A fight over a vacant House seat, federal charges and a hometown film
Pour the coffee, settle in and let’s catch up on what happened around Doña Ana County this week.
The biggest question hanging over local government is who will represent House District 37 after Joanne Ferrary’s departure. House Speaker Javier Martínez is now pressing county commissioners to make an appointment rather than leave the seat vacant.
We’ve also got federal charges from a Las Cruces gang investigation, a locally filmed movie hitting theaters nationwide and the start of work on the “Hatch shortcut.” Let’s get into it.
New Mexico House Speaker Javier Martínez is urging Doña Ana County commissioners to fill the House District 37 vacancy created by Joanne Ferrary’s July 31 retirement rather than leave northeast Las Cruces without representation for the rest of the year.
Martínez said appointing someone to complete Ferrary’s term would not interfere with the Nov. 3 election, when voters will choose between Democrat Lori Martinez and Republican Isabella Solis for the next two-year term. He urged commissioners to give Lori Martinez their “highest consideration,” pointing to the district’s history of electing Democrats and similar appointments to Republican-held seats.
House Minority Leader Gail Armstrong has called on commissioners to leave the seat vacant, arguing that an appointment could give one candidate an advantage. Martínez rejected that argument, saying the vacancy process does not change the ballot or voters’ ultimate decision.
Organ Mountain News
Here’s what you need to know today
Gang investigation: A months-long investigation into violent gang activity in Las Cruces led to federal and state charges, the seizure of 19 firearms and quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, along with the clearance of 11 drive-by shootings. Six defendants face federal charges, while others were charged in state court. Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing and additional enforcement actions are expected.
Made in Las Cruces: “Olmo,” a coming-of-age film set in 1979 New Mexico, opened in theaters nationwide Friday, including at Allen Theatres in Las Cruces. The film was shot in the Tortugas neighborhood, downtown and other locations around the city, and follows a 14-year-old balancing family responsibilities with a chance to escape for one chaotic night.
I-25 killing: Drake Armendariz will serve an effective 14-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in the 2023 shooting death of 17-year-old Benjamin Archuleta. Armendariz, who was 16 at the time, fired six rounds into a vehicle traveling on Interstate 25 near Las Cruces. He received a 30-year sentence with 16 years suspended and credit for 793 days already spent in custody.
Hatch shortcut: Drivers using NM 26 between Deming and Hatch should expect daytime lane closures and pilot-car operations as a $2.6 million pavement and safety project continues through late October. Crews will seal cracks, install centerline rumble strips, fog seal and restripe the 46-mile roadway. Work is scheduled from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, with possible weekend work.
Worth knowing
Las Cruces is asking residents to help identify dangerous streets, intersections and transportation trouble spots as it develops a plan aimed at reducing traffic deaths and serious injuries.
Public meetings begin Aug. 18, with several additional opportunities for residents to weigh in later this month.
From the newsroom
The dog days of summer appear to have reached the newsroom.
This was a slower week for Organ Mountain News — fewer stories, quieter readership and no single report that sent traffic surging. Weeks like this can feel strange after stretches when the news moves faster than one person can reasonably keep up with it.
But quieter does not mean unimportant. This week’s reporting touched on representation in the Legislature, violent crime, transportation safety, road conditions and a locally made film reaching audiences across the country. None of those stories needed to become a blockbuster to be worth telling.
That is part of the bargain of local journalism: showing up for the consequential stories, the useful stories and the quieter stories alike. Reader support helps Organ Mountain News keep doing that work through every season — including the weeks when much of southern New Mexico seems to have gone tubing.
If this newsroom matters to you, please become a recurring supporter today. Even a small monthly contribution helps keep Organ Mountain News reporting through the slow weeks and the hectic ones — and ensures southern New Mexico does not lose another independent local news voice.
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