Jim Romenesko

LC Sun-News managing editor steps down as layoffs hit paper again

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The managing editor of southern New Mexico’s largest newspaper announced her resignation, the newspaper said Wednesday. It comes even as more jobs were lost at the paper. Sylvia Ulloa was the managing editor of the Las Cruces Sun-News since 2013. In speaking to the Sun-News, she called it her “sincere honor” to hold the position at the paper. “I know they will continue to contribute to the well-being of Las Cruces and Doña Ana County with their watchdog stories and delight readers with great articles, photos and videos about people in our community,” the paper quoted Ulloa as saying.

Elections

Big PAC spending in Las Cruces elections gets national attention

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The big spending by a political action committee in the recent Las Cruces elections is receiving national attention. USA Today cited the spending by GOAL WestPAC in trying to defeat incumbent mayor Ken Miyagishima as one way that money is increasingly flooding into local elections. In New Mexico, the focus of the Goal WestPAC is “the economic and business climate” in the state, said Mark Murphy, the PAC’s chairman and president of Strata Production, an oil-and-gas exploration company in Roswell, N.M., about 180 miles northeast of Las Cruces. Murphy and his company also have donated $35,000 to the super PAC, records show. PAC officials decided to target Miyagishima and city politicians over what Murphy called a “history of overregulation and taxation,” including support for a 2013 gross receipts tax.

News

Council votes mean no recalls against Las Cruces city councilors

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Votes by the Las Cruces City Council during Monday’s meeting assured that three members of the council will not be facing recall elections. For now, at least. The Las Cruces Sun-News reported that in three separate votes, the Las Cruces city council voted 4-1 to certify a ruling by the former city clerk that recall petitions against three of the Las Cruces city councilors did not have enough valid signatures to move forward with a recall election. The three councilors, Gill Sorg, Olga Pedroza and Nathan Small, each abstained from the votes pertaining directly to them, but each voted to certify the clerk’s ruling on the other two cases. Councilor Miguel Silva abstained from voting on any of the resolutions and Carl Levitano voted against certifying the petitions.

Uncategorized

Gannett acquires several NM papers

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A handful newspapers in New Mexico and Texas, including the Las Cruces Sun-News and the Farmington Daily Times, will now be run by Gannett. The Sun-News reported on the sale, which includes seven newspapers in New Mexico, one in Texas and four in Pennsylvania. The newspapers were previously operated by Digital First Media, with Gannett holding a minority stake. “We are very pleased to welcome these well-respected media organizations to U.S. Community Publishing as we further our efforts to expand our reach as the best local media company in America for consumers and businesses,” Robert Dickey, president of U.S. Community Publishing and CEO-designate of Gannett “SpinCo,” said in a statement. Gannett runs dozens of newspapers throughout the country, including the USA Today. USA Today is the third-largest newspaper by circulation.