University of New Mexico and New Mexico State students have come together to design a new trophy for their schools’ basketball rivalry.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Basketball fans from around the state gathered under one roof — The Pit — for the single-game of the men’s basketball Rio Grande Rivalry between New Mexico and New Mexico State on Saturday night.
“This is fantastic, considering we’ve had them, you know, canceled or postponed in the past,” said NMSU fan Jerry Gaussoin. “So, this is awesome.”
“Definitely love it because we’re ahead in the series,” said UNM fan Ray Chavez.
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And this one is different for a few reasons.
“We’ve cut down the rivalry to one game,” said UNM student Carlos Tenorio II. “You know, fans have mixed emotions about it, but the fact that we still get to play each other, you know, once a year is still fantastic.”
The one game change came after the 2022 shooting on UNM’s campus involving students and an NMSU basketball player.
“It was hurtful to see, you know, something that matters so much to the state of New Mexico and so many New Mexicans get taken away,” Tenorio said.
Because of that incident — and the bad blood that followed — Tenorio reached out to NMSU’s student fan group to collaborate on a new project.
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“Here we are with a trophy made, and that that’s exciting, because you hear about all these other trophies and like the Big 10 and the SEC that were that were made by the fan,” said NMSU student Joseph Settle. “Oh, that’s interesting. I wonder how it happened.”
Settle and Tenorio, along with Quinton Morrison, came up with this, a new Rio Grande Rivalry trophy.
“We have the Rio Grande running down, of course, for the Rio Grande Rivalry, and two stars representing both the city of Albuquerque and the city of Las Cruces in both schools’ color,” Tenorio said. “So, we got red and the crimson down there for Las Cruces with Rio Grande Rivalry in the old western font.”
The trophy was designed by local wood worker Andy Hageman and paid for by students.
Both Tenorio and Settle said they want to give the rivalry the hype it deserves.
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“I think it’s definitely one of the more underrated rivalries in both college football and basketball,” Settle said.
The Aggies got to take the trophy back to Las Cruces after defeating the Lobos 89-83 in overtime.
Republican voters may have one less candidate to choose from on their June primary ballot after one candidate failed to show up to file paperwork confirming his eligibility for the primary ballot.
State Senator Steve Lanier, a first-term legislator from San Juan County, and Duke Rodriguez, a former health department secretary and cannabis business owner, both failed to earn an automatic placement on the ballot provided to candidates who earn at least 20% of party delegate votes at the Pre-Primary Convention held earlier this month. Lanier pulled in just 7% and Rodriguez earned 9%.
State Sen. Steve Lanier appeared for initial candidate filing day on Feb. 3. He missed the secondary filing day on Mar. 17. (Source: Lanier campaign FB)
But both candidates appeared to have secured enough signatures from Republican voters to qualify outside of the party’s delegate process, provided they submitted those signatures to the Secretary of State’s Office on Tuesday.
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Lanier told The Santa Fe New Mexican that he missed the deadline and would now explore legal options to get on the ballot. “We are looking at legal options and may file a challenge, given that we filed with all the necessary signatures from the start,” he said. “I am committed to helping New Mexico thrive, and to building our Republican Party in every corner of the state.”
Rodriguez submitted the required additional signatures which are being reviewed by the secretary of state for qualification.
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Pat Davis is the founder and publisher of nm.news. In a prior life he served as an Albuquerque City Councilor.
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – City and state leaders are calling for the removal of César Chávez’s name from public spaces following allegations of sexual assault against him.
A New York Times article revealed claims that Chávez sexually abused multiple women and young girls who worked alongside him in the civil rights movement. The news has caused shockwaves, especially at the intersection of Avenida Dolores Huerta and Avenida César Chávez.
“Shock, um, it’s been shocking, horrified and completely incompatible and unacceptable with the values of the Latino and Chicano and Hispanic community and the civil rights movement,” said Zackary Quintero, executive director of the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers with Chávez, stated she was one of his victims. She described two sexual encounters with Chávez that led to pregnancies and children she hid from the public eye.
