By Kevin Hendricks Bernalillo County Commissioner Eric Olivas is seeking a second term representing District 5, which covers much of east central Albuquerque, including Uptown and Four Hills, and all of the East Mountains. He faces Republican Thomas Riley on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Olivas, a Democrat, defeated radio station owner Byron Powdrell in the June […]
October 13, 2026
Posted inBernalillo County
From fentanyl to housing: What’s on the table at Wednesday’s BernCo meeting
by Jesse Jones, The Paper. — With Bernalillo County averaging six opioid-related deaths a week in 2025, commissioners will consider declaring a state of emergency over the fentanyl crisis Wednesday. They’ll also consider tax breaks for housing developments that would add hundreds of apartments in Albuquerque and discuss plans to transition health care services at […]
Posted inNew Mexico State Government
Tag, you’re out? AG says outfitter set-aside for big game hunts violates NM Constitution
By Kevin Hendricks New Mexico hunters who keep striking out in the big game draw just got some fresh ammunition. Attorney General Raúl Torrez says the state law reserving 10% of draw licenses for hunters who hire outfitters violates the New Mexico Constitution. Torrez concluded in a formal opinion dated Oct. 9 and released Tuesday […]
NM Political Report
Posted inPolitics & Elections
U.S. House Speaker Johnson returns to New Mexico for GOP congressional hopeful’s fundraiser
By Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico — U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) made his second New Mexico visit Monday evening in support of Republican Greg Cunningham, where he led a fundraiser in Las Cruces in the final stretch of the closely watched 2nd Congressional District race. Johnson last visited New Mexico in late August […]
Posted inRio Rancho
Esther Bone library booked for $1M makeover, closing January through May
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. One of Rio Rancho’s busiest community hubs is getting a facelift. More than 3,000 people visit Esther Bone Memorial Library each month, and they’ll need a Plan B from January through May 2027 while crews renovate the building. The Governing Body voted 6-0 Thursday to approve a $990,431 contract with […]
Posted inBernalillo County
Tijeras man indicted, accused of trying to cast his dead wife’s absentee ballot
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Bernalillo County election workers kept a dead woman’s ballot from counting in 2024. Now her husband faces a federal charge for allegedly trying to cast it. A federal grand jury indicted a 62-year-old Tijeras man on one count of fraudulent voting, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New […]
Posted inRio Rancho
Not so enchanted: Nearly 300 Lomas Encantadas neighbors sign against The Luxe ahead of planning and zoning vote
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Nearly 300 Lomas Encantadas residents have signed a petition against The Luxe, and their homeowners association has filed a formal protest. Tonight, the Rio Rancho Planning and Zoning Board decides whether to recommend the rezoning anyway. The board meets at 6 p.m. in City Council Chambers to hear Case 26-100-00005. […]
Posted inAlbuquerque
What happened to the 10 out-of-state properties on Albuquerque’s Lazy Landlord list?
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — When raw sewage backed into kitchen sinks and bathtubs at the Mont44 apartment complex, residents organized a tenant union. Landing on Albuquerque’s landlord list in June brought no immediate relief. Maintenance crews only returned after a September city inspection of more than 60 units, organized with tenants. Mont44’s experience […]
Posted inSandoval County
Sandoval County commissioners to consider criminalizing illegal license plate readers, call for safety fixes on U.S. 550
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Anyone running a license plate reader camera on Sandoval County roads or property without a permit could face criminal charges under an ordinance county commissioners vote on Wednesday night. The ordinance bans automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, on county rights-of-way and county-owned property unless the Planning and Zoning Commission […]
Posted inBernalillo County
Bernalillo County opens center to turn recovery into a career
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — For people who have gone through recovery, that experience can become more than a part of their past. It can shape their future and become a career helping others navigate mental health and substance-use challenges. Bernalillo County, in coordination with the Albuquerque Center for Hope and Recovery (ACHR), has […]