From local restaurants to construction crews, tens of thousands of Duke City businesses will soon have new requirements added to their annual business license renewal after the Albuquerque City Council approved the Safer Community Places Ordinance on Monday, March 16. Once enacted into law, the city has 90 days to determine how businesses will set […]
Jesse Jones
Posted inArts & Culture, City Desk ABQ, Local Government, The Paper.
Could new corporate management at KiMo lock out local arts?
By Sara Atencio-Gonzales and Jessie Jones, The Paper. – Concern is growing among Albuquerque’s theatre community over the possible transfer of operations at the KiMo Theatre in Downtown Albuquerque, with many fearing it could limit access for local artists. Vicki Singer, president of the Albuquerque Theatre Guild, explains that the primary worry is how a […]
Posted inLocal Government
Albuquerque moves quickly to remove César Chávez from streets, public honors following abuse disclosures by Dolores Huerta, others
By Jesse Jones, City Desk ABQ in The Paper. — City officials took swift action Wednesday to initiate the renaming of local sites honoring civil rights organizer and Chicano icon César Chávez following disclosures by fellow activist Dolores Huerta that he pressured her for sex resulting in pregnancies. City Councilor Joaquín Baca told City Desk […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, City Desk ABQ, Local Government
Council kills controversial tax hike after floor amendments slash rate
By Jesse Jones, City Desk in The Paper. — Albuquerque city workers filled the City Council chambers hoping a new tax would fund long-awaited raises, but they left empty-handed. Councilors voted 8-1 Monday night to kill a proposed gross receipts tax increase before the state deadline, shelving a plan meant to fund community projects and […]
Posted inCity Desk ABQ
Council OK’s ordinance to thwart ICE arrests in Albuquerque
By Jesse Jones City Desk in The Paper. — The Albuquerque City Council meeting opened Monday to a packed chamber as officials took up several controversial measures. The crowd thinned as the agenda moved forward, but a large group of community activists and immigrants, many wearing bright blue shirts from El Centro de Igualdad y […]
Posted inPolitics & Elections
Whatever happened to Daniel Chavez, mayoral candidate charged with touching staffer?
By Jesse Jones, City Desk in The Paper. — In September, City Desk reported that prosecutors charged Albuquerque mayoral candidate Daniel Chavez after a campaign staffer accused him of inappropriate touching, a misdemeanor battery charge. Prosecutors have now dismissed the case. The 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office dismissed the case on Feb. 20, 2026, in […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, City Desk ABQ, Local Government
Commissioner’s claims that Gov has secret plan to move NM United stadium to fairgrounds fizzles under fact-check
By Jesse Jones, City Desk in The Paper. — Bernalillo County Commission Chair Adriann Barboa sent an early morning call to the community Wednesday for a press conference at the Expo New Mexico entrance that was long on rumors and short on facts. During the briefing, Barboa claimed that “people who represent the governor and […]
Posted inLocal Government
State, local electeds will push new ordinance to make deportations harder in Albuquerque
Barelas Neighborhood, Albuquerque, N.M. — By Jesse Jones — A coalition of local and state leaders convened in the Barelas neighborhood south of Downtown Albuquerque Tuesday to organize for a new city ordinance they designed to protect targeted members of the community from federal immigration actions that have rapidly expanded in scope and aggression under President […]
Posted inAlbuquerque
Who’s behind the city’s public records backlog? Hint: It’s not New Mexicans
Imagine waiting in line for public records at the Office of the City Clerk, only to find most of the requests ahead of you come from out-of-state data scrapers or suspected artificial intelligence bots overseas. Inside the city clerk’s office, that’s the reality. Record requests keep climbing, driven by out-of-state and overseas requests that strain […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, City Desk ABQ, Local Government
Council eyes new African American board, aims to quell fire rescue staffing conflict
By Jesse Jones — Tonight, the Albuquerque City Council will consider a new African American Advisory Board and a measure revising staffing rules for Albuquerque Fire Rescue. Sponsored by Councilor Nichole Rogers, ordinance O-26-11 would create an African American Advisory Board to advise the mayor on issues affecting African Americans. The board would focus on economic mobility, […]