Author

Ryan Lowery

Ryan Lowery

Ryan Lowery is an award-winning independent journalist based in Albuquerque. He covers politics and criminal justice and has reported on New Mexico for the Las Vegas Optic, Santa Fe Reporter, Los Angeles Times and others. Lowery was awarded the 2020 William S. Dixon First Amendment Freedom Award from the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, and the 2021 Sunshine Award from the New Mexico Press Association for his reporting that highlighted lack of transparency from multiple government agencies.

NM courts adopt new online records system

By: - April 26, 2023

New Mexico court records are accessed daily by attorneys, law enforcement and members of the press. The state has allowed these groups the ability to access and download documents from a searchable online database for many years. In early April, that database was moved to a new interface, one that offers the state an opportunity […]

Charges against Alec Baldwin dismissed in fatal ‘Rust’ shooting

By: - April 21, 2023

Santa Fe prosecutors have dismissed the involuntary manslaughter charge filed against actor Alec Baldwin related to the 2021 fatal shooting on the set of the film “Rust.” A motion was filed Friday in the First Judicial District Court dismissing the felony charge filed against Baldwin in October last year following the death of cinematographer Halyna […]

NM district turns to gun-detection AI in effort to prevent school shootings

By: - March 29, 2023

Clovis Municipal School District recently began using artificial intelligence technology designed to detect guns and potential shooters on school campuses. The software can even alert law enforcement before a single shot is fired. The AI technology is designed by ZeroEyes, a Philadelphia-based company founded by a group of former Navy SEALs. The company’s software installs […]

Black rifles sit on a white store shelf against a bright red wall in the foreground. In the background, men inspect other firearms.

Legislature takes up multitude of gun bills sure to face a tough road

By: - February 14, 2023

New Mexico lawmakers are debating a variety of gun bills during the 60-day session in Santa Fe. Although previous legislation centered on firearm restrictions has historically struggled to make lasting progress in the Roundhouse, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is optimistic lawmakers know they have a responsibility to change the state’s laws before another tragic mass […]

Solomon Pena, a former Republican Party candidate for an NM House seat, has been charged in connection to shootings at Democratic politicians' homes in Albuquerque.

Solomon Pena pleads not guilty following grand jury indictment

By: - February 3, 2023

Solomon Pena pleaded not guilty during a Friday arraignment hearing, his first court appearance since a grand jury indicted him on 14 felony charges related to an alleged plot to shoot at the homes of elected officials. Pena, an election denier and failed 2022 GOP candidate for the N.M. House, is accused of enlisting help […]

The red line pulls up to an Albuquerque Rapid Transit stop in Nob Hill in 2021.

Final decision on Albuquerque’s free bus fare program on hold, again

By: - January 19, 2023

The fate of Albuquerque’s Zero Fares program, which allows anyone to board a bus without paying or showing a pass, will be decided at a future City Council meeting after councilors agreed Wednesday to delay a vote until next month’s meeting. This marks the fourth time the Council has deferred a vote on the matter. […]

Governor pledges $100 million to Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire recovery

By: - January 18, 2023

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Tuesday asked lawmakers to dedicate $100 million of the state’s operating budget to help communities in northern New Mexico devastated by wildfires and subsequent flooding last year. “We will be delivering $100 million for communities affected by the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire,” she said. “I propose that we make sure […]

Solomon Pena, a former Republican Party candidate for an NM House seat, has been charged in connection to shootings at Democratic politicians' homes in Albuquerque.

Failed GOP candidate for NM House charged in connection to shootings at Dem politicians’ homes

By: - January 17, 2023

A traffic stop in early January led police to 893 fentanyl pills, two firearms and the arrest of a man wanted on a misdemeanor stalking charge. Albuquerque police say it also helped lead them to 39-year-old Solomon Pena, a 2022 Republican candidate for the New Mexico House who police suspect is the architect of a […]

Public Regulation Commission stumbles into the new year

By: - January 12, 2023

The state is accepting applications for a newly created council designed to advise the Public Regulation Commission on issues relevant to Native American communities in New Mexico.  Applicants have until Jan. 23 to apply, and tribal enrollment is a requirement. The Tribal Advisory Council will consist of one representative from the eight northern Pueblos, one […]

A burned fence pictured in early September delineates private forestland burned in the government-caused Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire. Grass is on the bottom. Burned trees line in the back in front of dark clouds.

Legislator seeks to ban springtime burns like the ones that sparked the state’s largest wildfire

By: - January 5, 2023

Two fires set by federal agencies last year meant to manage vegetation and reduce hazardous fuels ultimately grew out of control and led to the largest wildfire in New Mexico history. This week, a state senator prefiled legislation aimed at making these types of government-managed burns illegal from the beginning of March to the end […]

An image in the final report compares documents for real and fake electors.

Scope of New Mexico’s fake elector scheme detailed in Jan. 6 committee report

By: - December 23, 2022

The House select committee investigating the violent and deadly Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol and former President Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results released its final report late Thursday. The 846-page report is the culmination of an 18-month investigation that included more than 1,000 witness interviews and nearly a dozen […]

Powerlines at sunrise in Albuquerque in 2021

NM High Court denies Indigenous groups’ attempt to block changes to PRC

By: - November 29, 2022

The New Mexico Supreme Court on Monday denied a challenge made on behalf of Indigenous groups that sought to block a constitutional amendment set to take effect next year. New Mexico voters approved a constitutional amendment during the November 2020 election that changed membership on the state’s utility regulatory body from being an elected position […]