Algernon D'Ammassa
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Articles by Algernon D'Ammassa
Screwworm Cattle Imports
Stockyards in New Mexico that had closed due to the New World screwworm outbreak are bustling again. The gates at the Columbus port of entry opened Monday, marking the first time since 2024 that Mexican cattle have crossed here. It's the third port to reopen since August as the U.S. Department of Agriculture works with Mexican officials to normalize cross-border livestock trading under tighter biosecurity rules.
Screwworm Cattle Imports
Stockyards in New Mexico that had closed due to the New World screwworm outbreak are bustling again. The gates at the Columbus port of entry opened Monday, marking the first time since 2024 that Mexican cattle have crossed here. It's the third port to reopen since August as the U.S. Department of Agriculture works with Mexican officials to normalize cross-border livestock trading under tighter biosecurity rules.
Screwworm Cattle Imports
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More teens arrested in Las Cruces shooting range theft
SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO Six juveniles charged with using stolen car to break into business Strykers Shooting World in Las Cruces is seen on Nov. 26. LAS CRUCES – Two more teenagers have been arrested and charged in the November break-in at a shooting range in the middle of town. Las Cruces police announced that two 16-year-old boys were arrested – one last week and one on Dec.
Two plead guilty, third charged in Las Cruces, Los Lunas bank robberies
CRIME Bank robber admits to heists Security footage shows Daniel Guereca robbing a PNC Bank location in Las Cruces on Feb. 20, 2025. Guereca pleaded guilty to the crime in November. Daniel Guereca LAS CRUCES — An accused bank robber pleaded guilty in federal district court last month to a pair of heists that took place in February. An accomplice has admitted guilt as well, while a second associate is facing trial.
Mescalero man sentenced on domestic violence charge
COURTS He'll serve nearly 6 years for 2024 beating of girlfriend New Mexico U.S. District Court in Las Cruces. Myron Edward Blake Jr. LAS CRUCES — A man who severely beat his girlfriend on the Mescalero Apache Reservation in 2024 was given a prison sentence of nearly six years in Las Cruces federal district court Tuesday. Myron Edward Blake Jr., 40, pleaded guilty in July to assault of a domestic partner resulting in substantial bodily injury.
Project Jupiter permit applications forecast massive carbon fuel use
LAS CRUCES — The natural gas-fueled power facility envisioned for Project Jupiter, the massive data center under construction in Santa Teresa, is far larger than had previously been disclosed — both in how much power it will generate and how much pollution it will emit over Doña Ana County. Recently released air quality permits for the project unveiled plans to produce upward of 2.8 gigawatts of electricity via fossil fuels, with carbon emissions lapping those of New Mexico's two largest cities.
Federal authorities bust alleged family-run Hobbs narcotic ring
LAS CRUCES — A Hobbs family and accused associates were arrested and charged this week for allegedly selling methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine in an organized enterprise. On Friday morning, Raul Muñoz Navarrette, 44, made an initial appearance in federal district court in Las Cruces along with his sons, Raul Hernandez Navarrette, 26, and Adrian Hernandez Navarrette, 21.
Coyote that bit hiker tests positive for rabies
A hiker is undergoing treatment, but was reportedly not hospitalized, after a bite from a rabid coyote in the Gila National Forest near Silver City. The New Mexico Department of Health did not identify the individual, in order to protect their privacy and personal health information, nor provide a date for the incident.
After shutdown disrupted SNAP, donors help Las Cruces food pantry
LAS CRUCES — Southern New Mexico's largest food pantry, operating locations in Las Cruces and Hatch, is keeping up with a growing need for its service. This week, it announced the arrival of some financial help. The first came in the form of a $50,000 challenge grant, in which a benefactor matches donations up to a set amount, from the Santa Fe-based Thornburg Foundation.
Santa Teresa spa settles controlled substance civil claims
The U.S. Attorney's Office has reached a civil settlement with a Santa Teresa business owner over alleged violations of controlled substance recordkeeping requirements. Certified family nurse practitioner Luis Carlos Cordova, the operator of Limitless Aesthetics and Healthcare, will pay $70,000, equivalent to civil penalties under the Controlled Substances Act, to resolve the alleged violations without admitting liability or wrongdoing.
