New Mexico families are spending hundreds — or thousands — of dollars more each year on gas, groceries and basic necessities, and U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich heard directly from those feeling it hardest Thursday at an Albuquerque roundtable. Heinrich gathered small business owners, food bank leaders, and workers at the Women’s Economic Self-Sufficiency Team (WESST) […]
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
Mother’s Day weekend overflows with events across the Rio Rancho area
Families, art lovers and anyone looking to celebrate Mother’s Day without spending a lot have a full slate of free and low-cost options across the Rio Rancho area this weekend — with events running all three days, May 8–10. Friday, May 8 The weekend opens at THE BLOCK, 7805 Enchanted Hills Blvd. NE, where Float […]
Posted inRio Rancho
Speeding, racing and fatal crashes: Inside the effort to tame deadly NM 528
A street racing crash that killed a Rio Rancho man and left two others with severe injuries on NM Highway 528 has accelerated safety improvements that area residents have demanded for years — but the corridor’s most significant fixes remain years away. Rio Rancho police have assigned overtime enforcement details on NM 528 since the […]
Posted inSandoval County
Thrift store opens in Bernalillo to fund free home repairs across Sandoval County
A new resale shop in Bernalillo is putting its profits to work — funding free home repairs for low-income veterans, seniors, and families across Sandoval County. Rebuilding Together Sandoval County opened its ReBuild ReSale Store at 237 South Camino Del Pueblo on April 30. The organization describes it as a curated home and vintage marketplace […]
Posted inRio Rancho
Rio Rancho’s new mayor steps into office as city debates who’s really driving economic growth
Paul Wymer’s first full day as mayor of Rio Rancho didn’t start with a honeymoon. It started with a budget. Sworn in April 30, Wymer joined the governing body at 9 a.m. on May 1 for a special work session to review the city’s recommended fiscal year 2027 budget and a five-year capital improvement plan […]
Posted inSandoval County
Sandoval County Extension offers free workshops on insects, native plants and farming this May
Sandoval County residents can get free, hands-on science and agriculture education this month through a packed calendar of events from NMSU’s Cooperative Extension Service. Upcoming highlights include: All events are free and open to the public. Participants with disabilities should contact the Sandoval County Extension office at least two weeks in advance to request accommodations. […]
Posted inRio Rancho
Rio Rancho breaks ground on Fire Station 8: Here’s why it matters to your safety and wallet
Rio Rancho broke ground Monday on Fire Station 8 — the city’s first new fire station since 2011 — and city leaders say the $14.4 million project could do more than speed up emergency response: it may lower homeowners insurance rates across the city. The new station at 1930 14th Ave. SE — at the […]
Posted inRio Rancho
Man loses home, two dogs and truck in early morning house fire
A man lost his home, two dogs and his truck in a devastating early Saturday morning fire that left him starting over from nothing on the city’s rural west side. Rio Rancho Fire and Rescue crews responded at approximately 3:55 a.m. May 2 to reports of a fully engulfed residential structure in an automatic aid […]
Posted inRio Rancho
With Mayor Wymer now in office, Rio Rancho seeks applicants to fill his vacant council seat
Rio Rancho residents who live in the city’s District 4 have until noon on May 26 to apply for appointment to a council seat that became vacant when Mayor Paul Wymer took office May 1 — triggering a process the city has never used in its 45-year history where a sitting mayor must replace his […]
Posted inSandoval County
As early voting opens, here’s who is on the ballot and where to vote
Voters can start casting ballots Tuesday in the 2026 primary and, in Rio Rancho, they’ll find a familiar name on the ballot. Former Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull, who handed over the mayor’s office to Paul Wymer after April’s runoff election, is on the ballot for the Republican gubernatorial primary alongside Duke Rodriguez and Doug […]