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New ‘Ice Age Trail’ at White Sands: Footprints Show Humans Among Giants

A child’s footprint beside a mammoth: prehistoric trackways at White Sands National Park keep human touch visible across millennia. Replica prints along a recently unveiled trail tell their story
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Otero County Election: Voters Reject Tax, GOP Holds Commission Seats
Glidden and Emery win commission seats as a 0.125% economic development tax fails nearly 2-to-1; statewide, Haaland wins the governor’s race.
 • Hannah Dean
USDA Releases Sterile Flies After Otero County Screwworm Case
Otero County has 2 confirmed cases.
 • Hannah Dean
Venetian in the Village: Bob Shepherd's Artist Journey
A former Wrangler jeans sales executive, now an artist and instructor, Bob Shepherd teaches masters’ methods in the mountains as part of a short-term…
 • Hannah Dean
Before the Mercury Spill, Sunspot’s Demolition Was Already Planned
NSF records show teardown has been its fallback plan since 2019
 • Hilary Kitzman and Hannah Dean
Screwworm Confirmed in Otero County Cow
Two cases border Otero County in Hudspeth County, Texas, as of October 23. USDA advises checking livestock for infected wounds.
 • Hannah Dean
Under the Influencer: The Waterfall Trail That Isn’t
How social media turned a waterfall near the Tunnel Vista into a public safety problem
Cloudcroft Schools Report Card 2025-26
All three Cloudcroft schools--Elementary, Middle, and High School-- earn the state’s top rating and Spotlight tier on the ‘25-’26 New Mexico Vists…
 • Hannah Dean
Enduring Spirit: The Legacy of Kira’s Angel Tree
The Kira Angel Tree project is a growing tribute to Kira Davis, who passed away in 2022 at the age of 30. Founded by her family, the project uplifts…
 • Hannah Dean
VIDEO: Producer Jim Burleson Unwraps the Village’s Big-Screen Secrets
The film industry camped out at Cloudcroft to film an action-thriller movie in September and October
Cloudcroft Honors Jody Mancillas, Funds Wastewater Fix
A day honoring Jody Mancillas, an $800k Wastewater Treatment Plant spend, critical board vacancies filled, and more from the Tuesday, October 13…
 • Hannah Dean
A Push to Keep Moving: Council Commits $800,000 to Keep Wastewater Plant Running
Trustees voted unanimously to buy four new membrane cassettes and rebuild their basin, a stopgap to keep the plant running while the village chases…
 • Hannah Dean
School Smarts: How Cloudcroft Is Navigating the A.I. Era
How Cloudcroft's schools are writing — and testing — the rules for a technology Superintendent Jocelyne Gillespie says is moving "almost like a speeding…
 • Hannah Dean
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Cloudcroft Reader
Cloudcroft Reader
The voice of the mountain. The most widely read publication serving the greater Cloudcroft community. Subscribe for free to receive our reporting.
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#top

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Cloudcroft Summer: 2026 Field Guide
What's going on in and around the village? Get in the know with the Reader's top picks.
 • Hannah Dean
Rear View: Top 2025 Stories
With this year in the rear-view mirror, what stories did Readers, well...read? Plus, the Reader team makes our picks.
 • Hannah Dean and Chris Hearne
Wiley Wins Mayor Race; CHS Cross Country Goes to State; Prescribed Fire; FY24 VoC Audit Results, and More
Every trail tells a story. Stay informed with the Reader, the Voice of the Mountain.
 • Reader Staff
Cloudcroft Woman Arrested in Wichita County, Texas on Murder Charges
Deana Thetford was booked into the Wichita County Jail on charges of murder and tampering with evidence
 • Hannah Dean and Drew Gaines
Two Sides of a Soured Deal: Defense Responds to Allegations in Apple Barn Lawsuit and Makes Some of Their Own
With new court filings and a judge’s receivership decision, we revisit the Old Apple Barn Lawsuit to hear what the defense has to say
 • Chris Hearne and Drew Gaines
Workshopping Cloudcroft's Water Challenges
The Village of Cloudcroft Council meets with CDM Smith engineering firm, Public Works, and concerned citizens to discuss water issues
 • Hannah Dean
54:17
Cloudcroft's Murky Accounting
Village administration discovers it's been living in a financial fog
 • Hannah Dean and Chris Hearne
Cloudcroft's Fire Chief Shares Village Emergency Alert Plan
As the South Fork and Salt Fires burn to our North, and thousands of people remain evacuated, Fire and EMS Chief Wuersching reminds Cloudcroft Village…
 • Hannah Dean and Chris Hearne