Santa Teresa spa settles controlled substance civil claims
Ryan Ellison The U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a civil settlement with a Santa Teresa business owner over alleged violations of controlled substance recordkeeping requirements. Certified family nurse practitioner Luis Carlos Cordova, the operator of Limitless Aesthetics and Healthcare, will pay $70,000, equivalent to civil penalties under the Controlled Substances Act, to resolve the alleged violations without admitting liability or wrongdoing.
Las Cruces slows spending due to budget 'math problem'
LAS CRUCES — Less than halfway into the fiscal year, the city of Las Cruces has put the brakes on spending, with City Manager Ikani Taumoepeau admitting that the city's general fund balance had been "overstated." "We have a math problem at the end of the day," Taumoepeau told the City Council on Monday.
Fourth person charged in Las Cruces drive-by shooting
LAS CRUCES – A fourth person has been charged in an alleged conspiracy to shoot bullets at the home of a single father and his child by a group of friends including the child’s mother. A few minutes before 6 a.m. on Oct. 29, police say two cars pulled up to a home on a residential street a few blocks from New Mexico State University and the city’s Frenger Park. kAm%96C6[ D64FC:EJ 42>6C2 G:56@ 42AEFC65 E96 42CD 42C67F==J A@D:E:@?:?8 E96>D6=G6D :?
Las Cruces police identify man killed by train
LAS CRUCES — City police on Tuesday morning identified the man struck and killed by a freight train in the middle of town last week. Manuel Jose Aguirre, 46, was found at approximately 2 p.m. on Nov. 26 by first responders next to railroad tracks running parallel to the 1700 block of South Main Street, not far from downtown. Witnesses had reported seeing an individual struck by the northbound BNSF train.
Back-to-back pedestrian deaths in Las Cruces prompt road safety talk
LAS CRUCES — Two fatal crashes involving vehicles and pedestrians in the course of a week prompted calls for focused attention from city councilors Monday. On Nov. 26, a pedestrian who has not yet been identified was struck by a northbound BNSF freight train some time before 2 p.m. on a stretch of track running parallel to S. Main Street, just over a mile from downtown. First responders reported finding a man with multiple injuries who was pronounced dead at the scene.
County commissioners threaten litigation over Sunland Park expansion
SUNLAND PARK – Doña Ana County commissioners pushed back against a new proposed annexation in Sunland Park Tuesday, weeks after expressing concerns about the city expanding its boundaries to encompass 534 acres last month. The county had previously raised concerns about the border city's expansion close to Santa Teresa industrial zones.
State grants bring high-speed internet to Lordsburg and Columbus
Hundreds of students attending the Lordsburg Municipal Schools will soon have greater access to high-speed internet thanks to a new grant from the New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion, the agency announced Tuesday.
State grants bring high-speed internet to Lordsburg and Columbus
Featured The offices of the Lordsburg Municipal School District in New Mexico’s Hidalgo County Hundreds of students attending the Lordsburg Municipal Schools will soon have greater access to high-speed internet thanks to a new grant from the New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion, the agency announced Tuesday.
New Mexico State astronomer, students develop method of predicting solar flares
LAS CRUCES — The eerie yet beautiful auroras that delivered pink and green nighttime skies across New Mexico and much of the U.S. this month are the result of geomagnetic storms caused by solar activity. The light shows result from coronal mass ejections, eruptions of plasma and magnetic energy that send charged particles toward Earth, where they mingle with atmospheric gases and produce lights of varying colors depending on one’s position on the planet surface. kAm%96 DF?
Man fatally struck by train in Las Cruces
A man was killed after being hit by a train rolling through Las Cruces on Wednesday afternoon. The crash occurred early in the afternoon, with emergency responders dispatched a little before 2 p.m. to the 1700 block of S. Main Street, where the tracks run parallel to a busy stretch of road connecting downtown to University Avenue and at the Interstate 10 interchange, including several crossings through city traffic.
