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By Michael Bromka In Carlsbad, Newell Crouch was known as “The Man with the Golden Camera.” Locals stopped by his studio to see a gold-plated camera, then on impulse got their picture taken. In the studio, he offered an array of backdrops. At his home on Beta Street there were landscaped settings. Gold was a gimmick, but his service and skills were real. The name “Newell” is uncommon. “I don’t know,” he said. “Blame my mother. It’s a doorpost, and I’ve lived up to it. In Texa

By Misty Cryer With a team of five, Cavern City Aces competed in the USATF Masters Indoor National Championships at the Albuquerque Convention Center. In its second year, the local club walked away from the meet with remarkable accomplishments. The three-day event, organized by USA Track Field, attracts athletes aged 25-plus, offering them the opportunity to train and compete at a national level. Results for the teammates, provided by Michael Sims, founder of Cavern City Aces

By Misty Cryer Over the years, Hawgfest has been a favorite of locals while also attracting visitors from across the country. This family-friendly event brings the community together to have a good time. Starting April 23 and running through May 3, the event will be held at the Walter Gerrells Performing Arts and Exhibition Center, 4012 National Parks Highway. “It’s going to be bigger than it’s ever been; it’s 11 days,” said Curtis McKinney, when giving a preview. “With two b

By Misty Cryer The owners of a well-established local company, Bock Electric, have experienced a life-changing event with the purchase of Murrill Electric, a long-term local company that operates throughout southeast New Mexico. Both companies, community-minded and dedicated to providing an excellent workplace and customer satisfaction, will continue to operate separately from a central location. Bock Electric, owned by Carlsbad natives Cory and Ashley Bock, has been in busin

By R. Gabriel Villalobos On a clear spring morning in West Texas, when the wind is already lifting dust off the highway, and the sky feels impossibly wide, Margaret Peterson loads books into a van. Hardcovers and paperbacks, children’s stories and science texts, battered field guides, and cloth-bound classics—thousands of pages headed for people who, as she likes to say, “just need something good to read.” Peterson’s path to this work was anything but predictable. Trained as

By Don Eskins The Cavemen baseball team got off to a rocky 1-2 start on the season, following play in their season-opener at the Cleveland Storm Invitational in Rio Rancho. Carlsbad opened the tourney up with a tough 3-2 loss to Piedra Vista on Thursday, February 26, but bounced back on Friday, February 27, to register their first win of 2026, a rousing 19-3 victory over Los Lunas. However, CHS’s victory lap was a short one. On Saturday, February 28, the tournament host, Clev

By Don Eskins Carlsbad High’s Lucas Bluth, on a mission at the Longhorn Tennis Invitational, made a lot of noise in Amarillo on Friday and Saturday, February 27-28. A senior, Bluth posted an unblemished 4-0 record at the Texas meet to capture this year’s tournament singles title. “Lucas played well and was very consistent on the court,” said CHS assistant coach Diamond Morrill. “He was able to put some pace on the ball, while staying consistent, which is key to playing at hig

By Don Eskins Carlsbad High’s Cavemen and Cavegirl thinclads opened up the 2026 track and field season on Friday, February 27, at the Early Bird Invitational in Roswell. CHS head track coach Charles Millar felt like his kids got off to a great start. “We couldn’t have asked for better weather for our opener. It was perfect, 85 and sunny all day,” said Millar. “Overall, I was very impressed with how our kids performed. The boys, with 44 points, tied Hobbs for fourth place. The

By Don Eskins Basketball state tournament play tips off this weekend, Friday and Saturday, March 6-7. For Cavern City cage fans, things couldn’t be better! The Carlsbad Cavemen, 18-9 on the year, have been seeded 10th for this year’s big dance and will take on the seventh-seeded Centennial Hawks in Las Cruces on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff for the clash has been set for 5 p.m. “I like the matchup. Centennial is going to be tough, but I feel like they’re a team we can compete w

By Rhonda Jones Sometimes, life gets in the way, and that happened to me, so I apologize for my absence. But I am always doing research, so, as usual, I do have some tips to pass along. I know the plant-exclusive journey can be hard at times, but the results make it so worth it. I am still concerned about some of the changes being made to the food pyramid and how it will affect the health of so many in our country. It is a fact that no long-term studies have been done on eati

By Sarah Jones, Library Director, Carlsbad Public Library Research is something we all do, whether we realize it or not. From planning a vacation, to writing a school paper, to comparing products before making a big purchase—research is part of our daily lives. But the truth is, with so much information available online, it can feel overwhelming to know where to start or how to separate reliable sources from misinformation. That’s where your library comes in. At the Carlsbad

The Board of Trustees of Southeast New Mexico College will hold a regular meeting on Monday, March 9, 2026, at 6:00pm in room 153 in the Instructional Building. Or join through Zoom https://senmc-edu.zoom.us/j/5043955605?pwd=eW96WDRySWhjSDFaNE5rSWkrd1NtZz09 Meeting ID: 504 395 5605 Passcode: SENMC In compliance with the Open Meetings Act, copies of the agenda will be made available at least 72 hours prior to the meeting and accessible on our website at https://senmc.edu. Pub