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Quintero said the role Chávez plays in Albuquerque and the state needs re-examination. “I know that a community conversation needs to take place and that we’re going to be part of that conversation,” he said. “We’re supposed to be a home for our Chicano gente, our Latino gente, our Hispano gente, to be able to meet here and talk about these kind of issues.”
Mayor Tim Keller says changes are coming to the way Chávez is remembered. “I am directing City staff to work with the community and city council to take a fresh look at how Chávez is recognized across our programs, events, committees, and spaces, and to recommend changes that honor the full truth while continuing to uplift the movement for economic justice that shaped our community,” he said.
KOB 4 asked the city what that process entails and what the economic impact could look like but a city spokesperson re-iterated the statement above saying, “The mayor has directed staff to work with the City Council and the community to determine the best steps forward.”
Speaker of the House Javier Martinez added, “The allegations against César Chávez are horrific. I pray for all of the survivors, including Dolores Huerta. I keep Dolores, her family, and the entire farmworker movement in my heart. Chávez’s name should be removed from any and all public entities, swiftly.”
It’s not just Albuquerque, there are landmarks, parks, schools and more throughout New Mexico named after Chávez. For example, the César Chávez Elementary school in Santa Fe.
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School officials said they have “an established process for considering changing a school’s name.” They also added they would review the situation but any consideration of a name change would have to go before the the Board of Education. The district’s full statement is below.
Statement from Santa Fe Public Schools:
“Santa Fe Public Schools is aware of the recent allegations concerning the namesake of Cesar Chavez Elementary School. We understand that members of our community may have questions and concerns, and we take those perspectives seriously.
Santa Fe Public Schools has an established process for considering changes to a school’s name. At this time, district staff will review the situation, gather relevant information, and evaluate next steps in accordance with district policy. Any consideration of a name change would ultimately be brought before the Board of Education for discussion and direction.
We remain committed to engaging thoughtfully with our community and ensuring that any decisions are made through the appropriate processes and with careful consideration.”
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City and state leaders are calling for the removal of César Chávez’s name from public spaces following allegations of sexual assault against him.
A domestic-related shooting broke out Tuesday evening at a New Mexico Air Force base, resulting in one person dead and another injured, according to military base officials.
The shooting occurred at Holloman Air Force Base around 5:30 p.m. and a brief lockdown was placed following the reports of an active shooter, base officials told Military Times in a statement on Wednesday.
“The lockdown was lifted shortly thereafter when security forces personnel confirmed that the scene was safe,” the 49th Wing statement said.
Officials said that it was an “isolated incident and there is no ongoing threat to our community.”
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The injured individual is an active-duty service member assigned to the Holloman base, per the statement, and the deceased was a military veteran that was previously stationed at the base.
“Based on the current investigation, this incident was domestic related, but the individuals were not married,” the statement reads.
The injured service member was transported for medical treatment and is in stable condition, according to the statement. Officials said the civilian was declared dead at the scene.
Officials say that the name of the injured service member will not be released due to privacy reasons, and the name of the deceased will not be released pending next of kin notifications.
Base officials confirmed in a statement to Military Times that the shooting took place near the shoppette.
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The shoppette remains closed until further notice, the base announced Tuesday on their Facebook page at 10:20 p.m.
The 49th Wing Security Forces Squadron and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations are tasked with handling the investigation.
Officials said that more information will be provided as it becomes available, as the investigation is still underway.
Holloman Air Force Base contains the 49th Wing, which deploys worldwide to support national security objectives, according to the base’s website. The wing also trains F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots and MQ-9 Reaper pilots and sensor operations, while also delivering Air Transportable Climes and Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources to personnel.
The base is located in southern New Mexico’s Tularosa Basin between the Sacramento and San Andrea mountain ranges. It is roughly 90 miles north of El Paso, Texas.
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Cristina Stassis is a reporter covering stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She previously worked as an editorial fellow for Defense News in 2024 where she assisted the newsroom in breaking news across Sightline Media Group.
