JAL — Record oil production in the world’s largest oilfield strains the resources of small towns like Jal, even if swarms of workers boost gross receipts revenue. In recent meetings, the Jal City Council, concerned about the town’s already out-of-compliance wastewater treatment plant, began considering a temporary moratorium on additional RV parks, possibly for one year. With an estimated 5,000-6,000 …

JAL — Record oil production in the world’s largest oilfield strains the resources of small towns like Jal, even if swarms of workers boost gross receipts revenue. In recent meetings, the Jal City Council, concerned about the town’s already out-of-compliance wastewater treatment plant, began considering a temporary moratorium on additional RV parks, possibly for one year. With an estimated 5,000-6,000 …

The public safety director of Laguna Pueblo, a captain for the Arizona Department of Public Safety, and a deputy chief/major with the Tulsa (Oklahoma) Public Schools Police Department with ties to Hobbs are the three finalists for Hobbs police chief. Jesus “Jesse” Francisco Orozco, public safety director for the Laguna Pueblo; John Joseph Ortolano, a captain for the Arizona Department …

Air travelers may soon have a choice to fly to either Denver or Houston from the Lea County Regional Airport, instead of just Houston. Economic Development Corporation of Lea County board of directors chairman Finn Smith presented a proposal at Monday’s Hobbs City Commission meeting to add Denver to the United Airlines contract. “We’re in the process of negotiating an …

Hobbs High School’s Rotary Interact Club held a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony of their Traveling Pages free library stand at Hobbs City Park on Wednesday, June 19. This free library stand is the result of a refurbished newspaper stand, donated by the Hobbs News-Sun, and filled with free books and reading materials from numerous donors. Over the last year, …

LOVINGTON — A majority of Lea County Commissioners turned thumbs-down on an idea to encourage employees to learn Spanish by providing a paid incentive each year. The U.S. Census Bureau’s Q u i ck Fa c t s website identified more than 58 percent of Lea County residents as Hispanic of all races based on 2017 data from numerous sources. …

A Romanian husband and wife who allegedly begged for cash while using dirty, shoeless children as sympathy props have been charged with multiple felonies and has at least temporarily lost custody of their four children. Cristian Andrei Ducila, 24, and Luiza Badea, 21, most recently of Lovington, were each charged with four third-degree felony counts of abandonment or abuse of …

It took Jose Lara around 50 years to figure out his life. What started on the streets of Los Angeles. His youth was full of crime. Always in trouble with the law. One bad decision after another. Today Jose, 52, is the owner of LA Graphics and Design in Hobbs. His business on 1034 E. Bender recently held its grand …

A former Lea County corrections officer faces a second-degree felony charge punishable by up to nine years in prison after she allegedly had sex with an inmate at the county jail. Amelia Alvarado, 30, of Hobbs, was arrested Thursday on a charge of criminal sexual penetration in the second degree. A warrant for her arrest had been issued June 6 …

A family owned Hobbs grocery store still has its neighborhood feel and cultural appeal after a complete makeover that has customers buzzing. The owners and employees of La Tienda and guests celebrated an extensive remodeling of the 30,000-square-foot grocery store Wednesday with a ribbon-cutting in the store’s foyer where a new wood-style floor has been laid. Lea County Commissioner Jonathan …