Home Blog Page 7

Maralyn Beck: CYFD should be first priority of governor-elect

Michael Smith
-
0
Maralyn Beck: CYFD should be first priority of governor-elect

Maralyn Beck

Since the NMAG’s recent investigation into CYFD failures, the idea of removing CYFD from the governor’s authority has been gaining traction. I know in theory that “removing political influence” from CYFD sounds good—I caution you that this short-sighted, half-baked, knee-jerk response could prove problematic.

If you seek to isolate CYFD away from “political influence” because you don’t trust the cabinet secretary charged with leading the department, you are blaming the wrong person.

There are currently 6+ candidates running to be our next governor. Fixing CYFD should be their number one issue.

I agree with the Kevin S. Settlement Agreement Co-Neutrals who have said in no uncertain terms: do not do this. These national experts have knowledge and a proven history of turning around dysfunctional child welfare agencies in modern day. Listen to them.

No issue–nor state agency–exists in a vacuum. To improve outcomes for children in state custody, our governor must improve the entire child-serving system. Think chain-reaction machine. It’s all interconnected.

The vast majority of children in state custody are on Medicaid, so CYFD must constantly coordinate with our Medicaid state agency: HCA. Treatment foster care, behavioral health services, and residential hospital programs are also under HCA’s oversight. HCA and CYFD need to work as twin sisters, and to do that, they need the same parent.

HCA is just the beginning. CYFD needs to work with DOH, which currently runs CARA navigation, ECECD runs home visiting and universal childcare; law enforcement; PED for education; General Services for reimbursements to employees and foster families; and HSD and HED for increasing and supporting the workforce pipeline.

While ensuring our department follows modern, evidence-based, and data-driven best practices, it’s worth mentioning that not one other state has removed its child welfare department from its governor’s office. Not one. Nada. Zilch.

As a former foster parent, I know firsthand what an unconscionable failure this agency has been, and how impatient and desperate we are for something to change. But, as someone working in this space daily, I also know that the last thing this agency needs is more uncertainty and instability.

Solutions exist – but please, this isn’t it. There is a fragile balance here, and lives are at stake. Do not be short-sighted on this. We don’t need to separate CYFD from the Governor’s control. What we need is a Governor who takes more control by taking to heart the chain reaction and interconnectedness of all child-serving agencies.

As the Kevin S. Co-neutrals have stated, all state agencies must work together, and the most effective way to do this is to have “an engaged and committed governor, and focused and motivated agency leadership.”

This agency needs radical transparency, immediate culture change, and most importantly, experienced, committed leadership, beginning with the Governor. The era of CYFD existing in a consequence-free environment must end.

The problems facing CYFD are not insurmountable. We deserve an accountable leader who understands child welfare, will focus on addressing the toxic culture, professionalizing the workforce, respecting volunteer foster parents, and serving the children and families whose lives depend on it.

We deserve a Governor who will commit to being hands-on and focused: an “engaged and committed governor.” One who will commit to reading the AG’s report, and the LFC and Kevin S reports. One who will consult with experts and take their recommendations to heart. One who will seek to learn, not to pretend to know.

If you want to fix CYFD, elect a governor who is serious about a hands-on approach rooted in evidence-based safety-science, believes that solutions exist, and has the skills necessary to kill a toxic culture. Our children deserve better. Let’s give it to them.

Maralyn Beck is a former volunteer foster parent, and the Founder and Executive Director of New Mexico Child First Network. She is an Aspen Institute Civil Society Fellow, and a member of the AEI Child Welfare Innovation Working Group.

Regional infant hearing testing center opens, bringing early support to families in Artesia and surrounding areas

Michael Smith
-
0
Regional infant hearing testing center opens, bringing early support to families in Artesia and surrounding areas

Mike Smith
Artesia Daily Press
msmith@elritomedia.com

A new regional infant and hearing testing center in Artesia means fewer trips to Albuquerque for screenings of newborn babies, officials say.

Members of the Santa Fe-based New Mexico School for the Deaf joined government, nonprofit and business leaders from Artesia and Eddy County for an April 10 ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Regional Infant Hearing Testing Center at Haven of Hope, 2100 W. Richey Ave.

Dr. Jennifer Herbold, superintendent of the school for the deaf, said the Artesia center will serve Eddy, Lea, and Chaves counties, relieving residents of the need to make the nearly three-hour drive to Albuquerque for testing.

