grip.

More rules and registration information can be found online at angelfireresort.com.

Reported ski conditions as of Tuesday, Feb. 10

(Information provided by Ski New Mexico)

Pajarito Mountain has a base depth of 10 inches with 16 of 53 trails open.

Red River Ski and Summer Area has a 20-inch base depth with 37 of 64 trails open.

Sandia Peak has a base depth of 10 inches with 1 of 4 trails open.

Sipapu Ski and Summer Area has an 18-inch base depth with 19 of 44 trails open.

Ski Apache has a 30-inch base depth with 40 of 55 trails open.

Ski Santa Fe has a base depth of 30 inches with 83 of 89 trails open.

Taos Ski Valley has a base of 29 inches with 93 of 120 trails open.

Note – snow conditions can change after this report is compiled.

Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 extension-2361.

Opinion: Mid-session Report from Santa Fe

Michael Smith
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Opinion: Mid-session Report from Santa Fe

Sen. Jim Townsend
District 34

Thankfully, we have passed the halfway point. When I came to Santa Fe this year, I thought the message that I was hearing from my constituents and others across the state was clear; (1) fix the medical malpractice issue and stop the bleed of the doctors leaving our State, (2) stop the crime epidemic and the catch and release problem that all of our law enforcement enforcement agencies keep begging us to do. (3) support small businesses and creat jobs and opportunities. (4) try to stop the partisan politics, like we see in Washington and address the needs of the people. So, with hat in hand, that was exactly my plan but the progressive forces were out trying to raise taxes, impose devastating regulatory burdens on businesses and the overwhelming push was to Trump-proof New Mexico in any way they could regardless of the loss of jobs and harm it caused to New Mexicans.

Immediately after arriving it was clear my job had turned to defending my constituents much more than anything else. The House quickly introduced and subsequently passed HB9, named the Immigrant Safety Act. This Bill was not at all about protecting immigrants because it through them into an unknown abyss. Near Chaparral, New Mexico which is in my District. Otero County had built a facility years ago with approved Bond money and leased the facility to a company MTC, Management and Training Corporation, who runs an Immigration Facility there. The facility has a superior rating, based on inspections and processes they use processing 4 immigration courts processing immigrants. I have been through the facility and was impressed. When I was there immigrants from 93 countries. The facility employees about 300 people and the average time an immigrant is in the facility is about 14 days. From there they are either released into the United States, deported or if they known to be criminals incarcerated, processed, and deported. There are three similar facilities in New Mexico, one in Otero County, one in Cibola County and one in Torrance County, together these facilities employee about 1000 people and pay millions of dollars in taxes. HB 9 attempts to kill those facilities at the cost of those jobs and with absolutely no protection to where the immigrants will be detained or how they might be treated. So, the idea that it was a Bill providing protection to immigrants is a complete farce, it does no such thing. It was an anti-Trump Bill at the cost of 1000 jobs in New Mexico and the loss of tens of millions in taxes to our State. The Bill, introduced by three Albuquerque legislators and two from Las Cruces. Not one was from either of the counties affected. Unfortunately, the Governor has signed this Bill, and I am sure this will wind up in court and hopefully overturned.

But the trouble did not stop there, SB 17 began fast tracking through the Legislature. This Bill was titled “Relating to Firearms; Enacting the Stop the Illegal Trade and Extremely Dangerous Weapons Act. It will prevent a law-abiding citizen from buying many commonly used and coveted firearms in New Mexico. It is a direct attack on our Second amendment rights. It did not do one thing removing any weapon from any criminal. It will prohibit a law-abiding citizen from buying many weapons for hunting and protecting themselves in the future. It does not make it illegal for you to own or have, you or the criminal, you just cannot BUY it in New Mexico. So, this bill kills jobs, ends employment opportunities, and reduces taxes. It restricts and harms the law-abiding citizen while doing absolutely nothing to reduce crime. It does not make having the weapon a crime, it only restricts the ability of gun stores in New Mexico. Senator Cervantes, the Chair of the Judiciary Committee, was a sponsor on the HB 9 Biill mentioned earlier and he supported this SB17 Bill in committee, where he could have helped us kill the Bill, but when it got to the Senate floor he voted against it. IT passed 21/17 with three democrats voting with the republicans with four senate members absent.

