The Town of Mountainair announced Larry Gustin is the first inductee into the 2025 Mountainair Hall of Excellence on Jan. 7. Larry Gustin, a lifelong resident of Torrance County and owner of Gustin Hardware in both Mountainair and Estancia, will be honored posthumously along with seven other individuals at a March 29 ceremony. Mountainair Mayor […]

Kevin Hendricks, nm.news
Kevin Hendricks is a local news editor with nm.news. He is a two-decade veteran of local news as a sportswriter and assistant editor with the ABQ Journal and Rio Rancho Observer.
On the lam: Donkeys escape in Mountainair
A local rancher’s fence was knocked down last week south of Mountainair and approximately 7 to 10 donkeys (including a baby) escaped. They have been missing for about a week and, according to town officials, are likely near Highway 55 and Dry Lake Road, approximately 20 miles south of Mountainair. The Town of Mountainair asks […]
Company plans to extract uranium from the Grants area
Uranium extraction could be returning to the Grants area after nearly 30 years. Grants Energy is reaching out to nearby communities about plans to extract uranium from deep underground, using private lands about 20 miles from the city of Grants. The Grants area has the largest uranium resource in the country, which has made it a […]
Heinrich, Stansbury Sworn in for 119th Congress
U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) were sworn in for their terms representing New Mexico Jan. 3 in Washington. “I am honored to have been elected by New Mexicans to serve a third term in the United States Senate,” Heinrich said. “In this new Congress, I look forward to continuing […]
Op-ed: Let’s Put our Money Where our Mouth is
Submitted by Laura M. Montoya, NM State Treasurer My journey is similar to many other New Mexicans’ in that it took a lot of hard work, hope, resilience, community, and prayer to keep pushing forward to work towards something better for me and my family. Dreams were the hope that helped drive the determination to keep […]
New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department Seeks $1M to Reactivate Key Division
By Leah Romero, Source New Mexico A 2025 budget proposal aims to revive a division of state government aimed at providing community-based and caregiver-based services to New Mexicans who fall just outside of Medicaid eligibility. In the Aging and Long-Term Services Department’s roughly $5.7 million budget request for next year, $1 million is intended to […]
Norovirus Cases Rise in New Mexico Amid National Trend
By Daniel Montaño, KUNM The state announced Friday norovirus cases have been on the rise in New Mexico amid a larger national trend. The Department of Health said it’s easily spread by contact, and can cause a host of symptoms that can even require medical attention. Deputy State Epidemiologist Dr. Chad Smelser said Norovirus, often called the […]
$20 Million Reconstruction Project Kicks Off at Rattlesnake Rest Area in Torrance County
The New Mexico Department of Transportation and Weil Construction, Inc. began construction on a $20M investment project at the Rattlesnake Rest Area on Interstate 40 (eastbound and westbound), mile marker 207 to 208 in Torrance County. The rest area closed Monday and is expected to remain closed for 300 calendar days, reopening at the end […]
Millennium-old messages in a digital world
I am writing this column in the final days of Advent, which in my faith tradition, is a time of penance and preparation for the joyous celebration of Jesus’ coming into the world, or Christmas. As a Catholic, I always enjoy the scriptural readings of Advent as they seem to emphasize the historical reality of […]
Heinrich Announces 2024 Nominees to the United States Service Academies
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) announced his nominees to the United States Service Academies Dec. 19. A nomination is required to attend the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy; the U.S. Coast Guard Academy does not require a nomination. According to […]