Hearing loss is the most common condition present at birth, according to a news release from the school for the deaf.

“New Mexico law requires that all newborns be screened for hearing loss at birthing hospitals across the state,” the release read. “However, when infants in Lea, Eddy, and Chaves counties do not pass their hospital screening or follow-up screening, families have traditionally had to travel to Albuquerque for diagnostic testing.”

Herbold said the testing center in Artesia resulted from a plan launched last year involving families, health care providers, nonprofits, and state legislators.

“It’s amazing what community representation can do,” Herbold said. “When we first started with the Legislature we said we needed funding for audiology services for the whole state. They were supportive. But then we continued looking for a specific site and the site is actually one of the very hardest parts.”

She said the Artesia community stepped forward, offering the Haven of Hope location.

“Now that I see this place for myself it is very beautiful,” Herbold said.

Haven of Hope has seen firsthand the strain involved in young mothers transporting babies to Albuquerque for a hearing test, said Denys Rivera, executive director of the organization dedicated to providing life skills to single mothers and their children.

“We actually have a mom here at Haven of Hope who was having to travel to Albuquerque for one her sons to see a specialist,” Rivera said. “It came full circle for us, and we were glad we were able to bring a little bit of assistance and hope into our home.”

Artesia Mayor Jeff Youtsey said the school for the deaf and Haven of Hope provided a needed service for the community.

“It gives children local access. It gets treatment help for these children,” he said.

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

WIPP proposes nuke waste route through Hobbs from Seminole

Michael Smith
-
0
WIPP proposes nuke waste route through Hobbs from Seminole

Christina Holt
News-Sun

Nuclear waste shipments to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant could soon pass through Hobbs, as planned highway construction forces officials to seek a temporary alternate route.

The proposed route would bring the shipments through Seminole, Texas, crossing into New Mexico on Highway 62 before continuing on Marland Boulevard through Hobbs to reach the facility about 30 miles east of Carlsbad.

At WIPP, the Energy Department disposes of transuranic nuclear waste (TRU), which is clothing materials, equipment and other debris irradiated during nuclear activities.

The waste is buried at WIPP in a salt deposit about 2,000 feet underground. The salt gradually collapses on the waste, burying the refuse and blocking radiation from escaping.

WIPP’s current transportation route to bring waste in for disposal enters New Mexico on Highway 176 from Andrews, Texas, then travels south on Highway 18 to Jal, and then west on Highway 128 to the facility. But there is planned construction for both Highways 176 and 128 that will completely interrupt the route.

It was unclear how long the interruption would last. The new route will need approval by both the City of Hobbs and Lea County.

The Hobbs city commission did not make a decision at its Monday, April 6 meeting on the proposed route.

WIPP officials are scheduled to present the proposed new route to state regulators on April 16 and invited members of the Hobbs city commission to attend.

Commissioner Larron Fields said his biggest concern was safety since the shipments would be going through the heart of Hobbs.

“I understand we do have gas and oil and other material coming through but when you start talking about nuclear waste, it raises a big concern,” Fields said.

Hobbs Mayor Jonathan Sena didn’t have an issue with the nuclear waste being transported through town because he said it has been done before and thinks it is safe.

“If it’s safe, legal and ethical, I want to try,” Sena said. “I know from my perspective, I wouldn’t oppose this on a temporary basis until we get those highways opened up. I appreciate your transparency and coming to talk to us about this.”

City Manager Manny Gomez said the proposed route would pass through commercial areas as well as some residential areas with pedestrian cross walks and passing some schools.

Specifically, the route would pass directly by the Hobbs High School C-TECH building on Marland Boulevard and two blocks away from Edison Elementary located at 501 E. Gypsy Street.

WIPP has been transporting nuclear waste in the Lea County area for 25 years argued James Mason, WIPP institutional affairs manager, who presented the alternative route at the Hobbs City Commission meeting.

“These are one of the safest transports in the world,” he said. “We are right now at about 14,700 shipments and 17.5 million miles with no incidents.”

There will be about 60 shipments a year over a 40-week period, coming from Georgia and Tennessee. The shipments will undergo several inspections while traveling, Mason said.

