Council approves additional funding to help with increasing number of migrants

Helping asylum seekers and migrants and recognizing the impact of the atomic industry on downwinders topped the short Albuquerque City Council meeting held on March 18. Migrant Help An increasing number of migrants arriving in Albuquerque — “due to unforeseen circumstances at the southern U.S. border” — since early fall has stretched thin the nonprofit […]

Posted inAlbuquerque, Education

What to expect: Is APS meeting its math proficiency goal for Black students and the Yazzie/Martinez agreement?

Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education members will discuss the district’s progress toward increasing math proficiency at Wednesday’s regular meeting. Administrators Dr. Antonio Gonzales, Dr. Channell Segura and Dr. Richard Bowman, will also present the board with information on how APS is doing on interim goals, which set targets for certain subgroups of middle school […]

Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety

Guilty: Muhammad Syed convicted in first of three trials for Albuquerque’s Muslim homicides

On Monday morning, after just under two hours of deliberation, a jury found Muhammad Syed guilty of first-degree murder in the first of three trials where he was accused of gunning down Muslim men.  Syed, an Afghan refugee, is facing a mandatory life sentence for killing Aftab Hussein. The trial lasted four days in the […]

One man’s quest to help solve the city’s homelessness problem

The campaigning hasn’t stopped, but now the focus is homelessness. Daymon Ely, an attorney and former three-term state representative, has spent the past 12 months developing a proposal to address homelessness in Albuquerque. The problem is well documented: There are more people living on Albuquerque’s streets, some with severe mental health and addiction issues, and […]

Posted inJobs, Workers & Economy, Westside

Hollywood to ABQ: City and film production pro plan 60-acre Westside studios as film industry continues growth

ALBUQUERQUE — An under-developed city lot on Albuquerque’s scenic West Mesa could soon be home to a major film and television production hub. The Mesa Film Studios (MFS) development site is on City-owned property along Atrisco Vista Blvd. The first phase of the project has an estimated capital investment of $57 million on a 60-acre site. […]

Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, Downtown, Housing & Homelessness

Business owner, deputy commander talk crime in Albuquerque’s Downtown

Editor’s note: This is the fourth installment in a series titled Downtown Albuquerque Reboot, about the city’s center, its challenges and the plans to address them. Read about why the area matters here, about vacant buildings here, peruse a photo essay about lowriders here, and end with what the area has to offer here. On […]

Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety

Fourth APD officer resigns while under investigation in DWI corruption case

A fourth Albuquerque Police Department officer has resigned rather than be interviewed as part of an internal investigation into allegations of misconduct by DWI officers. Nelson Ortiz resigned Thursday, according to a news release.   “Investigators were attempting to schedule an interview with Ortiz, but he decided to resign,” the release states. Ortiz, who joined APD […]

Posted inAlbuquerque, Education

Education wins and loses at the Legislature

The 2024 legislative session contained one big victory for public education and a few disappointments, the head of the local teachers’ union said Wednesday. “In general, it has not been a banner year for education,” Ellen Bernstein, president of the Albuquerque Teachers Federation, told CityDesk ABQ. She said the one great thing to come out […]