Las Cruces Bulletin

Is war inevitable? So far, in human history, the answer is yes. Almost always, the people who die in war are not the ones who decided to go to war. While political leaders make their … more

By Richard Coltharp | 5/25/23

What’s the real state aroma?

Now that New Mexico has an official state aroma, I’m already having second thoughts about its accuracy. The state legislature passed the measure in its 2023 session naming the smell of … more

By Richard Coltharp | 5/19/23

State, feds to lock horns on waste site

The United States government has a nuclear waste storage problem, and sees its solution in southeast New Mexico. Earlier this month, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the application by … more

By Walt Rubel | 5/19/23

What was your best work trip?

Back in the 1990s, I was fortunate enough to be assigned not one, but two weeklong business trips to Hawaii. And another to Lake Tahoe. There was plenty of work to do, but time for activities … more

By Richard Coltharp | 5/11/23

Grads: Move slow and fix things

My unsolicited advice for this year’s graduates is simple: Move slow and fix things. In 2014, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg coined the phrase, “move fast and break things” … more

By Walt Rubel | 5/11/23

Fighting cancer one small step at a time

Cancer is hell. We’ve all lost loved ones to this dreaded disease. Making a small donation to organizations fighting cancer and its collateral damage can’t possibly help. Or can … more

By Richard Coltharp | 5/4/23

Governor can’t change human nature

I doubt there are many people over the age of 50 who grew up in this country and have not experienced some form of hazing, including the governor. I still remember sprinting home following the … more

By Walt Rubel | 5/4/23

Memory is a funny thing

Bulletin reporter Mike Cook has a small, intriguing story in the Business section this week about some collectible Hummel figurines for sale at the Emporium store downtown. The photo of some of … more

By Richard Coltharp | 4/27/23

Moccia leads Aggies to brighter future

The timing may seem odd, given the recent turmoil in the men’s basketball program, but New Mexico State University was wise to give Athletic Director Mario Moccia a five-year contract … more

By Walt Rubel | 4/27/23

Feels like feeling normal again

It dawned on me Thursday night, April 13, in the lobby of Allen Theatres’ Cineport 10, during the Las Cruces international Film Festival. I had just come from the J. Paul Taylor Symposium at … more

By Richard Coltharp | 4/20/23

Free speech will survive Fox lawsuit

In 1981, Sally Field won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of an ambitious and reckless newspaper reporter in the film “Absence of Malice.” The reporter uses information leaked by a … more

By Walt Rubel | 4/20/23

Wild ride in store for District 2 race

New Mexico’s Congressional District 2 is, geographically, one of the biggest districts in the country. These days, the district looms very large in the minds of the country’s … more

By Richard Coltharp | 4/13/23

Baseball curmudgeon applauds change

“The only clocks in a Major League stadium should tell us the time of day, and they should do so using hands, not digits.” That was my posting on our fantasy baseball message board a … more

By Walt Rubel | 4/13/23

Taking cuts at cancer

Inspired by Las Cruces firefighter Mat Hall, and a program called St. Baldrick’s, I shaved my head to raise funds for children’s cancer research. I did this four years in a row from … more

By Richard Coltharp | 4/6/23

Expectations for session too high

I had hoped legislators would take advantage of the unprecedented $9.4 billion budget this year to begin the transition away from an economy so dependent on oil and gas revenue, but I don’t … more

By Walt Rubel | 3/30/23

New coach hopes to build on Aggie tradition

Maybe it’s time to party like it’s 1969. When Jason Hooten was introduced as New Mexico State University’s new men’s basketball coach at the Pan American’s Center … more

By Richard Coltharp | 3/30/23

Bill helps NM doctors, half of them anyway

You don’t often see a bill pass unanimously, but it happened a few times in the 2023 New Mexico Legislative Session, which wrapped up last week. Notable was the House of … more

By Richard Coltharp | 3/23/23

Is GOP now the party of peace and love?

I’m not at all comfortable with my new position to the right of Republican leaders on foreign policy. As a child who grew up watching the Vietnam War on the nightly news and fearing it would … more

By Walt Rubel | 3/23/23

Is there a middle ground for police?

These days, as with so many other topics, it seems no one is neutral when it comes to the police. On one extreme, the view is “All Cops Are Bad,” or “Defund the … more

By Richard Coltharp | 3/16/23

Exploring a building’s demise

Back in the 1990s, when I drove a 1966 Mustang, it was fun tooling around in that nice-looking Ford. But if I was traveling more than 30 miles, I felt a lot better driving my 1978 Buick LeSabre. The … more

By Richard Coltharp | 3/9/23