Desert Exposure

Opinions & Columns

In the heart of downtown Las Cruces, a vibrant and dynamic community is blossoming, driven by the passion and innovation of local entrepreneurs. At the Downtown Las Cruces Partnership, we are …

Special sessions show flaws in system

A recent town hall meeting in Las Cruces hosted by the Foundation for Open Government focused on the need for greater transparency at the Legislature during the budget-making process. There is, …

Priest miscalculates in removing “Apache Christ”

The Catholic Church stumbled badly. In the dark of night, Father Peter Chudy Sixtus Simeon-Aguinam and his accomplices removed beloved paintings from St. Joseph Apache Mission on the Mescalero …

Posting commandments in classrooms is a performative act

Louisiana passed a law last week requiring the posting of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom in an act of performative religiosity. It is “performative” in …

Overdue plan for state’s water future

For the past five decades or longer, the state Legislature has been planning for what we will do when the oil runs out. We’ve set up permanent funds to ensure we’ll be able to keep our …

Opinions

Direct cash assistance lifts up families

Community Action Agency of Southern New Mexico is a primary support organization for the Success Partnership, which shares a common commitment to uplifting families in the region. One such …

Julian Assange’s shadow lingers over press

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange appeared in a U.S. courtroom to exercise his part of a plea deal, copping to a felony violation under the Espionage Act.

Careless errors can lead to tragedy

Several years ago, when I was covering state government from Santa Fe, I attended the annual briefing given to reporters prior to the upcoming wildfire season. After going over the current …

On abortion and where I stand

We’re getting close to election season, which for me means again preparing to see and hear millions of dollars in advertising from liberal special interest groups smearing me and misleading New …

Desert Exposure Survey

Tiny Gestures

It seemed like a tiny gesture, my wife, Sherry’s insistence on taking these Walmart 4 X 6-inch photos of women patients at the mental asylum, Vision in Action in Juárez and putting them …

Celebration in Mexico?

"Todos son corruptos, todos son malos,” says Juan Carlos, the cab driver who is taking us from the Mexico City airport to our hotel near the Zócalo or central plaza. This was the first …

RaisingDad: Guilty Me

My eight-year-old granddaughter and I were on the west side of town picking up her new glasses. We live on the far east side of town. Why we had to drive all this way, you'll have to ask …

Ten years on, OMDP deepens pride in southern NM public lands

It’s hard to believe that it has been a decade since we celebrated President Obama’s historic designation of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. I first got to …

Everyday Observations: Finding our own rhythm and sticking to it

We all know people who describe something in a way that means not to offend. Such as when a realtor says that the house is charming or an older person is defined as being in their advanced years. We …

Checkpoint seizures put recreational cannabis industry at risk

Recreational-use cannabis was legalized in New Mexico two years ago. Since then, New Mexicans have been enjoying safe and clean cannabis products from legitimate retailers across the state. …