It’s a Boy! Giraffe born at Hillcrest Park Zoo in Clovis

Published

4 weeks ago

July 14, 2026

It’s a Boy! Giraffe born at Hillcrest Park Zoo in Clovis

CLOVIS, New Mexico (KVII) — A baby giraffe was born at the Hillcrest Park Zoo in Clovis.

The city announced a male calf was born around 1 a.m. Thursday to Jerrica, a Rothschild giraffe who has lived at the zoo since she was born there in January 2012.

Zoo officials said Jerrica, a first-time mother, and her calf are doing well.

Baby giraffe born at the Hillcrest Park Zoo in Clovis, New Mexico on July 9, 2026 (Credit: Hillcrest Park Zoo )

The calf will make his public debut from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment you won’t want to miss! Bring your family, your camera, and your excitement as we welcome the zoo’s newest (and tallest!) superstar!” said the zoo.

Because the calf is male, he will eventually be moved from Hillcrest Park Zoo to another zoo or facility, according to the city.

The zoo plans to ask the public to help name the calf in the coming weeks.

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New Mexico House Speaker urges Doña Ana commissioners to appoint interim HD 37 replacement

Published

10 hours ago

August 7, 2026

Press Room

New Mexico House Speaker urges Doña Ana commissioners to appoint interim HD 37 replacement

DONA ANA COUNTY, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) — New Mexico House Speaker Javier Martínez is urging the Doña Ana County Commission to appoint an interim replacement for House District 37 after the retirement of longtime Rep. Joanne Ferrary, arguing that leaving the seat vacant would deny residents representation for the rest of the year.

In a letter to the commission on Friday, Martínez, a Democrat from Albuquerque, said the commissioners have a legal duty under New Mexico law to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term.

He said the letter was prompted by House Republican Leader Gail Armstrong’s push for the commission to leave the seat unfilled, which Martínez said would leave House District 37 residents without representation.

“Leader Armstrong’s letter fundamentally conflates two separate matters: the county commission filling an immediate vacancy within an unexpired legislative term and the voters of House District 37 duly electing their representative for the next two years,” Martínez said. “The Commission is in no way being asked to determine who will represent the district in the long term. That decision remains, as it always has, with voters this November.”

Martínez also rejected Armstrong’s assertion that filling the vacancy would undermine voters in the upcoming election, saying the appointment process is meant to ensure continuity of representation rather than serve campaign considerations.

“Rather than speculating about hypothetical electoral advantages or campaign strategy, the Commission’s responsibility today is to fulfill its duties, outlined in New Mexico law, to preserve proper representation for the district,” Martínez said. “The process for filling vacancies remains the same regardless of which party currently holds the seat or which party may benefit from filling it.”

In a statement to KFOX14/CBS4 on Friday, Armstrong disputed Martínez’s argument, stating, “Speaker Martinez is trying to blur an important distinction to provide cover for a partisan political maneuver. None of the Republican examples he cites involved appointing a party’s already-selected nominee in the middle of a contested general election. The Commission has a responsibility to address legislative vacancies, but there is no constitutional deadline requiring an appointment now. With Election Day this close, there is no justification for manufacturing an incumbent and tipping the scales in favor of one candidate.

Armstrong added, “He may hope voters will not recognize the difference, but the people of House District 37 are smarter than that. Let the voters decide who represents them in November.”

Martínez said that because voters in House District 37 elected a Democrat in the last election and have consistently elected Democratic representatives since 2014, the district should receive continuity in the representation voters chose as the commission selects an interim lawmaker to serve out the current term.

In the letter, Martínez also pointed to recent legislative vacancies left by Republicans in Senate District 33, House District 3 and House District 59, saying county commissioners filled those seats with appointees from the same party as the departing lawmakers, and those appointees later chose to run for election.

“Those appointments followed the same process Representative Armstrong is now criticizing,” Martínez said. “If the state’s appointment process is appropriate for filling Republican vacancies, it is equally appropriate for filling the current Democratic vacancy.”

Martínez also said the appointment process does not change the outcome of the next election.

“The reality remains that the voters of House District 37 will choose their representative for the next legislative term this November,” Martínez said. “Nothing currently before the Commission alters that fundamental democratic principle.”

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