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Sunspot Faces Sunset

Friends of the Observatory are urging federal officials to pause demolition plans, arguing the campus still holds major value for science, tourism, and education
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Looking to Grow, Connect, and Give Back? Join Leadership Cloudcroft.
Applications are now open for Leadership Cloudcroft 2026—and we'd love for you to be part of it. Applications are due May 27.
 • Reader Staff
Making Headway: Books, Budget, Courts, Tourism, Hires, Sunspot
Cloudcroft Council clears a packed May agenda as clerk targets December for full state compliance
 • Hannah Dean
Bluff Springs' Road to Recovery: An Update
Deputy Forest Supervisor Amanda Ginithan weighs in nearly a year after Lincoln National Forest closures due to illegal off-highway vehicle (OHV) damage…
 • Hannah Dean
Game On: Pickleball Finds a Home in Cloudcroft
A once-empty court has grown into organized play, clinics, tournaments, school instruction, and a draw for visitors
 • Hannah Dean and Chris Hearne
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
Water Coverage
Dive into our years-long reporting of Cloudcroft's water woes
 • Chris Hearne
Video Round Up: Mescalero HS Projects; I-10 Dust Storms; Sacramento Mt. Musuem
PBS visits Mescalero High Schoolers who create wildfire and flood sensors. Jonny Coker reports from the Lordsburg Playa. Vivian Willett features the…
 • Reader Staff
5:54
Deadly Dust Storms Burden Arizona-New Mexico Interstate Corridor
I-10 dust storms have claimed more than 50 lives over the last 40 years. While state and federal agencies have taken notice, the burden of emergency…
 • Jonny Coker
About Cloudcroft Reader: Coverage, Sources, and Key Sections
The voice of the mountain. The most-widely read publication in the Scaramento Mountains
 • Reader Staff
Down to the Brass Tacks: Cloudcroft’s FY 2026–27 Budget Workshops
Due by the end of May, the council and Clerk Jini Turri mapped out the village's projected revenues and expenditures for the upcoming year. Plus, a new…
 • 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…
Trout Warriors: Finding Peace in the Rio Peñasco
A fly fishing program to heal disabled veterans. Four vets made their first trip to the Sacramentos to fish the Rio Peñasco, invited by Susan Maynard…
 • 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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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
Ruidoso Fire Believed 'Intentional'
Cloudcroft Mayor says Cloudcroft stands by to help Ruidoso however possible and is working to prepare the Village if ever such an event occurs here.
 • Hannah Dean and Chris Hearne

#lodging

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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
The Lodge at Cloudcroft: A Century-Old Icon's Renaissance
Owner Joe Duncan shares the journey of restoring a mountain gem.
 • Chris Hearne

#water

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Water Coverage
Dive into our years-long reporting of Cloudcroft's water woes
 • Chris Hearne
Failing WWTP; Meet Greg Crinklaw and Scott Powell; Spring Updates, and More
Follow the story with the Reader, the Voice of the Mountain.
 • Reader Staff
The Man, The Operations Manual
Scott Powell has spent more than 30 years keeping Cloudcroft's wastewater treatment plant running. He retires at the end of this year
 • Hannah Dean
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
Council Hires Familiar Face for Second Police Officer. Plus, Higher Trash Rates and a Fiscal Roadmap Update
The Village Council worked through a full agenda, unanimously approving several items, including a new police hire, rate adjustments, grant…
 • Hannah Dean
Last Night's Village Meeting; Pineywoods Update; Meet Robin Faux, and More
Follow the story with the Reader, the Voice of the Mountain.
 • Reader Staff
Cloudcroft Stops Hauling Water: Plus, Key Takeaways from Last Night’s Meeting
Council also approves $738K equipment grant, $47K in lodgers tax funding to the Chamber of Commerce, employee raises, and begins planning for wastewater…
 • Hannah Dean
He Fell Waist-Deep Into a Hole. That's How Pineywoods Estates Residents in High Rolls Found Their Water Leak.
The Sacramento Mountains community faced a water crisis during heavy snowfall. Some residents have had service restored, with a boil advisory in effect…
 • Hannah Dean

#fire

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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
Cloudcroft Firefighter Takes Antarctica Assignment
Harry Crinklaw will spend eight months at McMurdo Station
 • Hannah Dean
Bark Beetle Population Surge Challenges Forest Management
Pine trees in Otero and Lincoln counties are experiencing heightened bark beetle activity following last year's Salt and South Fork fires, prompting…
 • Hannah Dean

#school

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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
Basketball and Bonfires: A Cloudcroft December Weekend
Photos of the Mountain Top Tournament and annual winter Ullr Fest at the ice rink
 • Hannah Dean
Wiklund Talks Ice Rink; Your Council-Elect; Phone-Free School; Veterans Day; Cool Investment in Cloudcroft, and More
Every trail tells a story. Stay informed with the Reader, the Voice of the Mountain.
 • Reader Staff
7:47
Phone-free Classrooms in Cloudcroft
Cloudcroft Middle School saw a sharp rise in academic proficiency after locking away phones. Educators and researchers are watching to see if the…
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

#villageCouncil

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Making Headway: Books, Budget, Courts, Tourism, Hires, Sunspot
Cloudcroft Council clears a packed May agenda as clerk targets December for full state compliance
 • Hannah Dean
Down to the Brass Tacks: Cloudcroft’s FY 2026–27 Budget Workshops
Due by the end of May, the council and Clerk Jini Turri mapped out the village's projected revenues and expenditures for the upcoming year. Plus, a new…
 • Hannah Dean
Department Heads Make Their Case at Cloudcroft’s Budget Workshop
The Village met Tuesday, April 28, for the first of several planned public budget workshops ahead of the July 1 fiscal year start — and department heads…
 • Hannah Dean
Failing WWTP; Meet Greg Crinklaw and Scott Powell; Spring Updates, and More
Follow the story with the Reader, the Voice of the Mountain.
 • Reader Staff
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
Council Hires Familiar Face for Second Police Officer. Plus, Higher Trash Rates and a Fiscal Roadmap Update
The Village Council worked through a full agenda, unanimously approving several items, including a new police hire, rate adjustments, grant…
 • Hannah Dean
Former Cloudcroft Mayor Michael Nivison Dies at Age 82
Nivison’s family, his brother Randy, and his widow Roxanne, share his story with the Reader
 • Hannah Dean
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