Posted inNew Mexico Statewide News, Syndicated

Takeaways on AP’s story about challenges to forest recovery and replanting after wildfires

By TAMMY WEBBER, BRITTANY PETERSON and CAMILLE FASSET, Associated Press The U.S. is struggling to replant forests destroyed by increasingly intense wildfires, with many areas unlikely to recover on their own. Researchers are studying which species are likely to survive — and where — as climate change makes it difficult or impossible for many forests […]

Posted inNew Mexico Statewide News, Syndicated

NM Auditor says no evidence of misuse of $5.3M at troubled water utility

By Danielle Prokop, Source NM The New Mexico Office of the State Auditor released the findings of an investigation into a troubled southern New Mexico utility Tuesday, concluding that there was no evidence of misuse of $5.3 million in public funds. The New Mexico Environment Department called for multiple state agencies to take a closer look at […]

Posted inLocal Gov.

County commission OKs solar bonds

A major economic development push by Bernalillo County commissioners Tuesday brought hundreds of new local jobs closer to being a reality. The board unanimously agreed to issue up to $942 million in taxable industrial revenue bonds for a proposed solar cell manufacturing plant in the Mesa del Sol industrial development area. The 834,000-square-foot Apollo plant […]

Posted inAlbuquerque, Bernalillo County, Housing & Homelessness, Local Gov., New Mexico Statewide News

Transient bookings at MDC on the rise

The number of inmates at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) who are classified as transient is on the rise — a trend that’s concerning to advocates who work with those experiencing homelessness in Albuquerque. The MDC is run by Bernalillo County and is the largest county jail in the state. It has an average inmate […]

Posted inAlbuquerque, Bernalillo County, Courts, Justice & Safety, Local Gov., New Mexico Statewide News

MDC officer accused of illegal relationship with inmate released

A former Metropolitan Detention Center corrections officer who is accused of having an illegal relationship with an inmate was released from custody Monday after a court hearing.  The former officer, Chevonne Culbreath, was arrested Sept. 17 and charged with criminal sexual penetration and trying to illegally bring contraband into the jail after an inmate reportedly […]

Posted inNew Mexico Statewide News

Former Drug Policy Alliance director tapped as state dept. head

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has appointed Emily Kaltenbach as cabinet secretary of the Aging and Long-Term Services Department.  In a news release announcing the appointment, Lujan Grisham touted Kaltenbach’s leadership in public policy, health care reform and advocacy. Lujan Grisham  said Kaltenbach has a “strong track record of advancing services for older adults, […]

Posted inNew Mexico Statewide News

The politics of immigration play differently along the US-Mexico border

By Morgan Lee, Associated Press SUNLAND PARK, N.M. (AP) — The politics of immigration look different from the back patio of Ardovino’s Desert Crossing restaurant. That’s where Robert Ardovino sees a Border Patrol horse trailer rumbling across his property on a sweltering summer morning. It’s where a surveillance helicopter traces a line in the sky, […]

Posted inLocal Gov.

What is a bond anyway?

Just as individuals and families use savings and take on debt to make large purchases, so do local, state and federal governments. While a family buying a new vehicle or a home might look for a car loan or mortgage, governments have a variety of debt-financing options available, each with their own rules and benefits. […]