New Mexico
New Mexico’s Chaparral High School football team is making history
The Chaparral High School football program in Southern New Mexico is making a name for itself these days.
And for the first time, the state of New Mexico is taking notice of the Lobos program. Chaparral High School is located less than 30 miles from Northeast El Paso.
The Lobos are 8-3 overall and seeded No. 3 in the Class 4A playoffs. The eight wins are the most in school history and the No. 3 seed in the playoffs is the highest seed the Lobos have ever had in the playoffs.
The Lobos defeated No. 6 seed Moriarty, 42-41, in the state quarterfinals on Nov. 14 when Lobos quarterback Israel Nieto scored with a rushing touchdown and it was followed by a successful extra point to advance the Lobos. Twelve teams made the state playoffs.
There are multiple classifications in New Mexico, ranging from Class 2A to Class 6A, as well as six-man and eight-man football divisions.
Chaparral football history
The Lobos played their first varsity game in 2007 and went 1-9 that season. The Lobos have had seven seasons with no wins,
The Lobos had winning seasons in 2015 and 2017, both times going 6-4.
Chaparral breaks through in 2024
Chaparral made the postseason in 2024 and defeated Portales in the first round on the road, securing the program’s first-ever playoff win.
Fast forward to 2025
The Lobos have won 8 of their last 10 games after losing their season opener to Gadsden. They went 4-2 in District 2-4A, which placed them second behind Albuquerque St. Pius.
The Lobos defeated strong teams from Albuquerque (Academy and Manzano), the state’s largest city, and another team from Los Lunas (Valencia HS), which is near Albuquerque.
Chaparral players to watch
- Israel Nieto, QB. He has 1,786 yards passing, 634 yards rushing, 19 touchdown passes and 15 rushing touchdown runs.
- Raul Lopez, RB. Lopez has rushed for 1,092 yards and has 470 yards rushing.
- Aaron Eliserio, WR. He has caught eight touchdown passes.
Chaparral’s coaching staff
Joseph Frias, who played quarterback at El Paso’s Franklin High School and graduated in 2003, is the second-year head coach.
His staff includes defensive coordinator Stephen White, offensive coordinator Esai Ontiveros and defensive backs and wide receiver coach David Butler.
What’s next for Chaparral
The Lobos will play No. 2 St. Pius at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at Nusenda Community Stadium in Albuquerque in the state semifinals. The winner will play either No. 1 Bloomfield or No. 4 Taos in the state finals.
What Chaparral head coach Joseph Frias said
“The kids have worked hard and bought into what we want to do,” Frias said. “Making the playoffs last year and winning a playoff game meant so much to the program. It gave us momentum.”
What Chaparral player Israel Nieto said
“We’ve had great support from the community, we’ve played with confidence and determination,” Nieto said.
Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on X
New Mexico
Multigenerational center faces AC problems amid summer heat
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Seniors at Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center say broken air conditioning has left the gym above 80 degrees during peak summer heat.
Angi Gonzales Carver said she goes to the center almost every day and now worries the heat could cancel classes for seniors, adults and kids.
The city said three HVAC roof units at the center need replacement. The city said those units are 20 years old and crews have put in one portable cooler and two fans for now.
“I have a temperature measure, and it was 88 and that was without people,” said Angi Gonzales Carver.
Carver says the center recently posted a warning sign saying staff will cancel classes and activities if the gym gets hotter than 78 degrees.
“A lot of them have to sit down and they’re they’re fanning themselves,” said Carver.
The city considers all multigenerational centers cooling centers, including Manzano Mesa. The city says it plans to add two more portable units next week while it works to restore the air conditioning.
“I mean, we, as seniors, we deserve better,” said Carver.
The City’s statement
A city spokesperson gave the following statement regarding the HVAC situation:
“The City is carrying out a planned replacement of the three HVAC roof units at Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center, which are 20 years old. Portable cooling units support the gym and two additional portable units will be installed next week. All other areas of the facility remain fully air-conditioned and operational.”