Teenagers charged in break-in and theft at Las Cruces shooting range
LAS CRUCES — Four teenagers are facing multiple charges over a break-in and burglary at an indoor shooting range in the middle of town, and Las Cruces police say more suspects could be apprehended as the investigation continues. At about 2 a.m. Saturday, police say as many as eight boys crashed a stolen vehicle through a gate and a roll-up dock entrance at Strykers Shooting World, which operates six lanes and offers classes as well as firearm rentals for use on-site.
Legal challenges to Project Jupiter funding meet headwinds
LAS CRUCES — In Santa Teresa, construction is rapidly moving forward at the site of a planned data center campus supporting AI technology. Meanwhile, $165 billion in industrial revenue bonds and other public incentives authorized by Doña Ana County commissioners supporting the project are facing legal challenges and criticism from a government transparency watchdog group. kAmx?
Alamogordo man charged in murder of girlfriend
A grisly discovery by Otero County Sheriff’s Office deputies conducting a welfare check has led to an open murder charge against Matthew Weems, 31, and a petition by prosecutors to keep him in custody through his trial. It began on the morning of Nov. 17 with a service call about a burglary in progress at a residence on Spanish Daggers Drive, near U.S. 82 in Alamogordo. Deputies stated in an affidavit that they arrived to find Weems kneeling in the roadway and detained him.
Public Lands Commissioner candidates meet Las Cruces voters
LAS CRUCES — Four candidates in the running to be New Mexico's next Public Lands Commissioner gathered for a public forum organized by a coalition of local conservation groups Wednesday in Las Cruces. In a high school auditorium on the eastern edge of town near the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, Democratic primary candidates Juan Sanchez, Jonas Moya and Matthew McQueen joined Republican Michael Perry, the lone Republican in the field.
Las Cruces teen arrested in fatal shooting at house party
LAS CRUCES — Another fatal incident involving young people and firearms has led to the arrest of a 16-year-old boy. The defendant, who was not identified because of his age, has been charged by Las Cruces police with murder and three counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Gunfire erupted at a house party on Bugatti Drive on Saturday, injuring three teenagers and killing Lance Chavez, 21.
Electric vehicle car share debuts in Las Cruces
LAS CRUCES — Two Chevrolet Bolts comprise the fleet of a pilot electric vehicle car share service unveiled in downtown Las Cruces on Tuesday. "This program gives an affordable, reliable alternative transportation that expands access to work, groceries, appointments and daily life with ease," City Councilor Becky Corran said during a brief opening event.
Doña Ana County exasperated by Sunland Park annexations
LAS CRUCES — Two weeks after Sunland Park city councilors voted to annex 534 acres adjacent to the Pete V. Domenici Highway, Doña Ana County commissioners found themselves discussing a new, larger expansion sought by the city at the commissioners’ meeting last Friday. The city requested the county’s feedback ahead of planned action involving an irregular swath of vacant land, amounting to a little more than 2,325 acres, at the city’s western boundary near the end of Country Club Road.
The day Google's AI chatbot, Gemini, accused me of a crime
It was disconcerting, to say the least, to find myself identified as a criminal defendant at the top of a recent internet search. I was struggling to recall the name of a defendant in a vandalism case I had written about, so I “googled” it. The name turned out to be more familiar than I would have guessed. kAmw6C6 :D H92E v@@8=6’D 492E3@E[ v6>:?:[ E@=5 >6 2?5 E96 C6DE @7 E96 :?E6C?6Eik^Am kAm“x? yF?6 a_ad[ p=86C?@?
Feds say Las Cruces man documented firearm sale on Instagram
LAS CRUCES — An Instagram message effectively served as a receipt for an illegal handgun sale, according to a federal criminal complaint charging a Las Cruces man with receiving a firearm while under indictment in a different case. Anthony Jacob Lopez, 19, was implicated in an investigation that began when a gunshot victim was dropped off on Aug. 31 at MountainView Regional Medical Center in Las Cruces, according to the complaint.
Acting Gov. Morales appoints Sandy Jones county commissioner
Sandy Jones, a Democratic former member of the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, has been appointed to a vacant seat on the Sierra County Board of Commissioners. Lt. Gov. Howie Morales, acting as governor while Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham attends the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Brazil, announced the appointment Friday but stated the appointment took effect Wednesday.
