A community-organized group is hosting a forum for commissioner candidates next month, aiming to foster dialogue between local officials and residents. The Edgewood CommQuest Committee will hold a “Meet the Candidates” meeting Oct. 19 at 2 p.m. at the Edgewood Community Center, according to Barbara Evans, who heads the ad-hoc committee. The forum, titled “Charging […]
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Posted inLocal Government, Westside Albuquerque
Rio Rancho council approves police union contract worth $1.4 million
The Rio Rancho City Council unanimously approved a three-year collective bargaining agreement with the Rio Rancho Police and Communications Association on Thursday, authorizing $950,390 in additional funding for fiscal year 2026 to cover enhanced benefits and pay increases. The contract, which runs from Sept. 22, through June 30, 2028, affects 187 bargaining unit positions within […]
Posted inPueblos
Zuni Pueblo leaders back Haaland’s bid for governor
Leaders of the Zuni Pueblo have declared their support for former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s bid for the Democratic nomination for governor. New Mexico Political Report was the first to report the endorsement. The Haaland campaign later revealed the endorsement in a press release, which featured a statement from Zuni Pueblo Governor Arden Kucate, describing […]
Posted inEdgewood
Double feature: Edgewood to host pet adoption event, summer festival this weekend
The Town of Edgewood will host two back-to-back community events Saturday, Sept. 20, at Venus Park, combining the state’s largest pet adoption event with the debut of a new summer festival. Woofstock, described by town officials as New Mexico’s largest pet adoption event, will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and feature 15 adoption […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety
New Mexico woman’s gun show protest triggers constitutional case after arrest
A 70-year-old woman filed a civil rights lawsuit Monday against the City of Moriarty and Torrance County after being arrested and detained for three days while peacefully protesting outside a gun show in February. Jill Gatwood, an Albuquerque resident represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, alleges in the lawsuit that she […]
Posted inOpinion & Analysis
A terrible week reminds us how America has changed
I’m writing this column on 9/11, a terrible day for America. I’ve written about it before, and what happened to me and my household that day. 9/11 also set in motion a concentration of power in the executive branch, a tolerance for Federal surveillance, and an expansion of emergency powers at the Federal and state […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, Westside Albuquerque
Santa Fe court launches mental health diversion program for arrestees
The First Judicial District Court has announced a new program designed to divert people with severe mental illness away from the criminal justice system and into treatment services. The competency diversion pilot program will serve individuals charged with misdemeanors, excluding DWI and nonviolent felony offenses. It marks the fourth such initiative established by New Mexico […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Pueblos
Rep. Vasquez cosponsors bill to reverse GOP health care cuts
Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., cosponsored legislation Thursday aimed at reversing Republican health care cuts and permanently extending Affordable Care Act tax credits. The Protecting Healthcare and Lowering Costs Act, H.R. 4849, would repeal provisions in a Republican tax bill that Vasquez said would eliminate Medicaid coverage for 110,000 New Mexicans and reduce health care eligibility […]
Posted inPueblos
Forest Service ranger establishes monthly office hours in Placitas
Sandia District Ranger Kenneth Born has begun holding monthly office hours in Placitas to improve community access to Forest Service officials. Born will be available every fourth Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the San Antonio de las Huertas Land Grant offices, located at 41B Camino de las Huertas. The office is in […]
Posted inLocal Government, Westside Albuquerque
The future of rubbish
Sandoval County commissioners are taking an efficiency-focused approach to landfill affairs. At their Sept. 10 meeting, commissioners voted to adopt a new fee schedule for the current county landfill, as well as volume-based discounts intended to maximize use of the site before its shutdown in 2036. Of the latter, Public Works Director Mark Hatzenbuhler told […]