Non-Local News Releases

Corrected email address for submitting comments.

SANTA FE – Members of the public will have an opportunity to provide input next month as the New Mexico Department of Wildlife is proposing to stock hybrid striped bass, also known as wipers, into Elephant Butte Reservoir.

The Department will hold a public meeting in the Boat Training Building at Elephant Butte Lake State Park (7 Ridge Road, Elephant Butte) from 6-7 p.m. on March 5. Members of the public are invited to attend the meeting to learn about the proposal and provide comments.

Those who are unable to attend the meeting in person may also provide comment by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or by mail: New Mexico Department of Wildlife, Attn: Elephant Butte Hybrid Striped Bass, 1 Wildlife Way, Santa Fe, NM 87507. The Department will accept written comments until March 18.

In all construction zones, motorists are asked to reduce speed, obey posted signs, and use extreme caution, as well as continuing to be cautious of heavy equipment and construction personnel in the area. PLEASE NOTE: Conditions are subject to change without notice. Double fines for speeding in work zones may be in effect.

White Sands Missile Range Notification

For information regarding closures, you may call WSMR at 678-1178 or 678-2222 for updates.

Interstates: 

I-25 Lane Closure, Mile Marker 43, Hatch

WASHINGTON, FEB. 19, 2026 – Ajinomoto Foods North America, Inc., a Portland, Ore. establishment, is recalling approximately 3,370,530 pounds of frozen not ready-to-eat (NRTE) chicken fried rice products that may be contaminated with foreign material, specifically glass, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.

The NRTE chicken fried rice items were produced between September 8, 2025, and November 17, 2025. The following products are subject to recall [view labels]:

SOUTHWEST CATCH OF THE WEEK

Fishing for trout at Escondida Lake was slow to fair when using Garlic PowerBait and corn last week. (Photo courtesy of City of Socorro)

SOUTHWEST FISHING REPORT

Bear Canyon Lake: Fishing conditions have been adversely affected in the aftermath of the Trout Fire.

Bill Evans Lake: The most recent report was received Feb. 12. At that time, fishing for trout was good when using Kastmasters from a boat.

Elephant Butte Lake: The most recent report was received Jan. 29. At that time, fishing for white bass was very good when using Rat-L-Traps.The South Monticello boat ramp is currently closed, and access to Rattlesnake Island is restricted due to low water levels. The closures will be lifted when water levels rise and conditions allow

New Mexico State University students pose with their rockets ahead of a series of NAR certification flights at Spaceport America on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026 (photo credit: William Gutman)LAS CRUCES, N.M. (Wednesday, February 18, 2026) – Students from New Mexico State University (NMSU) and the Albuquerque Civil Air Patrol Group NM-079 completed a series of rocket launches at Spaceport America on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. 

Saturday's event was coordinated in part by NMSU Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering student Joshua Davila, who serves as the Atomic Aggies' (the competition rocketry team of NMSU) National Association of Rocketry (NAR) Section #982 President and Solid Propulsions Lead. In addition to identifying the NAR fliers from NMSU, Davila also involved seven American Rocketry Challenge (ARC) teams throughout the region to promote Saturday's event as an opportunity to conduct preliminary launches. 

Federal Blitz Targets Worst Offenders

(Washington, D.C., February 18, 2026) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, alongside U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., together are taking historic actions to hold chronic companion animal welfare violators accountable and prosecute those who fight dogs to the highest extent of the law in an effort to end this horrific practice once and for all. The suite of actions will boost compliance with existing laws, protect our companion animals, and reiterate that the Trump Administration stands with the majority of Americans who own companion animals.

NMDA joins statewide and global recognition of women's contributions

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LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has proclaimed 2026 as the "National Year of the Woman in Agriculture" throughout the state, underscoring the essential role women play in agriculture, food systems and rural communities in New Mexico.

The New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA) also joins the global community in celebrating 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, as declared by the United Nations.

Survey will help shape five-year plan for investing in recreation sites 

SANTA FE – The New Mexico State Parks Division is conducting an online survey to gauge public opinion on how to improve the state's outdoor recreation landscape. 

The survey results will be incorporated into a new Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP). The SCORP must be updated every five years for the state to continue receiving funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a federal grant program that has helped pay for more than 1,200 outdoor recreation and conservation projects across New Mexico since 1968. New Mexico's next SCORP will cover years 2027 through 2031.