To the editor

Thanks Aggies

A very big thank you to Mr. Russell Allen of the Allen Theaters. For years he has shown all the NMSU Aggie tournament basketball games. He has kept these viewings free and shown them as long as the Aggies kept winning. From the local fans, it is very exciting, almost like being at the games.

A big thank you also to our team who represents Las Cruces, NMSU and our state, especially the seniors. Good luck to these Aggies in their futures. They have provided the best entertainment for our community.
Hang in there, Coach Hooten, you did your job of getting to the CUSA Tournament. It should be better next season. Please, stay positive and don’t give up and keep the faith. Please continue to recruit from our local and state athletes for all sports, with scholarships that will be dedicated to them and not use the transfer portal and will increase our local fan base (win or lose).

Many thanks for our state government/legislative support for our athletic department.

For Coach Lou Henson’s LCHS and NMSU basketball legacy and his wife Mary’s excellence fund for NMSU Athletics, thanks from all of us. Aggies Forever!

Mannie Morales’ friends and family.

Go Aggies!

Mannie Morales

Las Cruces

Professional baseball

Las Cruces has waited long enough for professional baseball to return — and perhaps we’ve been waiting the wrong way.

Last summer, I reached out to begin a conversation about bringing baseball back. Since then, I’ve searched for a forum to present that vision. What became clear is this: instead of waiting for an outside league to choose us, it’s time for Las Cruces to choose itself.

I propose the creation of a new professional baseball league headquartered right here in Las Cruces, with a home-grown franchise to match. This isn’t just about a team — it’s about identity, ownership, and pride.

The centerpiece is a revitalized Apodaca Park, transformed into a modern 20,000-seat stadium. This is our opportunity to build something lasting — an Alternative Big League that belongs to this community.

Picture April 12, 2028: opening night. The Organ Mountains glowing at sunset, a sold-out crowd, and a city unified behind its own team. That moment would signal more than baseball — it would signal belief in Las Cruces.

This vision can drive jobs, tourism, and civic pride. But it starts with a conversation. I urge our city leaders, planners, and residents to come together and explore what is possible.

Las Cruces can build this.

Armando Sarabia

Advocate for Professional Baseball in Las Cruces

Pay the legislators

New Mexico is the only state in the nation that does not pay its state legislators. 

Las Cruces City Council is paid $25,271 per year. The Dona Ana County Commission is paid $50,539 per year. New Mexico state legislators are not paid a salary and are only reimbursed for their travel and per diem. New Mexico is the poorest state in the nation, has the worst health care and worst education system.  We are now 50th in the nation as a state. We used to be 49th but we are now 50th, changing places with Mississippi. 

In two elections that I have been aware of, the ballot contained a vote to pay legislators a salary. It was rejected. We need to pay our legislators a salary as other states do.  Since NM doesn’t pay its legislators, those who are elected are easy prey for lobbyists, who offer ways to enhance their financial status or better offerings to make up for the salaries they are not getting.  This must stop. 

If we want committed legislators, it would open up doors which are now closed to them and get some citizens to step up to the plate and consider running for the legislature.  It makes no sense to pay all of our other elected officials and not pay legislators.

Remember New Mexico is the poorest state in the nation, has the worst health care and education systems in the United States of America. To make this state one of the best in the nation and repair our health care, improve our economic and education status, and bring a better environment for economic development, we must pay our legislators a salary.

Frances F. Williams

Project Jupiter supporters have made much of the claim that electricity prices for consumers will not be affected by their energy hog of a data center. This is based on the fact that they intend to build their own "microgrid," composed of multiple gas fired turbines, an instillation that will produce more electricity than all of El Paso Electric's generation combined. But what effect will this have on the price of natural gas? And won't any price increase get passed on to consumers?

The oil wells in the Permian Basin produce large amounts of natural gas that is piped to El Paso Electric to run the company's gas fired turbines. This gas is a byproduct of the oil wells and would otherwise just be burned off in flares.

Consequently, the gas can be had for a very low price. But what if the demand for this gas suddenly more than doubles, as seems likely when Project Jupiter goes online.

Jupiter's energy requirements are enormous, up to 400,000 dekatherms per day. And their demand for gas will be exacerbated by the use of relatively inefficient gas turbine models. Figures for El Paso Electric's gas usage are unavailable, but to give you a rough idea about just how much energy this is, a typical home in Dona Ana County uses on average less than 6 dekatherms per month.

It is impossible to say exactly what the impact of this will be. Natural gas prices are notoriously hard to predict. But it stands to reason that the impact is not going to be zero. And, if natural gas prices increase for El Paso Electric, you can bet that increase is going to be passed on to consumers.

Glen Landers