Amid the COVID-19 neighbors “ratting out” and “snitching” on neighbors trying to stay in business, some good news came to a local shop by way of the New Mexico State Police (NMSP) Wednesday. “At first they said they had several reports that we were open to the public, and that I couldn’t do that, and I needed to shut down,” …

SANTA FE – Lea County has three more positive tests for COVID-19 today, giving the county a total of 8 cases. The three new cases are in Hobbs, according to Lea County Manager Mike Gallagher. Of the 8 people testing positive, two have fully recovered, Gallagher announced. Of the 8 cases, the first case was confirmed on March 21, the …

Below is the link to the draft of “Reopen Lea County” being discussed by local city and county government officials. The idea is  to present the plan to the governor with a unified plan to reopen businesses in Lea County beginning May 1. Officials emphasize it remains a draft plan, is subject to change and could be rejected by the …

Below is the link to the draft of “Reopen Lea County” being discussed by local city and county government officials. The idea is  to present the plan to the governor with a unified plan to reopen businesses in Lea County beginning May 1. Officials emphasize it remains a draft plan, is subject to change and could be rejected by the …

Lea County Commissioner, and owner of Dean’s Boot Shop, Dean Jackson is ready for mom-and-pop shops to reopen and New Mexicans to be able to go back to work. “It seems like … small businesses are being targeted for failure,” Jackson said. It’s a sentiment many share. “We need to reopen now! This has gone on long enough and people …

When a little thing like a pandemic closes school for the year, it’s good to have a warrior like Sonia Medina in your corner. Medina, the Hobbs Municipal Schools Nutritional Services district manager, doesn’t like Netflix, detests sitting still and is a master strategist, according to her boss. She’s also calm in the face of a crisis. “I’ve been in …

The News-Sun conducted a Q&A with Nor-Lea Hospital CEO David Shaw regarding the hospital’s efforts in facing the COVID-19 pandemic. How do you address the fact that Lea County has been fortunate to have only two positive cases at this point in the pandemic? Lea County, relative to other parts of the country is very rural and residents had the …

The City of Hobbs and Lea County have always been resilient and capable of weathering economic hardships and coming out stronger on the other side. We know that our current economic climate is unimaginably difficult with the unprecedented one-two punch of the oil and gas downturn and the health concerns around COVID-19. The City of Hobbs and the Economic Development …

With so much of the country shut down due to coronavirus, the News-Sun reached out to four experts in their fields to find out their thoughts on the pandemic. From needing more data to the right approach to squashing the virus, the experts opinions vary but offer insight to what is happening and how it will play out. The News-Sun …

Selling your product at a loss is a poor way to do business. Oilfield experts applauded New Mexico State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard for proposing a rule change to temporarily allow operators to turn off the pump where they choose. Citing the current oil price crash, Garcia Richard announced the State Land Office would initiate emergency rulemaking processes to …