Latest news with #ChihuahuanDesert
The Guardian
03-07-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
‘We thought we'd got the numbers wrong': Holloman Lake is a birder's paradise – and has the highest levels of ‘forever chemicals' on record
For years, Christopher Witt took birdwatchers to Holloman Lake in the Chihuahuan desert off the route 70 highway in New Mexico. By mid-morning the sun would beat down as they huddled in the scant shade of the van. There were no trees other than a collection of salt cedars on the lake's north shore. But the discomfort didn't matter when the peregrine falcons appeared, slicing through the sky. 'It was hard to leave that place,' says Witt. The lake – created in 1965 as part of a system of wastewater catchment ponds for Holloman air force base – is an unlikely oasis. Other than small ponds created for livestock it is the only body of water for thousands of square kilometres in an otherwise stark landscape. However, Witt says there was always something slightly weird about the foam that would form around the edge. 'But I only saw that stuff once I knew.' Few people live around here, but those that do enjoyed the lake. Online it was billed as a 'free, no-frills experience' for camping. On weekends, up to 20 people could be seen pitching tents and barbecuing on the southern shore. In 2009, plans were drawn up to construct a pavilion, beach area and nature trails to encourage more people to enjoy the area. But all that changed in 2017 when authorities discovered what was in the water. Since then an alarming picture has been building up of the extent of the chemical contamination at Holloman Lake. Last month, research co-authored by Witt showed the site has the highest Pfas concentration in water and plants ever recorded in peer-reviewed literature. Every part of the ecosystem is saturated in these 'forever chemicals', including the soil, algae, invertebrates, fish and reptiles. Pfas, which stands for 'per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances', are a group of thousands of human-made chemicals prized for their water, heat and grease-resistant properties. The same attributes that make them so useful in industrial and consumer products are what make them so bad when they leak into the environment, where they can persist for hundreds of years. Witt's birdwatching spot turned into a 'natural field laboratory' for understanding how forever chemicals affect ecosystems. He stopped going there for the pleasure of watching birds, and shifted to studying the area in his capacity as a professor of biology at the University of New Mexico. 'Honestly, I try not to spend too much time there,' he says. 'You can take up some of these Pfas compounds through skin contact, and you can breathe them in through the air and dust.' When the Pfas results came back from the lab, Witt assumed it was a mistake. 'There were no other analogs that we could find for this level of contamination,' he says. 'The orders of magnitude that we were dealing with were absolutely shocking. We thought we were doing something wrong with the converssion of units.' But the numbers were correct. Across 23 bird and mammal species tested, Pfas concentrations averaged tens of thousands of parts per billion, 2024 research found. For comparison, in 2019 thousands of dairy cows in Clovis, New Mexico were culled because their milk was contaminated with less than six parts per billion. The main cause of contamination is the firefighting foams used in training exercises by the US air force at the Holloman site from about 1970. The single most contaminated individual from the 2024 study was a 1994 specimen of a white-footed mouse, showing pollution had been high for decades. A dead killdeer chick was found by its nest on the ground near the lake. It was sent to the lab for testing, and its tissues had the highest Pfas concentration recorded to date in a bird, according to the 2025 paper. The revelations about Pfas in the lake water triggered lawsuits from New Mexico's Environment Department against the military. In the US there are more than 9,000 active legal cases related to the production or release of Pfas. But for Witt and other researchers on the ground, the scientific investigation was just beginning. He describes the state of current research as a 'hodgepodge of surveys here and there', all saying that we still don't know enough about how Pfas are moving through food webs globally, and how they could be affecting wildlife. Now, the body of evidence of the impact of Pfas on wildlife is growing. In Michigan, bluegill fish have been found to swim more slowly after Pfas exposure, suggesting they could be physically or neurologically impaired. Exposed black-legged kittiwakes are developing thyroid dysfunctions and hormonal imbalances. Sea turtles in contaminated sites in Australia are producing hatchlings with deformed scales and health problems. American alligators in North Carolina are more susceptible to infections, while dolphins in South Carolina are showing signs of chronic inflammation. More than 600 species on every continent are at risk of harm, according to a map by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) illustrating how harmful chemicals are filtering through ecosystems. When they began mapping the research, 'we thought: 'it'll be a quick one month project' – then you quickly realise there are hundreds and hundreds of studies,' says David Andrews, acting chief science officer at EWG. 