New Mexico

Washington State Football: Keys to Victory at New Mexico

Published

2 years ago

November 15, 2024

Washington State Football: Keys to Victory at New Mexico

Off to their best start since 2018, the Cougars check in at #19 in the AP poll and have the chance to pick up their ninth win this weekend. In order to do that, Washington State will need to get by a New Mexico team that started its season slowly but has gotten hot, winning four of their last six contests. Here’s what the Cougs will need to do this weekend in Albuquerque to avoid the upset and extend their win streak.

Contain Dampier

New Mexico’s offense will go as it’s dynamic quarterback does. Sophomore Devon Dampier is a threat in the both the running and passing game and is a huge reason why the Lobos have won the four games they have. Dampier currently leads the team with 902 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground all while also throwing for 2,418 yards and another 11 scores. The fact that he’s responsible for well over 3,000 yards of offense and 24 touchdowns means that he, obviously, should be Washington State’s main focal point on defense here.

Linebackers Kyle Thornton and Buddah Al-Uqdah will have their hands full and then some trying to corral Dampier. Both of WSU’s stud linebackers will need to have eyes and position on the speedy signal caller and be able to move in on him in a hurry. The defensive line, likewise, will have to get to him in the backfield to slow him down, if nothing else. Andrew Edson will lead the charge here. And, of course, the secondary will serve as the last line of defense if Dampier is able to get through. It will take a team effort on all three levels to bottle up #4.

Red Zone Effeciency

In order to give themselves the best possible chance in this one, Washington State needs to capitalize on what New Mexico struggles with and one thing the Lobos have had a particularly rough time with is their red zone defense. Opponents have scored 38 of the 39 times they’ve been inside the 20 on UNM and 31 of those have been touchdowns. It has been an almost total inability to make defensive stands for the New Mexico defense on that end of the field.

The Cougars, meanwhile, have scored on 34 of their 39 red zone trips this year with 29 TDs. There isn’t any reason they shouldn’t be able to keep those percentages high this Saturday and, if John Mateer and company are able to close out drives the way they have all year, Washington State’s chances go way up.

Avoid Post-Halftime Lull

The Lobos have been at their best coming right out of halftime this year. In the third quarter, New Mexico outscores its opponents 67 to 62 and has done a lot of its damage over the last few weeks in this frame. They are also pretty solid right off bat in the first quarter as well. This means that the Cougars can’t get caught napping when they come out of the locker room.

Washington State could do itself a big favor in this department by simply deferring their initial offensive possession until the second half, if possible. Keeping the ball out of Dampier’s hands in the third quarter might go a long way in bucking the trend that UNM’s opponents have established this fall. Coming out of the break with urgency is important here and it’s something the Cougs have struggled with. Since the start of October WSU has managed a total of just 24 third quarter points. That will need to improve this weekend.

New Mexico

NM PRC hears pushback on El Paso Electric rate hike that could add $40 a month

Published

3 hours ago

June 26, 2026

Press Room

NM PRC hears pushback on El Paso Electric rate hike that could add a month

DONA ANA COUNTY, N.M. – (KFOX14/CBS4) — Some El Paso Electric customers in New Mexico are speaking out against a proposed rate increase that could raise the average monthly household bill by more than $40 by late next year.

The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, which will decide whether to approve the proposal, held a public comment hearing earlier this week in Las Cruces.

During the meeting, customers and community members questioned the size of the request and whether the utility is doing enough to serve customers in southern New Mexico.

“This is a border town. It is a college town. It is a retiree town. It’s a military town. We’re not rich like Santa Fe, and the rates just keep going up and up and up,” said Kathy Lucero, a Las Cruces resident.

“We ratepayers and energy consumers should not be asked to subsidize these excessive profits,” said Lynn Moore, a Dona Ana County resident.

El Paso Electric is asking for a $70.4 million increase to its base rates for customers in New Mexico.

El Paso Electric seeks $70.4M hike; average NM bills could rise nearly $42 a month

The utility says the request is needed to recover costs from more than $400 million in New Mexico system investments, including upgrades, reliability improvements and rising costs.

After the hearing, Israel Chavez, a local civil rights attorney, said accessibility is also a concern as the utility asks customers to pay more.

