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By R. Gabriel Villalobos What began as a pandemic-era project in the closet of a Carlsbad native is now blossoming into a sought-after New Mexican beverage brand. Joshua McDowell, founder of Dark Stranger Meadery, is translating a six-year-old hobby into a growing business, one small batch at a time. McDowell’s journey into the ancient craft of mead-making—creating alcohol from fermented honey—started, like many modern endeavors, on YouTube. “I came across a YouTube channel w

By Kevin Beardmore, Ed.D., President, Southeast New Mexico College Before I arrived at Southeast New Mexico College, I was a vice president of student affairs for 15 years. In the many orientations where I presented to audiences of students and families during that time, my remarks were centered around the choices that new students would soon be making. I explained that one of the primary aims of a college education was understanding and owning those decisions, because we are

By Rhonda Jones ]The big buzz in the world of health lately has been the new food pyramid. Some people love and others hate it. Why should it matter? Well, the food pyramid is used by schools, hospitals, prisons, and many other establishments to prepare healthy meals. So, if the food pyramid does not recommend healthy food, that is not good. While I am not delighted with the new pyramid, I do see some good recommendations. The best recommendation is to cut down on or eliminat

By Sarah Jones, Library Director, Carlsbad Public Library Once considered fringe or "just for kids," graphic novels have seen a major rise in popularity—and respect—over the past decade. Today, they are one of the fastest-growing formats in publishing and among the most circulated items in public libraries. At first glance, these books may seem like simple illustrated stories, but a closer look reveals their power to engage readers of all ages, support literacy, and open door

By R. Gabriel Villalobos The folks at Carlsbad Community Concerts are bringing a very special concert to the P.R. Leyva Auditorium. Set for January 17, the concert offers Carlsbad a rare opportunity to experience the vocal prowess of an artist who has performed in some of the world's most iconic venues. Lauren Jelencovich came out of the Manhattan School of Music and is no stranger to high-profile performances. As early as 2010, she has been a featured lead vocalist with Yann

By Misty Cryer The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce’s Age-Friendly Council is hosting a free seminar to help individuals in the community and their loved ones navigate facing dementia and memory loss. The Memory Health Summit aims to bring education, awareness, and information about local resources related to the topic. The seminar is scheduled for Thursday, January 22, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Pecos River Village Conference Center, 711 Muscatel Avenue. “One of the missions

By Misty Cryer Both Park Drive and Cascades Avenue were loaded with vehicles and crowds of people on Monday afternoon, January 5, for two different celebrations. The first event was a ribbon-cutting for a monument sign on the riverbank across from the Cascades. The second event was a groundbreaking ceremony for a luxurious apartment complex featuring floor plans for one, two, and three bedrooms in 36 units. River View Apartments will be located in the Cascades, a recreation a

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 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