But the worst Bill of the Legislature is before us, SB 18 The Clear Horizons Act sponsored by Senator Mimi Stewart. It is opposed by all significant businesses and business associations across New Mexico yet supported by the clan of progressive democrats in the Legislature and unless the people speak up it too will become law. This Bill is an integral part of the Green New Deal that has plagued America. Electricity cost are up 50-70% in New Mexico since the Energy Transition Act passed in 2019. The projected impact of SB18 will raise electricity prices another 50%. It forces utilities to retire low-cost, dispatchable generation sources and drives utilities away from natural gas. It does not just affect utilities it affects every business in New Mexico driving up their costs which will be felt by everyone of us at every store in New Mexico. It will have a disproportionate effect on low-income families. It will reduce New Mexico’s competitiveness in all respects. It will shrink the tax base that funds education, healthcare, and infrastructure. This is the worst Bill before the legislature. The only people I have met supporting SB18 are the special interest groups, the radical environmental groups, and the progressive democrats and of course the folks selling solar panels and wind turbines which pay no taxes to speak of. New Mexico has never had a weaker electrical grid as we do now. We have industries that have waited two years for power in southeast New Mexico. We have had more brownout and blackout conditions than ever before. These part time power sources are inconsistent and expensive raising the cost of living across our State. We are better than this and should expect more.

When people say that their vote does not count and they are way too busy to vote, this is the cost, poor governance, and a lower standard of living.

Sen. Jim Townsend represents District 34, which covers portions of Eddy and Otero counties.

Opinion: New Mexico Elections 2026: the 800-pound gorilla

Michael Smith
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Opinion: New Mexico Elections 2026: the 800-pound gorilla

Jose Garcia

After eight years of Michelle Lujan Grisham’s governorship, New Mexicans are aware of the bleak reality: the state still ranks last or near last in many categories of well-being. Lujan Grisham’s signature policy issue, children’s well-being, so far looks like a failure. Scandals involving abuse of children surfaced in the Children, Youth and Families Department under her watch. CYFD received a “not meeting critical performance expectations” grade in the Legislative Finance Committee report card last year, a scathing commentary about a top initiative that gobbled up gigantic sums of taxpayer dollars. In education, highway maintenance and health care, similarly strong evidence exists of poor performance during her watch. These failures would normally make 2026 a year in which a Republican candidate for governor, even in a solidly Democratic state, should have a strong opening.

There is precedent for this in recent New Mexico history. After eight years of Democrat Bill Richardson, for example, voters, including myself, turned to Republican Susana Martinez in 2010. In 1994, after four years of Bruce King, voters elected Republican Gary Johnson to be governor. In 1986, after four years of Toney Anaya, Republican Garrey Carruthers was elected governor. This despite New Mexico being a solidly Democratic state. Voters tire of the jargon, habits, failures and pretensions of the majority party and give the other side a fair crack at it.

But this year, the advantages Republican gubernatorial candidates might enjoy from this voter fatigue disappear because of what we might call the 2026 Trump effect.

Two features of the Trump administration limit the potential success of a Republican candidacy for governor this year. First, the sweeping lawlessness and deliberate cruelty of the masked paramilitaries in Minneapolis and Chicago have forced the political class in New Mexico to imagine what might happen should the Trump administration decide to Minneapolize Albuquerque. In Chicago, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, working with the mayor, local law enforcement and protesters, helped to limit the scope and duration of the attack on that city. What would it be like with a Republican governor in New Mexico should Trump decide to send in the ICE men? My guess is that the political class in the state, unhappy as it may be with Democrats, will opt for the reassuring familiarity, however imperfect, of the Democratic candidate for governor.