'It turned out to be a significant amount of work.' It is likely that these chemicals are an additional stressor threatening species, along with climate breakdown and habitat loss. 'Nothing really escapes these chemicals – this is not something you can fly away from,' says Andrews. Health impacts in humans, such as cancers, hormonal disruption and immune system disruption, are increasingly well documented. Research shows there are parallels in wildlife. 'What we see is an overlapping pattern of health harm between both humans and the wildlife species that have been studied,' says Andrews. As sampling becomes cheaper and more accessible around the globe and more testing is done, the map of Pfas in wildlife will continue to expand, he says. The buildup of Pfas in wildlife also raises questions for those who hunt or consume wild meat. At Holloman Lake, even a single gram of duck meat would be too toxic to safely eat, based on average Pfas concentrations. Yet this is still a popular area for hunting. Researchers are testing 400 ducks across the state to work out whether contaminants are jumping from hotspots such as Holloman to other wetlands. The preliminary results are 'concerning', says Witt, showing widespread contamination. That could be because ducks from sites such as Holloman are spreading it, or because there are other contaminated sites across the US, or some combination of the two. 'When you are eating wild duck meat, probably anywhere in North America, you're kind of rolling the dice,' he says. Now, instead of watching birds, Witt is blending in with hunters in camo, capturing ducks and other birds and mammals to test their bodies for Pfas. 'I have really conflicted feelings about it; it's a beautiful place, it's so biodiverse, and yet really troubled,' says Witt. 'I feel a sense of urgency to figure out what is happening to the birds that are there.' Find more age of extinction coverage here, and follow the biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield in the Guardian app for more nature coverage.
CNN
27-06-2025
- CNN
A sunny place where desert, mountains and cultures mix
See More Videos Las Cruces, in southwestern New Mexico, is nourished by the Rio Grande River and the fertile Mesilla Valley, surrounded by the Chihuahuan Desert and backed in the east by the dramatic peaks of the Organ Mountains. The mountains, whose name derives from vertical stone 'needles' that resemble organ pipes, change colors throughout the day from charcoal to purple to rose, rust and gold. Las Cruces is the second-largest city in New Mexico, but it still has the laid-back pace of a much smaller town. The sunny, moderate climate permits year-round outdoor activities. It's no wonder people are drawn here. MORE AMERICA'S BEST TOWNS TO VISIT 2025 1. Ithaca, NY 2. Missoula, MT 3. Asheville, NC 4. Bend, OR 5. Annapolis, MD See all 10 towns How we picked the Best Towns to Visit Share your picks for our top towns in 2026 'What I find special is the people. They are so kind,' said Kristen Worthington, who came here from Northern California to find affordable property and pursue a 'lifelong dream of working the land.' There's a rich blend of Hispanic, Native American and Old Western culture, she added. Las Cruces is spread out across neighborhoods, but there is a walkable, compact downtown on Main Street that vibrates with entertainment, dining options, museums and a market for local produce and crafts. Exploring Las Cruces is just part of a visit to this area, which is within easy reach of many part or full day-trip destinations. About an hour northeast of town, White Sands National Park is home to vast gypsum sand dunes, which can be explored during magical guided moonlight hikes. This region is also a hub of space tourism, home to the White Sands Missile Range, and has ties to the atomic bomb, missile testing and space exploration programs. But the region is packed with intriguing lesser-known experiences, too. Las Cruces and its surroundings are frequently overlooked by visitors — even many New Mexicans sheepishly admit that they've never visited — but they're missing out on this corner of the Land of Enchantment. The famed Farmers & Crafts Market on Main Street in downtown Las Cruces is a lively gathering of regional farmers, bakers, makers, jewelers, artists, food trucks and street musicians. It sprawls over seven blocks on Saturday mornings, and a much smaller version takes place on Wednesdays. Among the market's hundreds of vendors is Worthington, of nearby Worthington Farms, who sells everything pecan-based — beauty products, oil, sweets and multi-flavored pecans (from green chile to gingerbread). 