Albuquerque Journal

New Mexicans to lose private Medicare coverage as three providers pull plans

By year’s end, tens of thousands of New Mexicans will lose Medicare Advantage coverage as three insurers drop plans from their networks. Presbyterian Healthcare Services announced in August that it would end all Advantage plans, impacting 30,000...

County officials reject mosque appeal, allowing the development to proceed

Bernalillo County commissioners on Wednesday voted against an appeal that would pause the development of a North Valley mosque that has sparked contention and arguments in recent months. Commission chambers were filled to the brim, many wearing green...

Candidates clash in feisty CD1 debate

The two candidates vying to represent New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District agreed Tuesday the United States’ involvement in an ongoing military conflict with Iran should be ended by President Donald Trump’s administration. But incumbent Democrat...

‘It’s about all of us’

Hundreds of people lined up inside Tiguex Park on Monday to meet offensive lineman Shiyazh Pete. Some posed with the former Dallas Cowboy, while others asked for his autograph. Pete, now a free agent, became the first Diné (Navajo) member to sign with...

Balloon Fiesta soars beyond expectations

All week long, readers, neighbors and colleagues have asked me the same question: What do you think of the Balloon Fiesta? After years of watching from afar, I finally got to experience the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta firsthand. And now I...

What do Balloon Fiesta tourists think of Albuquerque?

■ Balloon pilots visit children’s hospital to spread fiesta cheer

More than 14 years ago, northerly winds carried several hot air balloons just above the University of New Mexico Hospital. Though the options for landing weren’t ideal, the timing was perfect. Pilot Sheldon Grauberger watched children in hospital...

Special shapes fill the sky at Balloon Fiesta

Special shapes fill the sky at Balloon Fiesta A2

Balloon Fiesta’s oldest participating pilot, Ray Bair, is ready to pass the envelope to the next generation

After more than 45 years of ballooning, Ray Bair will pilot his last Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta at the age of 85. “I’m giving my granddaughter my balloon at the end of the fiesta, so she’ll have a balloon of her own,” Bair said. Bair...

■ Artist shares the inspiration behind his roadrunner-themed poster at this year’s Balloon Fiesta

The artist who painted this year’s Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta poster, Travis Bruce Black, knew he wanted to put New Mexico’s state bird front and center. “I started with what makes New Mexico strange and specific: our landscape and our...

Balloon Fiesta gives first-time vendors a global stage

Program offers mentorship for first-time balloon pilots

Balloon Fiesta came a day early to neighbors in the Northeast Heights who awoke Friday morning to the whoosh of propane and a bright checkered hot air balloon just steps from their front yards. Dressed in pajamas and slippers, the neighbors were...

■ Arizona or bust: Balloon pilot takes flight in unconventional rig.

In a scene reminiscent of Disney-Pixar’s “Up,” balloonist Jonathan Trappe took off from Balloon Fiesta Park strapped to 94 multicolored helium balloons shortly before 9 a.m. Saturday. “This is the first time that we’ve had a helium cluster balloon at...

Seeing ABQ anew, from a balloon basket

When I swung myself into the wicker gondola of a hot air balloon in early September, I was doing my very best to be brave. Despite having lived in Albuquerque for almost all of my life, I had never been up in a balloon. Over the years, I have been...

NM seeks judgment up to $40B from Meta

New Mexico followed up its trial victory last week over Meta Platforms by asking a judge Thursday to order the social media giant to pay up to $40 billion for violating a state consumer protection law. An attorney for Meta, owner of Facebook and...

In aftermath of monsoon flood, Hatch Valley assesses damage

HATCH — Doña Ana County lifted its evacuation notice for the Hatch Valley community of Rincon on Wednesday afternoon, urging residents to be cautious of flooded roads and storm debris after heavy monsoon rains Tuesday breached a nearby arroyo and...

Flood watches expand as rains drench New Mexico

Widespread rain that has numerous communities in fear of flash flooding with evacuation orders already in effect in south-central New Mexico will continue through the week, marking an especially wet month following a stretch of record-breaking heat in...

NM school districts face a costly fuel crunch

As oil prices skyrocket, some New Mexico school districts are seeking emergency state funding to fuel school buses. Diesel prices topped record highs this month — the average price per gallon in New Mexico hit a high of $6.36 on Sept. 18, and days...

