Albuquerque Journal

LEGISLATURE 2026 Clear Horizons Act rejected by Senate amid concerns over economic impact

SANTA FE — A hotly debated bill setting greenhouse gas emission reduction targets in state law was voted down by the state Senate on Wednesday, dealing a searing defeat to climate change activists and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s administration. The...

Following the nectar

An endangered bat species has traveled farther north in New Mexico than previously known, scientists confirmed by testing agaves and hummingbird feeders for bat DNA. “Having (environmental DNA) as a tool is invaluable to our understanding of this...

Senate passes gun bill after lengthy debate

After a sometimes heated six-hour debate and a few failed amendments, the New Mexico Senate passed a gun bill that aims to stop firearms from getting into the wrong hands and ban the sale of certain types of weapons. With a 21-17 vote, Senate Bill 17...

Hundreds turn out to oppose proposed TXNM Energy sale

It was standing room only inside the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission meeting room in Albuquerque on Thursday as hundreds showed up to oppose the sale of the company that runs New Mexico's largest electricity provider to a New York-based private...

Gov. signs fast-tracked bills and urges deal on medical malpractice

SANTA FE — For the second year in a row, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed into law a bushel of fast-tracked bills passed by state lawmakers during the opening stanza of a legislative session. But whether those bills end up being the defining...

HALFWAY THERE

SANTA FE — The clock is ticking at the Roundhouse. Lawmakers reached the halfway point of the 30-day legislative session on Wednesday, with high-profile bills dealing with immigration and road funding already headed to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's...

Clear Horizons Act clears first hurdle after lengthy hearing

SANTA FE — The highest-profile climate change bill under consideration during this year’s 30-day legislative session passed its first Senate committee hearing Tuesday, but only after weathering a broad blast of opposition from business and industry...

ACEQUIAS, LAND GRANTS CELEBRATED AT ROUNDHOUSE

“¡Que vivan las acequias!” was the repeated call in the Roundhouse Rotunda Monday. Acequia Day and Guadalupe of Hidalgo Treaty Day at the New Mexico Legislature highlighted some of the state's oldest and smallest government bodies: acequias and land...

PIT count: A look into life on Albuquerque’s streets

Tents behind freeway barricades, back alleys and arroyo beds are makeshift homes for people living in the fringes of society. Their obscurity poses a unique challenge for the scores of volunteers that must find these people and tally them for the...

In Mora County, the hunt for water contaminants is ongoing

MORA COUNTY — Outside a home tucked down a dirt road in Mora County, environmental engineer Tom Brown dumped out a 5-gallon bucket of well water, then another, tracing a path from a well-cared-for wooden wellhouse to the nearby pines. Brown was...

Thousands of Albuquerque protesters fill Civic Plaza to condemn ICE killings

Thousands of protesters filled the streets of Downtown Albuquerque on Friday to condemn the killing of two people in Minneapolis by federal immigration agents this month, joining a nationwide movement that saw people from across the country walk out of...

Medical malpractice reform could hinge on limits to punitive damages

SANTA FE — While no final deal has been struck, negotiations between hospital executives, trial lawyers and other stakeholders on possible changes to New Mexico's medical malpractice laws have yielded some areas of agreements — and some potential...

GUN BILL SPARKS EMOTIONAL DEBATE AT ROUNDHOUSE

SANTA FE — New Mexico lawmakers' latest push to keep guns out of dangerous hands is causing a ruckus at the Roundhouse. A Senate committee heard emotional pleas from supporters and opponents alike Wednesday on a Democratic-backed bill aimed at slowing...

Bill increasing penalty for violent crimes against law enforcement clears first legislative hurdle

SANTA FE — Backers of a proposal to increase the penalty for certain violent crimes against law enforcement officers in New Mexico are hoping the fourth time is a charm at the Roundhouse. The bill, House Bill 61, passed its first assigned House...

