Lea County added one new reported death on Friday due to COVID-19, according to the N.M. Department of Health, and 14 new cases. The department reports the one deaths was: A male in his 70s from Lea County. The individual was hospitalized and had underlying conditions With that death, Lea County has had a cumulative total of 126 deaths related to …

The New Mexico Environment Department announced this week O’Reilly’s Auto Parts in Lovington has been fined $242,827.20 for violations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The NMED claims the store allowed employees to work while COVID-19 symptomatic. One of those employees died due to the virus, according to the release. In July the News-Sun wrote an article following the death of Veronica …

Darr Angel remembered the first time he met Bill Lee. The longtime Lea County rancher was around 10 or 12 years old when he met Lee who was dressed in a white pressed shirt, starch jeans, a clean hat and a nice looking vehicle. “He looked like how a rancher was supposed to look,” Angel said. “At the time my …

For all those thousands of people who have anxiously awaited the return of sports in New Mexico, for all of those who are still in I’ll-believe-it-when-I-see-it mode, Monday offered another glimmer of hope. Though still weeks away from actually happening, another important step was taken Monday toward bringing sports back. Five days after the announcement that the state’s Public Education …

Shannon Brown knows the struggles of homelessness and addiction. She’s been there. A recovering methamphetamine addict, Brown spent time living on the streets. “I’ve been homeless before and been on the streets in Paige, Ariz.,” she told the News-Sun recently. “It was snowing. It was horrible.” That’s one of the reasons the new corps officer for the Hobbs Salvation Army …

Editor’s Note: The daily reports from Santa Fe of the number of positive COVID-19 cases and deaths can sometimes be overwhelming and seemingly have no connection to everyday life and what we are experiencing in southeastern New Mexico. So, we found five families who have all dealt with COVID-19 first hand and who would share their stories with our readers. …

A new park to honor Lea County’s veterans has been on the drawing table for more than two years. Following last Tuesday’s Hobbs City Commission meeting, construction of the park is going to have to wait a little longer. Citing possible economic woes due to the poor local economy, the commission voted down, by a 4-3 count, to award construction …

To solve its economic woes, the City of Lovington may have to make additional cuts after cutting staff and salaries. Lovington’s Finance Director Gary Chapman announced in Monday night’s city commission meeting the city may need to make up additional funds. The city already passed a resolution to lay off employees, cut salaries, and cut operational expenses this month. The …

Admit it, you watched it. Last spring and summer, when national sports were on hiatus during the early months of COVID-19, you turned on ESPN, maybe just due to force of habit, in the hopes of finding some live sports. Something, anything, even an ant race. And when you turned on ESPN, you saw masked adults tossing beanbags into holes, …

The Hobbs City Commission on Tuesday moved one step forward in the process of adopting a proposed ordinance to update city fireworks code during a virtual meeting, moved from Monday due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Originally discussed in November, Commissioners voted unanimously to send the rewritten proposal for publication, the next step in the process. According to New …