By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. More than 300 acres of state trust land near Cleveland Heights could go up for sale with the City of Rio Rancho’s blessing already locked in, months before residents get their say at an Aug. 5 public meeting. The New Mexico State Land Office will gather comments on the proposed […]
#Front Page – Rio Rancho
Posted in■ Education
Back-to-school 2026: What Rio Rancho families need to know
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. It’s that week that many students fear and many parents, including myself, celebrate. It’s back-to-school week. Here’s what you need to know as the 2026-2027 Rio Rancho Public School year kicks off. Most RRPS students head back to class Thursday, Aug. 6. Preschoolers at Puesta del Sol start a few […]
Sandoval Signpost
Posted in■ Local Government
‘Jurisdictional nightmare’ ends as Rio Rancho backs Sandoval County annexation
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper.Rio Rancho’s governing body unanimously cleared the way last week for Sandoval County to annex 7.8 acres into the Town of Bernalillo, a boundary shift that lets the county move forward with a bigger 13th Judicial District Court Complex and a relocated Bureau of Elections. City staff reviewed the request and […]
Sandoval Signpost
Posted in■ Politics & Elections
Sandoval County sheriff breaks ranks to endorse Republican successor
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Sandoval County Sheriff Jesse James Casaus, a Democrat barred by term limits from seeking reelection, is backing Republican Victor Rodriguez to succeed him — passing over Democratic nominee John Paul Trujillo in a rare cross-party break from a sitting sheriff. In a letter of endorsement, Casaus credited his eight years […]
Posted in■ Statewide News
Teen left at Mexico border becomes flashpoint in governor’s race as AG sues CYFD
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. The New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) faces a lawsuit following the July incident of a 15-year-old U.S. citizen traveling alone toward the Mexican border. The state agency maintains that its decision to pursue reunification with the youth’s mother took legal precedence, while Attorney General Raúl Torrez contends […]
Posted in■ Local Government
Rio Rancho council locks in $452M budget, trims City Hall wish list to balance books
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper.Rio Rancho’s governing body closed the books on fiscal year 2027 July 23, unanimously approving a $452 million budget that survived a late round of belt-tightening after last year’s savings came in lighter than city hall hoped. The vote on Resolution R57 sends the final budget to the New Mexico Department […]
Posted in■ Local Government
District 4 gets its Mann: RRPS attorney sworn in as Rio Rancho’s new councilor after divided vote
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. David Mann is Rio Rancho’s newest District 4 councilor. The Governing Body voted 4-2 Thursday to confirm Mayor Paul Wymer’s pick, closing out a monthlong process that turned into a pointed debate over whether Mann’s day job — general counsel for Rio Rancho Public Schools — creates conflicts with a […]
Sandoval Signpost
Posted in■ Environment, Conservation & Climate
Sandia Pueblo pushes to take control of Sandia Mountain forests, raising alarm from outdoor adventurer seekers
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Hikers, climbers and neighbors who use trails on Sandia Mountain’s west face could see their access change under a land transfer proposal the Sandoval County Commission endorsed last month. Now, a newly formed coalition of residents is urging lawmakers to reject the transfer, saying it could end decades of […]
Posted in■ Local Government
New District 4 councilor, final FY2027 budget approval on tap for Rio Rancho’s Thursday meeting
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Rio Rancho’s District 4 council seat has sat empty since Paul Wymer traded his councilor badge for the mayor’s gavel in May. That changes Thursday, when the Governing Body votes to confirm attorney David Mann as Wymer’s replacement. Who’s getting the seat, and why Mann, a 12-year District 4 resident […]
Posted in■ Food & Drink
Squeezing success: How an 11-year-old turned a lemonade stand into a legit business
By Tristen Critchfield Khalil Lorando has an entrepreneurial spirit that isn’t commonly found in someone his age. When the 11-year-old Rio Rancho resident asked his mom to buy him a car, she told him that if he wanted to drive by the time he was in high school, he was going to have to work […]