The contaminated materials will include tools and gowns from the production of national defense weapons. No liquids, explosives or anything of that nature will be included, Mason said.

The plan would be to come through Hobbs about 1 or 2 p.m. to avoid the morning and evening oilfield traffic rush hour, Mason said.

Local consent

In preparation for establishing a new route, Mason has approached multiple city and county commissions in Texas to get approval to transport the nuclear waste through those communities.

Mason said Big Spring in Howard County, Texas, Lamesa in Owen County, Texas and Seminole in Gaines County, Texas have all given consent to allow WIPP to ship through those towns.

So, the final approval needed to establish WIPP’s new route is from Hobbs city commission and Lea County.

Though the state of New Mexico Transportation Commission would ultimately approve the new route, each community must give their consent to the transport plan.

“We are not going to impose this on any community,” Mason said. “We go work with those communities and get their consent. So, that’s what we’ve been doing. We prefer to work with our communities and develop these relationships.”

Christina Holt’s email is reporter3@hobbsnews.com.

New coach, fast start for Artesia tennis

JT Keith
-
0
New coach, fast start for Artesia tennis

 JT Keith

Artesia’s tennis program is off to a strong start under first-year coach Melissa Warren, who is finally getting her chance to lead the Bulldogs after years of waiting for the timing to be right.

Warren, who has long wanted to coach at Artesia, stepped into the role this season and has quickly seen results. The Bulldogs opened the year undefeated through their first three district matches and continued that momentum Thursday with a convincing boys and girls sweep of Goddard at the Mack Chase Sports Complex.

“Our season is going good so far,” Warren said. “We are 8-1 overall and 2-0 in district, and today was a really good day.”

Warren said the early success has been fueled by players buying in and applying what they have worked on in practice.

“All of them have stood out because they’re doing what we’ve talked about,” Warren said. “They’re competing and continuing to get better.”

One performance that caught her eye came in singles play, where Kirklyn Miller battled through a tough opening set before rallying to win in three sets.

“She lost the first set and then came back,” Warren said. “She’s fighting, and that’s fun to watch.”

Warren said the coaching transition has brought challenges beyond the court, noting she has leaned on assistant coaches Phillip Jowers and Tim Trentham as she learns the ins and outs of the program.

Artesia tennis player Joshua Vazquez hits the ball against Goddard.

On the boys’ side, the Bulldogs continued to show depth in both singles and doubles. Cutter Summers and Damian Lopez picked up wins in singles play, while Paul Miller, Ediel Miranda and Jackson Hollinger also contributed victories. Hollinger has put together a strong stretch of singles matches to open the season.

In doubles action, Summers and Lopez earned a hard-fought win, while the teams of Martinez and Miller and Miranda and Adan Alva also posted victories.

The girls earned multiple singles wins as well, including victories from Miller, Breckyn Miller, Adrienne Harvey, Abigail Jowers, Renee Irvin and Sadie Morris. In doubles, the teams of Kirklyn and Breckyn Miller and Harvey and Jowers both earned wins, as did Irvin and Morris.

Artesia will return to action at 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Chase Sports Complex as the Bulldogs continue district play.

Artesia Public Library hosts Tiny Art Show and National Public Library Week activities

Michael Smith
-
0
Artesia Public Library hosts Tiny Art Show and National Public Library Week activities

Photos by Mike Smith, Artesia Daily Press

Art creations under six inches are on display through April 30 at the Artesia Public Library as part of the month-long Tiny Art Show.

April 20-25 is National Library Week, sponsored by the American Library Association, it highlights the role libraries, librarians and library workers play in the community.

The Artesia Public Library is preparing for its summer reading program June 1-July 17.

More information is coming next week to artesianews.com and in the April 23 newspaper.

State Rep. Gail Armstrong: Elections decided by voters or a technicality?

Michael Smith
-
0
State Rep. Gail Armstrong: Elections decided by voters or a technicality?

Rep. Gail Armstrong
District 49

The New Mexico Supreme Court now faces a simple question: will our elections be decided by voters or by technicalities created by the government itself?

The case of Representative Rebecca Dow should not be a close call.

Rep. Dow has represented House District 38 for nearly a decade. This cycle, she earned more than enough support to be on the ballot, collecting over twice the required number of signatures. Not one has been proven invalid.

Yet she was removed anyway.

