Kevin Hendricks, Editor, Author at nm.news

Sandoval County voters head to the polls Tuesday for the June 2 primary — and more than 16,300 ballots are already in the books after early and absentee voting closed Saturday, May 30.

Meth, fentanyl found on Sandoval County absentee ballots; clerk says no workers exposed

by Kevin Hendricks, Editor 57 minutes agoOctober 16, 2026

By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. — Sandoval County election workers found methamphetamine and fentanyl on multiple absentee ballots Friday morning. County officials say no one was exposed, and every affected vote will still count. Initial tests flagged the drugs in election mail at the county’s Bureau of Elections warehouse, County Clerk Anne Brady-Romero reported. Local, […]

Albuquerque Housing Authority’s apartments at Broadway and McKnight added 54 affordable units to the city’s housing stock when AHA cut the ribbon on the project in 2023. AHA is accepting pre-applications for its Public Housing program through Oct. 31 and for Section 8 vouchers from Oct. 16 through Nov. 15. (Courtesy of Albuquerque Housing Authority)

Housing & Homelessness

Knock, knock: Albuquerque Housing Authority opens doors to Section 8 and public housing applicants

By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. — Albuquerque-area renters searching for an affordable place to live have a limited window to get in line for federal housing help, and the deadline for one program is already approaching. The Albuquerque Housing Authority opens pre-applications for its Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program on Friday, Oct. 16, and […]

Courts & Justice

Cyberattack freezes Bernalillo’s online services, but the water stays on

By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. — Bernalillo residents can’t pay water bills online or visit the town’s Motor Vehicle Department after a cyberattack froze the town’s public-facing computer systems over the long holiday weekend. Officials say nobody will lose service or pay late fees while the town recovers. Mayor Jack Torres said the town’s IT […]

Politics & Elections

Early returns: Nearly 5,000 Sandoval County ballots cast as voting expands Saturday

By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. — Nearly 5,000 Sandoval County voters have already cast ballots for the Nov. 3 election. Starting Saturday, everyone else gets a lot more places to do the same. Early voting expands to 21 more sites across the county on Oct. 17, including five in Rio Rancho. Until now, the only […]

Moriarty shoppers will have to take their bargain hunting elsewhere for now after a vehicle crashed into the Dollar General on Route 66 Wednesday morning, closing the store until further notice.

Community News

Vehicle crashes into Moriarty Dollar General, closes store until further notice

By Kevin Hendricks Moriarty shoppers will have to take their bargain hunting elsewhere for now after a vehicle crashed into the Dollar General on Route 66 Wednesday morning, closing the store until further notice. Moriarty Fire Department crews responded at about 10 a.m. to the store at 705 U.S. Route 66, according to a department […]

A New Mexico voter heads to the polls at Tijeras Village Hall. A federal judge ruled this week that voters' personal data, including Social Security numbers, will stay protected from a DOJ lawsuit. Photo by Roberto E. Rosales/City Desk ABQ.

Politics & Elections

Poll position: State spells out who can — and can’t — hang around while you vote

By Kevin Hendricks — New Mexico voters just got a cheat sheet — the legal kind. Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver and Attorney General Raúl Torrez released a joint advisory Tuesday spelling out election deadlines, who belongs at a polling place and what crosses the line into voter intimidation. Only poll workers, voters, credentialed […]

Bernalillo County Commissioner Eric Olivas

Politics & Elections

‘Work isn’t finished’: Olivas seeks reelection to BernCo commission

by Kevin Hendricks, Editor October 13, 2026October 13, 2026

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 […]

District 5 Bernalillo County Commission candidate Thomas Riley.

City Desk ABQ

BernCo candidate defends wearing Confederate flag as symbol of ‘open rebellion’ against the government as he pushes ‘America only’ agenda in campaigns

By Kevin Hendricks, Route 66 Independent & NM Political Report — District 5 Bernalillo County Commission candidate Thomas Riley says he wears a ring bearing the Confederate flag as an act of “open rebellion” against the federal government, and he wants the county’s Sheriff’s Office to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to […]

Politics & Elections

Your ballot, your move: Early voting starts Oct. 6

by Kevin Hendricks, Editor October 5, 2026October 5, 2026

By Kevin Hendricks, nm.news — New Mexico voters can start casting ballots Oct. 6 for the Nov. 3 general election. There’s no reason to wait in line on Election Day, or to walk into the booth guessing. Early voting opens Oct. 6 at county clerk offices. On Oct. 17 it expands to more locations across […]

Sandoval County

No crowns, just ballots: Sandoval County Indivisible trades protest signs for ‘Vote Here’ arrows

By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Sandoval County voters who cast early ballots Tuesday will get a welcome committee armed with arrows, not placards. Sandoval County Indivisible, the local chapter of the progressive group Indivisible, plans a “Vote Early” rally from 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 6 outside the county offices at Idalia Road and N.M. […]