Blog Archives

Mesilla Valley Sports Show: Carol Witham on Exercise and Parkinson's Disease

7/30/2026

This episode of the Mesilla Valley Sports Show featured Carol Witham, leader of a local exercise program for people living with Parkinson's disease, who discussed the growing impact of the neurological disorder and the important role that exercise plays in managing its symptoms. Witham explained how research has shown that regular physical activity can improve balance, mobility, strength, and overall quality of life, while also slowing the progression of the disease. She described the specialized classes offered locally, emphasizing the supportive community they create, and shared inspiring stories of participants who have regained confidence, independence, and hope through movement. The conversation highlighted how exercise has become a powerful form of medicine, helping people with Parkinson's continue to live active, fulfilling lives.

Speak Up Las Cruces: Josh Taulbee and Cast on Clown Bar

7/29/2026

Director Josh Taulbee joined actors Edward Montes, A.J. Tumminaro, and Rachel Thomas-Chappell to preview Clown Bar, a comedic noir about ex-circus performers turned criminals investigating a murder at their old haunt. The cast talked about the show's mix of comedy and heavier themes, the nightly makeup routine for tech week, and the Black Box Theatre's new VIP seating right at the edge of the stage. Clown Bar opens Friday, July 31, and runs two weekends at the Black Box Theatre.

Speak Up Las Cruces: Carol Brey and Sarah Booth on Branigan Library

7/29/2026

Carol Brey, the city's Quality of Life director, and Sarah Booth, deputy director of the Las Cruces Public Libraries, talked about everything the library system offers beyond books, from maker spaces and a "library of things" to bilingual story times and record-breaking summer reading attendance. They also gave an early look at the bond issue on November's ballot, which would fund a major expansion of Branigan Library including a larger children's area and a café.

Speak Up Las Cruces: Superintendent Ignacio Ruiz on the New School Year

7/29/2026

Las Cruces Public Schools Superintendent Ignacio Ruiz joined the show as students returned for the new school year, discussing the district's push to reduce chronic absenteeism and a new real-time bus-tracking app for parents. He addressed the district's updated dress code and book-access policies, then took callers' questions about school security cameras tied to the Las Cruces Police Department's Flock surveillance system. Ruiz also previewed a new 6-12 school opening at the former Rio Grande campus for the 2027-28 school year.

Speak Up Las Cruces: Peter & Nancy Talk About the News (July 29, 2026)

7/29/2026

Peter Goodman and Nancy Baker opened the show with a recap of a chaotic Doña Ana County Commission meeting. They also weighed in on Washington news, from Dr. Fauci's tense Senate exchange with Rand Paul to questions surrounding Senator Mitch McConnell's health. The hosts closed with new reports of ICE detentions at airports and expanding phone searches at U.S. borders, noting that more travelers, journalists, and attorneys are resorting to burner phones before they fly.

Cafe con Leche: Dr. Jon Hunner on the Declaration of Independence and New Mexico History

7/28/2026

Greg Smith talks with Dr. Jon Hunner, retired NMSU history professor and longtime Las Cruces historian, about the Declaration of Independence at 250 years. Hunner draws a careful distinction between the Declaration as an inspiring ideal and the Constitution as the working machinery of government, and traces how the document's core ideas spread from the American Revolution through France, Latin America, and beyond. The conversation takes a distinctly New Mexican turn as Hunner connects the Declaration's right to resist unjust government to the region's own history of resistance — from the Pueblo Revolt through Nuevomexicano pushback against the U.S. arrival — and explains the long, stumbling road to New Mexico statehood in 1912, including the little-known episode he calls the "fatal handshake." Hunner closes with a simple recommendation: read the Declaration, all of it, then do the same with the Constitution.

Walt Rubel: Dems’ presidential circus will roll through NM in 2028

7/28/2026

New Mexico Democrats, get ready to be courted.

