+Sources Archives - City Desk ABQ

Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., speaks during a press conference at Saranam's Westside campus, announcing more than $7.6 million in federal Community Project Funding for seven local housing and homelessness projects. Aug. 19, 2026, (Jesse Jones)

Stansbury’s shifting position on Sandia land transfer raises questions

by Jesse Jones October 30, 2026November 2, 2026

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — A proposed transfer of nearly 10,000 acres in the Sandia Mountains has raised questions about public access and land management. A local advocacy group says Rep. Melanie Stansbury told them she opposes the transfer, despite her support for land-back efforts. But in an interview with The Paper. on Thursday, […]

Albuquerque City Councilor Nichole Rogers speaks at a District 6 participatory budgeting meeting where residents helped shape proposals for neighborhood improvements. Courtesy of Nichole Rogers.

District 6 voted on $1.7 million in improvements. Three are guaranteed, but Councilor Rogers wants more.

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — District 6 residents have chosen how Albuquerque should spend $1.7 million on neighborhood improvements. With 11 projects on the ballot and funding set aside for the top three, Councilor Nichole Rogers hopes to fund more of the community’s ideas. District 6 residents cast 1,866 votes in the second annual […]

Bernalillo County plans expanded fentanyl response as commissioners weigh emergency declaration

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — About six people a week died from opioid-related causes in Bernalillo County last year. Now, county commissioners are considering an emergency declaration to help fund a more robust response, including expanded street medicine and addiction treatment, real-time overdose tracking and a new sheriff’s operation targeting drug traffickers. Bernalillo County […]

BernCo candidate defends wearing Confederate flag as symbol of ‘open rebellion’ against the government as he pushes ‘America only’ agenda in campaigns

By Kevin Hendricks, Route 66 Independent & NM Political Report — District 5 Bernalillo County Commission candidate Thomas Riley says he wears a ring bearing the Confederate flag as an act of “open rebellion” against the federal government, and he wants the county’s Sheriff’s Office to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to […]

A blue recycling bin sits along an Albuquerque street as the City Council will consider a proposed ordinance that would expand recycling access to all apartment renters and municipal buildings (Jesse Jones)

City’s recycling test could mean fewer pickups for some residents

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — For some Burqueños, trash day will soon mean one less bin to take to the curb each week. The city is starting a pilot program that will switch blue recycling bin pickup from weekly to every other week. Starting today, the city’s Solid Waste Management Department will test the […]

ABQ RIDE’s five electric buses sit among other buses at the Ken Sanchez Transit Center in Albuquerque. The electric buses have not been in service since December because of mechanical problems and difficulty obtaining parts. Photo by Roberto E. Rosales for the Paper

Five electric buses, zero passengers: ABQ electric buses not used since last December

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Albuquerque’s first electric buses were supposed to be the start of a shift toward cleaner public transportation. Four years later, all five are still in the city’s fleet but have not carried passengers since December because of mechanical problems and difficulty getting parts. The city rolled out the fleet […]

Six months of lawsuits left Albuquerque with a $4.38 million tab

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Mayor Tim Keller sent two overdue quarterly litigation reports to the City Council last month, revealing $4.38 million in lawsuit settlements over six months, including a case in which a police SWAT operation burned down a family’s home and killed a teenage boy hiding inside. At its Sept. 21 […]

Planning Director Alan Varela speaks Wednesday at a press conference downtown about an apartment complex where tenants banded together and asked the city to step in. (Jesse Jones)

Fed up Albuquerque renters put new city protections to the test

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — For more than a year, City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn has pushed for stronger renter protections, one city ordinance at a time. In June, two of her measures became law: the Rental Unit Habitability Enforcement Ordinance and a resolution requiring the city to prioritize safety violations. Now those protections are […]

NM.news

Big tax breaks in Bernalillo County now come with big strings attached

by Jesse Jones September 22, 2026

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Bernalillo County is looking to make businesses seeking tax breaks from residents give more back through public benefits for taxpayers who fund it. In a first for Bernalillo County, commissioners approved a $1.2 billion industrial revenue bond for DESRI, a renewable energy developer, to build a 400-megawatt solar and […]

‘Is the City the Grinch?’ Councilor slams decision to cancel Luminaria Bus Tour

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — For 70 years, Burqueños have celebrated Christmas Eve aboard the Luminaria Bus Tour, riding city buses through the Old Town and Huning Castle neighborhoods to see glowing luminarias and neighbors gathered around bonfires. Now, the city has ended the tradition, saying the tour is no longer cost-effective. At Monday’s […]