[Editor's Note: in Spanish below.]

Don't wait until the last minute!

Approaching Deadlines:

- March 20 - Applications for the Barbary sheep, bighorn sheep, deer, elk, ibex, javelina, pronghorn and oryx license draw are due before 5 p.m.. Submit your application here.

- March 20 - Harvest reports for deer, elk, pronghorn and turkey license holders are due with an $8 late fee. Failure to report for these species by this date will result in rejection of all draw applications. Submit your harvest report here.

Conservative Hispanic woman censored by social media platform after announcing Republican campaign for New Mexico House of Representatives

Albuquerque, March 13— Last week, Republican Angelita Mejia, the only candidate running for NM State Representative District 58 in Chaves County, announced her candidacy for the office on Facebook. Included on her personal and campaign pages was a press release explaining how she has spent her career encouraging people to follow the rule of law, enter our country legally, and to become proud U.S. citizens. Her social media post included an appeal for ballot petition signatures which are required by New Mexico state law to become a candidate. The deadline for those signatures to be submitted was Tuesday, March 12, 2024, and her Facebook post mentioned the deadline.

Whether you're a science lover or just enjoy experiences that spark your curiosity, New Mexico State University is hosting "Physics Fun Day" from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, March 22 at Gardiner Hall. The event is free and open to the public to engage in hands-on physics experiments along with a taste of an ice cream made of liquid nitrogen.

"‘Physics Fun Day' is the fusion of learning and laughter," said Binisha Marahatta, president of the Physics Graduate Student Organization (PGSO). "From interactive experiments to captivating demonstrations, our physics fun day promises to be an unforgettable experience that will leave attendees inspired and eager to delve deeper into the mysteries of the things around us."

SANTA FE – The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) Scientific Laboratory Division has confirmed that two bobcats, one in Grant County and one in Sierra County, have tested positive for rabies.  

One bobcat attacked a man near his house in Grant County. The man is now receiving shots to prevent him from getting rabies. A dog in Sierra County was attacked by the second bobcat; the dog was up to date on his rabies vaccine, and his condition will be monitored for 45 days.  

SANTA FE – With the weather warming, the start of spring winds, and Southwest Wildfire Awareness Week at the end of the month, now is the time for residents in the New Mexico to take proactive steps against destructive wildfire. From the bosque to the mountains, individuals and communities shouldn't feel helpless; they can learn how to take action to protect their families, properties, and communities.    

What are some ways you can help your community prepare for all hazards and become more resilient to wildfire?  

HOUSE REPUBLICAN MEMBERS SEND LETTER TO STATE LAND COMMISSIONER STEPHANIE GARCIA RICHARDS OPPOSING OIL AND NATURAL GAS DEVELOPMENT LEASE MORATORIUM

SANTA FE, NM— Four Republican members of the New Mexico House of Representatives who sit on the House Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee today sent a letter to State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard expressing their strong opposition to a recent announcement that the State Land Office was placing an indefinite hold on new lease sales of the state's "best tracts" of trust land for oil and natural gas development.  This moratorium on new lease sales, according to Commissioner Garcia Richards, is due to the failure of the Legislature to enact HB 48 during the recent session that would have increased the state's oil and natural gas royalty rate from 20 percent to 25 percent.   State Representatives Jim Townsend (R- Artesia), Larry Scott (R-Hobbs),  Rod Montoya (R-Farmington), and Jared Hembree (R-Roswell) called this lease sale moratorium unacceptable as the commissioner is placing her personal political agenda ahead of the needs of schools, hospitals, universities and other public institutions who receive a portion of the revenues generated by these lease sales.  

In its regular meeting Monday, the New Mexico State University Board of Regents voted unanimously to launch a new search for the university system's next president. The move follows a national search.

"After careful consideration, I do not believe that any of the current finalists fully meet the needs of New Mexico State University at this critical juncture," said Ammu Devasthali, who has chaired the Board of Regents throughout the search process. "Finding the right leader is paramount. While the presented candidates possess impressive qualifications and are assets to their respective institutions, we have yet to see the next leader of our university."

New Mexico Baptist Disaster Relief is seeking donations of hay and other supplies for ranchers in the Texas panhandle. Recent fires that burned more than one million acres ravaged grasslands critical for cattle through the summer months.

NMBDR is also accepting donations of cattle and wildlife feed, salt blocks, and fencing supplies. Any monetary donations received will be used to purchase additional hay, supplies and transportation.

Ed Greene, NMBDR director, reports that NMBDR has fire cleanup and recovery crews on the ground in the panhandle and are seeing the devastation firsthand. "A million acres is almost an incomprehensible number," Greene said. "And, its loss is a hard hit to the livelihood of a lot of Texas families."