It was announced last week that New Mexico will be the fourth state in the nation to vote in the 2028 Democratic primary election for president. South Carolina will go first, followed by Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan and Virginis.

Think Again: Anna Dykeman on Micro-Kindness

7/27/2026

Micro-Kindness - "a brief, low-cost gesture, driven by genuine goodwill, that benefits another person."

With much gratitude, we welcome our guest, Anna Dykeman. Anna, experienced in both theology and social work, shares her views on how even tiny micro-kindnesses can make a meaningful difference in people's lives, enhance a contagious spirit of underlying connection and community, and encourage a positive epidemiology.

DELVING IN: Jamison Firestone on the Opportunities and Perils of Setting Up the First Foreign Law Firm in Russia After the Fall of the Soviet Union

7/26/2026

Stuart Kelter interviews Jamison Firestone, an American-born attorney, now living in London. In 1991, shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union, he moved to Russia to establish its first independent foreign law firm, specializing in corporate law, in a newly forming, highly dynamic, extraordinarily lucrative financial environment. He lived in Russia for 18 years, six of them as a member of the Board of Directors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia. Firestone was in the front lines, not only as a witness but also as a major actor in the unfolding events in Russia, as it started to transform itself into a free market economy, only to see it hijacked by corruption, violence, and organized crime. He is the co-founder, along with Sir William Browder, of the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign, which was named for Firestone’s employee, Sergei Magnitsky, an auditor who was investigating high level corruption when he was arrested on false charges, imprisoned in harsh conditions, and a year later murdered in prison. Firestone was also a friend and ally of Alexei Navalny, who was similarly murdered for challenging state-sponsored corruption in Russia. Today’s interview will focus on Firestone’s recently published memoir, Rule of Lies: My Wild Ride Through Chaos, Corruption, and Murder in Putin’s Russia.

Mesilla Valley Sports Show: Robert Caldwell III and the Return of the City Golf Championship

7/23/2026

This episode of the Mesilla Valley Sports Show featured Robert Caldwell III, who shared the story behind reviving the Las Cruces City Golf Championship after a 13-year hiatus. Caldwell discussed the work required to restore the long-running tournament, from rebuilding community support and securing sponsors to coordinating logistics and encouraging golfers to return. He also reflected on the success of the 51st City Championship, the importance of preserving local sporting traditions, and his vision for the tournament's future. Along the way, the conversation explored the role of municipal golf courses in the community, the camaraderie and friendly competition that define amateur golf, and the value of creating opportunities for players of all ages and skill levels to participate.

Speak Up Las Cruces: Carol McCall & David Tucker on the Mesilla Valley Film Society's August Lineup

7/22/2026

Carol McCall and David Tucker of the Mesilla Valley Film Society joined Walt Rubel and Peter Goodman to preview August's lineup at the Fountain Theater, including Andrei Tarkovsky's 1979 sci-fi classic Stalker, the Texas-set thriller Baltasar, Romanian drama Continental 25, the Paul Rudd comedy Power Ballad, and an Israeli political satire. The guests discussed the theater's mission to fill niches that commercial multiplexes don't, its historic building and community atmosphere, and upcoming fall programming including a documentary on Trinity test downwinders and a science-and-film series on animal communication.

Speak Up Las Cruces: Johana Bencomo & Becky Corran on the "Model Cities" Federal Policing Proposal

7/22/2026

City Councilors Johana Bencomo and Becky Corran joined Walt Rubel and Peter Goodman to discuss their joint op-ed opposing Las Cruces's potential involvement in the Department of Justice's $300 million "Model Cities" initiative. The councilors warned that the cooperative agreement would embed federal oversight into local policing, promote weapons of war, and require cooperation with ICE. Citing nonpartisan guidance from the National League of Cities regarding long-term financial sustainability, they pointed to historical precedents—including Detroit's STRESS initiative and Los Angeles's CRASH program—as cautionary examples of federal law enforcement interventions that brutalized minority communities. During the open-line segment, callers raised sharp questions about Flock Condor surveillance cameras allegedly installed near public pools, university-level AI training for law enforcement, and whether a recent federal award presented to Police Chief Jeremy Story was intended to incentivize local participation in federal programs.

