Pat Davis, Author at City Desk ABQ

Mayor Jack Torres on the future of Bernalillo

Mayor Jack Torres has been the mayor of Bernalillo for 14 years. He’s seen his fair share of ups and downs in the town, and has worked with his share of Town Councilors over the past decades. The Signpost spoke with Torres about the upcoming election and what some of the biggest challenges councilors will […]

2024 Town of Bernalillo Municipal Judge Candidate

Incumbent Municipal Judge Geoffrey Rinaldi is the only candidate who is running for the open seat. Rinaldi was elected to the bench in 2020, after being the only candidate on the ballot that year as well. Rinaldi did not respond to emails or calls about his candidacy.

2024 Bernalillo Municipal Election Guide

Two incumbents and one former candidate running for the second time are vying for the two open Town Council seats in the upcoming Bernalillo municipal election. There are no districts in Bernalillo, so members serve at large. Former businessman Phillip Valverde and former Magistrate Judge Sharon Torres-Quintana are each seeking to retain the seats they first […]

2024 Rio Rancho Council Candidates

Three sitting City Councilors will each face multiple challengers in the March 5 municipal election in Rio Rancho, setting up a potential shakeup on the Governing Body. Incumbents Jim Owen (District 1) and Paul Wymer (District 4) will be up against two opponents in their re-election efforts, and Nicole Dahn List (District 6) has three […]

Girls with grit: Moriarty High School girls ‘falling in love’ with wrestling

Two girls stand close together in the middle of Moriarty High School’s gymnasium with their arms locked in a firm grasp. The floor is completely covered with a foam mat. Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” blares at full blast throughout the gym. The girls start tussling with each other before plunging to the mat with […]

A professionalized legislature doesn’t require six-figure salaries

The close of the 2024 legislative session was rather unremarkable, but for rumblings of calling a special session to address public safety. A mere 72 bills of the more than six hundred filed made it to the governor’s desk to be signed into law. The lackluster session juxtaposed against a state awash in revenues yet […]

Commission Lauds Legislature’s Inaction to Close Detention Center

Torrance County, Estancia in particular, dodged an economic bullet recently when the State Legislature let a Senate bill die on the floor that would have prevented the Torrance County Detention Facility from continuing to house immigrant detainees. Janice Barela, county manager, told the commission last week that the bill passed two senate committees along party […]

Mountainair Food Market Joins National Co-op

Other than two discount general stores, the B Street Market is the only full-sized grocery store in Mountainair and the only source of local, natural and organic foods for the town. The B Street Market recently joined the Independent Natural Food Retailers Association to offer natural products at reasonable prices. Nancy McCloud opened the market […]

Lawmakers help small hospitals but medical malpractice lurks

New Mexico’s strained rural hospitals finally got some love this year. Two bills sitting onthe governor’s desk could go far in relieving financial pressure on the state’s smallest hospitals. But medical malpractice insurance, the subject of two compromises in recent years, isstill a threat. In New Mexico, where 26 of 33 counties meet the definitions […]

Colores de México Exhibit Featured at Placitas Library

The spring exhibit at the Placitas Community Library in March will feature Colores de México. The exhibit will feature figurative, magical and mystical works by Jade Leyva, Armando Adrián López and Enrique Flores. The artists offer narratives that are both unique to the artists’ Mexican roots and universal in their appeal. Originally from Mexico City, […]