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By Rhonda Jones Aww, it is that time of year again. We survived the holidays and are now dealing with the aftermath of too much eating, drinking, and lack of exercise due to scheduling, weather, etc. Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is diet, then exercise, not necessarily hand-in-hand. It actually takes about a month to create new and lasting habits, so January is a good time to start this process. If you can stick with it for 30 days, you can master almost anyth

By Don Eskins Carlsbad High’s Cavegirl basketball team will be on the road for games with the Organ Mountain Knights on Friday, January 9, and the Centennial Hawks on Saturday, January 10. Both games will be pivotal toss-ups for CHS, who have lost their last two outings, both to the Artesia Bulldogs. On December 19, they dropped a 45-35 decision to the Lady Dogs, and on Tuesday, January 6, they fell once again, 33-26. Before dropping two to Artesia, CHS had won four of their

By Don Eskins Following a 51-36 loss to the Artesia Bulldogs on January 6 in Artesia, the Cavemen basketball team is probably in a hurry to get back on the floor. The loss snapped CHS’s eight-game winning streak. The good news is they won’t have to wait long. On Friday night, January 9, the Organ Mt. Knights will be in town to test CHS’s resolve, and on Saturday, January 10, the Mayfield Trojans will make their way into the Cavemen Arena. Currently, the Cavemen are 8-4 on the

By Don Eskins Based on available information, this is Carlsbad Local Sports’ choice for CHS’s Top 10 Sports Stories for 2025. Next week, we’ll list an array of other noteworthy performances. If you don’t agree with our Top 10 picks, feel free to tweak their order. However ranked, they all provided lots of excitement and pride for our community! Top 10 CHS Sports Stories- 2025 1. Cavegirl Basketball battles its way into the 2025 Class 5A state tournament semifinal round:

By Sarah Jones, Carlsbad Public Library In today’s world of nonstop news, viral headlines, and social media sound bites, it’s harder than ever to know what’s true. With information coming at us from every direction—often with conflicting messages—many people are left feeling overwhelmed and unsure of what to believe. That’s where libraries come in. More than just places to borrow books, libraries play a crucial role in helping people navigate the complex world of information

By Kyle Marksteiner, Editor I’ve seen quite a few posts online from people saying that the epilogue portion of the Stranger Things series finale was boring, overly long and unnecessary. I could not disagree more strongly. I graduated from high school in 1993, which would put me at about the same age as Erica Sinclair, the show’s sassy super genius. While my childhood friends and I never fought any Demogorgons, we did play our share of Dungeons and Dragons. We also put trash b

By Mark Maciha, Retired Chief Park Ranger, Carlsbad Caverns National Park The National Park Service family and the Carlsbad community are mourning the loss of former Carlsbad Caverns National Park Superintendent Frank Joseph Deckert III, who passed away peacefully on December 11, 2025, in Richmond, VA, surrounded by the family he treasured. Frank was born in July 1944 in Fresno, CA, the gateway to Yosemite and Sequioa and Kings Canyon National Parks. After earning a forestry

By Misty Cryer Just three and a half years ago, Riley Antiporda stood at the podium at Carlsbad High School, addressing his classmates as the Valedictorian of the Class of 2022. In December of 2025, the Carlsbad native reached another academic milestone: graduating from NMSU-Las Cruces with Highest Honors. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Physics. He shared his future plans along with

By Misty Cryer Fusion Health and Wellness, an established medical practice in Carlsbad, is changing hands. The founder and independent practitioner of the medical clinic, Jane Cornwell, MSN, CNP-BC, recently retired from the practice. Rebecca Jones, MSN, FNP-BC, a familiar face to Cornwell’s patients, will continue to operate the practice as her own. Cornwell came to Carlsbad in 2003, when she began working for Dr. Kim Lark. Before then, she was a Nurse Practitioner in New Yo

By R. Gabriel Villalobos When disaster struck her friend and co-worker, a local fitness instructor took action in the way she knew best: she organized a free community workout, inviting participants to donate in support of her friend, who is now facing a battle with breast cancer. For Sharon Sussman, organizing the event was part of a mission shaped by personal struggle and a deep desire to empower others. The class, held this past Wednesday, was dedicated to supporting her f

By Kyle Marksteiner, Editor I’ve seen quite a few posts online from people saying that the epilogue portion of the Stranger Things series finale was boring, overly long and unnecessary. I could not disagree more strongly. I graduated from high school in 1993, which would put me at about the same age as Erica Sinclair, the show’s sassy super genius. While my childhood friends and I never fought any Demogorgons, we did play our share of Dungeons and Dragons. We also put trash b

By R. Gabriel Villalobos On a cool sunny day, Jim Ballard watches another student pilot bring a Cessna 172 back smoothly onto the runway. For Ballard, the sight is both routine and deeply satisfying—the culmination of a 36-year career in flight instruction and a personal journey that began by watching crop dusters on his grandfather's farm. "I grew up on a ranch south of White City," Ballard said. "As a small child, four or five years old, I used to watch them come in and spr