APS walking school bus programs will expand with $2.7 million federal grant

A walking school bus is one Albuquerque neighborhood’s solution to the hazards children reported on their route to school. The Albuquerque Public School district was awarded a $2.7 million federal grant to add walking school buses across the district,...

Bill that could shut immigration detention facilities in NM advances in the House

A woman shot in the head by a federal agent, widespread protests, families separated and American citizens unlawfully detained. State Rep. Eleanor Chavez, D-Albuquerque, described these scenes before introducing House Bill 9, which could shutter...

‘Public safety is not a partisan issue’

SANTA FE — Republican lawmakers say this is the year New Mexico makes meaningful strides toward reducing crime rates that have for years outpaced national averages. Their confidence owes much to the backing of a Democratic governor hoping to change a...

‘NOT A VICTORY LAP’

SANTA FE — In her last and longest address to state lawmakers, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Tuesday touted the strides New Mexico has taken since she took office in 2019 to reduce poverty and improve its fiscal footing. But the governor said her work...

TACKLING MALPRACTICE REFORM

Responding to doctors' concerns that New Mexico's malpractice system is making it hard to practice medicine, leading lawmakers hope to rein in tactics lawyers use to win awards for injured patients. The bills they are crafting are highly technical,...

‘I’M OVER THIS’

Afew months into his immigration detention at the Cibola County Correctional Center in rural New Mexico, Damian Soto, 31, almost gave up the fight. Baby-faced with a closecropped mustache, he’d been trying to tell the authorities, in his...

Could a tax bill boost affordable housing projects, even in pricey Santa Fe County?

On a chilly morning in Santa Fe, developers and state officials broke ground on a large-scale affordable housing project that will put 312 apartments on the market in a city long known for its high cost of living. The project could be buoyed, however,...

Putting Albuquerque ON THE BOARD

The Duke City's real estate market is getting a twist in 2026, thanks to an iconic board game. The city of Albuquerque will have its own official Monopoly game come November, and Top Trumps USA — the company licensed by Hasbro to make city-specific...

Former ABQ mayor dies

David Rusk is remembered for championing urban equity, helping the city acquire land that would become the Elena Gallegos Open Space, and just doing “what was best for the community” during his one term as Albuquerque's Democratic mayor. Rusk died on...

Could the streaming giant’s takeover bid bring more productions, jobs to the state?

For boom operator and sound mixer Eric Olvera, working in film is a lot like what he imagines it’s like to be a pirate. “Always jumping on the next bus, the next crew — we’re basically like pirates running around, going in one area, taking it over,...

`HE LOVED THE PEOPLE OF NEW MEXICO'

Roberto Mondragón, a former Democratic lieutenant governor who was known as a “singing politician,” promoting New Mexican culture, and advocating for land grant justice reform and the elderly, died from natural causes Tuesday. He was 85. “Maybe to a...

See-through backpacks are now required at six APS middle schools

Bombs, knives and firearms. These are just a few of the items middle school students said they are hoping will never make their way onto campus after five Albuquerque middle schools — Wilson, Kennedy, Hayes, Washington and Cleveland — opted in to a new...

NM DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: Flu is on `rapid' rise

The holiday season may be over, but flu season is in full swing across New Mexico and the rest of the country. In the state, “all the charts are showing a rapid increase in flu-related numbers,” New Mexico Department of Health spokesperson David Barre...

US plans to ‘run’ Venezuela and tap its oil reserves, Trump says

CARACAS, Venezuela — Hours after an audacious military operation that plucked leader Nicolás Maduro from power and removed him from the country, President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States would run Venezuela at least temporarily and...

2025: ABQ’s hottest year on record

Last year was the hottest on record for the Albuquerque Metro Area, according to the National Weather Service. The average temperature this year was 60.8 degrees, nearly four degrees warmer than the climate normal, said NWS meteorologist Matt...

