Budget bumps, popsicles and postponed charter changes dominated the lengthy Albuquerque City Council meeting May 20. In the end, a $1.4 billion budget was approved for fiscal year 2025. Budget Ups and Downs A big chunk of the five-plus hour meeting was spent working out the dollar details. After a couple of hours of discussion […]
Congress & Federal Gov.
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Local Government
Lawsuit: City leaders attempted to use Risk Management as a ‘slush fund’
A former city manager within the Risk Management Division filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the City of Albuquerque on May 17 citing intimidation, false accusations and disregard for workplace safety laws concerning asbestos at the Gateway Center. The lawsuit was filed by Jeanette Chavez, an official within Risk Management who was one of the first […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov.
Two seats open on APS audit committee
Albuquerque Public Schools is looking for two community members to serve on the district’s audit committee. They will serve alongside board members, the superintendent and the district’s chief financial officer. One of the community representatives must have experience in accounting or financial matters. The other seat is for the parent of a student currently attending […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Westside Albuquerque
Top U.S. drug agency a notable holdout in Biden’s push to loosen federal marijuana restrictions
By JOSHUA GOODMAN and JIM MUSTIAN / Associated Press In an isolated part of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration headquarters known as the 12th-floor “bubble,” chief Anne Milgram made an unusual request of top deputies summoned in March for what she called the “Marijuana Meeting”: Nobody could take notes. Over the next half hour, she […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Pueblos
Controversial former sheriff, undersheriff set sights on Roundhouse
Two of Bernalillo County’s former top cops are seeking seats at the Roundhouse in November, despite being named in a federal indictment as key players in a gunrunning scheme that allowed gun store owners to buy illegal weapons. Manny Gonzales, a former Democrat and former Bernalillo County Sheriff, is running in the primaries for a […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Housing & Homelessness, Local Government
Officials who flagged asbestos dangers at Gateway Center told to stay home, given sick leave as city fined by state
At least two senior officials who raised concerns about the city’s mishandling of asbestos exposure during the construction of the Gibson Health Hub were threatened with reassignment and then quietly placed on sick leave. Both officials were made unavailable to answer questions from the city council and others about the administration’s actions that resulted in […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Housing & Homelessness, Local Government
City charter changes could create chaos
Proposed changes to the city’s charter have stirred up an old-time controversy. Several Albuquerque city councilors are asking for a slew of changes to the city’s charter that would go to the voters. The stack of charter amendment proposals will be debated at their May 20 regular meeting. If approved, the changes will go to […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., Local Government
Fees for fun things in ABQ won’t be raised
Albuquerque City Councilors have dropped proposed fee increases from Mayor Tim Keller’s draft budget for fiscal year 2024-2025. At the May 16 Committee of the Whole meeting, members voted to make a few changes to Keller’s $1.4 billion budget. Among the amendments was allocating an additional $250,000 for the ABQ BioPark, eliminating the need for […]
Posted inCommunity Content, Congress & Federal Gov.
UNM Hospital nurse adopts baby from the NICU
This community content was provided by UNM Health Sciences. Learn more at https://hsc.unm.edu/news/ By Nicole San Roman and Tom Szymanski, UNM Health Sciences | Many nurses describe the job they do every day as a calling. But for one nurse at The University of New Mexico Children’s Hospital, her life’s calling came the day she […]
Posted inCongress & Federal Gov., New Mexico Statewide News, Westside Albuquerque
A Lakota student’s feather plume was cut off her cap during commencement at Farmington High School
ASSOCIATED PRESS A Lakota student’s traditional feather plume was cut off her graduation cap during her high school commencement ceremony this week in northwestern New Mexico. It was during the national anthem Monday night when Farmington High School faculty members approached the student, Genesis White Bull, and confiscated her cap, the Tri-City Record reported. The top […]