Denise Marquez NEWS-SUN The Hobbs City Commission was hesitant to approve the publication of an ordinance amendment that would allow certain relatives of the city commission and city manager to be hired as seasonal or temporary employees by the city. During Monday’s city commission meeting, the Hobbs commission voted 5-2 for the publication of an ordinance that would amend a …

$200,000 contract rejected, Murphy could still get $306,000 LEVI HILL NEWS-SUN Sparks flew at the Hobbs City Commission Monday night as commissioners split 4-3 over giving City Manager J.J. Murphy a modified severance contract that would have had him coming back to the city as a consultant until June 30, 2018. It appears Murphy will be out the door either …

BuildZoom’s new study looks into Urban Expansion across the country on a city by city bases. The urbanized metro area of Hobbs has expanded 19.65 square miles since 1940. Below is a breakdown of the decade by decade expansion of Hobbs and a map depicting this change:  In the 1940s Hobbs expanded 0.51 square miles.  5.59 square miles in the 1950s.  2.82 square miles in the 1960s.  3.31 square miles in the 1970s.  1.70 square …

Collaboration served as the core of the CORE, according to Hobbs Mayor Sam Cobb. Ceremonial groundbreaking for the Center of Recreational Excellence, formerly called the Health, Wellness and Learning Center, drew more than 300 people Monday afternoon.

Kelly Farrell News-Sun According to Hobbs police statistics, car crashes are down 27 percent citywide this year. When comparing year-to-date number of accidents from January through July to last year’s tally, the numbers reflect a decrease of 132 crashes — a drop from 487 during the same time last year to 355 this year. Hobbs police say it’s a result …

Gas leak cause of home explosion TODD BAILEY NEWS-SUN On Thursday, Victor and Alma Dominguez saw what was left of their home following Tuesday night’s explosion in South Hobbs. “It was a sad thing to see,” Dominguez said. Hobbs Fire Marshal Shawn Williams was still conducting his investigation as HFD officials searched through the debris looking for a cause.

Officer former News-Sun employee New Mexico State Police have identified the Artesia police officer who fatally shot an armed man last week. Former Hobbs News-Sun reporter and current officer Beth Hahn shot and killed 36-year-old Juan Reynaldo Duran after responding to a call about shots being fired. According to police, Duran pointed a firearm at Artesia police officers several times …

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Subhead LEVI HILL NEWS-SUN You shouldn’t speed in Hobbs, but if you do, don’t do it after Sept. 5. That’s when the city’s new traffic code goes into effect and the fines for traffic violations will increase almost threefold. Monday night the Hobbs City Commission threw out the old traffic code and adopted a new one that is more in …

The New Mexico State Police has released the identity of the suspect who was shot by a Eunice police officer Tuesday. The NMSP preliminary investigation indicates that Eunice officers responded to a home on the 600 block of South Main in reference to a domestic violence call. One officer entered the home and found Roberto Granados Ocona, 41, armed with a knife. …