'New Mexico just beat out Georgia as the top producing state for pecans,' Worthington said proudly. Worthington is also the founder of the two-year-old annual Pecan Festival (April 18-19, 2026). Groups can call to arrange visits to her farm just south of town, where Worthington offers tours, tastings and new pecan-based dinners in her orchard. Also on Main Street, near the Farmer's Market, is COAS, an extensive bookstore with over 500,000 new and used books, including cookbooks that capture the region's local flavors. Just east of downtown, the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum tells the story of how people have been cultivating food on land in the area for over 4,000 years. One easy way to meet locals is by asking them about their favorite Mexican or New Mexican restaurant. Folks are happy to weigh in. Recommendations may include Si Señor in Las Cruces and nearby La Posta and Andele in Mesilla, a small town about four miles southwest of downtown. Be sure to specify whether you want chile-based dishes — from enchiladas to chile rellenos — to be mild, medium or fiery, burn-your-tongue hot. New Mexico is the self-proclaimed chile capital of the world, where restaurant servers ask the official state question: 'Red or green?' and insiders who want both reply, 'Christmas.' ESSENTIAL LAS CRUCES EAT: A chile-based dish at Andele in Mesilla SHOP: For local products at the Farmers & Crafts Market SEE: The shifting colors of the dramatic Organ peaks EXPERIENCE: The Our Lady of Guadalupe Fiesta in December The little village of Hatch, about 40 minutes from Las Cruces, is the state's self-identified chile epicenter. Tourists get their Hatch green-chile cheeseburgers at Sparky's — surrounded by kitschy Americana statues like green-skinned aliens and Uncle Sam. But insiders and chile farmers eat at the nearby Pepper Pot, where owner-chef Melva Aguirre presides. She started out as a field worker, restaurant dishwasher and assistant cook, and eventually bought Pepper Pot where she still makes 500 burritos a day for chile pickers. After an authentic lunch alongside local growers, stroll around Hatch to visit shops selling all things chile: spices, fruit preserves, beer and salsas. Village Market's dedicated chile section covers two entire walls. Hiking is one of the best ways to embrace the spectacular setting of Las Cruces. Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument covers almost half a million acres and five mountain ranges surrounding Las Cruces, with trails for all levels of hikers, bikers and horseback riders. Within the Organ Mountains section of the monument about 10 miles east of town, is an easy to moderate hike on the three-mile loop Bar Canyon Trail. It offers a panorama of multi-hued peaks that change throughout the year, with traces of snow, the electric-greens of spring or golden grasses that reach chest height. Also in the Organ Mountains, Dripping Springs Natural Area is a favorite with locals, where more than four miles of easy trails include the Dripping Springs Trail and the La Cueva Trail. The moderate climb to La Cueva (the cave) leads to an ancient rock shelter where a hermit lived in the mid 19th century. It's said that every Friday night he lit a fire to let people know he was OK. One Friday, there was no fire, and it was discovered that he had been killed. His violent death has never been solved and remains one of the mysteries of Las Cruces. The most unusual hiking in the area, 20 minutes northwest of Las Cruces in the Robledo Mountains, is within Prehistoric Trackways National Monument. Known to paleontologists around the globe, the site protects one of the world's most significant collections of Early Permian animal tracks. Reptiles, amphibians and insects left tracks dating back 280 million years — tens of millions of years before the appearance of dinosaurs — when the area was located on the edge of a vast inland sea. The fossils lay unknown in the remote landscape until 1987 when Jerry MacDonald, a local amateur paleontologist, found large reptile footprints at the site. He spent years carrying the heavy slabs of mud stone out on his back. Today, hikers can still see some of the tracks in situ, and all visitors can see the Trackways exhibit at the free Museum of Nature and Science in Las Cruces. A highlight of the exhibit are screens where you select different subjects and watch video of MacDonald himself enthusiastically talking about his finds. And then there are the tracks themselves — footprints and tail prints, as well as models and paintings that help you visualize these animals. Some looked like giant lizards with sail-like spinal fins and others resembled fat frogs with bulging eyes. Far more recently, what is now Las Cruces was part of Mexico, which explains why it still feels like that country: friendly, relaxed, and culturally rich in Mexican traditions, holidays, architectural influences and food. After the Mexican-American war ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, the area was open to the US for settlement. But conflicts continued over the land until the official Gadsden Purchase in 1854, when it officially became part of the US Territory. The most popular