#nmpol – Page 44

Deaths at the Westside shelter are increasing

On Jan. 28, 2023, a 53-year-old woman was staying at the Westside Emergency Housing Center with her husband when she died. According to an incident report, Gina Kirwin’s husband told staff that she was not breathing and when they went to check on her she was already cold to the touch. Kirwin’s husband told police […]

City hunts for Westside shelter operator

The city is searching for someone to take on a complex assignment: staff and operate the Westside Emergency Housing Center (WEHC) for hundreds of people experiencing homelessness. The facility is located about 20 miles west of Downtown near the Double Eagle II Airport. Its remote location is typically accessed through shuttle services departing from pickup […]

Centenarians celebrate centennial with the city

Three centenarians were honored at the city’s Centennial Birthday Celebration Tuesday. The annual event, which is held on the 100th day of the year, took place at the North Valley Senior Center. More than 100 people showed up to celebrate the lives of the active senior citizens, according to Victoria Velarde, city communications coordinator. Entertainers, […]

A push for more duplexes in ABQ

Albuquerque residents would have more opportunities to live in duplex housing under a proposed zoning amendment before the city’s land use, planning and zoning (LUPZ) committee this week. The change would allow duplexes, which were once allowed under city zoning, to be constructed from existing single-family homes located in certain areas of the metro. Supporters […]

Younger and stronger: Addicted teens as young as 11 are getting turned away but more help is coming

Youth experiencing addiction will soon have a safe place to detox in Albuquerque. The new detox center has space to house six clients, who can stay there for up to 14 days, or longer if medically necessary. In February, Serenity Mesa, a transitional living service for youth in Bernalillo County, received $3.5 million in funding […]

Gateway sobering center gets $4.2M from feds

The Gateway Center is moving toward its goal of offering medical sobering services in Albuquerque. The site near the VA Medical Center hosted U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra highlighted the $4.2 million in federal aid appropriated for the project. Luján, Becerra and Mayor Tim Keller toured […]

No-Confidence vote goes nowhere, again

The City Council also heard from the Albuquerque Police Department about its findings in the investigation into Chief Harold Medina’s crash. Read our coverage of that discussion here. It was a no vote for a vote of no confidence leveled against the Albuquerque Police Chief at Wednesday’s City Council meeting. Councilor Louie Sanchez sponsored the […]

APD finds Chief Medina’s crash was not preventable and not criminal

The Albuquerque Police Department’s Fleet Crash Review Board and its Fatal Crash Unit have reviewed the chief’s actions leading up to him running a red light and crashing into another vehicle while fleeing the sound of gunfire. They determined the crash was not preventable and he should not be criminally charged, members of APD told […]

WHAT TO EXPECT: No confidence vote in police chief on the table

A no-confidence vote in the police chief will be on the table for the Albuquerque City Council at its Wednesday regular meeting. Strike Out or Home Run Councilor Louie Sanchez has failed a couple of times to get a message of no confidence off the council table and onto the mayor’s office. The city’s Finance […]

How does the mayor’s proposed budget stack up against last year’s?

Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller’s administration released a $1.4 billion proposed budget for fiscal year 2025 on Tuesday. The 2.3% increase over last fiscal year focuses on big picture categories like public safety, housing, homelessness, behavioral health, jobs, the economy and more. The city said in a news release that the budget takes into consideration post-pandemic […]