It’s election year. This year all 112 seats in the New Mexico Legislature are up for grabs. That isn’t totally accurate because 37 of those candidates have no opposition in either the primary or the general. No one else is “grabbing” for those seats. On the Republican side, nine House seats and nine Senate seats […]
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Posted inFederal Government & Congress
War Veterans Join the Public Debate Over Monuments
On Indigenous Peoples Day 2020 in broad daylight, a mob of vandals tore down the 154-year-old Soldier’s Monument in the center of Santa Fe Plaza because it was offensive to some Native Americans. Now veterans groups are demanding it be restored. The destruction followed months of controversy that was notable for its absence of historical […]
Posted inCourts & Justice
Court Records Detail Albuquerque Firefighter’s Arrest in Rio Rancho
In the past two weeks, three Albuquerque firefighters have been arrested and charged with driving under the influence. On March 13, Rio Rancho Police officers were dispatched to Cleveland High School for a welfare check. AFR Driver Angelo Abeyta allegedly left the scene in a gray Toyota Tundra and showed signs of impairment when stopped […]
Posted inFederal Government & Congress
The Hiring of Talking Heads
This spring, Ronna McDaniel of the RNC needed a job. As national chair since 2017, she needed to replace the $400,000/year income loss resulting from her forced resignation as Donald Trump clinched the GOP presidential nomination. There’s quite a bit to unpack in that lede, but there really isn’t column space for it. Let’s just […]
Posted inStatewide News, Westside Albuquerque
County Contends With Emergency Communication Outage
During the week of March 3, the Sandoval County Regional Emergency Communication Center (SCRECC) experienced radio communication issues due to a windstorm, continuing the challenges in maintaining reliable emergency communication systems. On March 13, County Manager Wayne Johnson added an emergency item to the Sandoval County Commission agenda. It was to approve a service agreement […]
Posted inStatewide News
Tijeras Canyon Residents Grumble Over Rumble Strips
Elizabeth McCall/The Independent Residents of the Tijeras Canyon area will soon sleep peacefully without the continuous noise disturbance of the rumble strips on I-40 East, now that the New Mexico Department of Transportation has a solution to the noise, with just a few paint stripes. What’s all the rumble? Rumble strips are meant to act […]
Posted inFederal Government & Congress, Local Government
Three injured by boulder on Embudo Trailhead
Three people were injured Wednesday afternoon after they were reportedly struck by a boulder in the Sandia Mountains. According to an AFR press release, eleven apparatus from Albuquerque Fire Rescue were dispatched to the Embudo Canyon Trailhead at about 3:30 p.m. for a call about a boulder that rolled down a hill in the mountains […]
Posted inFederal Government & Congress
APS Board president says she’s focused on closing gap in student outcomes
Danielle Gonzales says her Albuquerque Public Schools education served her well. But she also knows that not everyone can say the same. She graduated from Valley High School, then went into education — first as a fourth-grade teacher in South Texas then working in education policy in Washington, D.C. She and her family moved back […]
Posted inFederal Government & Congress, Local Government
City suspends rabbit adoptions
Ahead of the Easter holiday weekend, the City of Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department (AWD) will be suspending rabbit adoptions at all city shelters from Thursday, March 28 through Monday, April 1. Rabbit adoptions will resume on Tuesday, April 2. The Animal Welfare Dept. wants to remind people the family life commitment for a rabbit is not one week […]
Posted inLocal Government
Want to make a difference? BernCo seeking applicants for Addiction Treatment Advisory Board
Bernalillo County is currently accepting applications to fill four vacancies on the Addiction Treatment Advisory Board (ATAB). The board plays a crucial role in recommending consistent and best practices for county-administered programs and services related to medication addiction treatment and harm reduction services. Additionally, it makes policy recommendations to align the county’s programming and service […]