place to get the vibe of what Mexico looked like in the 19th century is Mesilla, the small town adjacent to Las Cruces. Mesilla's historic plaza is surrounded by buildings from 1849 to 1885, one of which is the jail that once held the notorious Billy the Kid. Also on the plaza, a newly restored traditional adobe house and two storefronts comprise the 9,000-square-foot Taylor-Mesilla Historic Site. The multi-year restoration of what will be a major art museum is nearing completion in autumn 2025, but the informative visitor center and gift shop are already open to the public. Prev Next 'Paul and Mary Daniels Taylor were art collectors and over the course of their lives amassed a remarkable collection of contemporary and historic Spanish Colonial, Mexican, Native and New Mexico artwork, furniture, textiles, pottery and more, turning their home into a unique art museum,' says Alexandra McKinney, education director of the site. Farther afield and for serious history enthusiasts, it's well worth the 90-minute drive west from Las Cruces to Columbus, the tiny town where, on March 9, 1916, the troops of Mexican revolutionary Francisco 'Pancho' Villa attacked. A two-story 1909 former train depot is now the fascinating Columbus Historical Society Railroad Depot Museum. It engages visitors with artifacts, photos, video and historical documents about the attack and calls into question Villa's image as a ruthless Mexican bandit. A special treat for many culturally curious travelers is that Columbus is three miles from the Mexican border. If you park on the US side, you can easily walk across (bring your passport) to the lively Mexican tourist town of Palomas. The Pink Store is a visitor favorite with a restaurant and a vast shop for Mexican souvenirs and home décor. In the small village of Tortugas just outside of Las Cruces, a powerful Native tradition is observed every December. Tortugas Pueblo's Our Lady of Guadalupe Fiesta is a festival that honors the intersection of three local traditions: Native American, Hispanic and Catholic. When Spanish missionaries came to and colonized the area in the 16th century, they established missions and churches, spreading a strong tradition of Catholicism among the Native people that continues today. Tribal member Felipe Chavez explained the origin of the Tortugas Pueblo people. 'The Tortugas were originally comprised of Piro, Tigua and other Indians; they didn't share a common language but had to get along for survival. So, they joined together as the Tortugas,' Chavez said. Every year, they observe three days of sacred ceremonies — from December 10 to 12 — and visitors are invited to attend. One of the highlights is on December 11, a religious pilgrimage day for the Tortugas. They climb up 5,000-foot Tortugas Mountain (known to locals as 'A' Mountain for the enormous white letter that honors the Aggies football team at New Mexico State University). The day on the mountain involves altars and a mass, and Tortugas members approach a humero, or large sacred fire, into which they toss handwritten wishes and prayers for the smoke to carry skyward. The next day, back at the pueblo, there is palpable excitement in the air as different Tortugas dance groups wearing colorful traditional regalia devote tribal dances to the Virgin of Guadalupe. One of the dancers, Don Parra, described it this way: 'The dancing experience gets deeper as we get older. We dance because it's a vow to the Virgin of Guadalupe. This Guadalupe Festival is our Christmas. Christmas itself is just another day to us.' During the dances, something hypnotic happens. Different groups dance their devotion both sequentially and simultaneously in the courtyard of the church and in surrounding areas. Many say afterwards that the dances and the pounding beat of drums drown out their mundane thoughts and worries and force them to surrender to the multi-sensory experience. And it's exactly this exciting blend of cultures and traditions that makes the area in and around Las Cruces a fascinating place to explore. Judith Fein is an award-winning travel writer and author. Her most recent book is 'Slow Travel New Mexico: Unforgettable personal experiences in the Land of Enchantment.' This independent haven is a 'tangibly different' college town
CNN
26-06-2025
- CNN
A sunny place where desert, mountains and cultures mix
