Home Care In Las Cruces, NM

While deserts are often the first thing that comes to mind when picturing New Mexico, there are stunning waterways that help wildlife and vegetation thrive throughout the state. In southern New Mexico near the city of Las Cruces, an underrated state park offers a desert oasis beside the mighty Rio Grande. Sitting at an elevation of 3,962 feet, Leasburg Dam State Park was established in 1971 for public recreation centered around the diversion dam built in 1908. The park offers breathtaking desert scenery with short hiking trails, a cactus garden full of native life, and a mountain backdrop. While water levels may vary in the Rio Grande, fishing, swimming, and paddling are popular activities when levels are high. Leasburg Dam State Park also boasts a visitor center with exhibits, an observatory, bird and night sky education programs, and a playground. "This is a sweet hidden gem in South Central New Mexico," a visitor said.

Located in Radium Springs, Leasburg Dam State Park is open daily from 6 a.m. to sundown for a small fee. The cooler months from October to April are the best time to visit for birding, while spring and fall are ideal for fishing. Given its proximity to White Sands National Park, Leasburg Dam is a great addition to an outdoor vacation for desert and river fun. Out-of-state travelers flying into the region should book their flight to Las Cruces International Airport, only half an hour from the park. Pets traveling with their owners are allowed throughout the park and for overnight camping stays. The state park supports tent, RV, and trailer camping, but does not offer primitive camping. Those who do not wish to camp can find plenty of nearby hotels and lodging options in Las Cruces.

Camp among cacti in Leasburg Dam State Park

Camping is the best way to soak up the sun and explore everything Leasburg Dam State Park has to offer. The park is home to the Greasewood, Cholla Loop, and Cactus Patch campgrounds. There are 29 individually numbered campsites in the park for tents, RVs, and trailers. Most sites have water and electric hookups, and two are wheelchair-accessible. There is an RV dump station and vault toilets located around the park for comfort and convenience.

"Lovely desert campground," one Google reviewer shared. "Only stayed here one night passing through but the campground was great. There is a trail by the campground that will take you to the Rio Grande with a little swim area. Campground was nearly full but very quiet. Pretty surroundings with the mountains and river." Camping reservations can be made online in advance. If you prefer to stay near White Sands National Park, camping is free in New Mexico's Organ Mountains.

Leasburg Dam State Park has a modest 2.25 miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking. These paths include an interpretive trail and a vibrant cactus garden with a 0.16-mile trail through native desert plants. "The cactus were blooming while we were there and they were stunning. I really appreciate the interpretive signs with the names of plants. There are lots of rabbits there, plenty of picnic tables overlooking the river and a big group campground," a past visitor said. The cactus garden is also a great location for birdwatching. Some of the residents are sparrows, woodpeckers, long-billed curlew, verdin, Wilson's snipe, black phoebe, canyon towhee, rock wren, and ducks. The 1.3-mile Upper and Lower Mogollon Trail is also an excellent loop path for those wanting to explore more of the region's scenery and riverside habitats.

Fish, swim, and paddle on the Rio Grande

The Rio Grande is a thrilling location for water recreation when levels are high enough to support such activities. While motorized boats are not allowed in Leasburg Dam State Park, paddling is welcomed for those with a canoe or kayak, with life jackets being required for all boaters. While it is not as relaxing as soaking in the scenic New Mexico hot springs, swimming is also permitted strictly in the north day-use area. A word of warning, however: Swimmers are not allowed within 150 feet of the Leasburg Dam for their own safety. "The real treat is the Rio Grande's cool running water! It is cool when you get in, but feels nice as you acclimate to it. Most visitors like to wade knee to waist deep in the rapidly moving water," a past visitor shared.

Fishing is another popular activity allowed only in the south day-use and trail area of Leasburg Dam State Park. There is also an ADA fishing site located along the 0.34-mile ADA-accessible Lower Mogollon Trail. "The place was really nice and very clean! Cool place if you want a good fishing spot on the Rio," a reviewer said. Some of the most commonly caught local species on the Rio Grande include bass, catfish, and panfish. Rainbow trout is also occasionally stocked in the park by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish during the cooler months when water conditions are suitable. Some anglers may prefer the slower pace of lake fishing, which can be found less than an hour north in Caballo Lake State Park, New Mexico's underrated state park with boating and beaches. Keep in mind that a New Mexico fishing license is required for anglers age 12 and older, which can be bought online.

