Local Stories

The United Way of Eddy County’s Ninth Annual Day of Caring will be held on September 17. Local businesses and industry partners will again pick up a paintbrush, a shovel, or a pair of gloves and make a difference by assisting an area nonprofit with a wide variety of projects. This year’s event is being sponsored by Mewbourne Oil Company, Permian Resources, ConocoPhillips, Eddy County, Carlsbad Medical Center, Artesia General Hospital, and the Con Alma Health Foundation. Kicko

By Sarah Jones, Library Director, Carlsbad Public Library There’s a special kind of magic in experiencing a story twice—first through the pages of a book, and then on the screen. Book-to-film adaptations invite us to compare, imagine, and rediscover stories in new ways. Whether you’re someone who insists on “reading it before you watch it” or you enjoy seeing how filmmakers interpret a favorite novel, these adaptations offer something for everyone. Reading a book before watch

By Don Eskins The Carlsbad High School Cavemen and the Goddard Rockets face off in Roswell on Friday night, August 28. The Cavemen are still riding high following a season-inaugural 20-13 victory over the Class 5A top-ranked Artesia Bulldogs, while the Rockets hope to etch their names in the win column for the first time since sustaining a disappointing 20-14 opening-season loss to the Class 4A's No. 2 Lovington Wildcats. Action between two of the state's most storied program

Bits & Pieces by Don Eskins Whether sitting in the Artesia Bulldog Bowl bleachers or watching online some 811 miles away in Springfield, Mo., prep football fans had to be impressed by the Carlsbad Cavemen's effort in their 20-13 victory over heavily favored Artesia on Friday night, August 21. In chalking up their first win of 2026, the Cavemen, now in their fourth year under the leadership of CHS head coach Cale Sanders, played with confidence, poise, and maturity. On calls f

By R. Gabriel Villalobos In the heat of the day, kids are skittering all around the campus with various tasks to complete and friends and teachers to answer to. This is not a dull place to spend the day but, for some, it comes with decidedly less adrenaline than previous assignments. When officer Zach Bird returned to the Carlsbad Police Department in February, he didn't just come back to a job. He came back to a whole different type of police work. Bird, a school resource

By Don Eskins After dropping their first two volleyball games of the new season to Las Cruces Schools (the Centennial Hawks 0-3 and the Mayfield Trojans 0-3) on Friday and Saturday, August 21-22, the Cavegirls rallied to register their first win of the season with a tough-fought 3-2 victory over the Artesia Bulldogs. The game took place in the Cavern City on Tuesday night, August 25. Since their opening 0-3 loss to Centennial, the Cavegirls have steadily shown promise for a c

By Misty Cryer This year's Ellienda began with mingling in the lobby of the Carlsbad Community Theatre (CCT), followed by a comical exchange between Al Tornabene and Rob Watson, who portrayed the quirky roles of bellhops Otis and Francis in one of the plays performed during the season. Contributions to the non-profit were recognized with awards presented to volunteers at the theater who bring the performances to life. The state of the theater was shared and plays for next sea

By Don Eskins Playing solidly on both sides of the football has been a goal Cale Sanders has been pursuing since his selection as Carlsbad's new head football coach in 2022. On Friday night, August 21, in Artesia, against the Class 5A's No. 1 ranked Bulldogs, the Cavemen looked like they were well on their way to doing just that. The Cavemen offense, with 315 total yards against the Bulldogs, 220 of it on the ground, looked im