Blog Archives

Mesilla Valley Sports Show: Las Cruces Running Club's Pamela Moralde

5/14/2026

This episode of the Mesilla Valley Sports Show featured a conversation with Pamela Moralde, President of the Las Cruces Running Club, who shared her personal journey into endurance sports and her leadership role in the local running community . Moralde discussed how she got started in running, the discipline and mindset required to train for longer-distance events, and how the sport can be accessible to people at all levels. She also highlighted the club’s programs, along with signature events like the Annual Electric 5K, emphasizing the supportive environment the organization provides for both new and experienced runners. The discussion offered insight into the growth of running in Las Cruces and the ways the club helps foster connection, health, and participation across the region.

Speak Up Las CrucesDemocratic Candidates for House District 33

5/13/2026

Incumbent State Representative Micaela Lara Cadena and challenger Ramona Martinez joined Peter Goodman and Jamie Bronstein for a House District 33 Democratic primary forum. Martinez, an attorney with a background in state government and criminal defense, focused on infrastructure, health care access, and public safety. Cadena highlighted her capital outlay work in the district's historical communities and her role in redirecting the state gas tax toward road repair. Project Jupiter dominated the second half — both candidates said they would support returning the project to Energy Transition Act requirements, and Cadena linked the fast-tracking of the gas pipeline to Project Jupiter's role in the Trump administration's Stargate AI initiative. The segment closed with a sharp exchange over oil and gas funding and independent expenditures by a Jupiter lobbyist.

Speak Up Las Cruces: Luis Castro & Peyton Wambaugh on LCCT's 9 to 5

5/13/2026

Director Luis Castro and actor Peyton Wambaugh joined Peter Goodman and Jamie Bronstein to preview Las Cruces Community Theatre's production of Dolly Parton's 9 to 5, the season finale of LCCCT's 63rd season, opening May 28th and running through June 14th. Castro, who has wanted to direct the show for years, described it as a love letter to the strong women in his life, particularly his mother, and spoke about why its themes of workplace inequality feel as relevant today as they did in 1979. Wambaugh, who plays the Dolly Parton role of Doralee Rhodes, discussed drawing on her natural Texas accent and the relationships built among the cast. The conversation also touched on the particular challenges of directing a musical with 21 cast members, Castro's upcoming production of Lin-Manuel Miranda's In the Heights for next season, and the importance of the arts at a time when live theater is under financial pressure. Tickets are available at lcctnm.org.

Speak Up Las Cruces: Valerio Ferme on Leading NMSU

5/13/2026

NMSU President Valerio Ferme joined Peter Goodman and Jamie Bronstein for a conversation covering his first year and a half leading the university. Ferme described his strategic focus on improving graduation rates as both an ethical obligation to students and a financial necessity, since tuition revenue from retained students helps fund research and public service. The conversation touched on faculty retention and salary challenges, the decline in international student enrollment in the current political climate, and NMSU's relatively limited engagement with Project Jupiter despite the university's water and engineering expertise. Ferme also spoke about the value of the arts at a land grant institution and the possibility of consolidating NMSU's scattered arts departments into a single school. He closed by noting that one of the biggest adjustments from his previous positions has been the sheer amount of time New Mexico university presidents must spend engaging the state legislature in Santa Fe.

Speak Up Las Cruces: Peter & Jamie Talk About the News (May 13, 2026)

5/13/2026

Peter Goodman and Jamie Bronstein opened the show with a discussion of the Supreme Court's ruling effectively ending federal Voting Rights Act protections, and what it means for redistricting — including Texas, where roughly 40-45% of voters are Democratic but about 80% of congressional seats are Republican. Peter then raised a significant legal question about the county assessor's race: whether Shannon Reynolds, who resigned near the end of his second term on the County Commission, is legally eligible to serve as assessor under a New Mexico Supreme Court precedent from 1984. The conversation also touched on the backgrounds of the three assessor candidates and the mixed assessments Peter has heard of incumbent Eugenia Montoya Ortega's tenure. The segment closed with an unexpected live call from Montoya Ortega herself, who pushed back on criticism of her performance and invited her detractors to face her publicly.

Café con Leche: Jess Williams on Pride & the LGBTQ Community in Las Cruces

5/12/2026

On this episode of Café con Leche, Greg Smith spoke with Jess Williams about changes in the LGBTQ community in Las Cruces as Pride Month approaches. Drawing on his years living in the area, Williams reflected on how local attitudes and community spaces have shifted over time. The conversation touched on the role of Pride events in Las Cruces, how participation and visibility have grown, and the ways community support has developed. Williams also discussed ongoing challenges and the importance of maintaining spaces where people feel welcome and connected.

Walt Rubel Commentary: AI brings fatalism to a new generation

5/12/2026

There were two emergency drills conducted at the start of each new school year during my childhood, the fire drill and the duck-and-cover drill.

For the fire drill, we were instructed to calmly and quietly line up behind the teacher and then walk at a leisurely pace down the hallway, around the corner and then down another hallway before reaching the door, all while flames were lapping at our pants legs.

Think Again: Dr. James Rice on Resetting the Doomsday Clock

5/11/2026

Dr. James Rice, NMSU professor of Sociology and author of "Downwind of the Atomic State", brings into current context, a concise history of atomic weapons and policies. His observations include the January 27, 2026, resetting of "The Doomsday Clock" to 85 seconds - nearest ever to human made global catastrophe. He points to scientific, political, and cultural considerations, including the loss of nuclear arms agreements, aging systems, projected upgrade costs, weapon systems in space, the fallibility of humans, and of course the most recent wild-card, artificial intelligence.

Dr. Rice brings us an important, candid, thought-provoking, and challenging set of observations about issues that matter to all life on this planet.

Local Vibes Live: Lighttube Logcabin

5/8/2026

Local Vibes Live hosted Lighttube Logcabin, a Las Cruces emo-ish trio whose sound draws from Midwest emo, post-punk, and grunge — think twinkly guitars, screamed vocals, and a punk-driven rhythm section. Julian (guitar/vocals), Javery (bass), and John Mateo (drums) talked with hosts Alex Brinkley and Casey Chacón about the band's evolution from bedroom jams to a working live lineup, their revolving-door history with guitarists, and the El Paso and Las Cruces scenes they've been navigating since their first show in 2023. Julian's dad, who played drums in the early days of the band before John came aboard, also joined in for a song. A debut single, "Required Reading," is expected out soon.

Live True: The Reliable Narrator with author Grace Sammon

5/8/2026

Lisa Lucca talks with author Grace Sammon about her newest novel The Reliable Narrator. They discuss themes of silence, truth, and the shaping of our narratives, especially in midlife and beyond.

<<Previous

Mesilla Valley Sports Show: Las Cruces Running Club's Pamela Moralde

Speak Up Las CrucesDemocratic Candidates for House District 33

Speak Up Las Cruces: Luis Castro & Peyton Wambaugh on LCCT's 9 to 5

Speak Up Las Cruces: Valerio Ferme on Leading NMSU

Speak Up Las Cruces: Peter & Jamie Talk About the News (May 13, 2026)

Café con Leche: Jess Williams on Pride & the LGBTQ Community in Las Cruces

Walt Rubel Commentary: AI brings fatalism to a new generation

Think Again: Dr. James Rice on Resetting the Doomsday Clock

Local Vibes Live: Lighttube Logcabin

Live True: The Reliable Narrator with author Grace Sammon

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