Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety

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 […]

Posted inHousing & Homelessness

6 months later: How Gateway Recovery’s pallet home experiment is changing lives in Albuquerque

Gateway Recovery, one of Albuquerque’s newest addiction recovery programs, is now 68% full. The pallet home micro-community near the Comanche exit on Pan American can house up to 50 people in 46 units — 42 for singles and four for couples. The facility’s success marks a sharp turn from the heated City Council debate that […]

Posted inHousing & Homelessness, Local Gov.

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 […]

Posted inLocal Gov.

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 […]

Posted inHousing & Homelessness

Rep. Vasquez calls for permanent tax relief, wage increases for tipped workers

Rep. Gabe Vasquez on Monday criticized the current federal tax law’s approach to tip taxation while advocating for permanent policy changes to benefit tipped workers during a visit to a local coffee shop. The New Mexico Democrat donned an apron and worked alongside employees at Barelas Coffee House on Aug. 18, taking orders and serving […]

Posted inHousing & Homelessness, Sandoval County

New Mexico to distribute $120 million for housing, homelessness programs

New Mexico will distribute $120 million for housing and homelessness projects across the state beginning this month, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Tuesday. The Office of Housing at the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions will oversee the distribution, which aims to expand affordable housing options while reducing homelessness and improving public safety, according to […]

Posted inLocal Gov.

ABQ will not ‘give in to bullying:’ Keller defies federal immigration demands in letter to U.S. Attorney General

Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller is refusing federal demands to eliminate city policies that protect immigrants, telling Attorney General Pamela Bondi in a letter Wednesday that the city will “not give in to bullying” and has no plans to change its immigrant-friendly laws. The mayor’s defiant response comes as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on […]

Posted inHousing & Homelessness

Inside the council’s push to freeze more Gateway spending

City Councilor Joaquín Baca is threatening to block millions in new Gateway Center funding unless Mayor Tim Keller’s administration shows clear plans and real results from the $70 million-plus homelessness project. The ultimatum follows years of cost overruns, delays and missteps that have kept the Gateway’s main facility mostly closed since 2019, even after it […]

Posted inCourts, Justice & Safety

Five guns seized from APS students

Albuquerque Public Schools police seized four firearms from two high school campuses on Tuesday in separate incidents that prompted officials to praise safety protocols while expressing outrage over weapons being brought to school. The guns were discovered at West Mesa High School and Albuquerque High School through what Superintendent Gabriella Blakey called effective “See Something, […]