OPINION Local news and entertainment since 1969 GET SOLAR & AC AND SAVE BIG SAVE YOUR ELECTRIC BILL EACH MONTH Entertainment 25 YEAR WARRANTY May 1 - 7, 2020 $89.94 COMBINED A MONTH Guide Amana Lifetime Warranty Last AC You’ll Ever Buy Maggie Siff still enjoys handling Inside Lic #380200 • 4.38 kw • $36,000 financed at 2.99% is combo price $89.94 for ‘Billions’ “Billions” begins its 18 months then re-amortize OAC. Special session? fifth season Sunday on Showtime. 575-449-3277 Rep. Gallegos says, YELLOWBIRDAC.COM • YELLOWBIRDSOLAR.COM2 x 5.5” ad FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2020 Thank you, Las Cruces y now it should be no surprise. or at-cost meals if needed. And we will carry on after the crisis, We watched and reported as you Local funds and programs were working to re-build what has been lost. Local news and ‘let’s wait” raised millions of dollars to fight established almost immediately to help And a lot has been lost. Bbreast cancer through the Tough Enough those who lost work when businesses were Thanks to you, the Las Cruces Bulletin entertainment to Wear Pink campaign, named the most forced to close. has been part of this community for 50 I Volume 52, Number 18 successful of its kind in the nation. In the meantime, even though a years, and even though there has been lots since 1969 We watched and reported as you were community as friendly as ours doesn’t to be proud of in that half-century, this named the most giving and charitable enjoy it, we’ve done a good job keeping our could prove to be this great city’s finest market in America. distance from each other. New Mexico’s moment. page 7 We watched and reported as you rates of infection are lower and less deadly Hang in there, and keep washing those I lascrucesbulletin.com responded with action and compassion than almost any state in the country. It’s hands. during the migrant crisis of 2019. nice to be rated highly in something good And now we watch and report as Las for a change. Look for the Las Cruces Bulletin every Cruces reacts and responds to something Unfortunately, the numbers will likely Friday at newsstands and in your none of us has any experience with. continue to rise before they drop. Our driveway. Check us out 24/7 at As soon as it was announced schools thoughts and prayers will be with those www.lascrucesbulletin.com. would be closing two extra weeks at spring families affected. And to subscribe to our email newsletter, break to fight the spread of the COVID-19 Still, our community will carry on. We will 1740-A Calle de Mercado, Las6 Crucesx 4” ad the eBulletin, send a request to virus, our citizens and businesses sprung carry on through the crisis, as businesses and 575-524-8065 into action to ensure those children had free individuals work to help us through. [email protected]. www.lascrucesbulletin.com NEWS SERVICES ON PARADE Election season is upon us full force page 14 ARTS Museum programs are forging ahead page 20 Families and Youth, Inc. (FYI), along with local providers and school organizations, have been taking to Las Cruces neighborhoods in deco- rated vehicles for child abuse/domestic-violence awareness parades. Parade organizer Viridiana Valadez of FYI said that while the office is closed, all programs and services remain available. FYI can be reached at 575-522-4004 or on the web at www.fyinm.org. To report child abuse, call 1-855-333-7233 or dial #SAFE on your mobile device. BULLETIN PHOTO BY ELVA K. ÖSTERREICH 2 | FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2020 LAS CRUCES BULLETIN Content brought to you by: Doña Ana County ‘Your Partner in Progress’ COVID-19 testing con- tinues throughout County The New Mexico Department of Health, DOH is now offering free COVID- 19 testing to essential workers, regardless of symptoms, by appointment. Please call the appropriate office to schedule an appointment. “As we continue to abide by the Public Health Emergency Order, it is reas- suring to see active testing throughout the county and the state,” Doña Ana County Dist. 5 Commissioner Manuel Sanchez said. “To continue supporting state-wide efforts to flatten the curve and save more lives, we encourage every- one to stay home and continue to practice social distancing.” The DOH provided COVID-19 tests to 85 residents in the Village of Hatch, at the Hatch Public Health Office, recently. No appointment was needed for those tests and New Mexico DOH local staff reached out throughout the com- munity in advance, to ensure residents were aware of the test’s availability. The DOH frequently updates