NM tax-free weekend on Aug. 2-4 Azure Michell /News-Sun Back-to-school shopping is all the buzz with tax-free weekend’s upcoming arrival. At 12:01 a.m. Aug. 2, shops will welcome customers looking to score items free of tax. This event will end on the following Sunday, Aug. 4. Tax-free weekend is placed on select items, such as, clothing or shoes less than …

Project addresses traffic flow at College Lane Elementary Andy Brosig/News-Sun It’s all about timing, they say. And a change in the timing of a project to improve traffic flow at College Lane Elementary means different parts of the work will be done at different times. Doug Young, assistant superintendent for operations for Hobbs Municipal Schools, explained the changes to the …

Dairy farms to Dairy Freez, Couple ready to retire from Eunice mainstay Christina Holt/News-Sun Jim and Sherri Henneke went from milking cows to cooking them and now they are ready to head back home to southeast Texas for some well-earned rest. “We enjoy the work but we’re looking to retire,” Jim said. “We want to move to southeast Texas and …

To demolish or remodel the Jal Police Dept.? Christina Holt/News-Sun Despite the “deplorable state” of the Jal’s Police Department, residents — particularly those who live behind it — don’t want to see the historic El Paso Natural Gas building torn down. The City of Jal held three public meetings for community members to tour the JPD recently so they could …

Tragedy to triumph, NM’s Safe Haven Baby Boxes Two years ago, the Hobbs community in my district made national news when a newborn baby boy was found by dumpster divers inside an industrial garbage container. Following the discovery, the whole country watched the shocking video footage of the baby being discarded by his teenage mother just hours earlier. As a …

Code enforcement and Bisco teach kids to “Keep Hobbs Beautiful” Caleb A. Gallegos/News-Sun Sometimes kids learn important life lessons easier from costumed characters — and so it was Thursday in Hobbs. The City of Hobbs Code Enforcement and their furry costumed mascot, Brisco The K-9 Dog, teamed up to teach the children at the Hobbs Public Library about what Code …

Ready, Set, Swim Azure Mitchell /News-Sun  Tackle the summer heat with your local aquatic centers. Hobbs, Lovington, Jal and Eunice pools are ready for their community to join them. Spend your summer with splash pads and indoor/outdoor pools where you can cool off or catch a tan. With three pools and five splash pads, Hobbs is welcoming the summer frenzy with open arms. …

Have property squatters? Call the sheriff Christina Holt/News-Sun As a property owner, imagine one day discovering squatters occupying your land or house. What would you do? Lea County attorney John Caldwell recommends property owners who have squatters on their land to call the Lea County Sheriff’s Office and allege criminal trespass. Lea County Sheriff Corey Helton also recommends calling the …

Breaking the summer slide Hobbs Library hosting annual Summer Reading Program Andy Brosig News-Sun Research has shown students, particularly in the younger grades, can lose as much as three to four months of learning each year over the summer holidays. Nikki Lawless, library director for the Hobbs Public Library, and her staff are fighting that loss of learning with the …

Hobbs car wash to benefit the ‘Drone Boss’ RICH TROUT/NEWS-SUN After “Drone Boss” Leroy Gonzalez, 43, died March 12 during a car cruise in Hobbs, the financial responsibility for helping his two sons through college fell entirely on the shoulders of his widow, Casey Gonzalez of Hobbs. The couple’s friend, Kristina Hamilton, said she could never replace the generosity of …