From the publisher…
A new study in New Mexico found that two-thirds of New Mexicans say they no longer have access to trustworthy local news. |
If you are reading this message today, you aren’t one of them. |
You are one of the thankful readers and businesses who support our mission to rebuild and expand access to local information in local New Mexico communities. |
Good journalism should inspire action. Whether we are investigating questionable spending in city hall or featuring neighbors’ struggles to fix a failing water system (both topics we covered this year), our coverage is designed to inspire you to organize, attend a meeting, or support a needed cause. |
As our journalists prepare to spend time with their families this Thanksgiving, I asked them to share a few thoughts on their most memorable stories from the past year. I hope their work inspires you to become a supporter. |
And as you make plans to shop local on Small Business Saturday and give on Giving Tuesday, remember to support your local journalists, too. |
Pat Davis, Publisher
Kevin Hendricks |
“People have a right to know…
Since The Independent News first closed its doors in 2022, no journalists have covered Moriarty.
When we brought The Indy back to Edgewood in 2023, we always wanted to get back to Moriarty, too. In the Spring of 2025, we finally did.
Working with rookie reporter Connor Currier, in his first journalism job out of school, we followed up on rumors, dug into public records, attended countless council meetings and developed quality sources in the community.
What we uncovered was stunning: nearly a decade of financial mismanagement dating back to 2015, including $5 million in unbudgeted spending, IRS fines against the city, employees being shortchanged through improper tax withholding and financial records so disorganized that the 2022 audit received a rare “disclaimer of opinion,” meaning auditors couldn’t verify any numbers.
All of this wasn’t a secret around city hall, it was just that there was no one there to tell everyone else. We covered it because someone needed to, and Moriarty residents deserved to know what was happening in their own government.
Our coverage helped keep a focus on leaders who tried to do the right thing and moved forward public information that fundamentally changed Moriarty’s leadership.
City Clerk/Treasurer Deborah Liu resigned in August, citing “rampant corruption” and thanking our newsroom for exposing the problems.
Mayor Brandon Webb, who had championed reforms and praised our reporting, resigned in September after facing constant opposition from the city council in his cleanup efforts. The New Mexico State Auditor’s office launched a formal investigation. Long-serving Councilor Steve Anaya announced his retirement after 33 years before being appointed mayor to navigate the crisis.
Before his resignation, Webb specifically credited our journalism: “People have a right to know… reporting the real news and being truthful and transparent is helpful.” Our newsroom’s dogged coverage kept the public – and other officials – focused on change and we’re still here to document what comes next.
Lauren Lifke |
One Tuesday afternoon in September, as I was wrapping up my day as a brand-new reporting fellow with The Independent, my editor asked me to check for confirmation of a plane crash in Moriarty.
It was only my second week with The Independent, and this was the first time I was learning that there was even an airport in the Moriarty area — but I was eager to learn, so I jumped on the case.
After calling around to local officials at the government and airport, with my editor helping dig into the background of the plane, The Independent was the first to break the news that those involved in the crash were a student and an instructor and track the route back to an airstrip in Edgewood.
I’ve since mostly only been covering news that some might deem a little less interesting — public meetings, lawsuits, oh my! But covering that plane crash early on in my career with The Indy helped me realize the importance of smaller newsrooms in filling in news gaps in places like the East Mountains.
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