Boba Catch, the new entertainment center in Rio Rancho, feels almost too surreal to exist. It is a claw arcade and boba tea shop fitted with a Korean ramen bar, ice cream, and full-body VR simulators. A large, Transformers-esque animatronic robot greets you at the door. It is not the usual fare for Rio Rancho. […]
Rio Rancho
Money talks: Rio Rancho mayoral runoff candidates lead in cash and votes
The two candidates who raised the most money in the Rio Rancho mayoral race are also the two headed to the April 14 runoff, according to campaign finance reports filed before the March 3 election and released publicly March 6. City Councilor Paul Wymer and former Sandoval County Democratic Party chair Alexandria Piland together raised […]
Heads up, Rio Rancho drivers: Key road closure starts Monday for $8.4M project
A section of Broadmoor Boulevard will be closed to through traffic beginning Monday as crews work to connect a new water line as part of a multimillion-dollar road and utility improvement project. Access to Broadmoor Blvd. from Nicklaus Drive will be blocked from March 9 through March 16 while contractors complete a water line tie-in, […]
Your weekend lineup: Rock royalty rolls into Rio Rancho
Rock and roll royalty headlines a packed weekend in Rio Rancho and surrounding communities, with Heart bringing its “Royal Flush Tour 2026” to the Rio Rancho Events Center on Saturday alongside a slate of outdoor, cultural and local entertainment options. Ann and Nancy Wilson are set to take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at […]
New equipment, more tickets: Rio Rancho speed cameras issue thousands of citations in first 30 days
Rio Rancho’s new automated speed cameras issued nearly 6,000 citations in their first 30 days of live enforcement, with data showing thousands more violations still pending review, according to figures provided by program vendor Verra Mobility and reviewed by The 528. In 2024, the previous system issued a total of 18,739 speeding citations, averaging approximately […]
A possible first for Rio Rancho: If Wymer wins mayor’s race, how will his council seat be filled?
If City Councilor Paul Wymer wins the April 14 runoff election for mayor, Rio Rancho will face a vacancy-filling process that has never occurred in the city’s history — and the city’s charter has a detailed roadmap for how it would work. Wymer, who led Tuesday’s six-candidate primary with 45% of the vote, advanced to […]
Wymer, Piland advance to runoff in Rio Rancho mayoral race
City Councilor Paul Wymer and former Sandoval County Democratic Party chair Alexandria Piland will face each other in a runoff election April 14 after neither captured a majority in Tuesday’s six-candidate Rio Rancho mayoral election, unofficial results show. With all 114 precincts fully reporting and 13,746 total votes cast, Wymer led the field with 6,237 […]
Election results: Mayoral race headed to runoff
Rio Rancho voters headed to the polls Tuesday to decide who will succeed Mayor Gregg Hull in New Mexico’s third-largest city, but no candidate cleared the required majority threshold in the six-person mayoral race, forcing a runoff election between City Councilor Paul Wymer and former Democratic Party of Sandoval County chair Alexandria Piland. Under Rio […]
Everything Rio Rancho voters need to know before heading to the polls March 3
Voters in New Mexico’s third-largest city will decide who leads their community and whether to authorize nearly $18 million in bonds when Rio Rancho holds its municipal election Tuesday, March 3. The ballot includes races for mayor and three City Council districts, a Municipal Judge seat, and three separate bond questions covering road repairs, public […]
From Sanctuary cities to drag queens: Five Rio Rancho mayoral candidates detail their stances
Five Rio Rancho mayoral candidates gathered at a church-hosted forum last weekend and spoke with one voice against sanctuary city status, while staking out sharp positions on drag performances, library materials and the role of city government in policing community morality — drawing sustained applause from a crowd that had gathered explicitly to hear candidates […]