Alleged chronic offender to be held through federal trial in Las Cruces
LAS CRUCES — A federal judge ordered Neal Garcia, 43, to remain in custody ahead of his trial on six counts of Hobbs Act robbery. Garcia, who waived a Friday detention hearing, is accused over a string of incidents between November 2022 and April of this year involving shoplifting, assaulting store employees and property damage. kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96 3FD:?6DD6D :?4=F56 (2=>2CE[ 8C@46CJ DE@C6D[ 2? 6=64EC@?:4 82>6D DE@C6 2?5 2 82D DE2E:@?
Las Cruces police, FBI team up to nab accused chronic offender
A Las Cruces man arrested dozens of times in cases that have frequently been dismissed is back behind bars, this time in federal custody to face charges over a string of robberies and assaults dating back to 2022. The defendant, Neal Garcia, 43, has also become an avatar for the issue of chronic repeat offenders, competency and gaps in mental health services for defendants in New Mexico's criminal justice system.
Three charged in Las Cruces drive-by shooting
LAS CRUCES — Two people are in custody and a third is being sought by police over an alleged conspiracy to shoot at the residence of a Las Cruces man and his infant child. Charging documents allude to prior conflicts between the man and the mother of his 5-month-old son prior to shots being fired toward his home shortly before 6 a.m. on Oct. 29. Also at the residence were the victim's mother and his younger brother, according to witness statements. kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96 9@>6 :D =@42E65 @?
Garcia Richard defends repatriating ancestral lands in Las Cruces
LAS CRUCES — Public Lands Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard hosted a community meeting Friday night as she contemplates a possible tribal land exchange that has generated local rumors and opposition. It would be the third exchange to restore ancestral territory since Garcia Richard took office in 2019, following exchanges with the Santa Ana Pueblo and Fort Sill-Chiricahua-Warm Springs Apache tribe. kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“%96 `b >:==:@?
Deming man's murder conviction upheld by Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of New Mexico on Monday affirmed the 2024 conviction of a man who shot his stepson in Deming. Ezequiel Ricoy, 60, appealed his conviction on a charge of first-degree willful and deliberate murder in the fatal shooting of Las Cruces resident Brendan Kern in 2022, arguing the evidence presented at trial did not prove deliberate intent, challenging jury instructions and claiming ineffective defense counsel.
Sunland Park secures funds for regional food pantry
A hard week for southern New Mexico’s largest food pantry ended with some good news from the city of Sunland Park and a glimmer of potential hope from Washington. Sunland Park announced Thursday it had received a state grant of nearly $720,000 in gap funding to build a regional, city-owned food pantry to be operated by Casa de Peregrinos under lease. The award clears construction to begin within 45 days and to be completed next fall, according to city officials.
Silver City detective sues district attorney for defamation over Giglio notice
SILVER CITY — A single sentence written by a chief prosecutor can end a police officer’s career. When a district attorney or U.S. attorney informs a sheriff or police chief that they won't call an officer as a witness because they lack credibility, the message — known as a Giglio letter — diminishes an officer’s credibility, effectively limits the duties they may perform and jeopardizes their job and law enforcement certification.
J. Paul Taylor home opens as historic site in true Mesilla style
MESILLA — New Mexico's newest state historic site will open to the public Saturday in full Mesilla style, which entails ballet folklórico and mariachi performances on the town's historic plaza and bandstand. The new Taylor-Mesilla Historic Site comprises two historic storefronts and the large, mostly hidden adobe buildings that for decades were the home of former state Rep. J.
Anthony ousts Mayor Diana Murillo, elects Gabriel Holguin
Anthony Mayor Diana Murillo was ousted in Tuesday's election by a young City Council member and fellow Democrat with whom she had exchanged verbal barbs, procedural jousts and lawsuits in recent years. According to unofficial results, which will not be finalized until the election canvass is complete, Trustee Gabriel Holguin, 24, drew 535 votes compared to the 52-year-old Murillo's 299 — or 59% of the total. A third candidate in the nonpartisan election, Oscar Enriquez, received 66 votes.
