Sandoval County Fire and Rescue completed training exercises in April to prepare for the busy wildfire season. These include the annual wildland training, which is required for all firefighters throughout Sandoval County and the surrounding areas, and the special Rope Rescue Technician training taught by the Rio Grande Basin Heavy Technical Rescue team. The team […]
Category: Communities
Judith Gordon Plays Piano With Friends
Pianist Judith Gordon explores diverse repertory with a wide range of solo artists and ensembles. At her upcoming April 21 Placitas Artists Series concert, she will play piano among five friends: Jesse Tatum, flute; David Felberg & Elizabeth Young, violins; Margot Schwartz, viola; and Felix Fan, cello. Gordon calls the presentation a “Sonic Kaleidoscope of […]
Commissioners accused of violating the Open Meetings Act
Did Bernalillo County Commissioners violate state law? The Foundation for Open Government (FOG) — an advocate for transparency in government — has asked the New Mexico Department of Justice to investigate whether the Bernalillo County Commission violated the Open Meetings Act by engaging in a rolling quorum before it met this week. A rolling quorum […]
Former corrections officer shot himself outside MDC on Tuesday
The man who shot himself outside of the Metropolitan Detention Center on Tuesday was a former corrections officer, according to a county spokesperson. He was taken to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where he later died. Candace Hopkins, a spokesperson for the county jail, said the man worked for MDC “for several different stints […]
New Superintendent achieves life goal and sets some for students
Dr. Gabriella Durán Blakey has found what she intends to be her last job. “There’s a lot of work ahead, and there’s nothing I have as a goal other than the work that I am committed to doing here in Albuquerque,” Blakey said. “So it’s the last stop.” A product of Albuquerque Public Schools, she […]
City hunts for Westside shelter operator
The city is searching for someone to take on a complex assignment: staff and operate the Westside Emergency Housing Center (WEHC) for hundreds of people experiencing homelessness. The facility is located about 20 miles west of Downtown near the Double Eagle II Airport. Its remote location is typically accessed through shuttle services departing from pickup […]
Dust up at the Bernalillo County Commission meeting
This story has been updated to include a statement from Commissioner Walt Benson that was provided after deadline. Drama dominated the Bernalillo County Commission meeting Tuesday night after one commissioner — Steven Michael Quezada — left the governing table in a huff. In doing so, a couple of pieces of legislation he had introduced, including […]
Suspect arrested in deadly fight outside homeless services provider
Albuquerque police have arrested a man suspected of severely beating another man during a fight in front of a homeless services provider Downtown in late February. The victim, Mark Lavine, died a couple weeks later. Jose Gracia, 54, was arrested Wednesday. He is charged with an open count of murder. Both he and Lavine were […]
Studies find Albuquerque largest contributor in NM to ‘forever’ chemicals in Rio Grande
Two statewide studies released findings that PFAS — which stands for poly-fluoroalkyl substances — chemicals have been detected in groundwater and surface water resources across New Mexico. The study, conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) found urban areas — like Albuquerque — are the most significant contributor. […]
Man shoots, injures himself outside county jail
A man shot and injured himself outside the Metropolitan Detention Center Tuesday afternoon, according to a county spokesperson. He has been taken to the University of New Mexico Hospital. “No one else was injured or involved in the incident,” spokesperson Candace Hopkins wrote in a news release. “The Sheriff’s Office has secured the grounds and […]