the number of cases, tests performed, hospitali- zation, deaths and recoveries at https://cvprovider.nmhealth.org/public- dashboard.html. For symptom-related questions, please call the Coronavirus Hotline at 1.800.600.3453. For non-health related COVID-19 questions, please call 1.833.551.0518. Below is a schedule of the NM DOH testing sites in the Doña Ana County, by appointment: JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA! May 8, 2020 Visit our award-winning website at www.donaanacounty.org, or contact us at (575) 647-7200 LAS CRUCES BULLETIN NEWS FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2020 | 3 Las Crucens donate 2,500 pounds of beef to local food bank By MIKE COOK their children in Doña way of life don’t allow us at full capacity with an Las Cruces Bulletin Ana, Chaves, Lea, Quay, to think that way. It is ex- adjusted operational sys- Curry and Roosevelt coun- actly during times like this tem.” New Mexico Hay & ties. that we must think beyond CdP’s extended hours Livestock Company, “Jeff and Roberta ourselves.” are 9-11:30 a.m. and 1-5 LLC, owned by Jeff and shared that it was always Though their efforts, p.m. on Mondays and Roberta Flores of Las their intent to focus on Jeff and Roberta Flores Fridays and 9-11 a.m. and Cruces, has donated 2,500 rural farming and ranch- are encouraging others 1-3 p.m. on Wednesdays. pounds of ground beef to ing communities through- to assist CdP and similar CdP is located at 999 W. Casa de Peregrinos (CdP) out New Mexico,” Alba organizations across the Amador Ave., inside the emergency food program, said. “Twenty years later, region and state, Alba said. Mesilla Valley Community CdP Executive Director their vision continues, and CdP’s doors have re- of Hope compoud. Lorenzo Alba has an- they are grateful to have mained open during the For information and nounced. staff that impact families COVID-19 crisis, and the to donate to CdP, call 575- PHOTO COURTESY OF LORENZO ALBA, CASA DE PEREGRINOS Alba said Jeff Flores in such a positive way.” program will continue to 654-4170 or email lo.alba. had been in contact with Casa de Peregrinos emergency food program Executive Direc- “The COVID-19 health serve the communities in [email protected]. Visit www. him about CdP’s needs, tor Lorenzo Alba holds up one case of 2,500 pounds of local and financial crisis has Doña Ana County, Alba casadeperegrinos.org. grass-fed beef that was donated by New Mexico Hay & Live- and one of them was lack stock Company, owned by Jeff and Roberta Flores. impacted every New Mexi- said. of protein items, including can and every business “We understand these For more information beef. food that would normally Therapies, LLC. MECA segment in our state,” Jeff are trying times for our about New Mexico Hay & The Flores family dona- go to families that same Therapies specializes in Flores said. “It would be communities, state and Livestock Company, call 575-642-6755 or email jeff@ tion is critical because, day we pick it up.” providing early interven- easy to buckle down and country,” he said. “We will nmhay.us. Visit http:// since the COVID-19 public- New Mexico Hay & tion, pediatric outpatient, just take care of yourself. continue to do our best nmhay.us/. health crisis began, the Livestock Company is home visiting and ABA But our faith, family val- to serve the community amount of food CdP has located in Las Cruces and services to families and ues and our agriculture gotten through its food-res- specializes in raising cor- Bold conservative leadership – cue program has dropped riente cattle, Jeff Flores just when we need it most! significantly, Alba said. said. The ranching side Food rescue is a pro- of the operation is made gram through whiche up of several components, John Foreman for agencies like CdP pick up including stock contract- State House District 52 food from grocery stores, ing cattle for team roping restaurants and regional events, a cow/calf opera- Remember to vote farmers, he said. tion and a feedlot used for in the June 2 primary “Just in the month of backgrounding yearlings March, our poundage prior to marketing. dropped by nearly 60 Beyond ranching, Paid for by the Committee to Elect John Foreman, Treasurer, Vicki Hunter percent” from a year ago, Jeff and Roberta Flores www.foreman4hd52.com Alba said. “That is a lot of are owners of MECA 10-ye10-year Guaranteear 1 3 5 4 9 3 Z P A AI # R N c i T L E I M ERIC N N M TOM STUC G LAS CO CO INC. E STOMERIC ROOF C ATING We’re a Safe Zone from the Construction Blues! 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