By Tristen Critchfield It all started during a transitory phase in life, a new hobby acquired to alleviate boredom. An engineer by day, Scott Salvas used to blow off steam in his down time by playing gigs with various local bands. After he and his wife moved into a new home, Salvas decided to let […]
Rio Rancho
Rio Rancho council takes up 350-home development, water rights purchase Thursday
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Rio Rancho’s Governing Body meets Thursday with decisions on the table that will shape the city’s growth for years โ including a 350-home subdivision, a water rights purchase and a cluster of zoning changes that range from a new fitness center to a Maverik gas station. The council returns to […]
Showdown at City Hall: Residents prepare for June 25 vote on gas station
By Tristen Critchfield A proposed gas station in Rio Rancho has been met with strong opposition from residents of a nearby neighborhood. Now, many of those residents are distributing flyers and gathering signatures on a petition to stop a proposed Maverik convenience store ahead of a Governing Body vote on June 25. Neighbors filed the […]
Barbara Loop reconstruction starts Monday โ expect detours through January
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Drivers who use Barbara Loop between Sara Road and NM 528 should find another way to work starting Monday โ the city is tearing the road apart and won’t put it back together until January. Rio Rancho kicks off a $3,273,113.85 reconstruction project June 29 that will strip and replace […]
Albuquerque man charged with stealing $23K in copper wire from Intel construction site
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. An Albuquerque man faces a felony larceny charge after Rio Rancho police say surveillance video caught him repeatedly stealing copper wire from an Intel construction site โ then selling it to Albuquerque scrap metal dealers for nearly $10,500. A criminal complaint filed June 17 in Sandoval County Magistrate Court alleges […]
Rio Rancho could score its first indoor soccer facility
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Rio Rancho families who drive to Albuquerque for indoor soccer could soon have a home-field option โ if the city approves a rezoning request set for Tuesday’s Planning and Zoning Board meeting. Developer Steven Kraemer, who operates two Albuquerque-area soccer facilities including the 25-year-old International Indoor Soccer Arena, wants to […]
From NHL ice to New Mexico: Zack Stortini named Goatheads’ first head coachย
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. The New Mexico Goatheads answered the question fans have been asking since day one: Zack Stortini will be the first head coach in franchise history, the team announced Saturday at a packed reveal party at The Block in Rio Rancho. Stortini, 40, played 257 NHL games with the Edmonton Oilers […]
Where to watch USAโs World Cup match vs. Australia
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. The USMNT takes on Australia at 1 p.m. Friday in a Group D match that could send the Americans to the knockout rounds โ and supporters in Rio Rancho don’t have to drive far to watch it happen. Right in Rio Rancho, The BLOCK (7805 Enchanted Hills Blvd. NE) will […]
Rio Rancho man charged with child abuse, contributing to delinquency after middle school fight escalates
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. A Rio Rancho man is facing five criminal charges after Rio Rancho police say he encouraged a fight between his middle-school-age daughter and another student, then threatened a group of teenage girls and grabbed one by the arm trying to take her phone. Court records filed June 12 in Bernalillo […]
Beer, wine and more free programming: What the MACโs expansion means for residents
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. The McDermott Athletic Center can move forward with a beer-and-wine taproom and outdoor dining area after Rio Rancho’s governing body unanimously approved two measures Thursday night โ but because the MAC sits on city-owned land, council members used the moment to squeeze out new concessions for residents. The council first […]