Speak Up Las Cruces: Maria Flores on Public Service & Community Radio

7/22/2026

Maria Flores, former Las Cruces Board of Education president and current Las Cruces Community Radio board member, joined Walt Rubel and Peter Goodman to discuss her years of public service and her passion for community radio, particularly its Spanish-language programming. Flores highlighted shows like Línea Abierta, KTAL's bilingual call-in program, and Onda Tejana, and spoke about her own decades-long love of radio dating back to a childhood transistor radio in Los Angeles. The conversation also touched on the station's upcoming 9th anniversary celebration and her reflections on the toughest decisions she faced during 13 years on the school board.

Speak Up Las Cruces: Walt & Peter Talk About the News (July 22, 2026)

7/22/2026

Walt Rubel and Peter Goodman opened the show ahead of KTAL's 9th anniversary celebration by reflecting on why community radio matters, especially as consolidation has hollowed out local voices elsewhere. That led into the day's biggest local story: the county commission's unanimous vote to terminate County Manager Scott Andrews without cause, following a state audit that found serious HR and retaliation problems. Live caller and County Commission Chair Manuel Sanchez joined to discuss the decision, the search for a replacement, the county's compliance with its Project Jupiter contract, and an ongoing Attorney General investigation into fraudulent public comments submitted in the project's favor. The hosts also touched on the BLM's push to open protected land near Chaco Canyon to mining, echoing concerns about the fate of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks.

Cafe con Leche: Caitlin Beesley & Dr. Jerry Wallace on Historic Preservation

7/21/2026

Greg Smith talks with Caitlin Beesley, the City of Las Cruces Historic Preservation Specialist, and Dr. Jerry Wallace, chair of the Historic Preservation Committee (HPC) and NMSU instructor, about protecting the city's architectural heritage and why Las Cruces possesses a unique character that extends well beyond its familiar historic districts. Wallace makes the case for a formal one-, three-, and five-year preservation plan to hold the city accountable and engage a broader array of community partners. The conversation covers Wallace's personal watch list (which includes the Mesilla Valley Mall and the University Avenue corridor), upcoming nominations for the City Register of Cultural Properties, ongoing restoration work on the Pioneer Women's Park gazebo, and Beesley's view of her role: acting as a process facilitator to help community members tell their own stories about local buildings.

<<Previous

Mesilla Valley Sports Show: Carol Witham on Exercise and Parkinson's Disease

Speak Up Las Cruces: Josh Taulbee and Cast on Clown Bar

Speak Up Las Cruces: Carol Brey and Sarah Booth on Branigan Library

Speak Up Las Cruces: Superintendent Ignacio Ruiz on the New School Year

Speak Up Las Cruces: Peter & Nancy Talk About the News (July 29, 2026)

Cafe con Leche: Dr. Jon Hunner on the Declaration of Independence and New Mexico History

Walt Rubel: Dems’ presidential circus will roll through NM in 2028

Think Again: Anna Dykeman on Micro-Kindness

DELVING IN: Jamison Firestone on the Opportunities and Perils of Setting Up the First Foreign Law Firm in Russia After the Fall of the Soviet Union

Mesilla Valley Sports Show: Robert Caldwell III and the Return of the City Golf Championship

Speak Up Las Cruces: Carol McCall & David Tucker on the Mesilla Valley Film Society's August Lineup

Speak Up Las Cruces: Johana Bencomo & Becky Corran on the "Model Cities" Federal Policing Proposal

Speak Up Las Cruces: Maria Flores on Public Service & Community Radio

Speak Up Las Cruces: Walt & Peter Talk About the News (July 22, 2026)

Cafe con Leche: Caitlin Beesley & Dr. Jerry Wallace on Historic Preservation

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