New Mexico
Blue Hole closure in Santa Rosa affecting businesses
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Blue Hole, a New Mexico tourist hotspot that attracts thousands during the summertime, is closed to divers and swimmers. Businesses in the area that rely heavily on the influx of summer visitors looking to enjoy all the water recreation the city has to offer are now dealing with the effects of the closure.
People come from all over the country for the experience but the recent announcement has drastically reduced how many people are coming into town. City officials said the closure is due to a large boulder falling on the west side of the hole that brought other rocks with it.
Officials said hundreds of stones now cover the bottom. “Public safety comes first. We’ll make sure before we reopen to the public, we’ll make sure everything is protected and we’ll try to get more inspection on it,” said Santa Rosa Mayor Nelson Kotiar.
Due to the closure, businesses in town aren’t seeing the number of customers they usually do. That includes the Comet II Drive & Restaurant that’s been operating for over 90 years. “We rely on the tourists here, and without a lot of the vital things that we have here, we don’t have that,” said owner Casey Martinez.
Normally, Martinez said he could expect thousands of customers during the summer. He said since the closure, business has decreased by 30%-40%. “We have the divers that come in here. On a given weekend, we’d have 100 divers in here. Now, we’re lucky if we have five or ten,” said Martinez.
City officials said they will be conducting more inspections and expect the spot to open within the next 2-4 weeks.
SANTA FE, N.M. — Former New Mexico Public Regulation Commissioner Jim Ellison is running for governor as a Republican, he announced on social media Tuesday.
Ellison is running on affordability, opportunity and trust in government as the key points of his campaign. His experience includes serving on the NMPRC in 2023 and 2024.
“New Mexico deserves leadership that listens, acts, and delivers results. Our state has enormous potential, but too often that potential is held back by policies that don’t serve everyday New Mexicans,” he said on his website. “I’m running to bring practical solutions, honest accountability, and a renewed focus on the public interest.”
A Georgia native, Ellison has lived in New Mexico for 20 years and currently lives in the Albuquerque area with his wife and two children.
Ellison is aiming to get 5,000 signatures by Feb. 2, to appear on the primary ballot with at least three other Republicans who have announced their candidacy.
Ultra Health CEO Duke Rodriguez announced his campaign in December and recently confirmed to KOB 4 that he received enough signatures to appear on the primary ballot. Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull and New Mexico State Sen. Steve Lanier are also running.
Three Democrats are running – Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Former Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A successful University of New Mexico Lobo athletics season and the athletics director’s departure has culminated in players and coaches making moves.
The moves follow a successful 2025 season and the departure of athletics director Fernando Lovo.
Running back coach John Johnson, special teams coordinator Daniel Da Prato and wide receiver coach Colin Lockett are all leaving the Lobos after just one season. Johnson is headed to Iowa State while Da Prato is expected to join Minnesota and Lockett is headed to UCLA, all for the same jobs.
Johnson’s Lobo running backs ran for more than 1,400 yards. Da Prato’s special teams finished top-five nationally in kickoff returns.
Running back D.J. McKinney entered the portal, he confirmed on social media the day the portal officially opened. McKinney rushed for 464 yards and seven touchdowns with the Lobos.
Two players who received all-Mountain West Conference recognition also made moves. All-Mountain West tight-end Dorian Thomas, who caught for touchdowns for the Lobos, entered the portal. Meanwhile, all-Mountain West honorable mention punter Daniel Hughes is set to leave.
Others set to leave include:
- Cole Welliver, backup quarterback who played in one game
- Landon Williams, defensive end who graduated from La Cueva High School
- Randolph Kpai, senior linebacker who is at the end of his college football career without a waiver
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