KCCC Eddy County Dispatch

UPDATE: Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony Moved

This was announced after Mid-Week Matters was recorded, so the details here replace anything you heard on air.

Because of the water release at Lower Tansil Dam, this year’s Veterans Day parade and ceremony in Carlsbad have new locations.

* Parade: Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 10 a.m. It starts at the CMS Administration Office, 408 N. Canyon St. The route goes south on Canyon Street, east on Greene Street, then north on Park Drive.

* Ceremony: Around 10:45 a.m. at the P.O.W./M.I.A. Park in front of the Carlsbad Water Park.

To register to join the parade, call (575) 361-5848. Thank you to the Eddy County Patriotic Society for organizing this annual event.

Source: Public notice from the City of Carlsbad PIO.

New World screwworm has been confirmed in a beef cow in Otero County, and animal movement within about 12.5 miles is restricted for at least 84 days. If you have livestock or pets, check them for untreated wounds or maggots. If you suspect a case, report it and don’t move the animals.

On this week’s Mid-Week Matters, we also cover Carlsbad City Council’s vote on two pipelines near city wells and the latest news from WIPP. That includes lithium-ion batteries headed to Pittsburgh for a first-of-its-kind fire safety study. We also have news from Southeast New Mexico College and a Carlsbad resident who won big on The Price Is Right. Tune in for the quick story or click play above.

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Note: This episode was recorded a little while back, so a few dates have passed. Tito’s has also moved from the West Green Street spot Matt mentions. Their latest location is listed below.

A friend texted me, "You have to go there." She knows how I am about chicken.

So I sat down with Matt, the cook behind Tito’s Chicken Shack, to find out what the fuss was about. The truck had been open for just two weeks, and it already has a following.

The concept started with a family that loves to travel. Matt and his wife noticed that wherever they go, food is what brings people together: celebrations, hard days, football season. They wanted a place where people could share a meal and talk about life, family, and dreams. Now they’re building it from a bright orange truck, with three kids in tow and a grandma living right behind the house.

Hand-battered to order

When your ticket comes in, Matt batters the chicken right then and fries it fresh. It’s fried or grilled, your choice, though he’ll tell you everybody loves the fried.

What’s on the menu

* The Desert Popper: a jalapeño popper sauce with pepper jack and bacon, and the number one seller.

* The Cowboy: barbecue sauce from Matt’s father-in-law’s secret recipe, with onion rings on top.

* Also on the board: the Cactus Kick (chipotle mayo), the Rancher, and the Green Gold (cheddar, Swiss, bacon, and green chili).

* Build your own: tenders or sandwiches tossed in hot honey, mango habanero, or chipotle mayo.

* Sides: sweet potato fries, regular fries, fried corn, mashed potatoes, and Matt’s wife’s mac and cheese.

* Desserts: homemade tres leches, strawberry tres leches, and banana pudding. Always ask what else is on the dessert table.

A note on gluten: the sides have their own fryer, but components can share oil. Matt says that’s okay for gluten-sensitive eaters, not for celiacs. Grilled chicken, no bun, works well for low-carb eaters too.

Find the truck⚠️ Closed through November 4 for family celebrations.📍 Last spotted at 516 S Canal St. Call or check Facebook to confirm before you go.📞 Call to order or confirm their location: 575-909-0421👍 Tito’s Chicken Shack on Facebook🕒 Monday, 4 to 7 p.m.🕒 Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.🕒 Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., then 5 to 7 p.m.Closed weekends for family time. Also on DoorDash.

Get extra on Friday. The tenders come four to an order, and they make excellent leftovers.

In the episode, Matt talks about growing up in restaurant kitchens, how he and his wife have been together since they were 14, and why Carlsbad’s support for working families makes this kind of dream possible. Listen to the full conversation above.

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This week’s In Memoriam segment honors those who lived or died in Carlsbad, New Mexico, with abridged obituary readings from West Funeral Home, LLC, broadcast November 1, 2026.

Join us as we remember: Douglas Ray Brown, Glenna Lucille Hammack Cattaneo, Ruthie Mae Young, Richard Mattson, and Patricia Castaneda.

These recitations reflect the information available at the time of recording and may not be the most current. For detailed, unabridged obituaries, visit westfuneralhomellc.com.

Aired on KCCC 930 AM Radio and through our website (www.kccc930am.com).

This week’s In Memoriam segment honors those who lived or died in Carlsbad, New Mexico, with abridged obituary readings from Denton-Wood Funeral Home, broadcast November 1, 2026.

Join us as we remember: Sarah Elizabeth Bennett Becker, Raymond L. Danielson, Secundino “Nino” Lara, Salvador “Sal” Anaya, Yolanda N. Valdez, Dennis M. Covert, Peggy Mayrhofen Mullins, Richard “Dick” Donald Meyer, David Lee Buendia, Francisco “Kiko” Franco Sr., and Patricia “Patsy” Trivitt.

These recitations reflect the information available at the time of recording and may not be the most current. For detailed, unabridged obituaries, visit Dentonwood.com.

Aired on KCCC 930 AM Radio and through our website (www.kccc930am.com).

