Melanie A. Kenderdine resigned Thursday as secretary of the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department for personal reasons, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced. Deputy Cabinet Secretary Erin Taylor will serve as acting secretary, according to the governor’s office. “Melanie brought national energy expertise to New Mexico, and I’m grateful for her contributions at […]
Category: Communities
Posted inEnergy, New Mexico
Utility asks New Mexico for ‘zero emission’ status for gas-fired power plant
This article was originally published by Capital & Main. By Jerry Redfern The Southwestern Public Service Company has asked the state of New Mexico to grant exceptions to the state’s Energy Transition Act for two proposed gas-fired power plants, including one exception that would see approximately one-third of the energy produced at one plant qualify as a “zero-carbon […]
Posted inPolitics & Elections
Albuquerque voters face fewer polling places Tuesday—here’s what to know
With over 88,000 ballots already cast and voter interest picking up, Albuquerque voters will see fewer places to cast a ballot Tuesday. City council and mayoral runoff elections will have 50 polling locations, down from 74 in November, and election officials say they expect long lines. Democrats are turning out at higher rates, accounting for […]
Posted inTorrance County
Sen. Heinrich continues to call for updates on expired ICE detention facility contract
By Lauren Lifke A detention facility in Estancia for Immigration and Customs Enforcement is still operating without a contract after its contract expired in October. Torrance County Manager Jordan Barela told The Independent that the county had an intergovernmental agreement with ICE that expired Oct. 31. The facility has since been operating without a new […]
Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety
Auto thieves steal DA’s Office car left warming with keys in
Earlier this week, Mayor Tim Keller and the Albuquerque Police Department announced that Albuquerque was on tack to see a sizable reduction in auto thefts this year, but that doesn’t mean thieves aren’t still targeting cars. Case in point: A vehicle belonging to the local District Attorney’s Office was stolen earlier this week when an […]
Posted inLocal Gov.
Your bus route is about to change. Here’s what you need to know
Albuquerque will roll out its biggest bus overhaul in nearly 30 years on Saturday, Dec. 13, when nine routes shift to a new map designed for a new era of the transit system. The changes will affect thousands of riders across the city. Officials announced the changes Wednesday at the Montaño Transit Center, launching Phase […]
Posted inPolitics & Elections
Outside groups dump over $100K into runoff elections, and still have lots more to spend
Political Action Committees (PACs) spent more than $132,000 during the three-week runoff election sprint to influence Albuquerque’s three runoff races as early voting kicked off this week, with the mayor’s race drawing most of the outside money just days before voters decide the Dec. 9 contests. The mayoral race drew more than $101,000 in PAC […]
Posted inPolitics & Elections
Who is turning out to vote in the runoff? We checked the numbers
With just four days of early voting left before Election Day 2.0, about 32,000 Albuquerque voters have cast ballots in the city’s Dec. 9 runoff election, with Democrats turning out at significantly higher rates than Republicans. Of the 31,926 ballots cast by late afternoon Tuesday, 18,132 came from early voting sites and 13,794 were absentee […]
Posted inLocal Gov.
Dead grass, weeds and a $2 million fix: Will your park get a turf upgrade?
The Duke City’s nearly 300 parks will get up to $2 million for emergency turf repairs after the City Council voted 8-1 on Monday to use leftover money from last year’s budget. The measure, R-25-183, sponsored by Councilor Dan Lewis, passed after two delays since August, while councilors and the administration debated whether dying turf […]
Posted inAlbuquerque
The Tumbleweed Snowman is 30 years old. See how he’s changed since 1995
OK, Albuquerque, do you know what today is? Yes, it’s #GivingTuesday (an important day in a nonprofit newsroom) but it’s also Tumbleweed Tuesday, the day the Tumbleweed Snowman claims his holiday perch alongside the busy westbound lanes of I-40 next to the AMAFCA offices near the “Big I.” This year is also the icon’s 30-year […]