2022 - A busy year in Las Cruces

For the arts, business, public safety, nonprofits helping those in need and much more, 2022 was a busy year in Las Cruces and Doña Ana County.

Here are a few highlights:

Casa de Peregrinos (CdP) emergency food program broke ground in March on a new building at 991 W. Amador Ave., the location of the old Horse N Hound feed and supply store.

The City of Las Cruces bought the building for CdP's use in 2020, with renovation funding provided by the city and the New Mexico Capital Improvement Program. The building is 12,000 square feet and provides more space to share with community groups. The larger facility will also allow room for client waiting and interview areas, designated areas for assembly and distribution of carts, food storage, a drive-up window for pre-ordered carts and a demonstration kitchen. It will include solar panels and green landscaping and incorporate artwork in the public areas through the city’s “Art in Public Places” program.

In April, Las Cruces author Jennifer Cervantes signed copies of her latest New York Times best-seller, “Flirting with Fate,” at Barnes & Noble Bookstore in the Mesilla Valley Mall.

Seven publishing houses bid for the right to publish “Flirting with Fate,” her 10th book. 

Another young adult novel by Cervantes, “Fractured Path,” was published in July. It is the third in Disney-Hyperion’s “The Mirror” fairytale quartet, which follows a family’s curse through multiple generations. Each of the four books is written by a different author.

“The Lords of Night,” the first book in Cervantes’ “Shadow Bruja” duology, was published in October, and she has three more novels scheduled for publication in 2023.

It all began for Cervantes when she wrote “Tortilla Sun” in 2010 as a story for her youngest daughter about her treasured “Julie Bear” stuffed animal.

In May, Las Cruces Gospel Rescue Mission (GRM) broke ground on a new facility, Bethesda – House of Mercy and Grace, at 1050 W. Amador Ave., next door to GRM.

House of Mercy No. 1 and No. 2 will provide housing for homeless people who chosen not to stay in the mission and will serve three hot meals a day seven days a week. They will also provide additional food storage for GRM’s food pantry program.

The nonprofit GRM has been in operation since 1972. In addition to its shelter, kitchen and food bank, GRM provides clothing to those in need and operates Rock of Ages Thrift Store, 1420 S. Solano Drive.

In June, the Las Cruces Police Academy graduated 28 cadets. With 26 cadets joining the Las Cruces Police Department, LCPD had filled 197 of its 202 authorized positions.

In July, Electronic Caregiver (ECG) bought the tower that bears its name at 506 S. Main St. With a price tag of $8.9 million, the tower is 120 feet tall, with 11 stories and 105,000 square feet.

ECG, a digital health technology company founded in 2009, moved into the tower in 2017 and has spent $4.5 million in upgrades in the past five years. The tower was built in 1962.

In August, Temple Beth-El welcomed new Rabbi Evette Lutman, who came to Las Cruces from Denver with her wife, Shari Abramowitz and their rescue dogs. Lutman is a native of Akron, Ohio who worked as assistant religious school administrator for a Reform congregation in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and spent two years as the lay rabbi for a synagogue in Jackson, Michigan before entering the rabbinate.

As a practicing attorney, Lutman represented battered women in court and helped settle family-court issues like custody, visitation and child support as a  referee for the Washtenaw County Friend of the Court program in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

In Las Cruces, Rabbi Evette succeeds Rabbi Larry Karol, who retired in 2020 and returned to Kansas City, Missouri.

Also in August, 828 Productions CEO and founder Todd Lundbohm announced that 828 will build a 300,000 square-foot studio on 35 acres of land just west of downtown Las Cruces.

“We have found our partner,” said state Sen. Jeff Steinborn, D-Doña Ana. “It is definitely an incredible day for Las Cruces. This is a very big deal for our community. We have dreamed of this day for a long time,” said Steinborn, who is president of Film Las Cruces, the nonprofit he helped create that brings film and television production to Las Cruces and Doña Ana County.

The studio will bring $350 million in direct spending to New Mexico, New Mexico Economic Development Dept. Sec. Alicia J. Keyes said at the Aug. 17 announcement in Las Cruces that also included Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

In October, the City of Las Cruces held an open house to celebrate the opening of the new Las Cruces Fire Station No. 3 at 380 N. Valley Drive. The 12,250 square-foot station replaces the original station No. 3, which was built in 1967.

In November, Las Cruces voters approved $10 million for fire station No. 9, which will be built in northeast Las Cruces.

In December, the City of Las Cruces announced passenger air service will return to Las Cruces in January 2023. The city has signed a two-year contract with Advanced Airlines, based in Hawthorne, California, to provide seven flights per week – two flights each on Monday and Friday with one flight each day on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday – between Las Cruces and Albuquerque.

Advanced Air primarily utilizes the Beechcraft Super King Air 350 for its fleet. The twin-engine aircraft has a capacity of nine passengers.

Passenger service was last available in Las Cruces in 2005.