News | Las Cruces Bulletin

An outdoor patio, that is suited for a backyard barbecue, a neighborhood cookout, or even an afternoon by the cold pool.

Summer gatherings don’t have to come with elaborate menus or hours spent in the kitchen. Whether it’s a backyard barbecue, a neighborhood cookout or an afternoon by the pool, a little planning can make hosting easier while leaving more time... more

Elijah Rey Reyes
Las Cruces Bulletin | 8/5/26

The entrance to the new Gadsden Middle School welcomes students to the district’s newest campus, which officially opened for the 2026-27 school year.

Opening the doors

The first thing visitors notice isn’t the size of the new Gadsden Middle School. It’s the light. Floor-to-ceiling windows brighten classrooms and common spaces while a central courtyard, new library and turf athletic field give the campus... more

Elijah Rey Reyes
Las Cruces Bulletin | 8/5/26

ARTE Adventure travelers at the San Jose de Gracia Church in Trampas, New Mexico, April 2024.

The art of staying curious

Kathleen Key decided that retirement wasn't going to be a series of leisurely lunches and afternoons spent playing bridge. She had tried imagining that version of life, the one where the calendar gradually emptied and the days settled into a... more

Kurt Johnson
Las Cruces Bulletin | 7/31/26

Las Cruces sailor supports U.S. Navy fighter jet mission

Every sailor’s story of naval service is unique. For Airman Apprentice Isaac Sanchez, this story has ties to Las Cruces, where skills and values learned there are foundational to success in the Navy. “Growing up, I learned the importance of... more

Ashley Craig
Navy Office of Community Outreach | 7/31/26

A sculpture outside the Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley welcomes visitors to the Las Cruces facility.

New life for local shelters

More pets across southern New Mexico could soon receive lifesaving care thanks to state funding aimed at expanding veterinary services and improving aging shelter facilities. The Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley will receive... more

Elijah Rey Reyes
Las Cruces Bulletin | 7/31/26

Susan Crosier’s completed artwork was selected as the official poster for the 2026 Las Cruces Space Festival.

Drawn to create

When Susan Crosier began working on a class assignment, the Organ Mountain High School student, who is now entering the 11th grade, never imagined it would become the official poster for the 2026 Las Cruces Space Festival. “I was... more

Elijah Rey Reyes
Las Cruces Bulletin | 7/31/26

Rehearsing for the next production from A Children's Theatre of the Mesilla Valley, "Mean Girls."

When confidence takes the stage

Jenna Guitar laughed as she told the story, as the details have faded with time. She remembers playing an old woman, dying with dramatic flair, arms stretched skyward in a murder mystery whose title she can't recall. She remembers being a child... more

Kurt Johnson
Las Cruces Bulletin | 7/30/26

Joy Lightfoot (Beulah) center, explains the sleeping arrangements to passengers in a scene from "Come From Away."

Generosity and its mighty power to change

For five days, the little town of Gander, Newfoundland, underwent a transformation. Its airport was built in an era in which transatlantic flights needed to refuel before continuing across the ocean. By Sept. 11, 2001, it had become largely a... more

Kurt Johnson
Las Cruces Bulletin | 7/30/26

Controlling the chaos with Neurostack

Sometimes life is chaotic in a way that we barely notice the chaos. It just feels normal, until it doesn’t. I’m not talking about flashing lights or last-minute emergencies. Instead, there’s the grocery list that ends up in the Notes app while a... more

Kurt Johnson
Las Cruces Bulletin | 7/29/26

Prestigious Army scholarship recipient chooses NMSU

Sgt. Jumaris Maduro, a religious affairs noncommissioned officer, will start classes at New Mexico State University in August under the U.S. Army’s Green to Gold Program, an initiative that allows active-duty enlisted soldiers to earn a bachelor's... more

Minerva Baumann
NMSU | 7/29/26

Passions run hot at Project Jupiter presentation

Proceedings inside the Doña Ana County Commission chambers were interrupted Tuesday due to the deep divisions surrounding Project Jupiter. The disruption came before developers of the massive artificial intelligence data center delivered a... more

Bulletin Report | 7/29/26

History on Mesilla Plaza

The Taylor-Mesilla Historic Site has been open less than a year and has already received national recognition. In June, New Mexico Historic Sites was selected as a 2026 Award of Excellence winner by the American Association for State and Local... more

Mike Cook
For the Las Cruces Bulletin | 7/28/26

Guests walk through the courthouse during a recent “History & Haunts” event hosted by Southwest Expeditions.

Shadows of history

The old courthouse downtown has held nearly a century of Las Cruces history inside its walls. Long after courtrooms emptied and jail cells closed, people are still walking through the building — only now, many arrive carrying flashlights instead... more

Elijah Rey Reyes
Las Cruces Bulletin | 7/28/26

Members of New Mexico State University’s Atomic Aggies stand with rockets the team has designed and built as part of its collegiate rocketry program.

Atomic Aggies build more than rockets

The rockets don’t come out of a box. For members of New Mexico State University’s Atomic Aggies, the work begins months before launch day. Members design, manufacture and test much of what will eventually soar thousands of feet into the... more

Elijah Rey Reyes
Las Cruces Bulletin | 7/28/26

Olga Lavrova, New Mexico State University Klipsch School of Electrical and Computer Engineering professor, leads NMSU’s Integrated Digital Enterprise Accelerator Laboratory. She is also the principal investigator of the project, titled “SMaRT-GRID NM.

$31.2 million state investment to improve state’s energy resiliency

A large investment by the New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department promises to boost efforts by New Mexico State University’s College of Engineering to strengthen the state’s electric grid infrastructure, while providing... more

Adriana M. Chávez
NMSU | 7/23/26

Growing a legacy of compassion: The Karl Ngoye Community Impact Fund

Southern New Mexico is home to many treasures. From breathtaking sunsets to a rich and vibrant culture, our region offers countless reasons to be proud. However, our greatest treasure is our people. Every day, individuals dedicate their lives to... more

Megan Chavarria and Diana O’Brien
Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico | 7/23/26

LCPD's Summer Youth Leadership Academy participants pose for a picture.

Building trust

For one week each summer, children across Las Cruces trade ordinary summer days for dodgeball games with police officers, helicopter landings, and lessons that reach far beyond the classroom. Behind those activities is the Las Cruces Police... more

Elijah Rey Reyes
Las Cruces Bulletin | 7/23/26

Teen Connection Program participants visit White Sands National Park during a summer outing.

Finding more than an after-school program

A ride after school, help with homework, or a game of basketball may bring teens to the City of Las Cruces’ Teen Connection Program. For many, those afternoons become much more than a way to pass the time. The Teen Connection Program serves... more

Elijah Rey Reyes
Las Cruces Bulletin | 7/23/26

The Bent Bow community solar project in Doña Ana County is one of two operating community solar facilities serving El Paso Electric customers in the Las Cruces area.

Community solar comes to Las Cruces

Las Cruces residents served by El Paso Electric can now subscribe to two operating solar projects through the state’s community solar program, giving customers another option to receive electric bill credits without installing solar panels on... more

Elijah Rey Reyes
Las Cruces Bulletin | 7/23/26

Twin passions: jewelry and golf

Johanna Jo Contreras first learned about earning and managing money through the Sonoma Elementary Kids Can Program, an experience that inspired her entrepreneurial journey. The 13-year-old eighth grader at Mesilla Valley Christian School is... more

7/23/26