AlamogordoTigers6-12

Tuesday, Oct 27, 2026

Organ MountainKnights12-7

Alamogordo Girls Varsity Volleyball @ Organ Mountain

Game Info

The Alamogordo varsity volleyball team has an away conference match @ Organ Mountain (Las Cruces, NM) on Tuesday, October 27 @ 7p.

MatchupRoster

Game Details

Alamogordo Team Videos

3:10

Team Comparison

Alamogordo324

Kills

Organ Mountain (Las Cruces)564

Alamogordo44

Total Blocks

Organ Mountain (Las Cruces)32

Alamogordo103

Serving Aces

Organ Mountain (Las Cruces)175

Alamogordo425

Digs

Organ Mountain (Las Cruces)875

Alamogordo196

Assists

Organ Mountain (Las Cruces)531

Alamogordo702

Receptions

Organ Mountain (Las Cruces)788

Key Players

Avg. Per Game

Khloe Lunar

#5MH/OPP/RS

Kills

79136

Tancee Freeman

#5S

Leslie Haskell

#1MH/OPP/RS

Total Blocks

1617

Brooke Muñoz

#10MH

Azarie Vaughn

#7S/OPP/RS

Serving Aces

2430

Tancee Freeman

#5S

Julianna Johnson

#3DS/L/MB

Digs

74191

Eveny Carreon

#1L/DS

Azarie Vaughn

#7S/OPP/RS

Assists

199257

Gabi Venegas

#13S/DS

Julianna Johnson

#3DS/L/MB

Receptions

146240

Eveny Carreon

#1L/DS

Scoring Averages

Rankings

New Mexico

#85

#22

New Mexico Division 5A

#24

#13

Albuquerque

#75

--

El Paso

--

#10

Season Recap

Overall Record

6-12

12-7

District

0-4

2-2

Non-District

4-6

8-0

Head to Head

0-1

1-0

Home

2-5

7-2

Away

4-5

4-2

Neutral

0-2

1-3

Common Opponent

1-9

6-5

Playoff

0-0

0-0

In-State

6-11

11-5

Out-of-State

0-0

1-2

Win %

.333

.632

District %

.000

.500

SW

19

36

SL

44

29

Common Opponents

Gadsden

0-1

1-0

Roswell

0-1

1-0

Carlsbad

0-1

1-0

Centennial

0-1

0-2

Mayfield

0-1

1-0

Las Cruces

0-1

0-1

Head-to-Head

10/10/2026

0

3

10/27/2026

--

--

Moreno, 19, is a fourth-generation rancher from Hidalgo del Parral, Mexico, about seven hours south of the port of entry, whose family supplies most of Columbus’ cattle imports. The stockyard initially closed in November 2024 due to the threat of the New World screwworm, a parasitic pest largely eradicated from the U.S. decades ago that now poses a significant threat to the state’s livestock industry. As a result, the Morenos’ cattle prices fell by about half, he said.

The newly repainted pens at the U.S.-Mexico border will be full of cattle starting Monday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced at the Columbus Stockyard on Tuesday after meeting with federal officials and agricultural stakeholders in the region.

“It’s been kind of tough,” Moreno said. “We’ve been trying to get to this day for a while.”

For family ranchers like Moreno — some who have been in the business for up to nine generations — the news represents an economic boon.

“We have been trading cattle across this border for more than 100 years, and certainly, this particular port and this family, the Moreno family … is such an important part of the commerce between our two great countries,” said Rollins, outfitted in a U.S. Customs and Border Protection hat.

But its planned reopening also comes amid the continued danger of the New World screwworm — the flies’ larvae burrow into the flesh of warm-blooded creatures such as livestock, pets, wildlife and, in rare cases, people, causing painful and putrid wounds.

The state’s most recent New World screwworm cases were identified Thursday and represent two of the country’s five “active” cases, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s confirmed detection dashboard. Livestock officials established an “infested zone” with a radius of at least 12.4 miles around each of the infected animal’s locations. Within these zones, animals must be inspected and, if necessary, treated before being moved within or out of the area.

Across the border, however, cases are much higher. The federal agriculture agency has identified dozens of cases in Mexican border states of Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas.

