Cleve R. Wootson Jr., Abbie Cheeseman, Robert Samuels, The Washington Post (c) 2024 MINNEAPOLIS – Days after George Floyd was murdered in 2020, as the video of the last moments of his life ricocheted around the country and sent waves of demonstrators onto Minnesota streets, Gov. Tim Walz (D) sat in a room with public safety officials […]
Author Archives: Andy Lyman
Andy Lyman is an editor at nm.news.
He oversees teams reporting on state and local government. Andy served in newsrooms at KUNM, NM Political Report, SF Reporter and The Paper. before joining nm.news in 2023.
Posted inAlbuquerque, Housing & Homelessness
Unhoused to be offered jobs with Duke City Ambassadors
Mayor Tim Keller outlined Friday the revival of a former outreach program that employs those experiencing homelessness with beautification-related jobs like cleaning streets and sidewalks and removing weeds. The “Better Way Forward” program will initially employ 10 people in the Duke City Community Ambassadors program, which is overseen by the Solid Waste Management Department. Ambassadors […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Housing & Homelessness
Are more taxes the answer to homelessness?
If you’ve watched a presidential debate or engaged in just about any topic on social media, this event won’t feel familiar — it’s designed to be highly-structured and civilized. The topic is Albuquerque’s unhoused, specifically: Are additional tax dollars needed to provide housing for those experiencing homelessness? The national nonprofit Braver Angels is hosting the […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Bernalillo County, Education, Features, Local Gov.
Teachers union secures new contract so fine arts teachers get paid for extra work
Fine arts teachers in Albuquerque Public Schools will see their incomes climb after a new union contract mandates they get paid for leading band camps and other activities outside of scheduled hours — something they had previously done without compensation. The district’s Board of Education approved the contract Wednesday. Earlier in the day, Albuquerque Teachers […]
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Councilor said she never thought colleagues would try to ‘take away pay from workers’ during push to update min. wage law
When a city councilor who represents some of the most impoverished areas of the city recently tried to update the city’s minimum wage law, she inadvertently created an opportunity for one of her colleagues to lower the city’s minimum wage for tipped employees. Councilor Nichole Rogers in an interview with City Desk ABQ said she […]
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Still-closed Route 66 Visitors Center will get a commission
Editor’s note: To read the first in our series on the visitors center — A visitors center with no visitors: When will the taxpayer-funded project open? — click here. The second installment — Former city councilor on the still-closed visitors center: ‘It’s a boondoggle and a money pit’ — is available here. Toward the end […]
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E-bikes on trails, scooter rentals get city council’s approval
Albuquerque residents will soon be able to ride e-bikes on Open Space trails and may eventually see electric rental scooters around town thanks to two different pieces of legislation passed by City Council. The legislation will still need to be signed into law by Mayor Tim Keller. After a month-long summer break, city councilors spent […]
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City beefs up bus security
The Albuquerque Transit Department has announced a new campaign to improve safety aboard buses and at stops. The effort will include ABQ RIDE personnel, the Albuquerque Police Department, the Metro Security Division and contracted security. The safety initiative includes: “This elevated security presence is proactively helping us curb incidents at bus stops and shelters that […]
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Former city councilor on the still-closed visitors center: ‘It’s a boondoggle and a money pit’
Editor’s note: To read the first in our series — A visitors center with no visitors: When will the taxpayer-funded project open? — click here. There’s still no opening date for the decades-in-the-making West Central Route 66 Visitors Center, though construction was completed years ago. Even so, one former city councilor thinks the long delay […]
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ABQ has more than 150 vacant positions on advisory boards and commissions
Boards and commissions act as advisory bodies helping local governments make decisions on important issues — whether that is advocating for visual arts or affordable housing. But many of Albuquerque’s boards and commissions are short members. Nearly 80% of Albuquerque’s boards and commissions have empty seats — ranging from one vacant position to 10. Of […]