Blog Archives

Mesilla Valley Sports Show: Rick Pratt & Emily Dobbins on NMSU Swimming

1/29/2026

This episode of the Mesilla Valley Sports Show featured an in-depth conversation with New Mexico State head swimming and diving coach Rick Pratt and junior standout Emily Dobbins, a backstroke and sprint freestyle specialist from Australia. Pratt and Dobbins discussed the demanding, year-round nature of college swimming, from 18 hours a week in the pool and strength training to the mental discipline required to rebound from difficult races. Pratt reflected on building the NMSU program since arriving in Las Cruces in 2005, highlighting the team’s international roster, strong academic culture, and a senior-heavy squad poised for its final home meet against rival UNM. Dobbins shared her experience moving halfway around the world to swim at NMSU, adjusting to yards racing, and growing into a leadership role, while both guests emphasized team culture, long-term development, and the satisfaction of seeing months of work come together during the championship taper.

Speak Up Las Cruces: Kathe Stark on Health Care Reform at the Legislature

1/28/2026

Kathe Stark of Patients Primero joined co-hosts Walt Rubel and Daisy Maldonado to discuss the growing health care crisis in New Mexico and the legislative efforts underway to address physician shortages. Stark pointed to a Legislative Finance Committee survey showing that two-thirds of responding doctors are considering leaving the state, citing medical malpractice laws—particularly punitive damage claims—as a primary driver. She explained how House Bill 99 seeks to rebalance the system by clarifying liability standards, codifying existing reforms, and stabilizing the patient compensation fund. The conversation also explored interstate licensure compacts, workforce recruitment initiatives, and the limits of piecemeal solutions during a short legislative session. Stark urged listeners to follow committee hearings, provide public comment, and contact lawmakers as debates over health care reform continue in Santa Fe.

Speak Up Las Cruces: Carlos Aceves on Immigration & The National Raza Day of Action Against ICE

1/28/2026

Carlos Aceves joined Walt Rubel and Daisy Maldonado to discuss immigration enforcement, historical patterns of repression, and the growing movement to resist what he described as an emerging authoritarian moment in the United States. Speaking as a longtime Chicano activist and member of the El Paso–based civic group El Chuco Habla, Aceves traced current immigration policies back to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and earlier mass deportations of Mexican Americans, arguing that today’s enforcement tactics echo past abuses. He announced two upcoming events: a February 2 public forum on the treaty’s modern relevance and the National Raza Day of Action Against ICE on February 7. Aceves urged listeners to understand their constitutional rights, reject fear-driven compliance, and remain civically engaged to defend democratic norms.

Speak Up Las Cruces: Sheriff Kim Stewart on Trust, Policing Gaps & ICE

1/28/2026

Doña Ana County Sheriff Kim Stewart joined co-hosts Walt Rubel and Daisy Maldonado to reflect on a recent series of listening sessions held across the county, revealing stark differences in public safety needs from community to community. Stewart described severe service gaps in places like Hatch, where police and fire coverage has been sharply reduced, and explained how those conversations prompted immediate changes in county enforcement support. Much of the discussion focused on immigration enforcement, with Stewart outlining her refusal to participate in federal programs such as Stonegarden while emphasizing cooperation with federal agencies. The conversation also explored protest policing, de-escalation, and the leadership challenges facing local law enforcement in a time of national unrest and rapid policy change.

Speak Up Las Cruces: Walt & Daisy Talk About the News (January 28, 2026)

1/28/2026

Co-hosts Walt Rubel and Daisy Maldonado opened the program with an extended discussion of recent national events, focusing largely on federal immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota and what they described as a dangerous escalation in tactics by ICE and other federal authorities. The conversation explored concerns about civil liberties, executive overreach, and the erosion of public accountability. Listeners weighed in during call-ins, including reflections on Minnesota’s political divisions and the role of public protest. The segment closed with a turn to New Mexico, touching on legislation aimed at limiting state cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and the broader implications for local law enforcement and community safety.