#lodging

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Hotel Cloudcroft Opens After Seven Years of Renovations: First-Look Photos
After years behind closed doors, Hotel Cloudcroft hopes to open up this Labor Day. Take a tour with this photo essay
 • Hannah Dean and Chris Hearne
9:41
VIDEO * A Kitchen Reborn: One Chef’s Mission to Restore Fine Dining at The Lodge — and Train Who Comes Next
Fresh fare, elbow grease and ghost busting: How Chef Richard Lepree resurrects an iconic restaurant
 • Drew Gaines
What's Out There? Sacramento Camp & Conference Center
Take a look at the secluded haven in Sacramento, New Mexico, with the Reader
 • Hannah Dean
Village News: Lodger’s Tax and P+Z Meetings, Interim Budget
The Lodger's Tax funding ask, P+Z open seat, and the Village gets the interim budget in on time.
 • Hannah Dean
Hotel Cloudcroft on Burro ‘Closer to Opening’: Water Pressure Test Truck-In Scheduled at ‘No Cost to Village’
The newly remodeled hotel plans to open soon after passing tests and inspections, date TBA.
 • Hannah Dean
Cloudcroft Village Trustee Gail McCoy Shares Her Journey
Trustee, fitness instructor, B&B owner, and great-grandma Gail McCoy sits down with Cloudcroft Reader Senior Editor Hannah Dean to share her life story…
 • Hannah Dean
Cloudcroft Reader’s Lodging Guide: Part Two
Meet the owners, take a video tour, and plan your stay on the mountain with part two of our user-friendly guide.
 • Drew Gaines
Rebecca's Final Chapter
Ghost of Rebecca will no longer haunt fine dining at The Lodge as Cloudcroft resort rebrands its showcase restaurant, introduces new menu
 • Drew Gaines

#people

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Venetian in the Village: Bob Shepherd's Artist Journey
A former Wrangler jeans sales executive, now an artist and instructor, Bob Shepherd teaches masters’ methods in the mountains as part of a short-term…
 • Hannah Dean
Enduring Spirit: The Legacy of Kira’s Angel Tree
The Kira Angel Tree project is a growing tribute to Kira Davis, who passed away in 2022 at the age of 30. Founded by her family, the project uplifts…
 • Hannah Dean
VIDEO: The Fright Stuff; Pioneer Village Comes Alive
Step into Cloudcroft’s past with The Sacramento Mountains Museum and the Haunted Village transformation that raises the dead--and funds--for the museum
Mountain Girl, Ocean Heart: Bryanna Bradshaw Pursues Marine Biology
Cloudcroft’s own Bryanna Bradshaw set out for Florida, where she’s about to enter her junior year at college. This summer, she rescued sea turtles as…
 • Hannah Dean
Skate Expectations: Longer Rink Season Comes to Cloudcroft
With a 20-year lease, the Hermans look to turn Zenith Park’s ice rink into a six months a year skating and hockey mecca for the desert Southwest
 • Hannah Dean
Lisa Adams Retires after 25 Years at Cloudcroft’s Allsup’s
After decades behind the counter at the village’s station, Lisa Adams retires having turned a gas station job into a community anchor
 • Jonny Coker
Your Favorite Little Outdoor Store Turns 30
High Altitude has been getting Cloudcroft outside since 1996. Here’s how a 200-square-foot bike shop became a Burro Avenue institution.
 • Hannah Dean
VIDEO: A Second Life for Farm Animals: Little J Ranch
At a rescue ranch east of Cloudcroft, a family, with the help of volunteers, has built the Sacramento Mountains' only farm animal sanctuary, one rescue…
 • Jonny Coker

#water

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A Push to Keep Moving: Council Commits $800,000 to Keep Wastewater Plant Running
Trustees voted unanimously to buy four new membrane cassettes and rebuild their basin, a stopgap to keep the plant running while the village chases…
 • Hannah Dean
Tick, Tock: Cloudcroft’s On the Clock for Wastewater Plant Funding
The WWTP needs more funding than the village can afford. Plus: The FY 24-25 audit report, water restrictions, critical library funding at risk, and more…
 • Hannah Dean
Water Decades in the Making: Inside Cloudcroft’s Wells and Springs
This field report dives into current wells, springs, and water collection system for Cloudcroft
 • Hannah Dean
Wastewater Treatment Plant Number One: Council Sets Five-Year Infrastructure Funding List
The council planned what Cloudcroft projects need outside financial help, and ranked each project by urgency and its odds of landing funding
 • Hannah Dean
Boil Advisories, Costs, Aging System: Timberon’s Water District Woes
Boil advisories, broken pipes, and financial burdens strain the unincorporated community 31 miles south of Cloudcroft
 • Jonny Coker
Village of Cloudcroft Releases Annual Water Quality Report
Required and relevant, here's the local Consumer Confidence Report
 • Reader Staff
Council Approves Water Rate COL Hike, Dormant Solar Panels Begin Paying Off
Highway closed during meeting due to vehicle fire. Village increases water rates 3.3% across the board, eyes tiered rate structure, finds electric…
 • Hannah Dean
Water Coverage
Dive into our years-long reporting of Cloudcroft's water woes
 • Chris Hearne

