Community content by Rick Holben, East Mountain Historical Society The Mountain Lodge was built about 1949 east of Albuquerque in the Carnuel area of Tijeras Canyon by Crawford Bissel Saunders and his wife, Marie Auer Saunders. The motel fronted what was the original two-lane alignment of U.S. Highway 66 on property purchased in late 1946 […]
Community News
Earth Day Festival offers free tickets by reservation in March
ALBUQUERQUE – New Mexicans ready to lower their utility bills and take control of their energy future can do both at the Third Annual Earth Day Festival, happening Sunday, April 26, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Balloon Fiesta Park. This year’s theme — Our Power, Our Planet — is more than a […]
Bowling tournament set to raise funds for veteran-owned businesses in Rio Rancho
The Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce’s “Back Our Veterans” Bowling Tournament has sold out, organizers announced, signaling strong community support for an event aimed at raising grant funding for veteran-owned businesses. The tournament is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 22, from 1 to 5 p.m. at Tenpins & More, 1416 Deborah Road, Rio Rancho. “To […]
New Mexico Goatheads to unveil NHL affiliation, mascot this weekend
The New Mexico Goatheads will reveal their NHL affiliation and introduce their mascot to the public for the first time Saturday at THE BLOCK in Rio Rancho. Doors open at 11 a.m. MT, with the live announcement scheduled for shortly after noon. The event is free and open to the public, and no RSVP is […]
Casa San Ysidro announces 2026 public programming schedule
Casa San Ysidro: The Gutiérrez/Minge House, located at 973 Old Church Road, has released its 2026 public program calendar, offering free workshops, lectures and festivals celebrating New Mexican heritage and culture. The historic museum will host free programs on most second Saturdays of the month from 1-3 p.m., featuring workshops and lectures highlighting regional history. […]
Balloons to fill Rio Rancho skies for Valentine’s weekend rally
More than 70 hot-air balloons will ascend over Rio Rancho this Valentine’s Day weekend as the Friends & Lovers Balloon Rally returns for its annual celebration. The free, family-friendly event will take place Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 14-15, with launches beginning in the early morning around 7 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. The rally, hosted by […]
MESD Early Childhood students get up close with NMDOT
Most kids love big trucks and students (and their miniature horse) at the Moriarty-Edgewood School District’s Early Childhood Center got up close and personal with one of the biggest last week when drivers from the New Mexico Department of Transportation’s District 5 patrol dropped in last week. NMDOT workers shared gift bags with students and […]
Albuquerque Community Foundation picks Native New Mexican to lead
For the first time in 20 years, the state’s largest community foundation has a new leader — and they didn’t have to go far to find her. Marisa Magallanez officially took the helm of the Albuquerque Community Foundation and the New Mexico Community Trust as president and CEO on Jan. 1. Magallanez, a native of […]
The Tumbleweed Snowman is 30 years old. See how he’s changed since 1995
OK, Albuquerque, do you know what today is? Yes, it’s #GivingTuesday (an important day in a nonprofit newsroom) but it’s also Tumbleweed Tuesday, the day the Tumbleweed Snowman claims his holiday perch alongside the busy westbound lanes of I-40 next to the AMAFCA offices near the “Big I.” This year is also the icon’s 30-year […]
Thankful for locals who’ll be buying local and reading local this season
From the publisher… Pat Davis, Publisher “People have a right to know… Since The Independent News first closed its doors in 2022, no journalists have covered Moriarty. When we brought The Indy back to Edgewood in 2023, we always wanted to get back to Moriarty, too. In the Spring of 2025, we finally did. Working […]