NM improves from 50th to 48th in national child poverty rankings

Poverty in New Mexico declined over the last three years, especially for people under 18, improving its standing among the poorest states in the nation. New Mexico’s overall average poverty rate fell from 17.2% between 2022 and 2024 to 16% from 2023...

PNM begins smart meter rollout amid billing complaints, heat-driven demand

Public Service Company of New Mexico this month began installing smart meters at homes and businesses statewide, the start of a two-and-a-half-year effort to roll out more than 560,000 devices. The new meters enable two-way communication between PNM...

UNM NM STATE

LAS CRUCES, N.M. 1:30 P.M. KICKOFF

Lt. gov. candidates talk policy, trade barbs

With just over a month until Election Day, candidates for lieutenant governor faced off in a Thursday debate on topics from data centers and affordability to how their role would complement the next governor of New Mexico. Republican state Sen. David...

HEAVY RAIN TRIGGERS FLOODING ACROSS STATE

An unusual surge of rainfall across New Mexico marked the first days of fall, triggering flooding and prompting water rescues as some areas received over 5 inches of rain. The rain continued to fall steadily Wednesday, and though totals were not...

Flood preparations intensify across NM as monsoon brings heavy rain

A final downpour ending the monsoon season has residents and officials across the state preparing for the torrent. For agencies like the Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority, crew members spent the final hours before the storm...

DEBATE DISCORD GROWS IN RACE FOR NM GOVERNOR

SANTA FE — Time appears to be running short on finding a debate date that both candidates vying to be New Mexico’s next governor can agree on. The reason for the scheduling troubles is the subject of its own debate. Republican nominee Gregg Hull said...

NM’s wealth faces a defining test

Ijust may have met the smartest guy in New Mexico. And if Charles Sallee isn’t actually the smartest, he at least has to be somewhere in the conversation. That’s not just because Sallee can talk about New Mexico’s finances in mind-numbing detail...

CLOSE CALL

NORMAN, Okla — Jason Eck compared playing Oklahoma to receiving an invite to the “nicest steakhouse in town.” “And you’re checking your wallet to make sure you have enough to cover it,” New Mexico’s second-year head coach said Monday, “because you...

Big bucks, opportunity for Lobos in Oklahoma

UNM’s trip to No. 24 Oklahoma brings a big payout, but games like these are getting harder to schedule NORMAN, Okla. — It’s the biggest opportunity of the year for the Lobos. It’s also their biggest payout. By playing a game at No. 24 Oklahoma, New...

New Mexico Supreme Court lifts stays on Project Jupiter, setback for opponents

The New Mexico Supreme Court on Thursday dealt a major blow to environmental groups fighting the data center project known as Project Jupiter, lifting stays that had paused an air quality permit application and blocked water pumping for the...

We the People ARGUE ABOUT IT. INTERPRET IT. CHALLENGE IT. DEFEND IT. AND, 239 YEARS LATER, STILL LIVE BY IT.

It’s effective because it’s ineffective. It’s Constitution Day — so let’s look back on the document that ultimately enshrined my right to write to you and your right to read and opine without fear of the consequences. We don’t need to whisper around...

Once a symbol of government dysfunction, Mora County Courthouse set to be completed

MORA — After more than 20 years of delays, lawsuits and uncertainty, a new courthouse in this northern New Mexico village is finally set to be completed. The State Board of Finance voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a $12.6 million plan to finish...

Test scores for NM, APS students see modest growth

New Mexico students’ test scores made modest gains last school year, though some worry it’s not enough to get the Land of Enchantment out of the 50th spot nationwide in education. According to the newest data from PED released Monday, 43.3% of...

Attorney General’s Office presses PNM on ‘unusually high’ customer bills

Attorney General Raúl Torrez’s office hand-delivered a letter to the president and CEO of Public Service Company of New Mexico’s parent company on Wednesday, asking the state’s largest utility to explain its billing practices. In recent months, with...

New Mexicans not enthusiastic about state economy

Few New Mexicans think the state economy is good or excellent, according to results from the Journal Poll released this week. A plurality of New Mexicans rated economic conditions as “fair” at 43%, while 38% of those polled said the economy was...

Rio Grande flows again after water release amid historic drought

For the first time in months, water is flowing again in the Rio Grande in Albuquerque. It arrived late Wednesday and soon reached the banks but won’t outlast the weekend. It is not the normal seasonal ebb and flow of a parched waterway, as state and...