Not for fraud. Not for misconduct. But because of how petitions generated by the state’s own online system were printed.

That should alarm every voter in New Mexico.

The Secretary of State created this new online petition system. It verifies voters automatically. It is controlled entirely by the state. And Rep. Dow used it exactly as directed, working with election officials, even being walked step by step through the process by the Secretary of State’s own staff on filing day.

The County Clerk reviewed her filings and approved her candidacy.

Only after the fact did a court step in and disqualify her, based on a formatting issue tied to that same system.

If that stands, then no candidate in New Mexico can safely rely on the rules as they are given. It means the state can create the process, guide candidates through it, approve their filings, and then disqualify them anyway.

That is not the rule of law. That is a trap.

It gets worse.

The law does not clearly require candidates to print these petitions at all. The state never adopted formal rules for this new system. And even now, there are multiple reasonable interpretations of what the law requires.

For decades, courts have been clear: when election laws are ambiguous, the benefit goes to voters, not to disqualification. The right to vote, and to choose a candidate, comes first.

Yet here, the voters of District 38 are being erased over a technical dispute no one can even clearly define.

And the process itself should concern the Court. The hearing was held outside the deadline required by law. Evidence was limited. The candidate was denied a full opportunity to present her case. These are not small procedural issues; they go to the heart of whether this decision can be trusted.

The consequences are enormous.

This decision does not just remove one candidate. It disenfranchises an entire district. It alters the balance of power in the Legislature. And it sends a message that elections in New Mexico can be decided not by voters, but by confusion, bureaucracy, and after the fact rulemaking.

That is exactly the kind of case the New Mexico Supreme Court exists to correct.

The Court should take this case. It should reverse this decision. And it should make clear, once and for all, that in New Mexico, voters decide elections.

Anything less risks telling the people of this state that their voice comes second to a paperwork technicality.

New Mexico Rep. Gail Armstrong represents the state’s 49th House District, covering parts of Catron, Sierra, Socorro and Valencia counties.

Ruidoso man arrested in biting incident

Michael Smith
-
0
Ruidoso man arrested in biting incident


Wheeler Cowperthwaite
For the Artesia Daily Press

A Ruidoso man is facing three felonies after allegedly attacking three men, biting two of them.

Ruidoso Police Officer L. Valenzuela arrested Jose Hernandez, 33, of Ruidoso, on two counts of aggravated battery and one count of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, all third-degree felonies, on March 28.

Valenzuela wrote in a statement of probable cause that he was sent to 26008 U.S. Highway 70 for a report of a fight at 3:12 a.m. and when he got there, Jose Zuviria told him that Hernandez, also referred to as Jose Cruz Hernandez, allegedly attacked him. The pair had been drinking outside, Zuviria went to bed, realized he left his phone outside with Hernandez and confronted him.

“The Defendant became aggressive and struck Victim Zuviria in the face,” Valenzuela wrote.

Once on the ground, Hernandez allegedly sat on his chest and hit him multiple times in the face, he wrote.

Zuviria had “significant” swelling to his face, his left eye was swollen shut, he had “multiple facial contusions” and was bleeding from his nose and mouth. An ambulance took him to the Lincoln County Medical Center, he wrote.

As Valenzuela continued to investigate, he learned Hernandez allegedly attacked two more men. He allegedly hit Andres Martinez-Cruz in the face after the man told Hernandez he didn’t want problems on his property and told him to leave, Valenzuela wrote.

During the fight, Hernandez allegedly bit him on the forearm, breaking the skin. Orlando Martinez tried to help Martinez-Cruz in restraining Hernandez, he wrote.

“As the victims attempted to disengage and walk away, the Defendant followed them and produced a retractable utility knife,” he wrote. “The Defendant stabbed Victim Orlando Martinez in the back; however, the knife did not fully penetrate.”

Hernandez then jumped on Martinez’s back and “bit his head causing a break in the skin and removal of hair, and at some point slashed his back, breaking the skin and causing bleeding,” he wrote.

When Valenzuela arrested Hernandez, he saw that there was “a large amount of long hair that belonged to Victim Martinez-Cruz in and outside his mouth.”

Magistrate Judge Katie Lund arraigned him two days later, March 30, and ordered that Hernandez have no contact with the three men he allegedly attacked and released him on an unsecured $5,000 appearance bond. He is to be supervised by pre-trial services.

