Posted inAlbuquerque, City Desk ABQ, Local Government

History made: ABQ confirms the first female police chief and new safety director

The Duke City just made history by shattering the glass ceiling as City Councilors confirmed Cecily Barker as the cityโ€™s first female police chief and approved a public safety overhaul that created a new public safety director role and filled it with former FBI official Raul Bujanda. On Monday, the City Council unanimously approved Barker […]

Posted inLocal Government

โ€˜It would be a lot cooler if you didโ€™: ABQ council passes cooling rules โ€” but not the ones the sponsor wanted

Jesse Jones, The Paper. — For thousands of Burqueรฑos struggling to keep their homes cool as temperatures climb earlier each year, a common landlord workaround is now off the table โ€” but the stronger protections one councilor fought for didn’t make it through. City councilors voted 5-4 Monday night to approve O-26-22, an amendment to […]

Posted inSandoval County

Sandoval County commissioners to tackle bonds, water, bridges and landfill staffing

Sandoval County residents from Placitas to Cuba will see decisions affecting their water supply, road safety and emergency services when commissioners gather Wednesday night in Bernalillo. The Board of County Commissioners meets at 6 p.m. at the Administrative Building Commission Chambers, 1500 Idalia Road, Building D. County Financial Advisor Rob Burpo of First American Financial […]

Posted inRio Rancho

Rio Rancho man accused of stalking, attacking mother hours after jail release

A Rio Rancho man faces five felony and misdemeanor charges after allegedly battering his mother, stealing her computer and other belongings โ€” and then smashing her truck’s windshield with a rock the day after his arrest, according to criminal complaints filed in Sandoval County Magistrate Court. Rio Rancho police filed the first complaint on April […]

Posted inFood & Drink

City orders Downtown Lindy’s Diner closed over fear the building will collapse

City officials ordered an emergency closure of Lindy’s restaurant, a Downtown staple, on Monday after public complaints about the building’s bulging exterior prompted city officials to order a structural inspection. Owners say that the location is one of the longest continually-operated restaurant locations on Route 66. For 97-years, restaurants operating out of the the Bliss […]

Posted inAlbuquerque, Local Government

Burqueโ€™s policing pivot: How the mayor proposes to put more cops on the street without new hires

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Burqueรฑos looking for a fresh hiring surge to put more police on the streets will find a different strategy in Mayor Tim Kellerโ€™s $1.47 billion budget proposal. The city isnโ€™t adding a single new sworn officer position; instead, itโ€™s betting on a massive internal shakeup to put more officers […]

Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, Rio Rancho

Rio Rancho speed cameras issued 3,400+ citations in March

Rio Rancho drivers racked up more than 3,400 speeding citations in March โ€” generating up to $342,300 in potential fines โ€” as the city’s automated speed camera network completed its second full month of live enforcement. Data from program vendor Verra Mobility shows cameras monitored 380,635 vehicles in March, flagging 4,484 violation events. Rio Rancho […]