Trail Mix is a monthly column featuring off-the-beaten-path adventures in New Mexico. Rising over 1,100 feet from the Rio Puerco Valley, Cabezon Peak dominates this remote and rugged valley just west of Albuquerque. Despite its relative isolation, it’s just over an hour’s drive from Albuquerque and an easy stop to cooler temperatures in the higher […]
Sections
Posted inFederal Government & Congress, Local Government, Uncategorized
NMDOJ Investigates Complaints About County Commissioners
The New Mexico Department of Justice (NMDOJ) is investigating claims that some members of the Bernalillo County Commission have violated meeting rules. In a letter dated April 24, and addressed to County Manager Julie Morgas Baca and Attorney Ken Martinez, the NMDOJ said, “Based on the materials reviewed, there are indications that deliberations on public […]
Posted inFederal Government & Congress
New Mexico Is Neither a Blue Nor a Red State
I am doing a couple of interviews this week to provide a Republican perspective on New Mexico politics in 2024. That might seem amusing to some of you who perceive New Mexico as a Democratic state. But as I gathered my thoughts ahead of these interviews, I realized that for the last 50 years until […]
Posted inFederal Government & Congress
Primary Election is Coming Right Up
New Mexico’s primary election is a few weeks away, on June 4. As attentive voters know, in New Mexico the primary election is at least as important as the general. Depending on your district, you might have a little work to do researching your choices, and it’s time to get started. As usual, many counties […]
Posted inFederal Government & Congress
Historians Look at Oñate
In history we find things that make us feel uncomfortable, said Jon Ghahate, a Laguna and Zuni pueblo educator. “Sometimes it’s very challenging. For New Mexico it’s embedded in everything we do.” Ghahate spoke on a panel about Don Juan de Oñate, the Colonizer of New Mexico. In 1598, Oñate led soldiers and settlers up […]
Posted inCourts & Justice, Federal Government & Congress, Local Government
BCSO arrests ‘Al Capone’ of retail theft
A man who sheriff’s deputies say was at the center of Albuquerque’s largest organized retail crime operation was arrested earlier this month. Raul Fernando Garcia, 42 — dubbed the “Al Capone” of retail theft by the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office — was arrested on April 15. He is facing multiple charges including organized retail crime, […]
Posted inFederal Government & Congress, Local Government
City investigated for undisclosed special ‘payouts’ to top officials who resigned
Exclusive in City Desk ABQ High-level city officials have been awarded thousands of dollars in extra compensation after announcing their resignations thanks to a special, and mostly unknown, leave program, City Desk ABQ has learned. The most high-profile recipient of the “special leave” was Sarita Nair, Mayor Tim Keller’s top aide and the city’s chief […]
Posted inFederal Government & Congress
APS school board hears frustrations about bell schedules and adult performers
Looking to avoid a later school day, parents and staff at Inez Elementary School took their case to the Albuquerque Public Schools board Wednesday evening. They told the board they’ve seen the schedule change three years in a row and would like to keep the current bell times. The speakers said the current schedule works […]
Posted inFederal Government & Congress, Westside Albuquerque
Biden says ‘order must prevail’ during campus protests over the war in Gaza
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday defended the right to protest but insisted that “order must prevail” as college campuses across the country face unrest over the war in Gaza. “Dissent is essential for democracy,” he said at the White House. “But dissent must never lead to disorder.” Tensions have been building for […]
Posted inFederal Government & Congress
ACLU-NM speaks out against UNM campus protest arrests
The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico is investigating this week’s arrest of university students who were protesting the Israel-Hamas war. “Students have the constitutional right to peacefully protest, speak, and express their opinion,” said Peter Simonson, executive director for ACLU-NM in an emailed statement. “The New Mexico Constitution extends even greater protections in […]