Flu cases on the rise in Lea County The New Mexico Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned of increased influenza activity in recent weeks. Jenny Bridgforth, RN, BSN, infection preventionist at Lea Regional Medical Center pointed out Hobbs and Lea County are not immune. “We’re just having an influx of flu in our area,” …

Navarro is first baby of year at Lea Regional Jocelyn Nayeli Navarro became the first 2018 baby born in Hobbs and she rested unaware of that fact, while surrounded by her excited sister, grandfather, mother and many other relatives. The newborn’s mother, Hobbs resident Silvana Palomares, 23, didn’t expect she’d have a New Year’s Day baby, despite a Jan. 6 …

The Hobbs Fire Department is investigating a structure fire that occurred at 2 am Friday morning at 113 South Shipp in Hobbs. No one was at home at the time of the fire. The cause of the fire is pending upon a investigation.

CASA of Lea County names Volunteer of the Year Rhonda Phillips, a resident of Lovington, was named CASA of Lea County’s 2017 Ursula Wilcox Volunteer of the Year at CASA’s Annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner. CASA of Lea County strives to make Lea County a safer environment for abused and neglected children through trained volunteer advocacy and other child centered programs. …

CASA of Lea County names Volunteer of the Year Rhonda Phillips, a resident of Lovington, was named CASA of Lea County’s 2017 Ursula Wilcox Volunteer of the Year at CASA’s Annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner. CASA of Lea County strives to make Lea County a safer environment for abused and neglected children through trained volunteer advocacy and other child centered programs. …

  The first proposed hours of operation and admission fees for the Center of Recreational Excellence were discussed Monday night during a Hobbs Community Affairs Board meeting. CORE officials presented their proposals to the board to receive input and feedback before moving forward in presenting the fees to be considered by the Hobbs City Commission. “We want to start down …

EUNICE — Fifth-graders can make a loud noise with their joyful singing and jingling of bells, but they brought in healthy contributions for the Salvation Army at the Lowe’s Market in Eunice. The Fifth-grade Ambassadors spent a full day Tuesday singing yuletide jingles and ringing bells to encourage contributions be dropped in the kettle. Speaking over the din, sponsor Laura …

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico education authorities are cutting off authorization and funding for the largest online charter school in the state in response to lagging academic performance among students. A request by New Mexico Connections Academy to renew its charter for the coming school year has been voted down by the Public Education Commission that oversees charter …

After a little more than a year of losing Cooper the CASA dog to cancer, CASA of Lea County welcomed its new canine assistance dog Phillip to its office Monday. Phillip, a one-and-a-half-year-old black English Labrador has been in training for the past several months preparing to work with the children of the CASA of Lea County program and those …

Taylor Memorial Baptist Church will ring down the curtain and strike the set after it presents the gospel in its final performance of “Living Christmas Tree” this weekend. Jeff Fair, worship minister at Taylor Memorial, said the choir will sing at  3:30 p.m. Saturday and during Sunday morning worship, which begins at 10:30 a.m. For the Living Christmas tree scaffolding …