How New Mexicans rang in THE NEW YEAR

From eating weird foods to running a half-marathon, New Mexicans went into the new year with a wide array of resolutions. Some vowed to maintain sobriety while others would simply like to take their dog for a walk more often. From adults to children,...

OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NOON

`FIGHTING BACK'

Trickles of sweat poured down Richard Meth's face as he threw jabs and hooks into a punching bag at Rock Steady Boxing in Northeast Albuquerque. The Guess Who's “No Time” played in the background as he pounded the bag. After a few minutes, Meth, 76,...

LOVO LEAVING

The University of Colorado has hired Fernando Lovo to be the Big 12 school's new athletics director. The 37-year-old Lovo spent the past 13 months in the same position at the University of New Mexico — overseeing a period of great success on the field...

‘Protected in perpetuity’

A big-game ranch with an even bigger story to tell is no longer on the market. The MIRR Ranch Group said last week that the 50,000-acre Dawson Elk Valley Ranch — once home to the historic New Mexico coal town of Dawson and two of the nation’s...

Bosque Brewing announces the closure of all its taprooms

Bosque Brewing announced last call Friday at all its New Mexico taprooms following a decision by a federal judge this week to toss the company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy case. The first to close is Bosque's Nob Hill Public House taproom, which was slated...

Winter warmth

Sam Isom and his young son spent Thursday afternoon at North Domingo Baca's dog park, watching their three pups play with about a dozen others on an “extremely warm” day. Coats at home, Isom and his son were enjoying a rare Albuquerque Christmas — one...

SANTA'S IN TOWN

Elijah Baca, 4, reacts with his brother Cisco Baca, 6, as they visit with Santa Claus at the Bugg house in Albuquerque on Friday. Joyce and the late Norman Bugg started their elaborate decorations in 1971.

IT'S THE LIGHTS BEFORE CHRISTMAS

In a sea of twinkling Christmas lights, it was the motion of a light-decorated miniature Ferris wheel that enamored Natalee Maxwell's 1-year-old daughter, Lilia, as the two perused a residential Christmas display in Albuquerque last week. “It's a...

A luminous celebration

Red or green? Luminaria or farolito? The National Hispanic Cultural Center hosted the 2nd Annual Luminito Celebration earlier this month — a cultural experience grounded in New Mexico's lively luminaria vs. farolito debate. The free event on Dec. 14...

Police shootout: Radio blocks bullet from hitting officer, suspect shot

An Albuquerque police officer and a man were shot on Sunday afternoon during an arrest at a motel on Coors and Iliff NW — and the police chief said the officer's life was saved when the bullet struck his police radio. The officer was not seriously...

Gov. slams Albuquerque leaders over results of National Guard help

Six months and $7 million later, the New Mexico National Guard is leaving its “emergency” deployment with the Albuquerque Police Department as city and state officials spar over whether the mission was a success. The departure of the National Guard,...

A `STEPPING STONE' FOR HOMELESS FAMILIES

When Katrina Weaver packed her bags and headed home to New Mexico, she not only became a single mother — she also became homeless. For four months, Weaver and her children, 8 and 14, had nowhere to rest their heads. But that changed when Weaver was...

Medina: I'm retiring on a high note

Crime's down. Recruitment is up. The Albuquerque Police Department has fully complied with a legal settlement mandating hundreds of court-approved reforms to improve accountability and prevent the use of excessive force. It's not a bad time to retire,...

`DIFFICULT DECISION' Bosque Brewing closes two ABQ locations days after sweeping Santa Fe

Bosque Brewing Co. announced Tuesday further closures, this time in Albuquerque, as one of New Mexico's largest brewers continues to face financial challenges. The affected locations include the San Mateo Public House at 6220 San Mateo NE and Bosque...

Suit: School `benefactor' a ruse for slush fund

Shirts for the annual Volcano Vista High School Powder Puff game in 2023? Thank “Charlie.” Drinks for staff after the game the following year? Don't worry, Charlie's got it. “Charlie” was touted as an “amazing benefactor” for the high school of more...

