New Mexico legislators are working on bills that will have an impact on education in general and Albuquerque Public Schools in particular, Superintendent Scott Elder says. “The Roundhouse can feel like it’s a world away, but the decisions our lawmakers and the governor make there are incredibly important and affect each and every one of […]
Elise Kaplan
Posted inLocal Government
County officials postpone approving $1 million pollution study
Bernalillo County Commissioners approved a half million dollars to improve westside fiber optics, bought a couple of pieces of property for parks and recreation maintenance use and postponed the allocation of a controversial million dollar appropriation at their regular meeting Tuesday, Feb. 6. Money for clean air? Another time Commissioner Steven Michael Quezada and Albuquerque […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Local Government
Changing the Narrative
City Councilor Nichole Rogers wants to change the narrative about her sprawling, culturally diverse district. Rogers made history when she was elected as the first African American woman to sit at the Albuquerque City Council table. She represents District 6 which takes in Nob Hill, the International District and Mesa del Sol. City Desk ABQ […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Jobs, Workers & Economy
West Downtown projects blossom
When the conversation about Albuquerque’s Downtown shifts away from vacant buildings and shuttered businesses, it’s a welcome reprieve for those working to revitalize it. Completed projects, and others in the pipeline, have given city officials and local developers a bit to brag about recently — especially in the West Downtown corridor. West Downtown is roughly […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Courts, Justice & Safety
DA launches new system to notify law enforcement of missed court dates
The Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office has launched a new system to notify law enforcement agencies when an officer misses a hearing or a pre-trial interview. Joshua Boone, the chief deputy district attorney, said in an interview on Tuesday that the DA’s Office started working on the system—essentially a Google spreadsheet that is populated when […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Housing & Homelessness
City Council OKs spotlight on blighted motels, voucher program
The Albuquerque City Council unanimously passed an ordinance Monday night that creates an 11-member working group tasked with reforming the city’s emergency voucher program and addressing the blighted motels where they are often used. Councilors Renée Grout and Nichole Rogers said they sponsored the bill because the city’s blighted motels not only pose a health […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Courts, Justice & Safety
DA blasts APD for ‘dysfunction and mismanagement’ of DWI unit
As the Albuquerque Police Department grapples with a corruption investigation into its DWI unit—and what could have been done to catch misconduct earlier—the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office is stridently refuting it has any share of the blame. In a 15-page letter to the City Council detailing various policies and processes for court appearances, Chief […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Courts, Justice & Safety
The week in crime
In the past week, the Albuquerque Police Department has responded to a fatal stabbing, discovered a man and a woman dead inside a home during a welfare check and shot at a man who—it later turned out—shot himself during the encounter. APD officers also charged six suspects they say are involved in a 2021 homicide. […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Courts, Justice & Safety
At risk kids get new kicks
Choking back tears and covering his face to hide emotion, a student at West Mesa High School was thrilled to be getting a new pair of shoes Friday evening. Just after 5 p.m., a handful of students and adults gathered in the school’s library. They were greeted with stacks of new shoes of all sizes […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Housing & Homelessness
Issues on Gibson pedestrian bridge trouble residents
The pedestrian bridge near Gibson and San Mateo boulevards in Southeast Albuquerque was built decades ago to give residents and workers safe access to coffee shops, restaurants and businesses along one of the city’s busiest streets. But residents say recent activity on the bridge has made the journey across it an uneasy one. The bridge […]