See More Videos Las Cruces, in southwestern New Mexico, is nourished by the Rio Grande River and the fertile Mesilla Valley, surrounded by the Chihuahuan Desert and backed in the east by the dramatic peaks of the Organ Mountains. The mountains, whose name derives from vertical stone 'needles' that resemble organ pipes, change colors throughout the day from charcoal to purple to rose, rust and gold. Las Cruces is the second-largest city in New Mexico, but it still has the laid-back pace of a much smaller town. The sunny, moderate climate permits year-round outdoor activities. It's no wonder people are drawn here. MORE AMERICA'S BEST TOWNS TO VISIT 2025 1. Ithaca, NY 2. Missoula, MT 3. Asheville, NC 4. Bend, OR 5. Annapolis, MD See all 10 towns How we picked the Best Towns to Visit Share your picks for our top towns in 2026 'What I find special is the people. They are so kind,' said Kristen Worthington, who came here from Northern California to find affordable property and pursue a 'lifelong dream of working the land.' There's a rich blend of Hispanic, Native American and Old Western culture, she added. Las Cruces is spread out across neighborhoods, but there is a walkable, compact downtown on Main Street that vibrates with entertainment, dining options, museums and a market for local produce and crafts. Exploring Las Cruces is just part of a visit to this area, which is within easy reach of many part or full day-trip destinations. About an hour northeast of town, White Sands National Park is home to vast gypsum sand dunes, which can be explored during magical guided moonlight hikes. This region is also a hub of space tourism, home to the White Sands Missile Range, and has ties to the atomic bomb, missile testing and space exploration programs. But the region is packed with intriguing lesser-known experiences, too. Las Cruces and its surroundings are frequently overlooked by visitors — even many New Mexicans sheepishly admit that they've never visited — but they're missing out on this corner of the Land of Enchantment. The famed Farmers & Crafts Market on Main Street in downtown Las Cruces is a lively gathering of regional farmers, bakers, makers, jewelers, artists, food trucks and street musicians. It sprawls over seven blocks on Saturday mornings, and a much smaller version takes place on Wednesdays. Among the market's hundreds of vendors is Worthington, of nearby Worthington Farms, who sells everything pecan-based — beauty products, oil, sweets and multi-flavored pecans (from green chile to gingerbread). 'New Mexico just beat out Georgia as the top producing state for pecans,' Worthington said proudly. Worthington is also the founder of the two-year-old annual Pecan Festival (April 18-19, 2026). Groups can call to arrange visits to her farm just south of town, where Worthington offers tours, tastings and new pecan-based dinners in her orchard. Also on Main Street, near the Farmer's Market, is COAS, an extensive bookstore with over 500,000 new and used books, including cookbooks that capture the region's local flavors. Just east of downtown, the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum tells the story of how people have been cultivating food on land in the area for over 4,000 years. One easy way to meet locals is by asking them about their favorite Mexican or New Mexican restaurant. Folks are happy to weigh in. Recommendations may include Si Señor in Las Cruces and nearby La Posta and Andele in Mesilla, a small town about four miles southwest of downtown. Be sure to specify whether you want chile-based dishes — from enchiladas to chile rellenos — to be mild, medium or fiery, burn-your-tongue hot. New Mexico is the self-proclaimed chile capital of the world, where restaurant servers ask the official state question: 'Red or green?' and insiders who want both reply, 'Christmas.' The little village of Hatch, about 40 minutes from Las Cruces, is the state's self-identified chile epicenter. Tourists get their Hatch green-chile cheeseburgers at Sparky's — surrounded by kitschy Americana statues like green-skinned aliens and Uncle Sam. But insiders and chile farmers eat at the nearby Pepper Pot, where owner-chef Melva Aguirre presides. She started out as a field worker, restaurant dishwasher and assistant cook, and eventually bought Pepper Pot where she still makes 500 burritos a day for chile pickers. After an authentic lunch alongside local growers, stroll around Hatch to visit shops selling all things chile: spices, fruit preserves, beer and salsas. Village Market's dedicated chile section covers two entire walls. Hiking is one of the best ways to embrace the spectacular setting of Las Cruces. Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument covers almost half a million acres and five mountain ranges surrounding Las Cruces, with trails for all levels of hikers, bikers and horseback riders. Within the Organ Mountains section of the monument about 10 miles east of town, is an easy to moderate hike on the three-mile loop Bar Canyon Trail. It offers a panorama of multi-hued peaks that change throughout the year, with traces of snow, the electric-greens of spring or golden grasses that reach chest height. Also in the Organ Mountains, Dripping Springs Natural Area is a favorite with locals, where more than four miles of easy trails include the Dripping Springs Trail and the La Cueva Trail. The moderate climb to La Cueva (the cave) leads to an ancient rock shelter where a hermit lived in the mid 19th century. It's said that every Friday night he lit a fire to let people know he was OK. One Friday, there was no fire, and it was discovered that he had been killed. His violent death has never been solved and remains one of the mysteries of Las Cruces. The most unusual hiking in the area, 20 minutes northwest of Las Cruces in the Robledo Mountains, is within Prehistoric Trackways National