Hitting Home: Busted!
The Carlsbad region was poised to send $3 billion to New Mexico coffers, thanks to one of the biggest oil booms in history. Then came COVID. By Rachel Mabe and Ed Williams | Photography by Don J. Unser | Searchlight NM CARLSBAD, N.M. — On a Thursday in late May, Michael Trujillo sat in the […]
Hitting Home: Bordering on desperation
In Gallup, surrounded by the Navajo Nation, a pandemic crosses paths with homelessness, hate and healers By J. Weston Phippen | Photos by Don J. Unser | Searchlight NM GALLUP, N.M. — At the end of the Howard Johnson Hotel’s orange and white hallway, Dr. Caleb Lauber paused by a mirror as if he were […]
Hitting Home: When history deals a bad hand
The scrappy city of Las Vegas gambled on its Wild West history to draw tourists and keep the economy afloat. With the coronavirus, all bets are off. By Rachel Mabe / Photos by Don Unser / Searchlight NM LAS VEGAS, N.M. — Elmo Baca has always loved historic buildings. He was born in Las Vegas, […]
Hitting Home: Planting hope amid a plague
Older generations on the Navajo Nation have passed down stories of scourges, resilience — and survival. New generations are bringing these tales to life. By Sunnie R. Clahchischiligi / Searchlight New Mexico SHIPROCK, N.M. — Four miles down Farm Road, just off U.S. Route 491 in northern Navajo, a group of young Diné used what […]
PBS hosts Virtual Town Hall for state and tribal officials
By Jamesha Begay / New Mexico News Port Officials from New Mexico’s Native communities asked for help and understanding from state officials on COVID-19 during a virtual town hall meeting April 19. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham was among the guests with U.S. Congresswomen Debra Haaland, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, and Lynn Trujillo, […]
Local individuals work to make positive impact amid COVID-19
By Eduardo Naranjo / NM News Port As COVID-19 continues to spread in New Mexico and residents try to adjust to a new way of life, community members are doing what they can to help others. “Everyone should have a mask, it’s what we have to reduce the spread,” Jenny Nguyen, owner and manager of […]
Trump Campaign Rhetoric Threatens to Undermine NM Census Results
By Alika Medina & Mariah Perry / NM News Port On March 12th, the U.S Census Bureau sent out its first invitations to file. In New Mexico, advocates for the immigrant community face a particular challenge in trying to allay concerns and getting residents to file their census forms. According to Isaac Navarro, the communications […]
What a census undercount would mean for New Mexico
By Devin Muzzey & Lauren McDonald / NM News Port March 12 marked the official start of the 2020 U.S. Census. The data collected about our race, gender, and the number of people in each household will determine congressional redistricting and how much money every state, county, and community will receive over the next 10 […]
Census expands race and national origins question
By Dalton Padilla / NM News Port The 2020 U.S. Census began on March 12. For the first time, respondents have the option to identify their national origins. Although the Census Bureau says this latest addition to the census will provide more insights into the changing American population, it’s set off some controversy about the […]
Homeless population in New Mexico pose a challenge for 2020 Census
By Early-Ray Mixon / NM News Port Some may ignore people experiencing homelessness, but Bernalillo County and the City of Albuquerque are determined not to, as they prepare for the 2020 census. The county and city are serious about getting a complete count and that means including the homeless population. According to the city of […]