Cafe Con Leche: Rhonda Sprague on For the Love of Art Month

1/27/2026

Greg Smith talks with Rhonda Sprague, treasurer of ArtForms, about the organization’s role in supporting artists and the return of For the Love of Art Month this February. Rhonda shares how she became involved with ArtForms after moving to Las Cruces, discusses her own work in fused glass, and outlines the many events planned throughout the month, including gallery openings, workshops, and extensive studio tours across the region. The conversation highlights how ArtForms helps build connections among artists and audiences while celebrating the creativity, collaboration, and inspiration that define the local arts scene.

Walt Rubel Commentary: A weak argument for change of leadership

1/27/2026

Republican gubernatorial candidate Duke Rodriguez makes some fair points in a recent column holding Democratic state leaders accountable for our health care crisis.

“It is a full-scale, statewide health care breakdown unfolding in real time, under current leadership, after years of record budgets and unchecked spending,” Rodriguez wrote. And I can’t disagree with a word of it.

Think Again: Jayta Rhedman on Words and Language

1/26/2026

Today, with Jayta Rhedman, we take a thoughtful "first pass" at understanding how our words and language shape our fundamental perceptions of reality. This exploration touches on human and animal language, spoken and unspoken - on alphabets and written communications, and how our choices affect ourselves and others. We also look at non-verbal communication - tone - body language - sounds - gestures - silence - and a curious perspective suggesting disturbing parallels between words, language, cognition, and the behavior of parasites.

DELVING IN: Scott Wallace on an Expedition into the Brazilian Amazon to Establish the Boundaries of a Totally Isolated, Uncontacted tribe.

1/25/2026

Stuart Kelter interviews Scott Wallace, an award-winning writer, television producer, and photojournalist, who for over 40 years, has focused on the environment, vanishing cultures, and conflict over land and resources around the world. He has written feature stories for the New York Times and The Smithsonian, among other major publications, and has been a frequent contributor to National Geographic. He is the author of the bestselling book, The Unconquered: In Search of the Amazon’s Last Uncontacted Tribes, published in 2011, a firsthand account of an expedition through the land of a mysterious tribe living in extreme isolation deep in the Amazon rain forest. As a reporter for CBS News, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Newsweek, the Independent, and the Guardian, Wallace covered the civil wars in Central America throughout the 1980s, and is the author of and photographer for Central America in the Crosshairs of War: On the Road from Vietnam to Iraq, published in 2024. In 2017 he joined the faculty of the Journalism Department of the University of Connecticut. Today’s interview will focus on his earlier book, The Unconquered.

Mesilla Valley Sports Show: NMSU Head Cheer Coach Jessica Covington

1/22/2026

This episode of the Mesilla Valley Sports Show featured host Michael O’Leary in conversation with New Mexico State University head cheer coach Jessica Covington. Covington shared her journey from growing up in Hatch to leading the NMSU cheer program for the past 18 years, detailing how cheer has evolved into a highly competitive, year-round sport that demands elite athleticism, discipline, and teamwork. She discussed the structure of NMSU’s cheer squads, national competitions, recruiting and training expectations, the role of Pistol Pete as a campus ambassador, and the program’s emphasis on academics, community service, and leadership. The interview also highlighted the upcoming NMSU Spirit Championships at the Pan American Center and the broader strength of cheer and dance programs throughout Las Cruces and New Mexico.

Speak Up Las Cruces: Senator Ben Ray Luján on Executive Overreach

1/21/2026

In a prerecorded interview conducted by Peter Goodman on January 16, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján discussed growing concerns about executive overreach and the erosion of constitutional checks and balances. Luján addressed threats and pressure facing Republican lawmakers, including intimidation from President Trump, and criticized Congress for failing to exercise its oversight responsibilities. Much of the conversation focused on the federal government’s response to the fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minnesota, the refusal to allow independent state investigation, and what Luján described as a dangerous precedent. He also warned about efforts to weaken the Voting Rights Act, the possibility of martial law, and the long-term risks to democracy if citizens disengage, urging listeners to remain active, informed, and committed to peaceful civic participation.