A preliminary hearing is set for April 30. No prior criminal history appears in New Mexico state courts.

Rick Smith: Have You Been Born Again?

Michael Smith
-
0
Rick Smith: Have You Been Born Again?

It was Nicodemus that first heard from our Savior the words, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” And, so that the nail would be hammered in fully, Jesus said to him, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” (John 3:1-8). Jesus unsettled this teacher of the law. I am sure that he was outwardly righteous, but Jesus put him on the spot, leaving Nicodemus shaken and confused. When people hear the term “born again” they often are left confused. Are you confused about being born-again?

You must be born again! Why? Because we are dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). You need to be raised from your state of spiritual death to spiritual life. Being born again is how a dead sinner is made into a living saint. It is the act of conversion that changes you from being a child of the devil to a child of God. It is called the new birth – you were dead and now you have been made alive. Everyone must be born again.

How are you born again? It is important that you know because your life depends on it. John said, “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God…”. (1 John 5:1a). On your part being born again is an act of faith. Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ? Christ means the “Anointed One” Other words that help us to understand is the word Messiah (again it means God’s Anointed) and the word Savior. Have you put your trust in Jesus as your Savior – your Messiah? There are doctrines about Jesus that you must believe for Jesus to be your Savior. Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is the second Person in the triune Godhead. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose again the third day from the dead. Also, Jesus taught us that salvation is by faith in Him. The new birth, being born again, is a supernatural act of God. John 1:12-13 says, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” Being born again is not something that you inherit from your parents, or because of the passion of our flesh, or through a religious ritual. It is truly an act of God. It is supernatural. When we are born again God becomes our Father. You cannot create or conceive yourself. It is God that has to give life to the dead.

What is the evidence that we have been born again? From First John we have several evidences of being born again. One is the evidence of righteousness in our lives. “If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.” (1 John 2:29). I will not comment on this, but I will let you meditate on each of these. This is how we examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). Another evidence is victory over sin. “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” (1 John 3:9; 5:4). If you are born again, then you will love God and His children. “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.” (1 John 4:7). Although there are more evidences of the new birth, let me share just one more. Those that are born again trust in Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness of sins and salvation. “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.” (1 John 5:1).

In closing I want to repeat that being born again is the act of God. In the Model Prayer Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father Who art in heaven…” God is our Father through the new birth – through being born again. Being born again is a miracle. God alone has the power to give you a new life. Only God can give you faith to trust in Jesus Christ His Son alone. In the natural birth you would not be alive without your father. Being born again is the work of God. If you have not been born again, then the wrath of God remains on you even now. Repent and put your trust in Jesus Christ our Lord. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:36). Have you been born again?

If you have any questions, we invite you to visit with us this Sunday. Worship at 10:50 A.M. We are located at 711 West Washington Ave. Check our sermon videos on Youtube @ricksmith2541. Send comments and prayer requests to prayerlinecmbc@gmail.com.

For Mondragon, the hardest goodbye came after the final buzzer

JT Keith
-
0
For Mondragon, the hardest goodbye came after the final buzzer


JT Keith

When former Bulldog basketball coach Michael Mondragon stood in front of his players and their families at the boys’ basketball banquet, he was not just saying goodbye to a season.

He was saying goodbye to a chapter of his life without knowing it.

Tears flowed as Mondragon addressed his 10 seniors from the 2025 class — the last group he would ever coach on a basketball floor — his voice breaking as the weight of the moment settled in. These were not just players. They were young men he had poured into, believed in, and grown alongside for years.

Next year, Mondragon will begin a new journey as principal of Roselawn Elementary School, trading locker rooms and late-night film sessions for classrooms and morning announcements. But the goodbye, the one that hurt the most, came with the realization that this team — this family — was finished.

Mondragon said losing a state championship still stings. It always will. But it is not the loss that lingers. It is everything that came before it.

He will miss the grind — players showing up early before practice to get extra shots, staying late after everyone else had gone home, the quiet talks in his office, and long summer trips that blurred the line between basketball and life. Most of all, he will miss the look in their eyes — the belief that maybe, just maybe, they could become the next LeBron James.

Mondragon never had the heart to tell them they couldn’t.

Artesia coach Michael Mondragon talks to the official during the Highland championship game at the Pit.