Second, there is the question about elections. Statements and actions within and around the Trump administration – taking 2020 ballots in Georgia, Steve Bannon’s call for ICE to surround voting places this November, strong hints from the president himself, etc. — have forced voters to imagine what might happen with a Republican governor in New Mexico should the Trump administration interfere in the electoral process in 2028. My guess is that Democrats otherwise open to a change of governors will circle the wagons and opt to stick with the familiar, as a hedge against this not so far-fetched risk.

Donald Trump has become the 800-pound gorilla in this year’s election cycle. And it isn’t confined to the governor’s race. The 2nd Congressional District, miserably gerrymandered, provides a potential opening for a strong Republican candidate for that seat. But it takes a willingness of many Democrats to cross over, and it seems difficult this year to imagine this happening given Trump’s poor performance in polls, and other polls showing Democrats have a strong chance of taking control of the U.S. House of Representatives. The same logic applies to state House elections this year. If you are unhappy with your Democratic legislator, will you vote for a Republican, given that it might change the composition and power of the state Republican Party at a time when Trump seems to find ways to enlist local Republicans for his projects, such as Project 2025? Local and national politics under Trump have become intertwined.

The Republican Party in New Mexico since 2010 has been poorly organized, strategically challenged, and its relevance diminished. It wasn’t always this way; previously, the GOP was a vibrant element in the governance of the state. But this year, thankfully, the Trump effect will pressure Republicans in New Mexico to define themselves to voters as the electoral cycle unfolds. And, like it or not, elections this year in New Mexico are not just about the direction of state government. They are also about the future of constitutional rule in the United States. They are relevant to the future direction of the nation at large. And they will help shape the kind of country we will be. All of this assumes the questionable notion the elections in 2026 will be free and fair.

There is still a long road ahead in this election year, and a lot can happen in the next few months. This is just an early take. New Mexicans would be wise to keep imagining possibilities.

Dr. Jose Z. Garcia is a former New Mexico Secretary of Higher Education, retired University PhD professor of political science, is active in state politics and a columnist for El Rito Media. He lives in Las Cruces and also frequently spends time in Santa Fe where he maintains a residence.

Aidan Ciro breaks school records

Michael Smith
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Aidan Ciro breaks school records

JT Keith
Artesia Daily Press
jtkeith@elritomedia.com

Right before the start of his races, Artesia senior swimmer Aidan Ciro leans forward with his eyes closed and envisions winning.

When he hears the starter say, “Get set,” he says he opens his eyes and is in the “Aidan Zone.” When the buzzer sounds, he springs forward and propels himself into the water head down, concentrating on his technique.

The speed and power that define Ciro led him to break three Artesia school records Saturday during the District 3/4 championships at the Artesia Aquatic Center.

Ciro broke school records in the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 21:44, the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 50.95 and the 100-meter butterfly with a time of 47.14.

“My senior year has been great,” Ciro said. “I have been looking forward to this meet for a long time. I came in this morning ready to win and give it everything I got to get first place.”

Ciro said his goal this year is to support his teammates, and that one of his favorite memories are the long bus rides to competitions and the bonding with his teammates.

With state coming up, he said he hopes to win the 50-meter butterfly and would like to help his team advance in the relay.

The team finished second at the district meet, and Ciro said the swimmers deserved it.

Ciro’s record-setting swims weren’t just personal highlights; they gave the Bulldogs big points for a nine-member squad competing against teams with more swimmers.

“I am glad that I got to swim here (the Aquatic Center) for the last time,” Ciro said. “I am glad I got to swim good races.”

Aidan is two minutes older than his twin brother, Alec. Aidan said swimming with his brother has been great, and the two of them have grown together. This season, Alec is swimming more distance events while Aidan is doing more sprints.

Their mother, Andrea, serves as their coach, and Aidan said she holds him to a higher standard. He pointed out she also swam at the University of Texas.

“I am ecstatic that on this given day, he had excellent swims,” Andrea said. “He (Aidan) was on and sharp today.”

JT Keith can be reached at 575-420-0061, or on X @JTKEITH1.

