Posted inNew Mexico Statewide News

NM officials are testing high schools’ wastewater for drugs without a clear plan for the results

By MEGAN MYSCOFSKI/ KUNM On an afternoon with blowing dust and sideways snow, two people in bright yellow vests and heavy winter clothes worked over an open manhole in the brush behind Belen High School. “Ice packs to make sure that everything stays cold. Not that that’s a problem right now,” said Tom Brown, an […]

Broad and burdensome: City paid over $1.4 M in Public Records Act lawsuits over last year and a half

Just before the pandemic, Christopher Michael Sanchez was killed on Feb. 21 at a local bar and police ruled his death was a justifiable homicide. Eight months later, his father requested — through the Inspection of Public Records Act — all videos and records relating to his son’s death.  By 2023, however, the city still […]

Posted inNew Mexico Statewide News

County Expands Illegal Dumping Program to Include Bernalillo

Sandoval County officials announced the launch of an expanded Preserve Sandoval program earlier this week. It’s an offshoot of a pilot program launched in 2022, which was created to address illegal dumping off of county roads around Rio Rancho. This expanded program, covers all of Sandoval County. The formula is simple: The public identifies illegal […]

Posted inNew Mexico Statewide News, Pueblos

BLM asks for public comment on Buffalo Tract proposal

The Bureau of Land Management is proposing to protect 4,213 acres within the Placitas area from new mining claims and mineral activity. BLM wants the public to give their feedback on the environmental assessment of the proposal, which officials say is intended to conserve sacred Tribal land, boost important local recreation opportunities and support wildlife […]

Posted inHousing & Homelessness, Pueblos, Uncategorized, Westside Albuquerque

Commission Lauds Legislature’s Inaction to Close Detention Center

Torrance County, Estancia in particular, dodged an economic bullet recently when the State Legislature let a Senate bill die on the floor that would have prevented the Torrance County Detention Facility from continuing to house immigrant detainees. Janice Barela, county manager, told the commission last week that the bill passed two senate committees along party […]