Johnny Chandler sat down with Director Conner Prochaska who discusses UNLOCK, a $45 million program seeking new ways to recover oil, gas, and geothermal resources in Eddy County., Director of ARPA-E at the U.S. Department of Energy, to talk about UNLOCK, a $45 million program that could affect energy producers, researchers, and communities across Eddy County. ARPA-E is the department’s moonshot office, looking for technologies that are not yet proven but could change what is possible underground.

UNLOCK aims to unlock more output from resources still beneath our feet, including oil and gas, geothermal energy, and critical minerals. Prochaska said the program looks past hydraulic fracturing toward ideas that might have seemed unbelievable a decade ago, and that existing wells and orphan wells could be part of the picture. He also said the strongest projects tend to pair universities with private companies, and that community colleges will play a role in training the workforce these technologies will need. Johnny pointed out that Southeast New Mexico College already partners with SunVapor on produced water treatment.

Applications are open for 60 days through grants.gov and the ARPA-E website, and ARPA-E keeps teaming lists for organizations looking for partners.

Aired on KCCC 930 AM Radio and available through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and our website (www.kccc930am.com).

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Halloween weekend is packed across Eddy County. On this week’s Mid-Week Matters, Hattie runs through every trunk or treat from Carlsbad to Artesia, plus Downtown Carlsbad’s Pumpkin Palooza, a free Glow Lab at the Carlsbad Public Library, and a look ahead to Artesia’s 43rd annual Balloons and Tunes Festival.

If you haven’t voted yet, early voting in Eddy County ends this Saturday, October 31st. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3rd. Contact the Eddy County Clerk’s office or visit eddycountynm.gov to find your polling place.

Listen in for the full lineup, along with SENMC happenings, library programs in Carlsbad and Artesia, your weather outlook, and this week’s Eddy County Quickies.

Aired on KCCC 930 AM Radio and available through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and our website (www.kccc930am.com).

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Robotics, science demos, a food truck, and a STEM kit for every kid to take home. All of it is free, and all of it is coming to Carlsbad on Saturday, November 7.

The STEM ExperienceSaturday, November 7, noon to 2 p.m.National Cave and Karst Research Institute (NCKRI), 400-1 Cascades Avenue, Carlsbad

No registration, open to all ages. Kids can run from booth to booth and get their hands on exhibits from local industry, schools, and agencies. Curbside Cravings will be on site, so come hungry. There are prizes, too.

On this week’s Community Forum, host Johnny Chandler and co-host Hattie Quinn sit down with Deena Antiporda, executive director of Inspired by Science, to talk about what to expect, who’ll be there, and why getting families into STEM together matters so much. Plus: a surprising cave story and a warning about slime and car carpet.

Press play to hear it, then mark your calendar for the 7th.

Learn more at inspiredbyscience.org. Print the flyer here.

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Community Forum on KCCC 930 AM. Recorded the week of Oct. 12, so some dates mentioned in the conversation have passed.

Angie Johnson, vice president of the Carlsbad Area Art Association (CAAA), joins Hattie Quinn to talk about the group’s growing roster of classes, monthly juried shows and art walks, and a $25,000 challenge grant for its downtown building. The association has been part of Carlsbad since the 1960s, but Angie says most locals have never visited the gallery.

Coming up

Sat., Oct. 24, 2–4 p.m.: Kids’ watercolor with Mikayla Cordoba. They’ll paint a bat and learn to mix their own colors.

Mondays through December, 10 a.m.–noon: Kids’ classes, plus a monthly six-and-under class.

Sat., Nov. 7: Submissions for the fabric and fibers juried show.

Fri., Nov. 13: Holiday open house and juried show awards.

Website: carlsbadart.com

Contact Angie: [email protected]

Artist Gallery: 120 South Canyon, Carlsbad, NM

Hattie Quinn brings us the weather, regional events, and news of interest every Wednesday at noon on Mid-Week Matters. If you’ve got outdoor plans this weekend, it may rain, so have a backup plan ready.

Voting deadlines are coming up fast. Early voting in Eddy County with expanded hours runs through October 31, and Election Day is Tuesday, November 3. The Bureau of Land Management is also taking online comments on its proposed February 2027 oil and gas lease sale through October 30.

This week’s spotlight takes you to Southeast New Mexico College’s Taste of Culture celebration. Community members showcased foods from their native cultures on site with free samples for all. Podcasting student Joe Enriquez talked with organizers and participants, and now we all wish we had been there. Listen to hear what it is, along with a packed week of events, library happenings and Eddy County Quickies, including a reminder on the Bureau ofLand Management’s call for comments by October 30th and the upcoming WIPP community forum.

Aired on KCCC 930 AM Radio and available through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and through our website (www.kccc930am.com).

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Artesia General Hospital’s Kush Ghadiali, Director of Public Relations, joined host Johnny Chandler with the hospital’s newest physician, Dr. Alieu Kanu, a podiatric physician and surgeon who has been in the Artesia area for about two and a half months. They talked about why problems in the lower legs and feet often show up first, and why swelling or a sore that won’t heal deserves a checkup.

Dr. Kanu also shared simple daily habits that protect your feet, from checking them every day to keeping them clean and dry. Listen in for the advice that can keep a small problem from becoming a bigger one.

Aired on KCCC 930 AM Radio and available through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and our website (www.kccc930am.com).

The KCCC Eddy County Dispatch is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Already a subscriber? A one-time donation goes just as far.