Monument. Known to paleontologists around the globe, the site protects one of the world's most significant collections of Early Permian animal tracks. Reptiles, amphibians and insects left tracks dating back 280 million years — tens of millions of years before the appearance of dinosaurs — when the area was located on the edge of a vast inland sea. The fossils lay unknown in the remote landscape until 1987 when Jerry MacDonald, a local amateur paleontologist, found large reptile footprints at the site. He spent years carrying the heavy slabs of mud stone out on his back. Today, hikers can still see some of the tracks in situ, and all visitors can see the Trackways exhibit at the free Museum of Nature and Science in Las Cruces. A highlight of the exhibit are screens where you select different subjects and watch video of MacDonald himself enthusiastically talking about his finds. And then there are the tracks themselves — footprints and tail prints, as well as models and paintings that help you visualize these animals. Some looked like giant lizards with sail-like spinal fins and others resembled fat frogs with bulging eyes. Far more recently, what is now Las Cruces was part of Mexico, which explains why it still feels like that country: friendly, relaxed, and culturally rich in Mexican traditions, holidays, architectural influences and food. After the Mexican-American war ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, the area was open to the US for settlement. But conflicts continued over the land until the official Gadsden Purchase in 1854, when it officially became part of the US Territory. The most popular place to get the vibe of what Mexico looked like in the 19th century is Mesilla, the small town adjacent to Las Cruces. Mesilla's historic plaza is surrounded by buildings from 1849 to 1885, one of which is the jail that once held the notorious Billy the Kid. Also on the plaza, a newly restored traditional adobe house and two storefronts comprise the 9,000-square-foot Taylor-Mesilla Historic Site. The multi-year restoration of what will be a major art museum is nearing completion in autumn 2025, but the informative visitor center and gift shop are already open to the public. Prev Next 'Paul and Mary Daniels Taylor were art collectors and over the course of their lives amassed a remarkable collection of contemporary and historic Spanish Colonial, Mexican, Native and New Mexico artwork, furniture, textiles, pottery and more, turning their home into a unique art museum,' says Alexandra McKinney, education director of the site. Farther afield and for serious history enthusiasts, it's well worth the 90-minute drive west from Las Cruces to Columbus, the tiny town where, on March 9, 1916, the troops of Mexican revolutionary Francisco 'Pancho' Villa attacked. A two-story 1909 former train depot is now the fascinating Columbus Historical Society Railroad Depot Museum. It engages visitors with artifacts, photos, video and historical documents about the attack and calls into question Villa's image as a ruthless Mexican bandit. A special treat for many culturally curious travelers is that Columbus is three miles from the Mexican border. If you park on the US side, you can easily walk across (bring your passport) to the lively Mexican tourist town of Palomas. The Pink Store is a visitor favorite with a restaurant and a vast shop for Mexican souvenirs and home décor. In the small village of Tortugas just outside of Las Cruces, a powerful Native tradition is observed every December. Tortugas Pueblo's Our Lady of Guadalupe Fiesta is a festival that honors the intersection of three local traditions: Native American, Hispanic and Catholic. When Spanish missionaries came to and colonized the area in the 16th century, they established missions and churches, spreading a strong tradition of Catholicism among the Native people that continues today. Tribal member Felipe Chavez explained the origin of the Tortugas Pueblo people. 'The Tortugas were originally comprised of Piro, Tigua and other Indians; they didn't share a common language but had to get along for survival. So, they joined together as the Tortugas,' Chavez said. Every year, they observe three days of sacred ceremonies — from December 10 to 12 — and visitors are invited to attend. One of the highlights is on December 11, a religious pilgrimage day for the Tortugas. They climb up 5,000-foot Tortugas Mountain (known to locals as 'A' Mountain for the enormous white letter that honors the Aggies football team at New Mexico State University). The day on the mountain involves altars and a mass, and Tortugas members approach a humero, or large sacred fire, into which they toss handwritten wishes and prayers for the smoke to carry skyward. The next day, back at the pueblo, there is palpable excitement in the air as different Tortugas dance groups wearing colorful traditional regalia devote tribal dances to the Virgin of Guadalupe. One of the dancers, Don Parra, described it this way: 'The dancing experience gets deeper as we get older. We dance because it's a vow to the Virgin of Guadalupe. This Guadalupe Festival is our Christmas. Christmas itself is just another day to us.' During the dances, something hypnotic happens. Different groups dance their devotion both sequentially and simultaneously in the courtyard of the church and in surrounding areas. Many say afterwards that the dances and the pounding beat of drums drown out their mundane thoughts and worries and force them to surrender to the multi-sensory experience. And it's exactly this exciting blend of cultures and traditions that makes the area in and around Las Cruces a fascinating place to explore. This independent haven is a 'tangibly different' college town