Contractor chosen for new county jail

Michael Smith
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Contractor chosen for new county jail

Adrian Hedden
Artesia Daily Press

An Albuquerque-based construction company was chosen by Eddy County to build a new detention center that will replace the current jail in downtown Carlsbad.

Bradbury Stamm Construction was awarded the contract by a unanimous vote of the Eddy County Commission at its Tuesday, Feb. 10, meeting.

The project will see the Eddy County Detention Center rebuilt on the south end of Carlsbad across Corrales Drive from the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office headquarters.

Construction is expected to begin in April and continue for about 30 months. No plans have been announced for demolishing or repurposing the current jail on Main Street in Carlsbad.

The county budgeted about $167 million for the project, and the final cost was under negotiation with the chosen contractor. If an agreement is not reached by the county and Bradbury Stamm, a different firm would be selected from those who responded to a request for proposal that closed in January.

When complete, the 142,000 square-foot facility will be able to respond to growing needs to house inmates charged and convicted of crimes throughout Eddy County, said Warden Bill Massingill.

Massingill said the current location was built 30 years ago. Designed to hold about 70 inmates, it currently averages about 220. Massingill said the new jail will be able to hold up to 400 inmates initially and could be expanded for a population of 800 in the future as needs grow.

He said the facility will also be outfitted to better respond to medical concerns among detainees such as drug detoxifications and pregnancies.

“We do our best to take care of people,” Massingill said. “It’s really to accommodate those people with special medical needs.”

Massingill said during an update he gave to commissioners after the vote on the jail contract that 200 inmates were brought into the jail last week. Two pregnant women were incarcerated during the last week, Massingill said, and about 300 tasks were conducted involving the court system – including video arraignments and transporting inmates to appointments.

The new jail will also make use of better video and digital technology to improve remote court hearings, Massingill said.

“It’s going to be modernized,” Massingill said of the new jail. “We specifically designed the medical area to accommodate that influx. It’ll be a clean slate.”

Designs submitted by Albuquerque design firm Studio Southwest, which were approved by commissioners at their Nov. 18 meeting, included plans for another 50,951 square feet in two phases to increase housing in response to projected future demands.

Senior Architect Andy Benson said his firm’s plans included off-site construction, which he said would save money as components of the facility are built at another location, shipped to the center and placed at the site.

This would help the facility cost less than the $167 million price tag budgeted by the county, Benson said, accounting for a 20% markup in building costs he said was caused by Carlsbad’s remote location.

“We’re very cognizant of money and utilizing some off-site construction,” Benson said.

Other business

Commissioners agreed to spend $178,570 to replace the roof of a county-owned community center in Otis, a rural community south of Carlsbad and north of Loving. The work will install new insulation and repair multiple punctures and damage.

Commissioners also opted to convene the county’s Freeholders Board, which will meet within 60 days of the approval, to consider adding several roads to the county’s jurisdiction in the Artesia area of northern Eddy County. If approved, the move would task the county with maintaining the roads which District 3 Commissioner Philip Troost said were needed to support ongoing housing projects nearby.

The roads were off Gisler and Blevins roads, where multiple housing developments were under construction.

Finance Director Roberta Gonzales reported Eddy County received $6.9 million in gross receipts tax revenue as of December 2025, a 22% increase from the same period in 2024. She said about $24.9 million was also received in oil and gas revenue that month.

For Fiscal Year 2026, running from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026, Gonzales reported the county gained about $228 million in revenue as of December – about 93% of the $244 million in revenue budgeted for FY 2026. She said the county will likely meet its budget by January.

Meanwhile, about $125.9 million in expenses were reported for FY 2026 as of December, about 27% of $475.5 million in budgeted expenses for the fiscal year.

Managing Editor Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, or @AdrianHedden on the social media platform X.

Artesia High bowling finishes as state runner-up

Michael Smith
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Artesia High bowling finishes as state runner-up

Ken Clayton
Special to the Artesia Daily Press

The Artesia High School bowling team made the trip to Silva Lanes in Albuquerque to compete in the 2026 New Mexico High School Bowling State Championship, looking to cap off the most decorated regular season in the program’s 19-year history.