The Columbus Stockyard, a USDA-authorized facility, processes Mexican cattle as they enter the United States. Dedicated nutritionists, veterinarians and cattle professionals handle the cattle before trucks arrive to transport the livestock across the country, according to its website.

Operated by the Moreno family, it had just one employee on-site during the nearly two years it was closed to Mexican cattle imports. The closure applied to the ports of entry along the entire Southern border, from Douglas, Ariz., to Santa Teresa, New Mexico.

As a major source of trade and local economic activity, the closure cost the area jobs, cattle sales, trucking, customs brokerage and hay and grain sales, while also affecting feedlots and meatpackers further north, according to state officials.

While the ports were shuttered, the 1.5 million head of cattle that cross to the U.S. each year were not able to enter, “a significant challenge to the beef supply for America,” Rollins said.

With Mexican cattle imports blocked, U.S. ground beef prices have hit all-time highs this year.

Rollins said the port’s temporary closure allowed for added precautions: strengthened surveillance, the release of more than 1.5 billion sterile screwworm flies from a dispersal facility in Southern Texas — which can’t produce the harmful larvae — and four levels of inspection upon crossing the border. Rollins said additional sterile fly dispersal facilities will open in the spring.

The increased inspections will now slow down imports, Moreno said. Historically, the port’s volume was 1,800 cattle per day, but starting Monday, they will see more like 1,000 cattle cross daily. The rate could increase depending how inspections go, he added.

While the port was closed, family ranchers were not the only ones to suffer economically, Gerardo Fierro, executive director of the New Mexico Border Authority, said Tuesday.

Fierro estimated a $2 billion loss in cattle and other trade value during the two years the port was closed, and about $2 million in lost New Mexico fuel-tax revenue due to decreased truck activity.

He said Columbus and Deming depend on the reopening for their local economy.

“Cattle growers from Mexico … spend some of those dollars they get from the cattle on the community, on food, hotels, or supplies for the ranch,” Fierro said. “It’ll open several jobs here, direct and indirect.”

Rollins tied the reopening to the Trump administration’s “America First” approach.

“If we cannot feed ourselves, there will be no American dream,” Rollins said Tuesday. “If we cannot produce our own food in this country, there will no longer be freedom and liberty.”

Equine imports from Mexico also will resume through Santa Teresa Monday, Rollins said, with quarantine required on the U.S. side. Since its reopening on Sept. 17, Santa Teresa has brought in around 1,000 cattle each day. Nogales, Ariz., is the next port of entry set for a reopening Nov. 30, Rollins added.

The USDA also said Tuesday it will start issuing a new regional cash cattle price report Monday, covering five states including New Mexico, to address transparency concerns as negotiated cash trade has dwindled to under 18% of sales.

Tom Paterson, president of the New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association, was not too concerned about the recent New Mexico cases of New World screwworm.

“Look around. It’s a beautiful day in southern New Mexico, but it could have been a horrible day if instead of having two active cases of New World screwworm in New Mexico, we were flooded the way the secretary suggested happened in Texas back in the ’70s,” Paterson said Tuesday, referring to Rollins’ assertion that five active cases is a “remarkable achievement,” compared to the 90,000 active cases of the parasite in Texas in 1972.

With the four levels of inspection, the port will bring through the “safest cattle,” Paterson added.

“I don’t expect that these will be our last cases,” Dr. Samantha Holeck, state veterinarian with the New Mexico Livestock Board, said Tuesday, explaining that officials had about a year’s notice before the fly reached U.S. soil — it naturally migrates north, giving them extra time to prepare.

Still, “It is a really tough thing to balance regulatory decisions with the welfare and support for the industry because we’re trying to stay ahead of a disease or pest,” Holeck added. “This is something that we’re going to be dealing with for a while. But as I’ve told our producers, this is not anything to panic over.”

Staff writer Margaret O’Hara contributed to this report. Julia Gentin is a reporter for The Las Cruces New Mexican, The Santa Fe New Mexican and Searchlight New Mexico through a partnership with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. She covers the Southern New Mexico region. Learn more about Report for America at reportforamerica.org.

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) — The New Mexico State University has received a multi-million-dollar grant to study possible geothermal energy sources in Las Cruces.

NMSU announced that, recently, the New Mexico Energy Conservation and Management Division (ECAM) awarded a total of $17.3 million in grants to four projects to harness geothermal energy; NMSU got $2.85 million of those funds to find sources of geothermal energy in Las Cruces.