Close elections, tied matches could mean automatic recounts
In New Mexico, when an election ends in a tie, even after a recount, the contest is decided with a game of chance. A card game, drawing straws, or a toss of the dice will do, as long as the candidates, a judge and local party bosses agree on the game. Unofficial results in Tuesday's election left three positions — council seats in Des Moines, Bosque Farms and Wagon Mound — tied and likely to undergo automatic recounts.
Sunland Park annexes land near key highway
Sunland Park is expanding again, after the city bordering El Paso, Texas, and one of the busiest ports of entry between the U.S. and Mexico formally annexed 534 additional acres last week. The additional territory comprises the area known as the Rancho Santa Teresa subdivision northeast of Airport Road and the Pete V. Domenici Highway, five miles north of the Santa Teresa Port of Entry. The open land is the focus of plans for infrastructure supporting residential and commercial development.
Young Park shooting defendants to be tried separately
LAS CRUCES — In a development that was not unexpected, the four defendants indicted on murder and conspiracy charges over a shootout at Young Park in March will be tried separately in 2026.
Former president Shepard sues WNMU, lawmakers and state auditor
Western New Mexico University’s former president, Joseph Shepard, is suing the university and several present and former state officials alleging that they conspired to “destroy his reputation” after he raised questions about a $1 million state budget appropriation for a charter school located on the university campus.
Scholar says '60s avant-garde Western seeded Las Cruces movie industry
LAS CRUCES — One of the strangest Western movies I’ve ever seen held its premiere not in Hollywood but in downtown Las Cruces, 60 years ago on Nov. 3. Last week, it returned to the big screen at the Rio Grande Theatre, where I sat with a tub of popcorn and a cold beer amid a crowd of over 75 people — including Teddy Gregory, one of the movie’s two surviving cast members and its cinematographer.
Las Cruces officer found guilty of voluntary manslaughter in shooting of Teresa Gomez
LAS CRUCES — A jury on Thursday afternoon found former Las Cruces police officer Felipe Hernandez guilty of voluntary manslaughter in the 2023 death of Teresa Gomez. He was immediately taken into custody to await a sentencing hearing where he could face an 11-year prison sentence. kAm%96 G6C5:4E H2D 2??@F?465 E@ 2 A24<65 4@FCEC@@> 367@C6 DE2E6 s:DEC:4E yF586 #:492C5 y24BF6K[ @? E96 7@FCE9 52J @7 w6C?2?56K’D EC:2= 7@C D9@@E:?8 v@>6K 2D D96 5C@G6 2H2J 7C@> 9:> 5FC:?8 2? 62C=J >@C?:?8 6?4@F?E6C :?
Witness to Teresa Gomez's shooting by former Las Cruces officer testifies in trial
LAS CRUCES — Jesus Garcia shrank from the video screen in front of him as prosecutors played police body camera footage from the final minutes before his friend was killed. "It's because she's no longer here," he explained in a voice so soft that state District Judge Richard Jacquez frequently reminded him to speak up so the jury could hear his testimony. kA 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?
Former professor David Clements sues NMSU, claiming vindication on vaccines
LAS CRUCES — Much has changed since David Clements was fired from his tenure-track faculty job at New Mexico State University in 2021 for refusing to comply with COVID-19 campus policies. Now he is suing the university for reinstatement, telling the Journal that since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. assumed the leadership of the U.S. Health and Human Services Dept., new information vindicates positions he took against vaccine and masking mandates.
FAA closes investigation into Las Cruces airport with warning
LAS CRUCES — On June 29, 2023, an aircraft took evasive action to avoid colliding with a maintenance vehicle adjacent to a runway at Las Cruces International Airport. That incident was among the 52 findings released to the city last month following a Federal Aviation Administration investigation into the airport's management and compliance with ground safety procedures. kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96 upp 4@?4=F565 2 7@FC\>@?E9 :?G6DE:82E:@?
Lawsuits seek court review of Project Jupiter funding
LAS CRUCES — Work crews have begun preparing the ground in Santa Teresa for a campus of data centers, offices and a power generation facility to be occupied by Oracle Infrastructure and OpenAI, a project anticipated to invest $165 billion over three decades.
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