The team of seniors Ayden Gomez, Payton DeMerritt, Brenden Depew, Brent McIntire and Damian Lopez; juniors Jace Miles and Chase Collins; and sophomore Ayden Dean had broken multiple individual as well as team state and school records during the season.

“It would take a full story of its own to cover all of the accomplishments of this year’s team,” said coach Ken Clayton.

The state championship format called for the opening phase to be three-team games. Each team game total was the combined score of the five team members competing in that game. The 2026 Class 4A tournament featured 12 schools competing for the championship.

In the opening game, the Bulldogs jumped to the lead with Depew rolling a 231 game, Gomez a 223, DeMerritt a 208 and Collins a 191, with the team posting a 1,012 score and taking a triple-digit lead over Bernalillo High. Game two saw Artesia roll the highest team game of the tournament with a 1,087. Miles threw the first eight strikes to lead with a tournament high 266 game, Gomez a 215, Collins a 214, Depew a 201 and DeMerritt his 191. After two games, the Bulldogs stretched their lead over second-place Bernalillo High.

“The second game had the building going with the excitement of Jace having a chance at 300 with his front eight strikes, and at one time the team had 14 strikes in a row,” Clayton said.

The final game of qualifying had Depew rolling the tournament’s second high game with his 247, Miles a 204, Gomez a 201, and DeMerritt and Collins a 194 and 193 for a team 1,039. The three-game team total saw the Bulldogs finish at 3,138 with a 460-pin lead over second-place Bernalillo High.

With the individual games complete, the All-Tournament team was announced based on the highest three-game series bowled by the 70 Class 4A competitors.

The Bulldogs represented four of the five members of the All-Tournament team, with Depew winning the individual high series and top spot with his 679 series, Gomez second with 639, Miles third with 629 and Collins fifth with 598. Just missing the top five and finishing sixth was DeMerritt with a 593 series.

“For a high school team to bowl 15 games in a state championship atmosphere and average 209 for the set is amazing,” Clayton said. “The 3,138 total is the highest three-game series of any of our state championship contests.”

The qualifying section of the event sets the seeding for the championship bracket and requires matches to be two-game baker games, with a total score for each match.

“Unfortunately, under the format implemented two years ago by the New Mexico High School Bowling Association, the 460-pin lead held the same weight as a 1-pin lead with no pins carrying forward in the tournament,” Clayton said. “While we may not agree, as coaches and the kids, we totally understood the format and what we needed to do to move forward in the tournament.”

The first round of matchplay saw the Bulldogs defeat Del Norte by a score of 183-181. Round two saw the Bulldogs in a rematch of last year’s championship against defending champion Valley High. The Bulldogs opened with their strongest baker game of the day at 231 and followed with a 165 to capture the round two match and move to the winners’ bracket final against Bernalillo High.

Bernalillo’s first game of 178 was enough to take a 10-pin lead over the Bulldogs. A back-and-forth second game came down to the final frames, with Bernalillo throwing three strikes and taking the game with a 204 to the Bulldog’s 194.

With Artesia High needing to win another match to have a spot in the state final, the Bulldogs defeated Pojoaque Valley High and earned a second chance at Bernalillo.

Game one saw some nerves and untimely splits on both sides, with Bernalillo taking a 16-pin lead over the Bulldogs. With no room for error, Artesia’s bowlers rolled a solid 200 game, but Bernalillo was up to the challenge with a 215 and enough to secure the 2026 Class 4A State Championship.

“Two game total score baker game matches are a toss-up where anything can happen for either team,” Clayton said. “A split or a miss at the wrong time, and you put yourself behind in a format that is hard to play catch-up.”

With the 2026 state runner-up finish, the Bulldog bowlers have competed in their 10th consecutive state championship final, having won seven state titles and secured three state runner-up finishes over that span.

“Coach (Laura) Weddige and I told our young people that their hard work, commitment and talent have created expectations that set the highest bar possible,” Clayton said. “That bar will always be there to reach for; however, they must understand the reality of second place at a state championship is not failure and does not define you or your season.”

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