City councilors seek to reverse immigrant friendly policy

Councilors Brook Bassan and Renée Grout are co-sponsoring a bill that would reverse the city’s Immigrant Friendly Policy to allow police to contact federal authorities if an undocumented immigrant is charged with certain violent crimes or drug offenses. The bill to amend the current policy, introduced at the Albuquerque City Council meeting Monday night, was […]

Low-income homeowners to get help with heating and cooling upgrades

Albuquerque has received a grant that city officials say will help improve the health and finances of low-income homeowners. The New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department awarded the city $1.7 million to expand its retrofitting efforts in improving work energy efficiency. Through the Community Energy Efficiency project, income-qualified homeowners will receive free energy […]

City Council hears from the public — and some stuffed animals — at Monday meeting

A packed chamber greeted the Albuquerque City Council for a five-hour meeting May 6 where the council spent some money, approved getting some grant money and heard heartfelt public comments about immigration policies in the city. Standing Room Only More than a dozen residents turned out to voice their concerns about a proposed amendment that […]

Paving the Way Forward in Bernalillo County District 3

Candidate Commentary. This post is provided by a candidate for office and does not imply endorsement by this news outlet or our staff. As a community service, City Desk welcomes guest columns from registered individuals and organizations during election seasons. Submit yours to editor@citydesk.org By Adriann Barboa | As a single mom, a proud Grandma, […]

City record keepers are bringing the clerk’s office into the digital age

Last year, the Albuquerque City Clerk’s Office digitized over a million public records in order to make them more accessible to citizens who file Inspection of Public Records Act requests, as well as city departments that need access to records. And they’re still going. “Currently we have 9,000 boxes and we also have 58 pallets […]

AFR ambulance gets a new home — in Ukraine

The city of Albuquerque is sending one of the fire department’s decommissioned ambulances to its sister city of Kharkiv in Ukraine as the country continues to face Russian attacks.  The 2011 Ford F6G ambulance is in good working condition, said Sara Mannal, a city spokesperson. She said city leaders and community members wrote messages of […]

Denial and uncertainty are looming over a Biden-Trump rematch 6 months out from Election Day

By STEVE PEOPLES and ZEKE MILLER / ASSOCIATED PRESS WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — This North Carolina voter is nervous. Will Rikard, a 49-year-old father of two, was among several hundred Democrats who stood and cheered for Joe Biden as the first-term president delivered a fiery speech recently about the billions of dollars he has delivered […]

How Albuquerque’s climate progress stacks up against other cities

This story is republished from NM Political Report, a nonprofit news outlet, as a part of our commitment to bringing you the best in independent news coverage that matters to Albuquerque. By Hannah Grover / NM Political Report A new report ranks Albuquerque second among mid-sized cities for actions taken to address climate change. The 2024 […]

Stansbury, Vasquez join 88 Democrats calling for Biden to threaten pause of weapons sales to Israel

88 Democratic members of Congress, including New Mexico’s Melanie Stansbury (D-NM01) and Gabe Vasquez (D-NM02), penned a letter to President Joseph Biden expressing “serious concerns regarding the Israeli Government’s conduct of the war in Gaza” and pressing the president to threaten to withhold the delivery of weapons transfers just approved by Congress. The letter reiterates […]

Fresh eyes and new technology: Digging into the cold case killing of a rookie cop in Mountainair 

It was the evening of May 7, 1988, and while most of the town of Mountainair attended a talent show at the high school, a rookie cop remained at the police department — in a cramped room atop a narrow staircase above town hall.  Stephen Sandlin, a 21-year-old who had joined the four-man force a […]