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In case you're wondering what geothermal energy is, an NMSU press release breaks it down in simple terms so we can all understand:

Think of the Earth as a giant, natural slow cooker. Deep underground, the Earth's mantle and crust generate about 47 Terawatts of energy – an immense amount of heat. Geothermal energy can be tapped from the upper layers of the Earth and converted into domestic or industrial energy.

This project will allow the department to acquire equipment that will be used to study the ground in Las Cruces and produce a 3D model which can show what areas can be sources of geothermal energy.

According to NMSU, the team will also team up with industries in the area to look at potential internships or a pipeline to create future employment opportunities for students.

"We want to minimize risk and maximize the science,” said Eric Ferré, NMSU geological sciences department head, professor and principal investigator for the grant. "We structured the project as both scientifically driven, and from an industrial viewpoint in the sense that every step of the project, we have three main phases to the project. We are starting with things that are low cost, low investment. Then for the second phase, we’re going into something more expensive to do, essentially snowballing into a project that hopefully will culminate with a pilot drill hole near the NMSU campus."

For more information, visit NMSU's newsroom.

Las Cruces shouldn’t be like this. Last week, I was driving down Main Street by Albertson’s at lunch time and there was a guy stumbling down the sidewalk. I looked to see what was going on and made the mistake of making eye contact.

He was talking to himself and obviously either drunk or on drugs. He got mad that I looked at him and started gesticulating and yelling at me. I was stuck in traffic and couldn’t go anywhere, while he continued to gesture and yell at me.

I was worried he was going to pick up a rock and throw it through my car window.

That happens, especially in downtown Las Cruces. It’s so bad that the city even removed the rocks from around the trees in the downtown mall, to stop homeless guys from throwing rocks through the windows. Anyway, I finally got out of the Main Street traffic, but it shouldn’t be like this.

Then last Saturday, my teen daughter and I were at game night with some friends. The word “messy” came up in a game, and the next thing I knew, all the moms and daughters were talking about how messed up Las Cruces is now. One of my friends shared that she and her kids had to clean up a big, nasty mess left by homeless men outside her husband’s business in downtown Las Cruces. One of the teen girls wants to carry pepper spray for protection because she’s worried about being attacked by one of the homeless vagrants in the downtown mall at night.

Another mom said she’s scared to take her kids to the library now, because there was a homeless guy there who was screaming in her face and going ballistic in the parking lot, for no reason at all. We all talked about how the area on Lohman near Best Buy and Sprout’s is especially dangerous because of so many vagrants hanging out there. There are big areas of town where safety is such a concern that we don’t want our daughters to apply for jobs at any of the businesses there.

And then there is the issue of public parks, which aren’t safe for families because of vagrants camping on playgrounds, drug paraphernalia (such as needles and drug-use foil), and open drug use (including cannabis, which is illegal to use in public places). This has gotten so bad that many moms are scared to take their kids to play at the parks now, especially in certain parts of town.

Meanwhile, millions of our tax dollars are funneled into homeless support such that Las Cruces is turning into a magnet for homeless people from around the country. The most recent point-in-time count of homeless people in New Mexico found that over 1/3 are from out of state.

The City of Las Cruces spends millions to build homeless housing, yet their “Housing First” approach has already been shown to be a danger to the neighborhood surrounding the Desert Hope apartments on Pecos and Foster. Clearly, the millions of dollars being spent are not resulting in fewer dangerous vagrants on our streets. Many of these vagrants are repeat offenders who have long arrest records for violent crimes, yet they are continually allowed back out onto the streets. Their mental health and drug addiction problems aren’t being addressed properly, so the cycle continues on and on.

Enough is enough. Moms and Dads of Las Cruces: please share your stories by posting videos with the tag #FixLasCruces. The City is also running a priorities survey right now, so you can tell city council to make public safety the top priority here: https://tinyurl.com/CLCpriorities

Sarah Smith co-leads the New Mexico Freedoms Alliance, a non-partisan statewide grassroots coalition. As a mother of two teens, she advocates for medical freedom, better education, and a safer community. Sarah also organizes a homeschool group for 125+ families, is a natural healthcare practitioner, and is a former NASA aerospace engineer. Sarah can be reached at .