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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

By Misty Cryer After 47 years of service to an organization that helps law enforcement solve crimes, Jim Carr, a founding member of the Eddy County Crime Stoppers program, recently announced his retirement from the board. Upon his departure, he shared the story of the program's development and evolution. Crime Stoppers of Eddy County was formed in 1978 by a bunch of local contractors from Carlsbad and the surrounding area, said Carr. "We were being vandalized, and we were hav

By Misty Cryer A lifetime of cheer led to an incredible opportunity for a member of the varsity CHS Cheer Team. Rachel Horton, daughter of Mark and Linda Horton, first earned the title “All-American Cheerleader,” which opened the door for her to perform in the 2025 Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade in Hawaii on December 7. This parade commemorates the attack on Pearl Harbor with a theme of “remembering our past while celebrating that once bitter enemies can become friends and alli

Cathrynn N. Brown is a Republican candidate for Re-Election to State House District 55 “The work of reforming state government is never done. I believe the New Mexico Legislature needs to rein in state spending, much of which goes to pet programs that are not improving the lives of most New Mexicans. One example: State highways are deteriorating faster than they can be fixed, while hundreds of millions of dollars are allocated to wasteful, wishful programs.” — Cathrynn Brown

By Dr. Kevin Beardmore Recently, I was reminded of a word that brought a smile to my face. Tomfoolery is silly, harmless fun. It brought back memories of carefree days long gone by. What sparked it was a new term, schoolishness, coined by anthropologist Susan D. Blum. Unfortunately, it is not so harmless, and, as you might imagine, it is not a term that an educator would want applied to one’s classroom. While there is much more to her book-length exploration of current educat

By Sarah Jones, Carlsbad Public Library Nestled within the Pecos River Valley, Carlsbad, New Mexico, may seem like a humble desert town—but it boasts a literary legacy as rich as its famous caverns. In this library column, I am spotlighting local authors whose works reflect the spirit, history, and imagination of our community. Donna Blake Birchell: Chronicler of Carlsbad’s Story Perhaps our most prolific and passionate local historian, Donna Blake Birchell has dedicated much

PTK Regional Coordinator Southeast New Mexico College (SENMC) congratulates Dr. Raven Anderson who was recently named as the next New Mexico PTK (Phi Theta Kappa) Regional Coordinator. Dr. Anderson has successfully grown the SENMC Alpha Rho XI PTK chapter both in membership and engagement leading the chapter to be named one of the Top 100 Chapters in the world. He has been involved in the society for nearly 15 years as a member, alumnus, and advisor, and has been awarded the

By R. Gabriel Villalobos In 2012, local woman Carol Worley noticed something heartbreaking: students were going to school hungry, and it was left up to some teachers to feed them at school. Worley decided she could do something more. She found a way to feed hungry kids without kicking up too much of a fuss. What began with eight students at a single school has blossomed into a community-powered lifeline. Packs for Hunger is a program that has been serving roughly 400 children