New Mexicans’ top concern? Inflation

Rising inflation, accessing healthcare and making ends meet were the biggest concerns facing New Mexico families, according to a recent Journal poll. The poll, which asked “what is the biggest concern facing your family right now,” found about 47% of...

Data center opposition runs high in New Mexico

While data center developers show increased interest in New Mexico, a new Journal poll finds that New Mexicans are wary, with clear majorities opposing large new developments outright and supporting a statewide pause to study local effects and develop...

US Sen. Luján has comfortable lead in campaign for reelection

SANTA FE — Incumbent U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján holds a big lead over his Republican challenger and appears on track to win reelection in November, a new Journal Poll found. About 53% of likely voters surveyed in the poll said they planned to vote for...

Trump’s approval rating sags amid high gas prices, global conflicts

SANTA FE — New Mexico voters have never fully embraced Donald Trump, but the president’s approval rating in the state has hit new lows as he nears the midway point of his second term. Just 32% of likely voters surveyed in a new Journal Poll said they...

Haaland leads Hull by narrow margin in New Mexico’s race for governor

SANTA FE — With just over two months until Election Day, Democrat Deb Haaland holds a lead — but not an overwhelming one — over Republican Gregg Hull in New Mexico’s open race for governor, a new Journal Poll found. The poll found 49% of likely voters...

New Mexico federal judge retires after 23 years of service

As a federal district judge in New Mexico, James O. Browning has presided over landmark police reform litigation. His public corruption cases included those of a former state treasurer and a former state legislator. He endured death threats during...

BernCo sheriff to end Flock contracts over privacy concerns

Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen said he is in the process of canceling contracts with a controversial surveillance technology company due to what he described as privacy concerns regarding the company’s use of data. The city of Grants also...

High oil prices mean $924M in ‘new’ money for New Mexico

SANTA FE — A simmering military conflict more than 7,000 miles away is driving New Mexico revenue collections to unprecedented levels. Due in large part to high oil prices connected to the U.S.-Iran war, New Mexico is projected to take in $14.8...

Goodbye, Dolly

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Dolly Parton, the country music icon whose soaring vibrato vocals, poignant songwriting and sparkling costumes defined her rise from a log cabin in the Tennessee mountains to the height of stardom and acclaim, has died. She was 80...

NM Supreme Court intervenes in Project Jupiter construction

The New Mexico Supreme Court has intervened in the construction of the state’s largest data center project. In a pair of orders filed Sunday night, the court indicated it would consider separate petitions filed by opponents of Project Jupiter that...

Missile silo (yes, a missile silo) to host Roswell festival

If 1969’s Woodstock festival promised three days of peace and music, a new three-day festival coming to Roswell this November promises peace, music, science, technology and possibly aliens. Held at a decommissioned nuclear missile silo in an...

‘She could have been anyone’s little girl’

His name, for lack of an ID, is John Doe. And there’s still a criminal indictment waiting for him in what was arguably Albuquerque’s most shocking murder of the past decade. His arrest could unlock the mystery of who really killed Victoria Martens,...

ACS addresses safety and efficiency in wake of 2025 audit

Last year an audit was released that found Albuquerque Community Safety responders “consistently expressed” safety concerns and struggled with an inability to provide immediate housing to the homeless while dealing with delayed response times from lags...

HIGH STAKES SHIFT

At High Maintenance, a cannabis farm in Socorro, 200 plants are growing and will soon be harvested and sold to dispensaries and manufacturers across the state. But that process — one that typically represents the most profitable time of year for...

Containment spikes, but officials warn the blaze has staying power

The Frijoles Fire burning in the Pecos Wilderness northeast of Santa Fe is likely to remain a fixture in northern New Mexico for some time. Firefighters digging trench line, heavy machinery operators moving earth and aircrews dropping fire retardant...

‘Sad to see it all just dead’

CORRALES — Around the late 1930s, farmer Johnny Lopez’s family moved from the Rio Puerco Valley to Corrales, where they bought a 7-acre property because the river back home was drying up. He remembers spending summers helping his family grow...

Watchdog to review DEA tactic that allowed fentanyl to hit ABQ streets

The U.S. Department of Justice’s internal watchdog Monday announced a nationwide investigation into how Drug Enforcement Administration agents have chosen not to seize suspected fentanyl shipments during drug trafficking investigations. Meanwhile, a...

