By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Human remains found near Cochiti 23 years ago are not the bones of a missing person — they belong to a man who walked the region roughly 1,000 years ago, the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office announced June 5. Detective Don Chewning said forensic family genealogy testing, funded by the Bureau […]
Kevin Hendricks
Kevin Hendricks is an editor with nm.news where he oversees Sandoval County newsrooms. A native of Southeast ABQ, he reported for the ABQ Journal and Rio Rancho Observer before joining nm.news in 2024.
Posted inRio Rancho
Thousands pack Rio Rancho park for Sandoval County’s first-ever Pride festival
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Sandoval County held its first-ever Pride festival June 6 at Haynes Park in Rio Rancho, drawing an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 people to a free, family-friendly event that organizers said exceeded every expectation. Tiffany Gravelle, CEO of THE BLOCK — the festival’s presenting sponsor — said partnering with Sandoval County […]
Posted inRio Rancho
Rio Rancho adding 3 speed cameras to N.M. 528, a road that has killed 7 in 18 months
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Three new speed cameras are headed to N.M. 528 — the Rio Rancho corridor that has seen two fatal crashes in six weeks and claimed seven lives in 18 months — as state and city officials escalate automated enforcement on the highway. Rio Rancho police will deploy the units June […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety
New Mexico A.G. sues Kalshi, says popular prediction market app is illegal sportsbook
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. — New Mexico residents who bet on sports, elections, or pop culture through the Kalshi app may be doing so illegally — and the state wants it stopped. Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed suit Thursday in Santa Fe against Kalshi, Inc. and KalshiEX LLC, alleging the New York-based prediction market […]
Posted inOpinion & Analysis
Opinion: Protecting our right to read, a call to support librarians
Submitted by Rep. Kathleen Cates Imagine walking into a library filled with thousands of books and never finding one with a character who looks like you. Out of all the books in a public library, not one featured a character who shared your lived experience. Banning books is harmful because everyone should be able to […]
Posted inPlacitas
Las Placitas Association Update: Drought watch, live music and Lesbian Lizards
Submitted by the Las Placitas Association. NEW MEXICO’S DROUGHT WATCH: “For nearly 100 years, from 1927 to 2025, the average daily flow on May 17 along this reach of the Rio Grande was about 3,385 cfs. We all thought last year’s NM mountain snow drought was an anomaly, yet the river maintained about 600 cfs […]
Posted inRio Rancho
Community rallies around family of motorcyclist killed on NM 528
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Friends, family and the broader Rio Rancho community turned out May 30 for a car and motorcycle show honoring Dante Gallegos, 22, who was killed in a motorcycle crash on NM Highway 528 on May 13 — the latest fatality on a corridor that has claimed seven lives in 18 […]
Posted inRio Rancho
Weekend preview: What’s happening in and around Rio Rancho (June 5-7)
From a historic first Pride celebration to outdoor movies and a community yard sale, June 5–7 has something for everyone. Summer is officially heating up across the Rio Rancho area, and the weekend calendar is packed. From a landmark community celebration to free outdoor events and a short drive for laughs, here is what’s happening […]
Posted inSandoval County
Rio Rancho’s Hull wins Republican nomination for governor, sets up fall race against Haaland
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Former Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull won the Republican nomination for New Mexico governor Tuesday, defeating two opponents in a primary race that some pundits predicted he would lose — and setting up a November general election against former U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. Hull captured 47% of the Republican […]
Posted inSandoval County
New Mexico voters reshape political landscape, set up fierce November battles
New Mexico voters reshaped the state’s political landscape Tuesday, setting up competitive November races for governor, secretary of state and key Sandoval County contests — including a Republican commission race that turned on a gun incident and domestic battery arrest in the campaign’s final weeks. Gov. & Lt. Gov: As predicted, Deb Haaland and Maggie […]