Few things evoke Americans’ passion more than guns. The passion is evident in New Mexico, as the state Senate voted 22-20 Feb. 7 in favor of Senate Bill 5, the Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Order Act, or the Red Flag bill. The state House of Representatives is likely to vote on the bill before the session ends Feb. 20. more

What do you think of when you think of war? If you’ve been to war, you don’t have to think. The images, the sounds, the pains, the tension come even when you don’t want to think about it. Those of us who have not been to war stand in awe of those who have served, and express gratitude for a debt that cannot be repaid. more

At the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce’s annual Las Cruces Day in Santa Fe last week, several entities presented their wants and needs to state legislators and administrators. More than 125 Las Crucens also made the trip, learning more about the community in the bargain. more

Habit can be a powerful thing. Maybe it’s the most powerful thing. Great athletes are talented, yes, but the most successful ones create the habits of working out, of practicing, of studying opponents. Top business people develop habits that keep them learning, growing and improving. more

By this time next week, copies of our 16th annual Southwest New Mexico Legislative Guide should be making their way across the state. Creating this publication, which has won several state and national awards through the years, is a huge undertaking, stretching our small staff to its limits. The result, though, has always been worth it. The publication is used as a vital resource by people all over New Mexico, including the staff at the Roundhouse, our state’s capitol building in Santa Fe. In recent years, some readers have taken to tearing pages from our magazine, and putting them in plastic sleeves in loose-leaf notebooks so they don’t wear out from use. more

New Mexico is no stranger to astronauts. Borman Autoplex in Las Cruces is named for one (Frank), and two other New Mexicans – Harrison Schmitt and Edgar Mitchell – have walked on the moon. But Steve Braithwaite has to be the first “banananaut” to traverse the Land of Enchantment. more

In May 2011, at age 65, I walked out the back door of the Ruidoso News, where I had been editor for seven years, into the refreshing mountain scent of retirement. more

The snow at my feet suddenly started flying. I was trudging in bright sunlight through Glacier National Park with a friend in late February. Then I realized that it wasn’t the snow but a pair of Ptarmigan invisible against a glaring white background who took off as we approached. Yes, the disruption was startling, but we both responded with silent smiles. Who would break the quiet of a wintry day? more

If you’re over 40, you remember the Sears Catalog. And for 60 years, from 1933 to 1993, Sears and Roebuck added a special Christmas edition to their catalog, renamed the “Wish Book” in 1968, when I was barely big enough to hold it in my hand. But for three months, every October to December I thumbed through it every day, rewriting my Christmas list. more

If you oppose a minimum wage increase, proponents tend to label you. The labels include “Rich greedy business owner,” “Short-sighted capitalist,” or “blind to the issues of poverty.” I disagree with significant raises in minimum wage for two primary reasons. more

What if we instituted a mandatory speed limit in Las Cruces? And what if we set it at 50 mph? And that was not a top-end speed, but the required speed, meaning everyone had to go 50 mph all the time. more

Las Crucens have expressed hesitancy, trepidation and confusion about ranked choice voting and our 10 mayoral candidates. more

If you want to see what people in Las Cruces believe, watch what they do. They believe compassion is a fundamental value, so they do things for their family, their friends and, most startlingly, people they don’t even know, or may not even get a chance to know. more

If even some of the employee claims and suits turn into settlements in the price range of the one for Duran, it could easily cost the district more than $1 million, not including attorneys’ fees. No matter how the separation with Ewing turns out, it will likely cost the district at least a quarter of a million dollars. And with Trinity, the district believes it spent $772,000 it shouldn’t have. more

 Light It was a quiet morning, the temperature already soaring, as it will on any El Paso Saturday in August. Dewayne “Rock” Jones was preparing to raise a flag up the pole at … more

We’re about four months away from the annual Mayfield High School vs. Las Cruces High School football game, which always takes place in early November.This is typically the highest profile prep … more

There was a time when nearly every high school girl took home economics and nearly every high school boy took shop class.Over the course of a couple of generations, though, varying depending on the … more

An unpainted wooden cross lies on the earth, sunken to the degree it is level with the soil. Part of the cross is eaten away, likely due to termites. The cross rests underneath a small, rough … more