“El Paso Electric closed its office on Water Street. There is no physical office to go to if you live with a disability, if you don’t have the technology to access your utility bill or to talk to somebody, there is no place to go unless you go to El Paso. And I think it’s wrong for El Paso Electric to cut services and then increase rates,” Chavez said.

In a statement addressing concerns about access, El Paso Electric said, “El Paso Electric continues to provide reliable service, along with a range of customer support resources to meet diverse needs, including assistance with account access, bill understanding, and payments.”

The utility added, “We recognize that changes like this can have its challenges, particularly for customers who may face barriers to technology or prefer in-person support. However, we remain committed to ensuring our customers feel supported and have access to the help they need when they need it.”

El Paso Electric said customers can still manage their accounts online, call customer care, or use authorized payment kiosks throughout its service area.

The New Mexico PRC has not made a final decision on the rate request.

If approved, the increase would start taking effect next year in two phases.

FULL PUBLIC COMMENT HEARING

Final community meeting on proposed EPE rate hike in New Mexico draws mixed reactions

Source link

New Mexico

1 dead following shooting involving Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s Office

Published

14 hours ago

June 26, 2026

Press Room

1 dead following shooting involving Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s Office

CHIMAYO, N.M. (KRQE) – A suspect is dead following a shooting involving the Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s Office in Chimayo on Highway 76. Deputies are said to be okay. New Mexico State Police is investigating the shooting.

KRQE News 13 will provide updates as they become available.

Source link

New Mexico

Former NM GOP treasurer arrested after deadly Las Cruces hit-and-run

Published

24 hours ago

June 25, 2026

Press Room

Former NM GOP treasurer arrested after deadly Las Cruces hit-and-run

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) — A leader in the New Mexico Republican Party was arrested Wednesday, accused of a deadly hit-and-run in Las Cruces.

Former Treasurer of the Republican Party in New Mexico, Kimberly Ann Skaggs, 54, was arrested Wednesday and charged with leaving the scene and tampering with evidence, jail records show.

Police documents show the charges stem from a deadly hit-and-run crash that happened Monday afternoon, which killed 40-year-old bicyclist, Andrew Brown.

Investigators believed Skaggs was involved after an investigation revealed that Skaggs allegedly was driving fast in the area, fled the scene after the crash and then tried to hide the vehicle from authorities.

RECOMMENDED: Las Cruces couple arrested on murder, child abuse charges in neighbor’s stabbing death

The investigation

According to police documents, a witness at the scene of the crash– 850 N. Fairacres Rd.– described seeing a dark blonde-haired woman flee in a black Cadillac Escalade SUV.

Afterwards, investigators said they saw on Flock cameras– A.I. powered license plate readers– a black Cadillac Escalade traveling near the site of the crash minutes before the incident.

READ MORE: Dona Ana County expands Flock license plate cameras as officials cite crime-solving gains

The license plates showed that the vehicle belonged to Skaggs and that, in September 2025, the Las Cruces Police Department had given her a citation for “racing on streets-exhibition driving.”

Investigators stated that a business on Picacho Ave. captured what they alleged was the same black Cadillac Escalade driving fast.

Then, the documents described how investigators tracked down the Escalade using OnStar’s live GPS tracking, discovering the SUV was at a property on the 5000 block of Northwind Road, which investigators said the Dona Ana County Assessors Office confirmed is a property owned by Skaggs.

On Tuesday, at around 6:41 p.m.– over 24 hours after the deadly hit-and-run– investigators executed a search warrant on the property and described finding the black Cadillac Escalade behind a home, under a red metal carport.

Investigators noted damage on the SUV consistent with the crash, highlighting that there was blood splatter near one of the front tires, markings on the front bumper consistent with hitting a bicycle and parts missing, which investigators said were the same parts found at the scene.

Dona Ana County jail records show Skaggs was booked on Wednesday afternoon and remains jailed without a bond.

RECOMMENDED: Noises in an empty Mesilla home led to discovery of burglar naked in bathtub

About Skaggs

On the official website of the Republican Party of New Mexico, Skaggs was listed as the treasurer before she was removed.

KFOX14/CBS4 has reached out to the Republican Party to learn more and are waiting for a comment regarding the arrest.

Also, according to election statistics, Skaggs ran for State Representative in District 36 in 2022 and 2024, losing both times to Democrat Nathan P. Small.

Source link