Steps are being taken in New Mexico to stop predatory interest rates – “overcharging a borrower for rates and fees”. Predatory interest rates can be devastating to those who become trapped in a seemingly unbreakable cycle of living from loan to payday. Unfortunately, those who can least afford these rates are the ones who are…

During a Thursday, February 17 news conference about the ending of New Mexico’s 30-day 2022 legislative session, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced the lifting of the state’s requirement for people to wear face coverings in most indoor settings.  The governor’s surprise announcement is effective immediately and covers all New Mexicans age two and older regardless…

Gas prices in Lea County continue to rise. The good news is that these prices remain about 10¢ per gallon below the state average – and well below New Mexico’s all time high price average of $4.078 that was recorded on July 17, 2008. The expectation was for prices to increase this winter, but the…

Hobbs police are investigating two deaths that happened on Tuesday, February 15. The two deaths are seemingly unrelated, coincidentally occurring on the same day. One of the two is quite likely a homicide, though investigations for both are ongoing. Officials are asking the public to come forward with any information they might have regarding the…

Graffiti crime remains a serious problem in the City of Hobbs. City officials, with input from the Hobbs Police Department and the city’s Parks and Open Spaces Department, are turning to the public to help wipe out graffiti. According to a statement released by City of Hobbs Director of Communications Meghan Mooney, cleaning up graffiti…

Senate Bill 1 has passed the New Mexico Senate by a unanimous vote, 35 to 0. The new legislation, likely to pass the state’s House of Representatives and subsequently be signed into law by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, will raise teachers’ base salaries statewide on the average by 20 percent.  According to a Saturday, February…

New Mexico school districts are again a target of cyber attacks. These unwanted and unfriendly breaches of computer systems effectively shut down many schools.  As a result of the dependence upon remote learning due to COVID-19, current cyber attacks are particularly damaging, not just to the pocketbooks of school systems but also to the students…

“Zombie” or orphan oil and gas wells are creating serious problems for southeastern New Mexico and particularly for Lea County. Fortunately, help is on the way from the federal government to clean up these wells — in the tune of $43.7 million. The result will be to diminish the numerous potentially dangerous environmental and health…