JAL — There’s water and there’s water. And not all drops are fit to drink. When a street repair contractor accidentally broke a line with his backhoe on East Merriman Avenue in Jal late Monday afternoon, the odor coming from the black-tinted water under pressure briefly alarmed everybody in the area. “It was nasty,” Mayor Stephen Aldridge said. Fortunately, a …

JAL – Times and social values have changed. Lea County’s “small town, big heart” took first steps to embracing New Mexico’s marijuana mandate last week. Jal city leaders hosted a public meeting Tuesday to discuss what needs to be done soon in light of the state’s Cannabis Regulation Act (CRA) that became effective June 29, with three upcoming deadlines. While …