By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Before the Goatheads have played a single shift, they’ve already made history: forward Grant Ahcan is officially the O.G. (Original Goathead) and the first player ever signed by the new franchise, inking an ECHL deal for the 2026-27 season. “Grant Ahcan embodies everything we want the New Mexico Goatheads to […]
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Posted inRio Rancho
Rio Rancho’s tap water meets all federal safety standards, new report shows
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Rio Rancho residents can keep drinking straight from the tap — the city’s water met every federal and state safety standard in 2025 — but a paperwork slip means one well is still waiting on a minor fix that was due back in March, according to the city’s newly released […]
Posted inRio Rancho
DEA, grieving mom bring fentanyl awareness walk to Rio Rancho
By Kevin Hendricks and Julian Paras, The Paper. Rio Rancho families who’ve lost someone to fentanyl got a chance to walk, grieve and organize together Saturday, as the second annual Walk for Lives came to Haynes Community Center and Park. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Field Division and the Rio Rancho chapter of […]
Posted inAlbuquerque
Albuquerque Museum takes a road trip along The Other Route 66
By Sara Atencio-Gonzales, The Paper. – For many people, Route 66 conjures images of classic cars, roadside diners and the nostalgia of the open road. But a new exhibition at the Albuquerque Museum invites visitors to look beyond those familiar images and discover a more complex history. The Other Route 66: 100 Years of People, […]
Posted inAlbuquerque
Profiles in Creativity: Diné sculptor Jazmin Novak tells traditional stories in glass and metal
By Sara Atencio-Gonzales, The Paper. – For Diné sculptor Jazmin Novak, art has long been tied to home, family and the act of making things together. Growing up in Albuquerque, Novak spent time creating art at community events and at home with her mother. “Art became a really big part of the household,” says Novak. […]
The Paper. Rio Rancho
Posted inRio Rancho
Safety upgrades underway at dangerous NM 528 and Pasilla intersection
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Drivers on NM 528 will see new lane markers, not new headlines, this week as crews are installing delineators, signage and striping at the Pasilla Road intersection through July 15 — the long-promised interim fix at one of Rio Rancho’s most dangerous stretches of road. Work runs 9 a.m. to […]
Posted inRio Rancho
Daring rope rescue saves six after ravine crash
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper.Six people are recovering after a side-by-side rolled down a steep ravine near Southern Blvd. and 60th St. NW early Saturday, triggering a technical rope rescue that pulled them from terrain crews couldn’t reach on foot. Rio Rancho Fire Rescue crews responded to reports of the rollover with multiple injured occupants, […]
Posted inRio Rancho
Rio Rancho woman charged with felony after vehicle title dispute turns violent
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. A 48-year-old Rio Rancho woman is facing a third-degree felony charge after police say a dispute over signing over a vehicle title turned violent Friday, leaving her ex-wife with a puncture wound from a writing pen. Rio Rancho police responded to the 3000 block of Southern Boulevard SE around 5:48 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Dr. Shelle Sanchez, longtime City arts director, leaves Albuquerque’s art scene in good hands
By Sara Atencio-Gonzales, The Paper. – After more than 30 years of serving New Mexico through arts, culture and education, Dr. Shelle Sanchez is closing one chapter and looking forward to the next. Sanchez recently retired as director of the City of Albuquerque’s Department of Arts & Culture after leading the department for eight and […]
Route 66 Independent
Posted inEast Mountains
Tijeras turns back to the well it took offline over PFAS fears
By Jesse Jones, The Indy — The Village of Tijeras returned a well taken offline months ago over PFAS concerns to service after another well unexpectedly failed, prompting officials to advise residents to use bottled water for drinking and cooking. On Thursday, Well 1, the village’s primary water source, unexpectedly failed around 11:34 a.m., according […]