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By Misty Cryer Valedictorians and salutatorians of the Class of 2026 represent the top of the class in their local high school. Included are Carlsbad High School (CHS), Carlsbad Early College High School (CECHS), Jefferson Montessori Academy (JMA), and the Carlsbad Enrichment Center (CEC). The students honored are celebrated for their academic excellence and achievements, as well as their commitment to future goals. Yuki Ye, daughter of Jinfeng Ye and Quioyu Huang, is CHS’s v

Yuki Ye plans to attend college after graduation, where she hopes to study political science or international relations. She is the daughter of Jinfeng Ye and Qiaoyu Huang and the sister of Brian Ye (19). At Carlsbad High School, Yuki has been involved in Taekwondo, Business Professionals of America (BPA), and the National Honor Society. Through BPA, she has competed at a high level, qualifying for nationals three times and earning sixth place in Legal Office Procedures at th

By Don Eskins Carlsbad High came up just short of realizing their dream to bring a state championship back to the Cavern City in 2026, following an 11-2 loss to the second-seeded 27-4 Cleveland Storm during semifinal round action of the Class 5A New Mexico State Baseball Tournament in Albuquerque on Friday, May 15. Riding high and hopeful after upsetting the third-seeded 25-4 La Cueva Bears 10-2 during quarterfinal round play on Thursday, May 14, the Cavemen, seeded sixth, co

The City of Carlsbad Summer Recreation Tennis Program will begin on June 1 and run through June 26. Kids classes (ages 5 - 16) will be conducted in the mornings, Monday through Friday, while adults will meet on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. All participants will receive a T-shirt. The cost for the four weeks of instruction is $50 for the first family member, then $30 for each member. Cash or check only. Players will need a tennis racquet and will

Sarah Jones, Library Director, Carlsbad Public Library Every reader has that unforgettable moment when an author’s words linger long after the last page is turned. Sometimes, it’s a writer who shaped our childhood; other times, it’s a new voice that surprises us with its depth and power. Authors influence the way we see the world, and this month’s column shines a light on several remarkable storytellers whose works have left a lasting imprint on literature across generations.

By Don Eskins Senior Cavegirl shot puter Atria Wells, to nobody’s surprise, made the most noise for the Carlsbad High School Track and Field program at the Class 5A state meet, which took place in Albuquerque on Friday and Saturday, May. 15-16. Wells launched the 8.8-pound shot 39’ 08.25,” nearly four feet further than Rio Rancho runner-up Sarah Martinez’s throw of 35’09.25,” to claim the Class 5A State Championship. No stranger to the podium, Well’s victory marked the second

By Misty Cryer The artwork of Wren Prather-Stroud, a local artist and sculptor, can be seen across the community and state, along with a display in the Railroad Museum in Pennsylvania. Portrait commissions make up private collections in the United States and internationally. Her resume shows that she has been featured in several publications and has engaged in public speaking and teaching, sharing knowledge gained through extensive studies and art training in the United State

By Misty Cryer Carlsbad’s first-ever special-needs baseball league just finished its first season. Currently consisting of six teams serving children from age four through high school, the league started due to a mother’s wish. “I have four children. My oldest is autistic, non-verbal, special needs,” said Victoria Gomez. “My three younger children always play sports,” she said, adding that after games, they would find an empty field to take her oldest son to pitch him some b

By Don Eskins The Carlsbad Cavemen participated in the NMAA’s Individual and Team State Tennis Tournament in Albuquerque on May 6-9. Although the CHS boys failed to pick up a victory in singles or doubles play, they did down the Rio Rancho Rams 5-4 in the first round of team competition before losing to La Cueva 0-6 in the quarterfinals. “This year’s tournament was really tough. But our boys played hard and fought the opposition to the very last match,” said CHS assistant coa

By Don Eskins The Carlsbad Cavegirls carded a 756 to finish sixth at the Class 5A Girls State Golf Tournament in Las Cruces on Monday and Tuesday, May 11-12. Organ Mountain, 16 strokes better than the runner-up La Cueva Bears, who recorded a two-day total of 671, fired a 655 to claim this year’s state title. For the Cavegirls, there was much more to contend with than just the seven other teams that had assembled in the City of Crosses with hopes of winning this year’s state t

By Don Eskins A 4-1 loss to the second-seeded 21-5 Alamogordo Tigers on Friday, May 8, during opening round play of the NMAA Class 5A State Softball Tournament, brought an abrupt end to the 2026 season for the Carlsbad Cavegirls. With the loss, CHS closed out the year with a record of 14-13. In conference play, as the District 4/5A runner-up, they were 9-3. The Cavegirls, seeded 15th, jumped out in front of the Tigers 1-0 at the top of the first inning. But Alamo answered wit

By Don Eskins Carlsbad High, seeded sixth for this year’s state baseball tournament, swept the 11th-seeded Organ Mt. Knights 9-2, 4-3, in Round 1 of the NMAA’s Big Dance on Friday and Saturday, May 8-9, in the Cavern City. With the sweep, the 18-10 Cavemen advanced to the quarterfinal round of the state playoffs to do battle with the third-seeded, 25-3, La Cueva Bears in Albuquerque on Thursday, May 14. Due to deadline restraints, results of the game will be reported in the F