In Grants, a homegrown day care expands as NM’s universal child care takes hold

GRANTS — For nearly 13 years, Heather Apodaca has run a day care business out of her family home in Grants. Apodaca and her four staff members watch at most 12 children, ages 6 months to 13 years, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day in her living...

‘We are going to raise the rails’

TAOS — New Mexico Department of Transportation Secretary Ricky Serna announced at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge on Friday that the state will construct higher curved railings for the 60-year-old structure, responding to a spike in suicides there this...

New Mexico lawmakers push for mobile home regulations

With cost of living top of mind for voters, New Mexico's federal, state and local lawmakers have pushed new regulations of the manufactured home industry in the last year. Manufactured homes are typically a more affordable option than site-built...

Keller wins historic third term

Incumbent Tim Keller scored a historic third consecutive term in Albuquerque’s mayoral runoff election Tuesday, after a bruising contest fought over homelessness, crime and federal immigration enforcement. Keller, 48, captured nearly 58% of the vote,...

Ghost Ranch to protect iconic vistas under conservation plan

ABIQUIÚ — The sweeping vistas that inspired painter Georgia O’Keeffe and continue to attract streams of solitude-seeking visitors will be officially made off-limits to future development. Under a plan to be announced Tuesday, nearly 6,000 acres of...

New Mexico to play Minnesota in Rate Bowl

Pack your bags, Lobo fans. New Mexico will play Minnesota in the Rate Bowl on Dec. 26, the bowl announced Sunday. Hosted at Chase Field in Phoenix, the first-ever meeting between the Lobos (9-3 overall, 6-2 in Mountain West play) and Gophers (7-5...

FBI’s missing and murdered operation brings new leads to old cases

Earlier this year, a dozen or so suits descended on the deserts of New Mexico’s remote reservations, tribes and pueblos. Their goal? To close cold cases and backlogs and hand off the accused with enough evidence for the U.S. Attorney’s Office to...

OLD TOWN, NEW TWINKLE

People admire the illuminated tree during the Tree Lighting and Holiday Stroll in Albuquerque’s Old Town Plaza on Friday evening.

‘The cross I’ve carried’

On Aug. 9, 1945, 6-year-old Chiyoko Motomura was playing on a veranda at her family’s Nagasaki, Japan, home. Her mother, aunt and grandfather were weeding the rice fields while her grandmother was preparing lunch when they heard a lightning-like...

TUMBLES IN

For the 30th year, the Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority has installed the Tumbleweed Snowman, a beloved icon that greets motorists on Interstate 40 and spreads holiday cheer from atop his platform. Dressed in a knitted scarf,...

Sweatshirt-gate?

In the final run-up to Albuquerque’s mayoral runoff election, photos of homeless people wearing yellow sweatshirts have become an unlikely political flashpoint. Incumbent Mayor Tim Keller’s campaign on Sunday accused his challenger Darren White’s...

The candidates’ proposals to deliver on crime-fighting promises if elected mayor

How will the mayor of Albuquerque try to make its streets safer in the next four years? Depends on which candidate you ask. There’s a stark contrast between the plans proposed by incumbent and challenger in the lead-up to the Dec. 9 runoff...

LOYALTY CLUB

Of course Karen and J.R. Willis were there. They’re always there. In good times and bad, the Willises have been to more New Mexico football games than you. Or me. Or any Lobo player. Or coach. Or administrator. Yes, the Willises, who have been to...

‘EVERYONE WELCOME’

Thanksgiving morning, dozens of volunteers gathered in the halls of La Mesa Presbyterian Church, preparing food and clothing for the less fortunate in the surrounding Northeast Albuquerque neighborhood — a line slowly forming outside. A sign hung on...

‘We have to work together’

TO’HAJIILEE — To’hajiilee Community School language arts teacher Sharon Arviso looked down at piles of burning cedar wood behind the school grounds. Beneath the flames, turkeys slow-roasted in earthen pits. “It takes me back to how our ancestors did...