Speak Up Las Cruces: Superintendent Ruiz on District Growth & Legislative Focus

1/21/2026

Las Cruces Public Schools Superintendent Ignacio Ruiz joined Walt Rubel and Nancy Baker to discuss priorities facing the district as the New Mexico legislative session begins. He emphasized the push for a statewide 80–20 health insurance split for educators to aid recruitment and retention, reviewed facilities needs including planned work at Mayfield High School, and described academic progress reflected in improved reading and math scores. Ruiz also addressed equity obligations under the Martínez-Yazzie ruling, challenges such as declining enrollment and chronic absenteeism, and efforts to expand student supports through early childhood programs, career and technical education, and partnerships with NMSU.

Speak Up Las Cruces: Coventina Waterhawk on Dual Diagnosis and Recovery

1/21/2026

Author Coventina Waterhawk joined co-hosts Walt Rubel and Nancy Baker to discuss her book Duly Diagnosed, Duly Blessed: From Struggle to Purpose, which examines life with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Waterhawk shared her personal journey through childhood depression, addiction, domestic abuse, and repeated misdiagnosis, highlighting the stigma and gaps in care faced by people with complex mental health needs. She spoke about recovery as an ongoing process, the role of medication and self-compassion, and how lived experience can be transformed into purpose through creativity, community, and advocacy.

Speak Up Las Cruces: Walt & Nancy Talk About the News (January 21, 2026)

1/21/2026

Co-hosts Walt Rubel and Nancy Baker opened the program with an extended discussion of the Trump administration’s actions at home and abroad, focusing on President Trump’s remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos and their implications for global stability. The conversation centered on what the hosts described as a rupture in the post–World War II rules-based international order, along with concerns about authoritarian drift in the United States, including ICE actions in Minnesota and federal interference with state oversight. Toward the end of the segment, the hosts also weighed the prospects for medical malpractice reform as lawmakers prepare for the upcoming New Mexico legislative session.

Café con Leche: Scott Weaver on Photography and the Local Arts Scene

1/20/2026

Greg Smith speaks with photographer Scott Weaver about his long-standing career and his ongoing exhibition at the Mesquite Gallery. Weaver reflects on the evolution of his work over several decades, specifically his transition to digital media and his use of drone photography to capture architectural projects. The conversation explores Weaver’s meticulous approach to capturing the visual impact of local architecture and landscapes, including his practice of documenting construction projects through all stages of their development.

<<Previous

Mesilla Valley Sports Show: Rick Pratt & Emily Dobbins on NMSU Swimming

Speak Up Las Cruces: Kathe Stark on Health Care Reform at the Legislature

Speak Up Las Cruces: Carlos Aceves on Immigration & The National Raza Day of Action Against ICE

Speak Up Las Cruces: Sheriff Kim Stewart on Trust, Policing Gaps & ICE

Speak Up Las Cruces: Walt & Daisy Talk About the News (January 28, 2026)

Cafe Con Leche: Rhonda Sprague on For the Love of Art Month

Walt Rubel Commentary: A weak argument for change of leadership

Think Again: Jayta Rhedman on Words and Language

DELVING IN: Scott Wallace on an Expedition into the Brazilian Amazon to Establish the Boundaries of a Totally Isolated, Uncontacted tribe.

Mesilla Valley Sports Show: NMSU Head Cheer Coach Jessica Covington

Speak Up Las Cruces: Senator Ben Ray Luján on Executive Overreach

Speak Up Las Cruces: Superintendent Ruiz on District Growth & Legislative Focus

Speak Up Las Cruces: Coventina Waterhawk on Dual Diagnosis and Recovery

Speak Up Las Cruces: Walt & Nancy Talk About the News (January 21, 2026)

Café con Leche: Scott Weaver on Photography and the Local Arts Scene

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