THE REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK

Akela casino, officer identified and remembering a cowboy

Damien D. Willis
Las Cruces Sun-News
A sign heralds the future opening of Chiricahua Plaza in Akela, N.M. on Tuesday, June 28, 2022. In the background, construction proceeds on an expanded retail and service center owned by the Fort Sill Apache tribe.

Fort Sill Apache present Luna County casino plans

A legal representative of the Fort Sill Apache tribe seemed pleasantly surprised by the prevailing mood at a public scoping meeting last week for a proposed gaming facility and other developments on a patch of land in Luna County.

The tribe currently operates Apache Homelands, a restaurant, cigarette shop and convenience store with a museum next to a pecan orchard alongside Interstate 10 in Akela, 20 miles east of Deming.

Construction has been underway since last fall on an expanded retail facility that will offer shower and laundry facilities, electric vehicle charging stations and expanded retail operations. The project, branded Chiricahua Plaza, is nearly 10,000 square feet in size and is anticipated to be completed late in 2022.

Tuesday's event was a scoping meeting to present plans for future developments and solicit public input as part of an approval process for gaming facilities that requires sign-offs from the U.S. interior secretary and New Mexico's governor. The proposed developments include a gaming facility within the existing building that will feature up to 100 Class II slot machines, parking facilities that will accommodate RVs and trucks, enhanced tribal offices and cultural facilities.

Las Cruces Sun-News reporter Algernon D'Ammassa was there.

If you're driving by the Akela Flats service station on Interstate 10 between Deming and Las Cruces, you'll likely see a small building with the sign "Apache Homelands." This is a small business catering to motorists run by the Fort Sill Apache tribe.

Although their government is based in Oklahoma, they are establishing their reservation in Akela because they are federally recognized descendants of two Apache bands that once lived in the area.

They have also been seeking to establish an economic base here. Right now, construction is underway on an expanded plaza offering services for truckers. In their next phase, they hope to offer Class II slot machines, and this public meeting was part of the process. Tribe representatives seemed surprised when no one showed up in Deming to speak in opposition.

BMX riders enjoy the new BMX Pump Track during its grand opening at the Delores C. Wright Community Center in Chaparral on Thursday, June 30, 2022.

First BMX pump track in southern New Mexico opens in Chaparral

Southern New Mexico's first BMX Pump Track had its grand opening Thursday.

Occupying about one acre outside the Dolores C. Wright Community Center in Chaparral, the asphalt track is laid out on dirt hills with no straightaways. Bike riders generate enough momentum on the downslopes to crest hills and go around steep corners without pedaling.

The track is intended for children ages 4-14 but is open to anyone. The community is welcome to bring their own bikes, skateboards and roller-skates to the track but no motorized bikes or motorized skateboards will be allowed.

Sun-News reporter Annya Loya and photojournalist Meg Potter traveled to Chaparral to cover the grand opening. Annya said:

When I arrived to the Dolores C. Wright park in Chaparral for the new BMX pump track grand opening I realized two things. One: never wear all black to a summer outdoor event in Chaparral. That’s how you almost die of heatstroke. And two, I should have brought my own bike. Being almost 100-degree weather was a challenge, but it paid off when multiple families joined and let their kids enjoy the new track. The children of all ages wasted no time; the moment the track was inaugurated, they dived in — which made me glad, since that was the whole point of the track: to give the kids a new recreational activity, and to bring the community together.  

And especially, after the pandemic when lots of kids weren’t able to enjoy the outdoors or other kids’ presence, seeing all come together was great.  After my first visit to Chaparral, I acquired two important pieces of knowledge: they have a great bike track, and the community is amazing.

These two photos depict Jared Cosper, the LCPD officer who fatally shot Amelia Baca on April 16, 2022. The photo on the left was promotional material by LCPD in 2021. The picture on the right is a screen grab from an officer's body camera immediately after Cosper shot Baca.

Documents, sources confirm identity of officer who killed Amelia Baca

A video produced in May by the City of Las Cruces claimed that the officer who fatally shot 75-year-old Amelia Baca had 70 hours of crisis intervention training. However, documents obtained by the Sun-News indicate the officer had 40 hours of training, completed about five years ago.

When the Sun-News asked the City of Las Cruces and the Las Cruces Police Department to clarify the discrepancy and to confirm that patrol officer Jared Cosper, 35, was the shooter, the city declined to comment.

"We do not comment on incidents that are pending litigation," a city spokesperson said in an email.

Sun-News investigation, which independently confirmed the officer's identity, also revealed that Cosper worked a double shift the day before the shooting and had picked up four demerits, including one less than two months before the shooting on April 16.

The Sun-News reached Cosper via phone on June 24. He declined to comment.

