Edgewood residents face a July 1 deadline for new fire and emergency medical services after the town and Santa Fe County agreed to terminate a joint services agreement — and both sides are telling different stories about why. The two governments reached a walkaway settlement ending all claims with no financial payment by either party, […]
Courts, Justice & Safety
Posted inNew Mexico Statewide News
CYFD ‘in crisis:’ AG files lawsuit after 14 child deaths tied to agency failures
New Mexico’s child welfare agency has failed to protect children in its care for years — and used state confidentiality laws to hide it, according to a new investigative report from the New Mexico Department of Justice. Attorney General Raúl Torrez released the report Wednesday and filed a lawsuit in Santa Fe District Court seeking […]
Posted inRio Rancho
Federal judge dismisses Rio Rancho lawsuit but plaintiff says the fight isn’t over
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit accusing Rio Rancho of enacting ordinances without following its own procedural rules — but the lead plaintiff argues the court never actually ruled that the city did anything right. U.S. District Judge Sarah M. Davenport granted the city’s motion to dismiss March 31, ruling the federal court lacked […]
Posted inLocal Government
Family sues Sandoval County, medical provider over 29-year-old’s fentanyl overdose in jail
The family of a 29-year-old woman who died of a fentanyl overdose while in custody at the Sandoval County Detention Center has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the county and its private medical provider, alleging staff ignored her severe mental health crisis and failed to prevent lethal drugs from circulating in the jail. The […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, City Desk ABQ, Courts, Justice & Safety, The Paper.
APD investigating hate crime in Old Town after Muslim mom with kids spit on by man asking, “Are you Christian?”
An Albuquerque mother taking photos of her children in Old Town says she was spit on and harassed all because she was wearing a hijab, and she caught it on video. Editor’s note: This story was updated Wed. afternoon after APD confirmed the name of the suspect they identified in this case. That update is […]
Posted inNM.news
A.G. asks N.M. Supreme Court to invalidate Otero County ICE detention contract
Otero County’s on-again, off-again contract to hold ICE detainees is headed to the state’s Supreme Court where justices are being asked to decide if the county’s attempts to rush a new agreement into place before a new state law banning them violated state law. In February, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed House Bill 9 which […]
Posted inRio Rancho
Rio Rancho firefighters get $26K state grant for new gear
Rio Rancho Fire and Rescue will receive $26,112.50 in state equipment funding to outfit 11 new firefighter positions, part of a $1.6 million grant program the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration announced. The funds will cover personal protective equipment for new hires, including turnout coats, pants and helmets. Rio Rancho is one of […]
Posted inRio Rancho
Rio Rancho man faces felony charges after hospital attack on nurse, officer
A patient at Sandoval Regional Medical Center in Rio Rancho attacked a nurse and a responding police officer — and attempted to grab the officer’s firearm — in an early-morning emergency room incident last week, according to court documents filed in Sandoval County Magistrate Court. Rio Rancho police responded around 1 a.m. on March 24 […]
Posted inOpinion & Analysis
Commentary: Ethical rules apply to judges and judicial candidates in New Mexico
Karl Refisteck is the director of New Mexico’s Administrative Office of the Courts, which oversees operations of the state’s court system. By Karl Reifsteck, Administrative Office of the Courts — The founders of our nation viewed a fair, impartial, and independent judiciary as a cornerstone for the government they envisioned 250 years ago when breaking […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety, Sandoval Signpost, Town of Bernalillo
Bernalillo firefighters set to get new gear from $1.6M state grant program
Bernalillo firefighters could soon get new protective gear and breathing equipment under a $1.6 million state grant program targeting 30 fire departments across New Mexico, the Department of Finance and Administration announced. The grants fund high-priority equipment for new hires — including self-contained breathing apparatuses, turnout coats and pants, helmets, face shields and safety goggles. […]