Judge blocks Trump from cutting funding to more ‘sanctuary cities,’ including Albuquerque, for now

Late Friday, a federal judge extended a block of the Trump administration’s efforts to freeze federal funding to more cities, including Albuquerque, that restrict law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration efforts. Judge William Orrick in San Francisco extended an earlier preliminary injunction barring the federal government from withholding funds or conditioning federal funding on having […]

Opinion: Uballez campaign tactic not fair to career city employees

Letter to the Editor By Barbara L. Taylor. Taylor is the former Capital Implementation Program Official and former director of the Parks and Recreation Department in the City of Albuquerque Ideally election campaigns are about aspirations and solutions. Municipal government, more than any other level of government, provides services that touch people’s lives every day.  […]

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 […]

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 […]

USDOT blames New Mexico State Police for fatal Florida semi accident involving undocumented driver

Federal Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says New Mexico State Police officers are partially responsible for a fatal semi-truck accident over 1,000 miles away earlier this month in Florida. According to a statement first reported locally by the Albuquerque Journal, the U.S. Department of Transportation initiated an investigation after a truck driver conducted an illegal U-turn […]

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 […]

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 […]

New Mexico had no new measles cases this week, Texas declares end to their outbreak

Has New Mexico won the measles war? It’s too soon to tell but all signs are trending in the right direction, according to the latest data released by the state’s Department of Health on Thursday. Over the previous seven days, the state reported no new measles cases, the first time that has happened this month, […]

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 […]

New Mexico oil lease sale breaks records, brings in $256 million for schools

New Mexico’s State Land Office shattered revenue records for the second consecutive month, earning $256 million in bonus payments from an oil and gas lease auction held this week, officials announced Tuesday. The August sale surpassed last month’s then-record $56 million, marking another milestone since the state implemented a new 25% royalty rate for premium […]