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By Misty Cryer Workforce development is a hot topic in Carlsbad. Southeast New Mexico College (SENMC) has stepped up the game by developing workforce training classes, opening the SENMC Workforce Training Center @ the Formerly Joe Stanley Smith Elementary School, and publishing a Spring Catalog for Workforce Training. “Workforce Development is a little bit different than the academic side, where you go for an associate degree or a bachelor’s,” said Chris Spaulding, Interim Vi

Members of the Carlsbad Early College High School BPA chapter recently participated in the 2026 New Mexico BPA State Leadership Conference in Albuquerque, held February 19–21, 2026. Students competed in a variety of business and leadership events, demonstrating excellence in workplace skills, professionalism, and industry knowledge. There were over 620 student members who competed in 84 events over the conference. Of those members, only 280 students qualified to represent New

The Carlsbad High School chapter of Business Professionals of America has once again distinguished itself on the state’s stage in student leadership and career development—bringing home its seventh straight New Mexico BPA state championship. This achievement reflects consistency, commitment, and an exceptional culture of excellence. Unlike many competitions, the New Mexico Business Professionals of America State Championship is not determined by contest results alone. Chapter

By Misty Cryer Recognized in Carlsbad’s 40 Under 40 in 2024 and featured in a Teacher Spotlight published by the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association (NMOGA) in 2025, the community of Carlsbad is likely familiar with Hannah VanScotter, a local educator at Carlsbad High School. At the New Mexico Association for Career and Technical Education (NMACTE) Conference in January, VanScotter was named NMACTE Career Technical Education (CTE) Teacher of the Year. “I will go on to the Regi

By Don Eskins Carlsbad High will compete in the NMAA State Swim Meet on Friday and Saturday, February 20-21. The meet will take place at Albuquerque Academy High School. Overall, 10 CHS swimmers—six Cavemen and four Cavegirls—qualified in 13 events for the meet. The following is a list of the events and swimmers competing in each. CHS 2025-26 Individual State Qualifiers: Olivia Jang: 200 IM, 100 Fly, 100 Breast, 100 Free. Benjamin Jang: 100 breast, 200 IM, 100 Free. Samuel Ve

By Don Eskins Ten Cavemen, headed by divisional runners-up Justin Owens, 138; Jay Norris, 157; and Juan Rubio, 215, qualified for state at the Southern Regional Championships in Albuquerque on Saturday, February 14. In order to qualify for this year’s Big Dance, grapplers had to place among the top seven placers of each weight division or draw a wild card for their overall performance during the meet. “Our goal was to get as many of our wrestlers to state as we could. Of the

By Don Eskins The prep tennis season officially opened up for Carlsbad High on Friday and Saturday, February 13-14, at the El Paso Austin Invitational. According to CHS assistant coach Diamond Morrill, the Cavemen and Cavegirls got off to a good start. “As this was our first tournament of the season, our kids played pretty well. We have a lot of young players this year, so many of them were a bit nervous as the tournament got underway,” said Morrill. “But after they got out o

By Don Eskins The 11-14 Carlsbad Cavegirls, ranked 20th by MaxPreps, will host the second-ranked 23-2 Hobbs Eagles on Friday night, February 20. The clash will mark the end of regular-season and district play for both teams. The JVs will open up the night’s play at 5:30 p.m., followed by the varsity at 7 p.m. To nobody’s surprise, Hobbs, who has already clinched this season’s conference title, sits at the top of the District 4/5A standings with an unblemished 5-0 record. The

By Don Eskins It’s going to be a winner-take-all battle for the District 4/5A title when the Carlsbad Cavemen and Hobbs Eagles face off in Hobbs on Friday night, February 20. No doubt, with so much at stake, you can bet the farm that the Ralph Tasker Arena will be rockin’ when the ball goes up for the tipoff at 7 p.m. The JVs will take the floor first at 5:30 p.m. Carlsbad will enter the clash at 17-7, the Eagles at 16-9. In district play, both teams are 4-1. Coming into the

By Sarah Jones, Library Director, Carlsbad Public Library If you’ve visited the library lately, you may have noticed something remarkable: people are reading in more ways than ever before. Some browse the shelves for a classic hardcover, while others download the latest bestseller onto an e-reader or listen to an audiobook during their commute. This variety raises a question many readers ask: What is the future of books—print or digital? The truth is, both formats offer uniqu

By Michael Bromka Carlsbad Heights Lions ramp foreman Tom Dugger undertook three different projects on two consecutive Saturdays. Most recently, he and fellow volunteers built a modest wooden ramp on Valverde Street. Jay Francis helped Tom build a 2X4” understructure unit the day before. Fellow Heights Lions Michael Bromka, Bernie Sanchez, and Rick Wiedenmann joined them, plus ringer Bryan Burns, to unload lumber, pavers, and units to begin. Once they’d assembled the understr

Southeast New Mexico College (SENMC) student and Phi Theta Kappa Chapter President Ciara Taff has officially been accepted as a candidate for International Vice President, Division IV, for Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges. She has begun her campaign to represent Division IV, which includes Alaska, Alberta, American Samoa, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, the