The Sun
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Jeopardy! contestant loses in ‘brutal' and ‘painful' way as fans ‘would've walked off set!' over unfair show rule
A JEOPARDY! contestant lost in the most 'brutal' and 'painful' way, as fans 'would've walked off set' over an unfair show rule. Jeopardy! challenges contestants to showcase their general knowledge, always phrasing their responses in the form of a question. 4 4 The three contestants wrote their answers to 'U.S National Parks. Much of this 73-square-mile National Park is located beneath the Chihuahuan Desert.' But it was a finish that left fans wanting to 'walk off the set' as they revealed their answers. As host Ken Jennings asked them for their responses, one of the contestants wrote down: 'What is Arches?' It was the wrong answer, leading his $12,000 dollars to plummet to just $2. Next up, the contestant in the middle went for the answer of: 'What is Carlsbad?' Again, it was a wrong answer and so her $13,600 went down to $600. Finally, the last player revealed his answer, which was: 'What is Carlsbad Cavrans?' But he made a small mistake, in what fans have called an unfair show rule. The 'r' was before the vowel, which changed the pronunciation of the word, meaning he lost. Jeopardy! fans demand major rule change to shake up format as show has 'gone downhill' with 'carousel' of one-day champs Ken said caverns with an 'er' they would've taken, because the answer was Carlsbad Caverns. As a result, his money went from $13,600 to $0. As he lost everything, the female contestant who had $600 ended up being the Jeopardy! champion. She looked delighted, if not a little in disbelief, and fans were gobsmacked by the result. Jeopardy! Set Secrets Jeopardy! fans don't see everything behind the scenes from watching on TV. These hidden set features make the show run smoothly: Each podium has a hidden riser so that all contestants appear to be the same height. After each clue is read, signal lights go off around the game board, indicating players can buzz in and respond. Buzz in too early, and you're locked out for .25 seconds. The podiums have a small white light in the lower left corner, which tells Ken Jennings who goes next. Contrary to popular belief, the player with control doesn't have a buzzer advantage on the next clue. To the game board's left is a scoreboard so the players can see their opponents' scores. All contestants must bring three outfits to the studio, but only the host and returning champion change for the next episode. There are wardrobe rules, including restrictions on busy patterns, solid white, purple (like the background), and logos. Five episodes are taped in a single day, and sometimes more. The categories, players (aside from the returning champion), and Final Jeopardy! for a tape day are all drawn randomly to ensure fairness. Female contestants are asked not to wear makeup, which is applied backstage, and don't wear mascara because of sweat. Contestants fill out a questionnaire, and producers select five Q&A topics for the host. Host Ken isn't allowed to interact with the contestants until after the game. Players can request to sit in a chair while competing without question. One person wrote on X: 'I simply would have to walk off the stage.' Others called it the 'most painful final' they'd ever seen on the show, and someone else wrote: 'Really fun, close game, but man that final Jeopardy was an absolutely brutal way to lose. You've got to feel bad for Jacob.' Someone else commented: 'Oh my god. What a brutal ending,' and another penned: 'Oh my god. What a brutal ending.' The brutal ending comes after a Jeopardy! contestant in the UK made history after scooping one of the daytime show's biggest ever wins. In May, viewers watched as hotel receptionist Ben Jones continued the game, competing against Jonathan and Rosemary. From Caerphilly, Ben was already a nine-day reigning champion before his major win. In the final round, host Stephen asked a question based on the category Classic 80s Films. He said: "Matthew Broderick starred in the title role of the 1980s comedy film 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off', directed by this man." Ben, 23, correctly answered: "Who is John Hughes?" His impressive knowledge saw him walk away with a jackpot prize of £64,530 - the largest win for all Jeopardy! series and one of the biggest wins on daytime TV. Stephen congratulated Ben as he brought the curtain down on the last episode of the series. 4
