City Council candidate Melani Buchanan Farmer announced Monday she is withdrawing from the District 9 race, citing personal and family circumstances that require her full attention. “After much thought and reflection, I have made the very difficult decision to step out of the race for Albuquerque City Council District 9,” Buchanan Farmer said in an […]

Author Archives: City Desk ABQ
Bernalillo County opens candidate filing Tuesday for November elections
Candidates seeking office in Bernalillo County’s 2025 Regular Local Election must file their declarations of candidacy in person on Tuesday, marking the start of the formal election process for dozens of municipal and school board positions. Filing will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Ken Sanchez Commission Chambers at 415 Silver […]
Superintendent after five APS students were arrested with guns Wednesday: ‘Something is broken in our society’
Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent Gabriella Blakey sent a letter to families Friday afternoon, two days after five students were arrested with firearms at or near APS campuses Wednesday in what Blakey called a “deeply troubling” day. On Wednesday, four guns were found on students at two different schools, with a fifth student arrested with a […]
Drop box drama: Needles and sticky stuff lead to removal by treasurer
Bernalillo County will remove all five property tax payment drop boxes by Oct. 1, citing underuse and security concerns, officials announced Thursday. The turquoise drop boxes, located at Civic Plaza, Paradise Hills Community Center, West Side Community Center, Raymond G. Sanchez Community Center and the Village of Tijeras Office, will begin being removed next month […]
Mayor signs HEART ordinance amendment targeting public animal sales
Mayor Tim Keller has signed an amendment to the city’s Humane and Ethical Animal Rules and Treatment ordinance that closes enforcement gaps in regulating unlawful animal sales in public spaces. The amendment, sponsored by District 7 City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn and unanimously approved by the City Council on Aug. 4, prohibits displaying, selling or giving […]
Albuquerque to install 8 more speed cameras by year’s end
View this post on Instagram A post shared by City Desk ABQ (@citydeskabq) Albuquerque will expand its automated speed enforcement program with eight additional cameras by the end of 2025, city officials announced Wednesday. The expansion comes as the city reports a 20% decrease in fatal traffic crashes this year, which Mayor Tim Keller attributed […]
Bernalillo County votes to approve $225 million energy storage project to get PNM grid to carbon-free power
By Connor Currier Bernalillo County commissioners will move forward with a proposed $225 million energy storage project that aims to support New Mexico’s transition to renewable energy. The Board of County Commissioners approved issuing taxable industrial revenue bonds for Corazon Energy Storage LLC with a 3-1 vote. Vice Chair Barbara Baca was absent from the […]
62-year-old inmate dies at MDC after medical emergency
A 62-year-old man died Sunday night at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) despite extensive life-saving efforts by jail staff and University of New Mexico Hospital medical personnel, according to a county press release. The inmate, who had been booked into the facility Saturday morning at approximately 7:18 a.m., experienced his first medical emergency […]
Albuquerque Fire Rescue expands West Side operations with new station, equipment
Albuquerque Fire Rescue has opened its first new fire station in more than two decades and added new equipment and personnel to better serve the city’s growing West Side. The department recently put into service two new Pierce Enforcer fire engines and created a fifth battalion with additional command staff to oversee the expanded coverage […]
Community candlelight vigil Saturday to honor lives lost to substance use
A candlelight vigil honoring lives lost to substance use will take place Saturday night at Civic Plaza, offering community members a space for remembrance and healing as New Mexico continues to grapple with addiction-related deaths. The Keep NM Alive campaign is hosting the free public event beginning at 7 p.m., welcoming attendees to bring framed […]