Remembering Benjamin Alire Sáenz — plus county changes, Ferrary’s exit and Project Jupiter
Good morning, neighbor, and thank you for welcoming us into your inbox this Sunday morning.
Southern New Mexico lost one of its most important literary voices this week — and this newsroom lost someone whose work, generosity and presence mattered deeply.
Benjamin Alire Sáenz, the acclaimed Las Cruces-born author whose poetry and fiction carried the borderlands to readers around the world, died Tuesday at 71. Those who knew him remembered not only a major writer, but a generous mentor who encouraged younger writers to trust their voices and resist easy definitions.
His death brought real grief to Organ Mountain News. The remembrance we published Wednesday was not just another assignment. It was an attempt to honor a writer whose life and work helped shape the cultural landscape this newsroom exists to cover.
Elsewhere, several institutions shaping life in southern New Mexico entered periods of transition. Doña Ana County appointed three people to jointly perform the county manager’s job without yet explaining how their authority will be divided. State Rep. Joanne Ferrary retired after a decade representing Las Cruces, leaving House District 37 temporarily vacant. And the hearing over Project Jupiter’s air-quality permit was abruptly moved up by more than a month, prompting a legal challenge from an attorney opposing the project.
This week’s newsletter begins with Sáenz’s life and legacy, then turns to those developments and practical information residents can use.
Benjamin Alire Sáenz wrote about borders without allowing them to define the limits of a life.
The Las Cruces-born poet and novelist died Tuesday at 71, leaving behind a body of work that crossed genres, languages, identities and generations. His books brought the borderlands to readers around the world, but those who knew him also remembered the quieter work he did closer to home: encouraging younger writers, taking their ambitions seriously and urging them to trust their own voices.
Sáenz resisted easy definitions in both his writing and his life. He wrote poetry, fiction, young adult novels and children’s books, returning often to questions of belonging, family, masculinity, faith and the complicated meaning of home. His work received international recognition, but its emotional and geographic center remained rooted in our region.
For Organ Mountain News, this remembrance was personal. Sáenz’s death brought grief into the newsroom, and Wednesday’s story became an effort to honor not only an acclaimed author, but a generous mentor whose influence can be seen in the writers and readers he encouraged.
Damien Willis
Here’s what you need to know today
Three managers, one county government: Doña Ana County commissioners appointed Deb Weir, Lucio Luttrell and Stephen Lopez to jointly serve as acting county managers, but the county has not explained how authority will be divided, who will hold final decision-making power or how long the arrangement will last.
Ferrary retires after a decade in the House: State Rep. Joanne Ferrary retired Friday after representing Las Cruces in House District 37 since 2017, leaving county commissioners to appoint someone to serve the remainder of her term.
Project Jupiter hearing moved up: The public hearing on the data center’s air-quality permit application was rescheduled from Oct. 19 to Sept. 14, prompting a legal challenge as opponents say the accelerated timeline leaves too little time to prepare.
Camping stays extended, fees waived at Elephant Butte and Caballo: New Mexico State Parks is waiving primitive and beach camping fees through Sept. 30 and allowing stays of up to 14 days, as drought and low reservoir levels continue to reshape recreation at both parks.
Worth knowing
The New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty has published multilingual resources to help families understand recent changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
The guides explain new work requirements, changes affecting some immigrant households and other eligibility rules. They are intended to help residents understand whether the changes affect their benefits and what steps they may need to take.
Families can review the guides online, while people who need to apply for SNAP, renew benefits or manage an existing case can use YES.NM.gov.
From the newsroom
After Organ Mountain News published Wednesday’s remembrance of Benjamin Alire Sáenz, the newsroom went quiet for about a day and a half.
Ben's death brought real grief here. In a one-person newsroom, there is no separate team to take over when the editor needs time to absorb a loss. The publication slows because the person producing it has slowed.
On Friday, the work resumed. We reported on an unusual three-person management arrangement in Doña Ana County, the retirement of state Rep. Joanne Ferrary, changes to the Project Jupiter permitting schedule and practical information for residents across southern New Mexico.
That does not mean the grief has passed. It means the newsroom showed up while carrying it.
Independent local journalism is often described through stories, traffic numbers and publication schedules. But behind those measures is a human being making calls, reviewing documents, asking questions and deciding each day to begin again. This week was a reminder that maintaining a local news outlet sometimes means doing the work before you feel ready.
Organ Mountain News remains committed to showing up for southern New Mexico — carefully, honestly and without a paywall. Reader support helps make that possible, including during the days when showing up is harder than usual.
If this newsroom matters to you, please become a recurring supporter today. Even a small monthly contribution helps keep Organ Mountain News reporting when the work is difficult — and ensures southern New Mexico does not lose another independent local news voice.
Stay connected
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