By Rodd Cayton, The Paper. A recent presentation about a theoretical wildfire threatening Placitas was a success, according to leaders of the host organization. District Ranger Ken Born of the U.S. Forest Service visited the community earlier this month, using the agency’s FSPro program to demonstrate how a blaze might behave under a pair of […]
Rodd Cayton
Rodd Cayton is a senior reporter with nm.news covering local news and government as a local reporting fellow with NM Reports.
Posted inNew Mexico Statewide News
No sparks allowed: Local governments enact sweeping burn and firework bans in New Mexico
By Rodd Cayton, The Paper. State and local governments are sharing the goal of keeping New Mexico from burning up. This week, the Village of Corrales and Bernalillo County approved new restrictions aimed at fire prevention. The Bernalillo County Commission voted to ban all open burning in the unincorporated areas of the county. “One small […]
Posted inPlacitas
Placitas drought crisis: Water shut-offs loom as springs run dry
By Rodd Cayton, The Paper. Placitas, like numerous other New Mexico communities, is in dire straits in terms of water supply. The village is looking at severe conservation rules and possibly waterless nights, if help doesn’t come from the skies Harvey Vigil, mayordomo of Las Acequias de Placitas, told the Sandoval Signpost a second consecutive […]
Posted inCorrales
Village Council approves MainStreet re-up, residents concerned
Corrales MainStreet will continue to promote economic development within the village, but the renewal of the organization’s contracts didn’t happen quietly. While village administration feels the new professional services local agreement adequately shifts its focus from increasing tourist traffic to historical preservation and improving resident quality of life, some residents took to the podium to […]
Posted inPlacitas
After years of overpayment, Placitas secures victory as ESCAFCA ends tax collection
“This is good, but not the end.” Placitas resident Mike Neas Wednesday expressed relief that a local flood control authority board is looking for a solution to an overtaxation issue that has caused property owners to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars more than they should have. Neas, who earlier this month filed a formal […]
Posted inCorrales
New District 4 councilor will be chosen soon
Corrales Mayor Fred Hashimoto has announced his process for filling the seat of late Village Councilor John Alsobrook II. Chapter 3, Article 12 of the New Mexico Statutes Annotated 1978 gives the mayor responsibility for filling a council vacancy. In his weekly message to the community, Hashimoto wrote that anyone interested in the position should […]
Posted inMountainair
State police identify substance that killed 3 and hospitalized more than 20 in Mountainair
New Mexico State Police have identified fentanyl and methamphetamine as the culprits in a hazardous materials incident that killed three and sent about two dozen people to the hospital. NMSP Chief Matt Broom, speaking at a press conference, said authorities discovered two types of fentanyl at a Mountainair residence, along with the meth. He said […]
Posted inNew Mexico Statewide News
New Mexico honored for quantum leap
A broad public-private coalition has earned a national award for efforts to make New Mexico a major quantum technology industry hub. The Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) earlier this month presented its State and Local Economic Development Award to the State of New Mexico, Sandia National Laboratories, and their partners. The honor recognizes a coordinated, two-year […]
Posted inTown of Bernalillo
Bernalillo Fire Rescue seeks to curb Baby Box mischief
The Town of Bernalillo Fire and Rescue Department is reminding the community that its Safe Haven Baby Box is an emergency resource and should not be treated like a curiosity. A recent post on the department’s Facebook page mentioned several incidents in which the door of the Baby Box was opened unnecessarily. “Please remember that […]
Posted inCorrales
Corrales reopens farmland preservation applications ahead of Thursday meeting
The Village of Corrales has reopened the application process for conservation easements. Those interested in receiving grants to keep their property for agricultural uses are encouraged to attend Thursday’s meeting of the Farmland Preservation and Agricultural Commission. Commission co-Chair Ysabela Trujillo told the Corrales Comment the meeting will include details on how the conservation easement […]