Three sources familiar with the matter, documents obtained via public records requests, and a body camera video confirm Cosper was the officer who fatally shot Baca on April 16.

Sun-News public safety reporter Justin Garcia has been covering this story from the beginning. Justin described his relentless pursuit of the documents at the heart of his reporting:

Like a religion of the practices of a cult, journalism contains many euphemisms and expressions used to contain complex ideas. One that matters greatly to me was expressed by a man who inspired me to become a journalist in the first place. The quote is attributed to George Orwell and reads, "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want published; everything else is public relations." 

I do fully believe that many people did not want the story about Jared Cosper published. Generally, institutions resist transparency and resist order. They much prefer to handle all matters "internally" to give greater leeway to decision-makers. But this is exactly why you needed to know Cosper's name and record. Like all public servants, he serves you. You deserve to know what he's done and what's happening in the investigation as much as you deserve food and shelter. 

Las Cruces City Manager Ifo Pili speaks during the Faith for the Unhoused meeting at Las Cruces City Hall on Thursday, June 30, 2022.

Lift Up Las Cruces

City Manager Ifo Pili last week announced an ambitious new initiative for alleviating poverty will launch in a month.

The city manager’s comments came during a meeting of faith leaders on homelessness hosted by District 4 Las Cruces City Councilor Johana Bencomo on Thursday. Pili spoke about the new poverty-fighting program, called Lift Up Las Cruces.

Pili said the city plans to hold a "kickoff" event July 30 in the area targeted by the program.

The city's Fiscal Year 2023 budget includes an allocation of $278,000 out of the city's Telshor Facility Fund, a reserve fund meant to assist the city's low-income and sick residents, toward the Lift Up Las Cruces program. Pili also said the city has applied for federal funding to help finance the program.

Nearly one in four Las Cruces residents live in poverty, according to 2020 American Community Survey estimates.

Reporter Michael McDevitt, who covers city and county government for the Sun-News, attended the meeting. Michael said:

While I’ve been hearing references to the Lift Up Las Cruces program for months now, these were definitely the most specific remarks I’ve heard about the endeavor.

While I knew before that the program sought to use overlapping data sets — crime, infrastructure needs and poverty rate — to pinpoint an area of focus, this was the first time I’ve heard the specific area the city will target. I also now had a concrete date I could associate with the start of this undertaking — July 30.

I still have many questions as a reporter, about the anti-donation clause, the procedures involved in making this governmental program work and how success will be measured. But unknowns aside, I felt the community would benefit from a story announcing the launch of this program, especially at a time when crime, poverty and homelessness are top of mind in the public discourse.

Baxter Black, the well-known cowboy poet and storyteller who grew up in Las Cruces, passed away June 10, 2022.

'Friend of the cowboy': Remembering Baxter Black

Beloved writer and cowboy poet Baxter Black, who grew up in Las Cruces, passed away June 10 at his home in Benson, Arizona. He was 77.

Black is known for his poetic interpretations of everyday life. He was a published book author who also wrote a weekly column published in over 100 newspapers. His words were also transcribed for radio and television broadcasts. He appeared on NPR, the Tonight Show and at countless events across the U.S. and Canada.

Black was born in New York City in 1945 at the Brooklyn Naval Hospital. He was the eldest of four brothers. The family later moved west and after a few stops in West Virginia and Texas, they settled in Las Cruces’ Mesilla Park neighborhood.

Jimmy Jaramillo grew up just a few houses away from the Black family on Bowman Street. Baxter and Jimmy attended school together from their primary school days through their 1962 graduations from Las Cruces High.

Reporter Leah Romero spoke with Jaramillo about the time he spent with Black in youth. Leah said:

Cowboy poet Baxter Black passed away June 10 at age 77. He grew up in Las Cruces and continued to have many ties to the area. I took on the task of writing a news obituary for him and got to learn a lot about someone who I wasn't too familiar with before.

He lived in the Mesilla Park area and I was able to connect with a neighbor of his who recalled attending school with Black from primary school to high school graduation. I met him at a VFW building in Las Cruces and he had many stories to tell about growing up in the 50s and 60s when Cruces was much smaller (and only had one high school, Las Cruces High). I also had the opportunity to talk with Black's wife, Cindy, who provided the obituary their son wrote and a poem the cowboy had written about passing on — a quite timely and impactful piece, perfect for rounding out Black's story.

On behalf of all of us at the Las Cruces Sun-News, thank you for taking the time to read this week's newsletter.

Damien Willis is a Lead Reporter for the Las Cruces Sun-News. He can be reached at 575-541-5443, dwillis@lcsun-news.com or @DamienWillis on Twitter.