GOBBLING UP THE ATTENTION

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump stand next to Gobble, one of two Thanksgiving turkeys pardoned Tuesday during a ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington. The other bird, Waddle, was spotted earlier in the White...

White, Keller deal final blows during televised mayoral debate

With early voting opening for the runoff election in less than a week, mayoral candidates incumbent Tim Keller and challenger Darren White rehashed topics like crime, homelessness and the president during an hourlong debate Monday night co-hosted by...

New Mexico’s gem

COLUMBIA, Mo. — The overcast sky above the pristine Gans Creek Park course on Saturday morning had a noticeable shimmer. Sure, it was wet, it was muddy and temperatures were in the 40s. But that sky ... On the ground below, hundreds of the best...

City asks judge to declare bookstore with homeless encampment a ‘public nuisance’

After a yearlong conflict, the city of Albuquerque has asked a judge to declare a local bookstore a “public nuisance” due to health concerns and alleged illicit drug use by homeless people staying in the property’s parking lot. If granted, city Code...

Lawmakers pass SNAP benefit ‘backstop’ plan

SANTA FE — With uncertainty still swirling in Washington, D.C., New Mexico lawmakers took quick action Monday to ensure more than 460,000 state residents continue receiving food assistance benefits into next year. In a special session that lasted for...

‘Once a Marine, always a Marine’

ALAMOGORDO — Inside his daughter’s house, Fred Ballek held a small warhorse statue given to him by his high school classmates. A card that came with it read, “His taste toward arms and horses means he’ll be Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines,” a...

Study: Forest Service wildfire mitigation work on the decline

TAOS — Bobbie Scopa recalled the days when a 12,000-acre wildfire was still considered a big deal. She was a 19-year-old, rookie wildland firefighter with the National Forest Service the year she first saw a wildfire that size. It was 1974, and she...

Santa Fe Indian School opens new playground students helped design

SANTA FE — Students at Santa Fe Indian School had lots of places to climb on their new playground Thursday, a playground that student input helped create. The pueblo-run school had a $20 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to build...

After cyclist is killed, ABQ City Council tightens traffic code

When a car struck and killed 19-year-old cyclist Kayla VanLandingham at a bike crossing on Carlisle, the driver had done nothing wrong, according to the law. That law is set to change after Wednesday, when the Albuquerque City Council unanimously...

ABQ mayoral runoff expected to be a hard-hitting affair

The polls had barely closed on Election Day before a new showdown started to come into focus. After finishing atop a six-candidate field, incumbent Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller and challenger Darren White wasted little time launching their first...

It’s Keller vs. White

Incumbent Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller leaned on his eight-year record in office but failed to win enough votes to claim an unprecedented consecutive third term outright, according to unofficial results from Tuesday’s city election. He will face off...

IT’S ELECTION DAY IN NEW MEXICO

SANTA FE — Poll workers across New Mexico spent the last few days preparing for Election Day, after a final barrage of campaign mailers and advertisements from candidates seeking election to local office. Voters in municipalities including...

‘On the edges of art and history’

LAS CRUCES — One of the strangest Western movies I’ve ever seen held its premiere not in Hollywood but in downtown Las Cruces, 60 years ago on Nov. 3. Last week, it returned to the big screen at the Rio Grande Theatre, where I sat with a tub of popcorn...

BioPark releases endangered Rio Grande silvery minnows

Fish who have never known the river graduated to the wild on Wednesday, when the Albuquerque BioPark and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released 18,000 captive-spawned endangered Rio Grande silvery minnows. Patrick Horley, the BioPark’s Aquatic...

‘You are some of the smartest kids in all of Albuquerque’

On the southwestern edge of the South Valley, elementary students — many dressed in Halloween costumes — were visited Friday by Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent Gabriella Blakey. “Do you know why I’m here?” she asked a classroom full of...