Tens of thousands of Rio Rancho and Westside commuters who rely on the Unser Boulevard and Paseo del Norte corridor will hear — and feel — the next phase of construction starting Tuesday, as crews begin blasting through the basalt bedrock beneath one of the metro area’s most congested intersections. Controlled blasting is scheduled to […]
Category: +Communities
Posted inAlbuquerque, Courts, Justice & Safety, Local Government, NM.news
The next time you dial 911 in ABQ, a drone might be the first responder
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Seconds after a gunshot is heard across Albuquerque, police launch a drone from a rooftop hive and speed toward the sound. The goal is to arrive before officers, with its camera already rolling, as part of the city’s “drone as a first responder” program. The Albuquerque Police Department’s (APD) […]
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History made: ABQ confirms the first female police chief and new safety director
The Duke City just made history by shattering the glass ceiling as City Councilors confirmed Cecily Barker as the city’s first female police chief and approved a public safety overhaul that created a new public safety director role and filled it with former FBI official Raul Bujanda. On Monday, the City Council unanimously approved Barker […]
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‘It would be a lot cooler if you did’: ABQ council passes cooling rules — but not the ones the sponsor wanted
Jesse Jones, The Paper. — For thousands of Burqueños struggling to keep their homes cool as temperatures climb earlier each year, a common landlord workaround is now off the table — but the stronger protections one councilor fought for didn’t make it through. City councilors voted 5-4 Monday night to approve O-26-22, an amendment to […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Food & Drink, Local Government
City orders Downtown Lindy’s Diner closed over fear the building will collapse
City officials ordered an emergency closure of Lindy’s restaurant, a Downtown staple, on Monday after public complaints about the building’s bulging exterior prompted city officials to order a structural inspection. Owners say that the location is one of the longest continually-operated restaurant locations on Route 66. For 97-years, restaurants operating out of the the Bliss […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Local Government
Burque’s policing pivot: How the mayor proposes to put more cops on the street without new hires
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Burqueños looking for a fresh hiring surge to put more police on the streets will find a different strategy in Mayor Tim Keller’s $1.47 billion budget proposal. The city isn’t adding a single new sworn officer position; instead, it’s betting on a massive internal shakeup to put more officers […]
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Mayor’s budget pitch doubles treatment spending but lowers targets, but city says there’s a reason
By Jesse Jones, City Desk in The Paper. –– While reviewing Mayor Tim Keller’s $1.47 billion budget proposal, a counterintuitive number jumped out in the city’s Health, Housing and Homelessness Department budget: despite contracts for substance use treatment more than doubling to $5.5 million,the city expects to serve fewer people, lowering its target from 650 […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Community Content
Shelter continues its work despite a devastating fire
By Mia Casas, KUNM News — On April 1, around 2:30 a.m., Pastor Joanne Landry and her family woke to crackling fire and shouting voices. The family escaped with their lives, but the church sanctuary of the Interfaith Bible Center next to their home is in shambles. This story was originally published by KUNM News, a community-powered […]
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Fed cuts prompt Keller to pitch budget with $35 million hole and 272 job cuts
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Albuquerque is tightening its belt for the first time in years, and Burqueños may soon feel the shift. Mayor Tim Keller sent his $1.47 billion budget proposal to the City Council on Wednesday. The budget is $35 million less than last year. After a record budget year approved last […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Local Government
Neighborhoods prevail in first round against Maverick plans for gas station on former Whole Foods site
A city zoning official has denied petitions that would allow a new gas station and convenience store to be built at Carlisle Boulevard and Indian School Road. Zoning Hearing Examiner Robert Lucero announced his decision Thursday morning. Maverik, which already owns the property, had sought a conditional use permit to allow the store to be […]