Andy Brosig/News-Sun More than a year in the making, the Blakely family of Hobbs is winging their way toward the Walt Disney World Resorts in Florida to give 13-year-old Rylee her first experience of the beach, courtesy Make-A-Wish New Mexico and Crosswinds Community Church. Rylee, a special-needs student at Houston Middle School, in Hobbs, lives with what her family described …

Curtis C. Wynne/News-Sun LOVINGTON — While the Lea County Board of Registration met to clean up voter registration rolls this week, the New Mexico State Legislature took up bills designed to pad those same rolls. According to Lea County Clerk Keith Manes, the board approved purging 1,932 names out of the 37,356 registered voters in the county following a process …

Curtis C. Wynne/News-Sun EUNICE — A desalination plant for the City of Eunice appears less realistic than hoped, according to engineering experts asked to study the issue. Planning a final report in June, Hobbs-based Pettigrew and Associates project manager David Roybal offered a preliminary review to the Eunice city council Monday. Roybal explained the absence of a large reservoir of …

Gabrielle Arsiaga/News-Sun Many businesses, churches, and other buildings found themselves “tagged”last weekend. Hobbs Police and the Lea County Sheriff’s Office are working towards finding the vandals who are responsible for thousands of dollars worth of damages the weekend of Feb. 17-19. Around 6:48 a.m., Feb. 19, at St. Helena Catholic Church, at 100 East Bender Boulevard, a call came in …

Dorothy N. Fowler/News-Sun New Mexico Junior College will be the site of a new medical clinic next year with a three-year contract of about $1.643 million. Joe Mike Gomez, NMJC purchasing agent, said beginning next fall, the mid-level clinic will see students and employees — without cost to either students or employees. Complicated medical conditions will be referred elsewhere, Gomez …

Gabrielle Arsiaga/News-Sun The fate of one of Hobbs’ outdoor swimming pools is in limbo. Hobbs City commissioners met for a work session regarding Hobbs’ aquatic facilities Tuesday night, before a regularly schedule commission meeting. City of Hobbs’ Recreational Director Doug McDaniels told commisioners the majority of Hobbs’ aquatic facilities are aged and the repairs needed are expensive. As a result, …

Gabrielle Arsiaga/News-Sun The fate of one of Hobbs’ outdoor swimming pools is in limbo. Hobbs City commissioners met for a work session regarding Hobbs’ aquatic facilities Tuesday night, before a regularly schedule commission meeting. City of Hobbs’ Recreational Director Doug McDaniels told commisioners the majority of Hobbs’ aquatic facilities are aged and the repairs needed are expensive. As a result, …

CURTIS C. WYNNE/NEWS-SUN EUNICE — Eunice Police Chief Casey Arcidez resigned his position last week, but that doesn’t mean Eunice is without a chief. A law enforcement officer for almost two decades, Arcidez sent a one-line text message to the News-Sun for explanation. “I plan on starting a new career in the oilfield,” Arcidez said. City Manager Shannon Cummins, declining …

Virginia Cunningham/News-Sun LOVINGTON — Avenue D between Love Street and Commercial Street is expected to remain closed until late March. Zoning and Planning Coordinator Crystal Ball said weather has delayed this project “immensely,” with work crews only being able to work about 11 days in January. “So are you saying we have gone from a creep to a crawl?” Mayor …

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Senate on Monday approved a proposed ban on the local disposal of spent nuclear fuel, unless the state provides its consent first. The bill from Democratic state Sen. Jeff Steinborn, of Las Cruces, could impact a proposed multibillion-dollar facility in southeastern New Mexico that is expected to temporarily store spent nuclear fuel …