#fire

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Erosion, Access, and Fire Risk: Inside the Toboggan Canyon Vegetation Project
Years of wash-out in the canyon below the village have triggered a larger push to protect the transmission line that powers the Sacramento Mountains…
 • Hannah Dean
Council Approves Water Rate COL Hike, Dormant Solar Panels Begin Paying Off
Highway closed during meeting due to vehicle fire. Village increases water rates 3.3% across the board, eyes tiered rate structure, finds electric…
 • Hannah Dean
Seven Cabins Fire Grows; Local First Responders Plan to Honor Flight Nurse Killed in Crash
Seven Cabins Fire blaze grows to 16,443 acres; Sarah Clark is among four killed in a med-plane crash that sparked the wildfire. Local law enforcement…
 • Jonny Coker
Fire Restrictions; Rain; Cloudy's; Easter, and More
Follow the story with the Reader, the Voice of the Mountain.
 • Reader Staff
Making Firefighters; Unmasked: Fugitive Arrested in Cloudcroft; New Rules for Shed Hunting, and More
Follow the story with the Reader, the Voice of the Mountain.
 • Reader Staff
Where Firefighters Are Made: Sacramento Mountains Wildfire Academy
Cloudcroft Fire Department Volunteer Hilary Kitzman and SMWA graduate Dakota Moon give an inside look at the Academy
Village Meeting Recap; Insider Look: 1899; Pickleball Court Repairs; FireWise, and More
Follow the story with the Reader, the Voice of the Mountain.
 • Reader Staff
Village Approves Returning PD Hire; Fire Risk Moved to HIGH; Egg Hunt Announced, and More
Follow the story with the Reader, the Voice of the Mountain.
 • Reader Staff

#school

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Cloudcroft Schools Report Card 2025-26
All three Cloudcroft schools--Elementary, Middle, and High School-- earn the state’s top rating and Spotlight tier on the ‘25-’26 New Mexico Vists…
 • Hannah Dean
School Smarts: How Cloudcroft Is Navigating the A.I. Era
How Cloudcroft's schools are writing — and testing — the rules for a technology Superintendent Jocelyne Gillespie says is moving "almost like a speeding…
 • Hannah Dean
VIDEO: A Garden, and Students, Grow at Cloudcroft Schools
Rachel Alm stretched a state wellness grant into a four-week summer program where kids build, plant, water, and grow together
 • Jonny Coker
Cloudcroft Schools' June Board Meeting: Balanced Budget
Cloudcroft Municipal Schools approved a $10 million budget for 2026-27, directing the majority of spending toward classrooms and students despite rising…
 • Hannah Dean
Real-World Impact: Senior Capstones
Cloudcroft High School Seniors recently presented their work--organizing blood draws, community projects, archives, and more. CHS Junior and Mountain…
Taking Aim: Cloudcroft Schools Launch New Archery Program
NM Game & Fish Officer Anthony Chavez introduces NASP-- the National Archery in the Schools Program--to Cloudcroft
 • Hannah Dean
Sunspot Closed Indefinitely; Bears Continue in Playoffs; Crinklaw in Antarctica; Meet Beth Merrell, and More
Follow the story with the Reader, the Voice of the Mountain.
 • Reader Staff
Cloudcroft’s December School Board Meeting: Takeaways
What'd you miss at last night's Board of Education meeting?
 • Hannah Dean

#villageCouncil

View all
Cloudcroft Honors Jody Mancillas, Funds Wastewater Fix
A day honoring Jody Mancillas, an $800k Wastewater Treatment Plant spend, critical board vacancies filled, and more from the Tuesday, October 13…
 • Hannah Dean
A Push to Keep Moving: Council Commits $800,000 to Keep Wastewater Plant Running
Trustees voted unanimously to buy four new membrane cassettes and rebuild their basin, a stopgap to keep the plant running while the village chases…
 • Hannah Dean
Council Pay, Hotel Bar and Public Works Staffing at Special Village Meeting
The council voted to pay the next elected governing body, approved an off-site liquor license at the Grand Cloudcroft Hotel bar, amended the ice rink…
 • Hannah Dean
Tick, Tock: Cloudcroft’s On the Clock for Wastewater Plant Funding
The WWTP needs more funding than the village can afford. Plus: The FY 24-25 audit report, water restrictions, critical library funding at risk, and more…
 • Hannah Dean
Village Council Update: Helicopter Work Starts Soon, Grants Lock In, Board Seats Open
The big picture: Wildfire mitigation, public safety resource share, board appointments and openings, new hire, and the budget
 • Hannah Dean
Board Openings, Police Updates, and More at a Full Village Meeting
Hires, promotions, a new Planning and Zoning Clerk/Code Enforcement Officer position, plus, at the July 14 Cloudcroft Village Council meeting
 • Hannah Dean
Wastewater Treatment Plant Number One: Council Sets Five-Year Infrastructure Funding List
The council planned what Cloudcroft projects need outside financial help, and ranked each project by urgency and its odds of landing funding
 • Hannah Dean
Council Approves Water Rate COL Hike, Dormant Solar Panels Begin Paying Off
Highway closed during meeting due to vehicle fire. Village increases water rates 3.3% across the board, eyes tiered rate structure, finds electric…
 • Hannah Dean
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