With no guest this week, hosts Mike O'Larey and Brian Cox take stock of the past year on the Mesilla Valley Sports Show. They reflect on the many memorable guests who have shared their stories: Hall of Fame Aggie athletes who stayed in Las Cruces and gave back through coaching, pro athletes who came up through the local sports pipeline, administrators and behind-the-scenes figures who keep programs running, and community builders running everything from skateboard shops to safe routes to school programs. Along the way they also dig into the current sports moment - a hotly contested District 3 softball race, NMSU baseball's extra-inning win over UNM, men's golf advancing at Conference USA, and a standout shoutout to Aggie softball pitcher Faith Aragon, ranked fifth in the nation in strikeouts while pursuing a mechanical engineering degree. The episode is part highlight reel, part love letter to Las Cruces sports.
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Incumbent County Assessor Eugenia "Gina" Montoya Ortega and challenger Shannon Reynolds joined Walt Rubel and Nancy Baker for a candidate forum on the Doña Ana County Assessor Democratic primary. Montoya Ortega, who is seeking a second term, described her work to correct long-standing inequities in how properties are valued across the county and her ongoing effort to complete a countywide reappraisal project - a statutory obligation she said has been complicated by staffing shortages and friction with the County Commission over funding. Reynolds, a former County Commissioner who resigned to qualify for this race, argued the assessor's office could play a broader role in addressing affordable housing and business recruitment through tax assessment policy, and proposed phased increases for commercial property reassessments similar to the 3% cap that protects residential homeowners. Montoya Ortega pushed back, arguing that commercial property assessment operates very differently from residential and that a cap on commercial values would hurt the state's tax base. (Rubén Reyes, a third candidate, will appear on a future episode.)
Mariel Nanasi of New Energy Economy and rate case expert Rocky Bacchus joined Walt Rubel and Nancy Baker to discuss El Paso Electric's proposed 73% rate increase, which could push average residential bills from around $240 to over $400 a month this summer. Bacchus, who has been involved in previous El Paso Electric rate cases, argued that many of the utility's capital expenditures are unjustified and that professional expert testimony before the Public Regulation Commission is urgently needed. The conversation also touched on Project Jupiter's switch from gas turbines to Bloom Energy fuel cells, which both guests acknowledged as an improvement driven by public pressure but still falling short of a fully renewable solar-and-battery solution. Both called on the city, county, and state legislature to take a more active role in ratepayer advocacy, including creating a PACE zone to help homeowners go solar.
Angela Rowe Garcia and Daisy Maldonado joined Walt Rubel and Nancy Baker for a candidate forum on the Doña Ana County Commission District 1 Democratic primary. Rowe Garcia, CEO of the Toy Box Early Learning Centers, emphasized economic development, small business support, and youth safety, drawing on her decade of advocacy in early childhood education. Maldonado, a community organizer with experience working in colonia communities, focused on economic mobility, creating a county economic development strategy, and strengthening the relationship between county government and state agencies. Both candidates addressed Project Jupiter, expressing concerns about accountability and the county's track record with private entities, and both weighed in on Memorial Medical Center's breach of its indigent care contract, calling for stronger enforcement and oversight. The winner of the June 2 primary will face Republican Samantha Barncastle Salopek in the general election.
Walt Rubel and Nancy Baker opened the show with thanks to listeners who supported KTAL during the Community Foundation's Giving Day before turning to a packed news discussion. They extensively criticized the Justice Department’s second indictment of James Comey, labeling it a dangerous weaponization of law against political rivals. The discussion broadened to include the longest government shutdown in history, high gas prices fueled by the Iran war, and the FCC’s expedited license review for ABC following a Jimmy Kimmel joke. Locally, the hosts examined the gubernatorial primary between Deb Haaland and Sam Bregman, and the New Mexico Supreme Court’s decision to reinstate Rebecca Dow to the ballot. Finally, they addressed the challenge voters face in choosing among judicial candidates who are ethically constrained from discussing their positions.
Greg Smith talks with Erik Maese, founder of the Borderland Arts Foundation, about his mission to bring classical music to Southern New Mexico audiences of all ages and backgrounds. A Las Cruces native who came to the violin in fourth grade and later served on the Albuquerque Philharmonic board, Maese founded the organization in 2022 and has grown it to the point of staging a full La Bohème with singers from across the country. The conversation covers the Foundation's upcoming Mesilla Valley Music Festival on Mother's Day weekend, a summer production of The Marriage of Figaro, and an October world premiere setting Walt Whitman's previously unpublished poems for baritone and orchestra.
There are two positions on this year’s ballot that I don’t think should be selected by the voters, judges and election officials.
Dona Ana County voters will choose between Isabel Jerabek and Dania Gardea in the Democratic primary to replace Rebecca Duffin as the Division 4 judge. I doubt if most voters have ever heard of any of those three people. Today's conversation with Daphne Wirthlin spans many aspects of life - young, old, and in-between. She shares her thoughts and feelings as an older woman, in comparison to what she thought and felt when she was younger. We talk a little bit about her art, her life, her relationships, society, and her overall views of reality today. The conversation touches on denial, distraction, blind spots, regrets, humility, continuous learning, and more. Always a hoot to have a conversation with someone as vibrant, experienced, and thoughtful as Daphne.
DELVING IN: Erin Vincent Reflects on the Death of Her Parents When She Was Fourteen Years Old4/26/2026
Stuart Kelter interviews Erin Vincent, an author, essayist, journalist, and public speaker. In addition to literary contributions to anthologies and other publications, she has also appeared on national television and radio programs both in her native Australia and in the US. Her memoir, Grief Girl, published in 2008, chronicles her life and emotions following the death of her parents from an automobile accident. It was named a New York Public Library Best Book and was an American Library Association Best Book Nominee. Her second book, Fourteen Ways of Looking, published just this month, revisits the year her parents died by exploring wide-ranging associations to the number 14, evoking a wide variety of images and feelings in the process.
 This episode of the Mesilla Valley Sports Show featured a return visit from NMSU head football coach Tony Sanchez, who provided an in-depth update on the program heading into the 2026 season. Sanchez reflected on a 2025 campaign that included several close losses while noting key areas for improvement, particularly along the offensive line and running game . He discussed how changes to the transfer portal and the introduction of revenue sharing have helped stabilize the roster, allowing the Aggies to improve retention and better compete within Conference USA . The conversation also covered recruiting efforts, the addition of new talent at key positions, and increased depth—especially at quarterback and along the lines—along with the year-round demands of roster management in modern college football.
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