Instead, he told them to believe. To work. To stay present. To trust the process, with enough grit and heart, anything was possible.

Mondragon has always believed in the power of a dream. He has lived it.

That belief carried him to All-State honors in football and basketball and into a coaching life that was modeled for him by his father, aunts and family — a life he always knew he wanted. Coaching was never just a job. It was who he was. And now, he feels called to coach on a bigger stage.

A basketball, he said, was no longer enough.

Now, Mondragon wants to coach teachers and nearly 150 students at Roselawn Elementary School, shaping lives the same way he has shaped programs for the past 16 years.

“It was just time,” Mondragon said. “After much prayer and consideration, I want to spend time with my family and watch them grow up. I want to help develop the future Bulldogs at the lower levels.”

JT Keith | Artesia Daily Press, Artesia basketball coach Michael Mondragon with Clay Kincaid at the boys basketball banquet.

Mondragon led with his heart in basketball, and the results followed. Over time, he became the school’s all-time wins leader with a 209-124 record, including a 58-21 mark in district play. He won seven consecutive District 4A-4 championships, reached nine quarterfinals and semifinals in 12 seasons, appeared in three state championship games, and captured the 2025 title. This year’s team set a school record with 25 wins.

Still, Mondragon said the numbers were never the point.

Long after the final buzzer fades, he believes what remains matters far more than any trophy.

Mondragon wants to build a culture of family. As he heads to Roselawn, he wants to help develop boys and girls who will one day become good husbands, wives, and productive members of society.

“It’s way more than basketball,” he said. “I love them (team).”

What lingered after the season ended was not the loss itself, but the realization that his time with this group was over.

“They’re like my sons,” Mondragon said. “I’ve been so close to them.”

One of his favorite memories came just weeks before the state tournament, when he invited the team to his home for a steak dinner. Players mixed with his children, assistant coaches and their families — a simple night, but one that captured how intertwined their lives had become.

Mondragon said moments like that were supposed to be emotional. If they weren’t, he said, then he wasn’t doing it right.

Artesia boys basketball award winners.

“I’m proud of the way they finished,” he said. “I’m proud of how they represented our school, our town, our program, and themselves.”

For a coach who measured success by relationships rather than championships, that pride meant everything.

“Mike (Mondragon) took the program in a really good direction,” Artesia athletic director Jeremy Maupin said. “He advocated for kids, and we will miss what he brought to the program.”

After the loss to Highland, Mondragon walked into the media center at The Pit in Albuquerque and paused before speaking.

“First of all, God’s good,” he said. “It has been a hell of a journey.”

For Mondragon, the journey isn’t over.

It’s just moving to a different court.

Artesia Police Chief: Graffiti incidents on the rise

Michael Smith
-
0
Artesia Police Chief: Graffiti incidents on the rise

Moriah Lovato
For the Artesia Daily Press

Artesia Police Chief Kirk Roberts said the community recently saw uptick in graffiti, which rose from two and five incidents in January and February to 36 in March.

Roberts said during Tuesday’s city council meeting that he expects other crime to rise as perpetrators graduate from graffiti to higher offenses such as burglary.

“I hope they hear me because we’re coming for them,” he said of the perpetrators. “We’re not gonna have that here.”

Infrastructure Director Byron Landfair reported only 54 days remain on the 26th Street project contract.

“I know it feels like we have been out there for four years,” he said. “We have not. We’ve been out there for 14 months. However, it’s worth it in the end because we got everything done at once. We don’t have to keep revisiting that roadway.”

Other business

The also council approved the annexation of the HF Sinclair Navajo Refinery property, accepting it into city limits.

The city was also approved to the purchase the nearly finished Artesia Recreation Center from the

Artesia Recreation Center Foundation for $2 million.

City Administrator Hayley Klein announced the City expects to “take ownership at the end of April” and for both soft and grand openings to take place in July.

Fire Chief Kevin Hope sought council approval to accept a $20,000 grant from the New Mexico State Aviation Division for maintenance and equipment, an annual grant received by the department. Acceptance of the grant includes a $2,200 match from the City.

The council finished the public portion of the meeting by nominating and voting Councilor Raul Rodriguez as the Mayor Pro Tem for a two-year term.

1...678...254Page 7 of 254