Fatal hit-and-run charge, DEA fentanyl probe and Fourth of July plans
Good morning from Organ Mountain News, and thanks for spending part of your Sunday with us.
This week’s newsletter is not exactly a breezy start to the day. The lead story involves a fatal hit-and-run charge near Las Cruces. From there, the week moves through a fast-developing fentanyl accountability fight involving the governor, New Mexico’s U.S. House delegation and Attorney General Raúl Torrez; a strange burglary case in Mesilla; a ballot-access fight by former Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima; and a judge’s detention order in the bomb-materials case near ‘A’ Mountain.
That is a lot. But it is also a pretty clear picture of what local news is supposed to do: follow the public record, connect the steps in a larger story and help readers understand what changed since the last time they checked in.
The top story this week is a fatal hit-and-run case near Las Cruces that carries both local public-safety weight and statewide political significance.
Kimberly Skaggs, identified in recent court filings and party emails as treasurer of the Republican Party of New Mexico, is accused of leaving the scene after a bicyclist was fatally struck near Fairacres Road.
The charge makes the case newsworthy on two levels: first, because a cyclist was killed on a local road; second, because the defendant — at least until very recently — held a statewide party position. (Her current role with the RPNM remains unclear. The party no longer lists her among its officers on the website.)
That combination makes it a story about the courts, public accountability and the consequences that can follow a single moment on the road.
Damien Willis
Here’s what you need to know today
- Fentanyl fallout reaches Torrez: Federal drug agents are accused of allowing fentanyl shipments to move through New Mexico as part of larger trafficking investigations — allegations that prompted Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to ask Attorney General Raúl Torrez to investigate whether state laws were broken. New Mexico’s three U.S. House members then asked the DEA for answers, including how often agents knowingly declined to seize fentanyl or make arrests tied to wiretap investigations. By week’s end, Torrez had opened a formal investigation, saying his office will demand federal records and evaluate possible criminal prosecution, civil litigation and structural relief.
- Only in Mesilla, apparently: Christi Marie Poston was charged after authorities said marshals found her naked in a bathtub while responding to a burglary report at a McDowell Street home. The homeowner was out of town, authorities said, and told investigators no one had permission to be inside.
- Miyagishima’s ballot fight continues: Former Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima says he plans to appeal to the New Mexico Supreme Court after a judge dismissed his ballot-access lawsuit and he filed fewer signatures than needed to qualify as an independent candidate for governor. The case argues New Mexico’s signature requirements unfairly favor major-party candidates over independents.
- Bomb-materials case gets complicated: David Curtis remains held without bond after a judge found prosecutors met the standard for pretrial detention in a case involving alleged bomb-making materials near “A” Mountain. But an eyewitness who says she was there disputes key parts of the police account, saying the chemicals and copper pipes were tied to recycling and gold recovery from circuit boards, and that the reported explosion came from a commercial firework — not a homemade explosive device.
Worth knowing
Las Cruces’ Fourth of July celebration is coming up this week, with the Electric Light Parade set for Friday night and the city’s free concert and fireworks scheduled for Saturday at NMSU.
The parade begins at 9 p.m. Friday at Apodaca Park, with the theme “Stars, Stripes & City Lights.” On Saturday, gates open at 4 p.m. at Pat and Lou Sisbarro Community Park on the NMSU campus, with a Kids Zone from 4 to 8 p.m., Triple Jack at 6 p.m., 49 Winchester at 8 p.m. and fireworks at 9:45 p.m.
From the newsroom
The newsroom went mobile this week for a quick trip to Albuquerque, which included attending a meeting of New Mexico’s IPRA Task Force at UNM, a Bob Dylan concert and the taping of an upcoming episode of New Mexico In Focus that should be airing soon on KRWG-TV and PBS stations across the state.
That is a strange little mix, I know: public records policy, public media and Bob Dylan. But it also says something about what this work looks like behind the scenes. Local news is not just what gets published at the end of the day. It is showing up, listening, asking questions, building relationships and trying to make sure southern New Mexico is part of the larger statewide conversation.
We also began to see the first wave of recurring monthly donations roll in this week, which was both encouraging and deeply appreciated. Reader support is what keeps Organ Mountain News free, accessible and focused on local news that matters to Doña Ana County and southern New Mexico.
If that kind of work is important to you, please consider making a small monthly donation. It really does help keep the engine running.
One quick note: We are still working to address a minor glitch on our donation page. Occasionally, the donation form near the bottom of the page does not load the first time. A simple refresh or two usually fixes it, and we are sorry for the inconvenience.
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