City of Hobbs officials and staff held a farewell reception for City Manager J.J. Murphy Monday at City Hall, 200 E. Broadway. Murphy’s last day as Hobbs’ city manager is Wednesday.

Katie Gutierrez, 19 of Eunice, is fighting for her life. Gutierrez suffers from a form of cancer called craniopharyngioma and with her last brain surgery on Aug. 9 causing a stroke in her brain stem, her battle for life is getting tougher. Katie was diagnosed with craniopharyngioma, a brain tumor derived from pituitary gland embryonic tissue, on Sept. 10, 2009 …

EUNICE — After a brief scare, Dr. Porkchop and his brother Baloo likely will get to stay with their human family. With more than 2,300 signatures attached to her online petition between Monday and Wednesday and the City’s promise to work with Pork-chop’s owner Katrina Turner of Eunice appears set in Turner’s efforts to keep her pet Potbelly Pigs, also …

As J.J. Murphy’s position as Hobbs city manager comes to an end on Aug. 23, Mayor Sam Cobb and the city commission are discussing who to appoint as acting city manager. Cobb and commissioners met in an executive session meeting Monday to discuss how to go about choosing an interim city manager. “We talked about two or three different options …

  Former Hobbs Mayor Monty Newman announced Monday he is running for Congress a second time to represent New Mexico’s Second Congressional District. Newman, a Republican, is hoping to take the U.S. House of Representatives seat being vacated by Steve Pearce, R-N.M., who announced last month he is running for the office of New Mexico’s governorship. “Congress has a courage problem,” …

The 82nd Annual Lea County Fair & Rodeo was held Aug. 4-12 at the Lea County Fairgrounds in Lovington.

Phil Watson may have been born in the bright lights of Hollywood, but he called Tatum home. He was Tatum’s chief of police from 1989-2008, and died of heart disease in his home on July 31. He was 74 years old. On Monday, family and friends will say goodbye to Phil during a 10 a.m. memorial service at Tatum United Methodist Church. …

New Mexico State Senator Billy Jess McKibben died Friday due to natural causes in Big Spring. McKibben was born June 2, 1936 in Eunice. He was a graduate of Lovington High School, NMMI Junior College in Roswell and New Mexico State University. McKibben served in the U.S. Air Force during Vietnam. McKibben served as a New Mexico State Senator from …

After Hobbs commissioners approved to hire City Manager J.J. Murphy as a special consultant after his city manager’s contract ends on Aug. 23 some commissioners shared why they approved the deal and some Hobbs residents expressed their disappointment via social media. During Monday’s City Commission meeting commissioners approved in a 5-2 vote an employment transition and settlement agreement with Murphy …

J.J. Murphy’s job as Hobbs’ city manager will come to an end on Aug. 23 but the City Commission voted Monday to keep him as a special consultant for 10 months. During Monday’s City Commission meeting, commissioners approved in a 5-2 vote an employment transition and settlement agreement with Murphy where he will transition as a special consultant to the …