On Wednesday New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed what she described as a key housing bill that will help address the state’s shortage of 40,000 homes. The bill authorizes $125 million in housing development loans and the creation of a housing development revolving fund through revisions to the New Mexico Finance Authority’s “Opportunity Enterprise […]
■ Statewide News
Posted in■ Statewide News
Expert in Old West firearms says gun wouldn’t malfunction in fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin
By MORGAN LEE Associated Press SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Courtroom testimony by an independent gun expert Tuesday cast new doubt on Alec Baldwin’s account that his gun went off without pulling the trigger in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer during a 2021 rehearsal on the set of the Western movie “Rust.” Baldwin has […]
Posted in■ Statewide News
Biden administration taps $366M to fund clean energy for Native American tribes and rural areas
By SOPHIE AUSTIN Associated Press/Report for America The federal government will fund 17 projects across the U.S. to expand access to renewable energy on Native American reservations and in other rural areas, the Biden administration announced on Tuesday. The $366 million plan will fund solar, battery storage and hydropower projects in sparsely populated regions where […]
Posted in■ Federal Government & Congress, ■ Statewide News
Women in STEM awards open for applications
It’s time again for female educators and researchers at the University of New Mexico to tout their research ideas. And bring in some cash to make them happen. Applications are being accepted now through May 14 for the Advance at UNM 2024 Women In STEM awards. Recipients will receive $3,000 to $15,000 to support their […]
Posted in■ 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 […]
Posted in■ 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 in■ Statewide News
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 in■ Courts & Justice, ■ Statewide News
Ax-Burglar Resists Bernalillo Police, Uses Household Items as Weapons
It was less than a week after 38 year-old Andrew Rivas got out of jail for assaulting a police officer when he was arrested for breaking into multiple homes in Bernalillo and assaulting more police officers. Around 9 p.m. on Feb. 11, Sandoval County dispatch received a call that Rivas was armed with an ax […]
Posted in■ New Mexico State Government, ■ Statewide News
State budget includes $200,000 for new task force on missing and murdered Indigenous people
This reporting was supported by the International Women’s Media Foundation’s Fund for Indigenous Journalists: Reporting on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two Spirit and Transgender People (MMIWG2T). By Bella Davis/NM In Depth The state budget awaiting Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s signature contains $200,000 for Attorney General Raúl Torrez to create a new task force concentrated on […]
Posted in■ Statewide News
Man Dies After Being Bitten by His Pet Gila Monster
By MEAD GRUVER Associated Press A Colorado man has died after being bitten by his pet Gila monster in what would be a rare death by one of the desert lizards if the creature’s venom turns out to have been the cause. Christopher Ward, 34, was taken to a hospital shortly after being bitten by […]