Jesse Jones is a reporter covering local government and news for The Paper. through a local journalism fellowship from NM Reports. He is a graduate of UNM.
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Albuquerque city workers who report fraud or wrongdoing at City Hall now have stronger legal protections after the City Council unanimously approved two overhauls Monday to protect whistleblowers and strengthen the city’s fraud watchdog. Councilors unanimously approved the Accountability in Government Ordinance, which Councilor Brook Bassan sponsored. The measure […]
By Kevin Hendicks and Jesse Jones, The Paper. — The Survivors’ Truth Commission — formally the House Special Investigatory Committee — presented its interim report Wednesday at the State Capitol, outlining its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s Zorro Ranch near Stanley and hearing survivor testimony. The report details how Epstein operated the 7,600-acre estate with a […]
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Burqueños whose catalytic converters get stolen or whose streetlights go dark because of stripped copper wiring have a new tool aimed at fighting the market for stolen metal after the City Council voted 8-1 Monday night to toughen the city’s recycling laws. The council approved the Sale of Recycled […]
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Taxpayers in the Duke City will not see a proposed gross receipts tax increase on their November ballots after city councilors used a procedural move to stop the measure before it reached a vote. During the Aug. 3 City Council meeting, Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn used a parliamentary challenge to […]
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Mattresses, tents and scorched brush piled up along the Rio Grande this month as crews worked through Burque’s Bosque between Rio Bravo Boulevard and Interstate 40, clearing fire hazards from the river corridor during a historically dry summer. The third annual, multiagency cleanup wrapped up this week after crews […]
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Albuquerque smoke shop and cannabis dispensary owners could soon have far fewer places to open after Councilor Renée Grout revived a bill she sponsored by request, just days after a City Council committee recommended rejecting it. Planning Director Alan Varela told the Land Use, Planning and Zoning Committee on […]
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Burque municipal workers exposing government fraud could soon face fresh ground rules, as could the taxpayers who rely on City Hall’s watchdog agency. The City Council votes Aug. 3 on two companion ordinances born from a feud between city investigators and municipal leaders. The measures mark the first full […]
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — A panic-inducing phone call, an alleged arrest warrant and a frantic drive to a neighborhood gas station: For many victims, that’s how cryptocurrency ATM scams begin. Callers posing as law enforcement, government officials or utility workers pressure people to withdraw thousands of dollars in cash and feed it into […]
by Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Homeowners in Burque tired of unannounced fiber internet crews tearing up lawns and sidewalks or blocking driveways can look to a new proposal putting neighborhood protections front and center. Sponsored by Councilor Dan Champine, the ordinance includes several new requirements for internet providers, including notifying residents 30 days before […]
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Across the Duke City, medians, parks and other green spaces are buzzing with more than people. Thanks to conservation efforts, bees, butterflies and other pollinators are finding more places to thrive. Albuquerque is doubling down on its status as the first Bee City USA in the Southwest, according to […]