New Mexico
Bear Fire Update for June 23, 2026
Acres: 7,769 acres
Start Date: June 9, 2026
Location: 18 miles southeast of Quemado, NM
Personnel: 169
Containment: 100%
Cause: Lightning
Summary: Containment lines are holding, and much of the repair work is completed on the Bear Fire. The Gila Las Cruces Type 3 Incident Management Team will transfer command of the fire back to the Gila National Forest and a Type 4 Incident Commander on Wednesday morning. Firefighters will continue to patrol and secure the perimeter while repair is completed.
Remarking on the success of firefighters on the Bear Fire, Incident Commander Marcus Cornwell said, “The support from the State of New Mexico Forestry Division, local landowners, and the Village of Quemado were instrumental in helping suppress the fire. Providing firefighters access to private land and use of Quemado High School proved pivotal.”
This will be the last daily update provided by the Gila Las Cruces Type 3 Incident Management Team. Any future updates for the Bear Fire will come from the Gila National Forest.
Weather: Today’s high temperature will be in the mid 80s. Moisture moving in from the south will improve relative humidity and drop temperatures slightly. The forecast shows daily chances of thunderstorms through Friday.
Safety: A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place through this evening. If you fly, we can’t! The Gila National Forest enacted an Area Closure Order for the Bear Fire.
Evacuations: Catron County Emergency Management lifted SET status for residences within zones 2, 3 and 4 on Thursday, June 18th. For more information about the change in evacuation status, visit Catron County Emergency Management.
Smoke: Smoke may be visible in and around surrounding communities. Air quality will vary based on fire activity, weather, and wind patterns. Residents should reduce prolonged outdoor activity when smoke is present and check the Air Quality Index before recreating or working outdoors. Sensitive groups should take extra precautions to limit smoke exposure. For real-time smoke conditions, visit https://fire.airnow.gov.
Fire Restrictions: The Gila National Forest is in Stage 1 Fire Restrictions due to long term severe drought in the Gila region, increased tree mortality across the forest, and forecasted hotter, drier weather conditions. Stage 1 Fire Restrictions limit campfires on forest land to designated recreation sites and campgrounds with constructed metal fire rings. Open burning is also prohibited in the unincorporated area of Catron County and in Catron County Fire District 30.
Public Information: 2026.bear@firenet.gov
Incident Information:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GilaNForest
InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/nmgnf-bear-fire
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New Mexico
Woman arrested, accused of throwing knife and harassing neighbors
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Southwest Albuquerque neighbors claim a woman targeted them for at least a year, throwing items into their yard, and leading one family to spend more than $1,000 on security.
Neighbors said they kept contacting Albuquerque police, the city and the state after the most recent encounter left a father with a cut on his face. They said Sunday’s arrest helped some, but they still do not feel safe.
Richard and Lindsey Boldin said they have dealt with harassment from Andrea Padilla-Garcia for at least a year. They said she has thrown broken glass, frozen food, a MacBook, metal poles and wood over their fence and dumped nail polish on it.
They said the incident with the glass resulted in a cut to Richard’s face.
“She can’t come back to where she lives. I won’t feel safe. There’s no way,” Lindsey Boldin said.
The Boldins said they spent more than a thousand dollars on security cameras, motion-sensor lights and other steps to protect their property. They also blocked the view into their yard, but said they still do not feel safe.
“It hurts the whole family. We’ve got to watch animals going outside. We have to watch when we go outside. You know, when can we go outside?” Richard Boldin said. “She kept coming to the fence and attacking the fence and shaking it and yelling at the fence at the children, you know, giving them inappropriate, you know, telling them inappropriate things.”
Neighbor Lawrence Lovato said he has lived in the neighborhood for about a year and what he has seen stands out from anything he has experienced before. He said he has called police multiple times.
“Never in my life have I have I seen something as horrible that I’ve seen here,” Lawrence Lovato said.
Lovato said he worries about his own safety and his daughter’s safety. Neighbors said they plan to keep looking out for one another and hope the latest arrest leads to help for Padilla-Garcia. She remains in jail and faced charges of battery and aggravated assault.
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