By Kevin Hendricks — The Paper. Dozens of Rio Rancho residents, veterans and elected officials gathered Monday morning at Veterans Memorial/Monument Park to honor the men and women who died in military service — marking Memorial Day with music, prayer and community ceremony organized by local veterans groups. Mayor Paul Wymer read a formal proclamation […]
Courts, Justice & Safety
Posted inMountainair
State police identify substance that killed 3 and hospitalized more than 20 in Mountainair
New Mexico State Police have identified fentanyl and methamphetamine as the culprits in a hazardous materials incident that killed three and sent about two dozen people to the hospital. NMSP Chief Matt Broom, speaking at a press conference, said authorities discovered two types of fentanyl at a Mountainair residence, along with the meth. He said […]
Posted inTown of Bernalillo
Bernalillo Fire Rescue seeks to curb Baby Box mischief
The Town of Bernalillo Fire and Rescue Department is reminding the community that its Safe Haven Baby Box is an emergency resource and should not be treated like a curiosity. A recent post on the department’s Facebook page mentioned several incidents in which the door of the Baby Box was opened unnecessarily. “Please remember that […]
Posted inMountainair
Three dead, 18 first responders hospitalized after hazmat incident at Mountainair home
By Kevin Hendricks — The Paper. Three people are dead and 19 others are hospitalized — including 18 first responders — after an unidentified substance was discovered at a Mountainair residence Wednesday, triggering a major hazmat response from state and county agencies. New Mexico State Police responded around 11 a.m. to an address on Hanlon […]
Posted inSandoval County
‘Sandoval Star’ identified: Woman found dead in 2023 named Victoria De La Rosa
The woman whose body was found in the Cibola National Forest three years ago and known only as “Sandoval Star” has been identified as Victoria De La Rosa, a Mexican national who lived and worked in the Albuquerque area before her disappearance, Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office announced at a press conference May 20. Sandoval County […]
Posted inRio Rancho
Beyond the badge: How ‘Steele Got Your Six’ is mobilizing the Rio Rancho community to support police families
By Kevin Hendricks – The Paper. A Rio Rancho woman who spent decades watching law enforcement families quietly struggle in crisis launched a nonprofit to change that — and in less than two years, it has already reached nearly 400 people. Laci Steele founded Steele Got Your Six in December 2024 after years of funding […]
Posted inSandoval County
Pentagon taps Sandoval County missile maker for hypersonic weapon contract
By Kevin Hendricks – The Paper. The Pentagon has signed a first-of-its-kind production deal with Castelion Corporation to manufacture its Blackbeard hypersonic strike missile — and Sandoval County’s Project Ranger facility will be where those weapons get built. The Defense Department — which the Trump administration refers to as the Department of War — announced […]
Posted inRio Rancho
Rio Rancho honors fallen officers at annual memorial ceremony
A large crowd gathered Thursday morning at Veterans Memorial Park in Rio Rancho to honor three police officers killed in the line of duty, with city and state officials calling on newer officers to learn the names and stories of those who came before them. The Rio Rancho Police Department’s annual Fallen Officer Memorial ceremony […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety
NMDOJ agrees to stop enforcement of HB9 in response to USDOJ lawsuit against New Mexico anti-ICE laws
A lawsuit by Federal officials to block New Mexico’s new law forcing the closure of ICE detention centers scored its first victory Wednesday afternoon when New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed a stipulated motion agreeing to stop pursuing enforcement of the law against the sprawling Otero County Detention Center while the federal suit continues. […]
Posted inCity Desk ABQ
ABQ moves to permanently fund new safety branches without a rate hike
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Albuquerque voters may soon decide whether to modernize how the city’s Public Safety Tax is spent, all without seeing any increase in their actual tax rate. We all already pay the Public Safety Tax – 1/4 of 1%, or 25-cents on each $100 transaction – as a part of […]