APS opens first preschool at former Duranes site

Albuquerque Public Schools opened the district’s first early childhood center this week in the former location of Duranes Elementary School, one of the schools tapped for closure in 2024 due to low enrollment. Duranes Early Childhood Center had its...

‘Magic moments’ with NM United

They stood side by side, a ball tucked under one set of arms, and peered through the glass doors, eager for the opportunity beyond them. The two brothers were done being stuck inside and the stone patio on the third floor at Sandia Resort & Casino...

Sheryl Williams Stapleton found guilty on all counts

A federal jury found former New Mexico House Majority Leader Sheryl Williams Stapleton and a co-defendant guilty Friday on all counts following a trial that set out in detail an elaborate eight-year scheme to steal state and federal education...

Frijoles Fire grows by 400 acres as monsoon weather returns to region

After fire managers reported no increase in the size of the Frijoles Fire on Wednesday, New Mexico’s largest wildfire this month grew by around 400 acres Thursday as thunderstorms returned to the north-central region, raising the chance of rain — as...

LITTLE GIANTS

They should have walked him. When 12-year-old Tommy Jordan stepped to the plate to face Delaware Township, New Jersey, left-hander Roy Hayman, Jordan’s Roswell, New Mexico Lions Hondo All-Stars trailed 1-0 in the fourth inning of the 1956 Little League...

Faster permitting could ease NM housing shortage, report says

New Mexico needs an estimated 58,000 new housing units to address an ongoing supply shortage, according to Housing New Mexico. Some say that cutting red tape is one of the top ways to bridge the gap. “I can speak on behalf of every builder in this...

Exhumation sought in 2002 rape case

More than 20 years have elapsed since a woman identified in court records as Jane Doe was abducted from her Bernalillo County home and raped — all while her eyes were duct-taped shut. She ultimately escaped, immediately sought medical treatment and...

Assisted living grows more complex; safeguards fall short

Editor’s note: This story was produced by New Mexico In Depth and co-published with the Albuquerque Journal. When Thaddeus “Tuk” Koslik arrived at an Albuquerque assisted living facility one Saturday morning in late August 2024, he tried to wake his...

‘IT JUST SHOULDN’T BE HAPPENING’

At nine and a half months pregnant, Ashley Griego was more than prepared to meet her second son. Before she left for the hospital, her house was dutifully organized, her bags meticulously packed and her birth plan carefully prepared. She ate breakfast...

Torrez: Elected officials will decide how to spend Meta award totaling $942 million

New Mexico’s governor and lawmakers will play key roles in deciding how to spend a $567 million judgment against Meta Platforms Inc., Attorney General Raúl Torrez said Friday, a day after a Santa Fe judge handed down the award. But it remains unclear...

Meta ordered to pay $567M over harm to NM children

A state district judge on Thursday ordered social media giant Meta Platforms Inc. to pay $567 million to repair harm caused by the company’s platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. But the judge’s monetary award fell short of the $1 billion...

Epstein likely got ‘favorable treatment’ from NM agencies

SANTA FE — Despite being a convicted sex offender under a 2008 plea deal, Jeffrey Epstein was able to largely avoid scrutiny from New Mexico law enforcement agencies during the 20-plus years he owned a sprawling ranch in the state. While part of that...

Stapleton ‘not 100% innocent,’ her own lawyer tells jurors

Former House Majority Leader Sheryl Williams Stapleton stole money from the company of her former college friend and co-defendant, but not from taxpayers as prosecutors allege, her attorney told jurors on the first day of testimony in her federal...

STARTING OFF HOT

Humans are to blame for urban Cooper’s hawk deaths, study says

A first-of-its-kind study published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has found the leading causes of death among Albuquerque’s urban raptor populations. The research, which analyzed 10 years of Cooper’s hawk observations, recently won “best...

Get 66 kicks on Route 66

The Journal’s summer road trip across Route 66 has come to an end. It was a summer to remember — the characters, sights and sounds from across New Mexico were worth every mile. Looking in our rearview mirror after 535 miles, we picked 66 interesting...

Federal plan spares New Mexico from mandatory Colorado River water cuts

New Mexico will avoid mandatory water cuts from the dwindling Colorado River under a proposal released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The plan exempts the four Upper Basin states — New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming — from mandatory...