Briefs
Fire at Albuquerque plastic storage facility forces air quality concerns
The large dark smoke in the sky above Albuquerque on Sunday afternoon came from the destruction of a facility operated by United Poly Systems LLC, a company that stores and distributes plastic materials for construction. The Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Air Program issued a health advisory on Aug. 6 which was in effect until 10 a.m on […]
El Paso Water lawsuit against New Mexico Environment Department will stay in Texas courts
A Texas judge ordered last week that a lawsuit against New Mexico environment authorities brought by El Paso Water will continue in Texas courts. The dispute stems from the water utility fighting a $1.2 million fine from the New Mexico Environment Department for violating state water quality laws. The fine came after a 2021 spill, […]
Albuquerque Public Schools and teachers reach agreement for pay raises, stipends
Albuquerque Public Schools and the union representing its teachers – the Albuquerque Teachers Federation – have announced they have reached a tentative agreement that would boost salaries, provide stipends for duty time and give more money for athletic coaches. The agreement was reached earlier this month, but officially announced Monday. Specifically, educators will receive a […]
Behavioral health and wellness programs launched for BIE tribal schools
Tribal schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Education will receive additional funding to increase access to behavioral health and wellness support programs. “The Interior Department is committed to creating positive, safe and culturally-relevant learning environments,” Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland said in the funding announcement on June 29. The programs will provide virtual counseling […]
Four months after emergency law passed, more than $46M in state disaster loans approved for northern NM recovery efforts
Nearly half the $100 million pot of state loans to help with Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire disaster relief has finally arrived for public officials in Mora and San Miguel Counties. Not even a third of the eligible entities listed on the application have applied for help in the three months since the application has been […]
Arkansas libraries ask federal judge to block new library obscenity measure from going into law
The Arkansas libraries challenging a new obscenity law asked a federal judge to stop it from taking effect while he considers whether the law is unconstitutional. The plaintiffs’ lawyers filed a motion and brief in support of a preliminary injunction Thursday. The Central Arkansas Library System and 17 other plaintiffs filed a federal lawsuit against […]
U.S. judge sets mid-August date for Trump trial in classified documents case
Former President Donald Trump is set to face a jury trial on federal charges of mishandling classified information, after the Miami judge overseeing the case signed an order Tuesday scheduling the trial to begin Aug. 14. U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon, whom Trump appointed to her seat on the federal bench in the Southern […]
Las Cruces narrows school board race to three candidates
The Las Cruces Board of Education announced a narrowed list of three candidates for the superintendent position after a series of closed-door interviews with seven semi-finalists over the weekend. The finalists are Debra Elder, Monica Mesa and Ignacio Ruíz, according to a press release. The eliminated candidates included the sole candidate applying from within the […]
Federal judge orders Enbridge to shut down Line 5 in three years, pay tribe $5 million
Enbridge Inc. must shut down its Line 5 pipeline within three years and pay more than $5 million in profits to the Chippewa Indians Bad River Band, a federal judge in Madison ruled Friday. Judge William Conley reaffirmed his September 2022 ruling upholding the tribe’s claim that Enbridge has been trespassing on its land since […]
U.S. Forest Service starts assessing fencing damage on southern half of Black Fire burn scar
Wandering livestock in the Gila National Forest could be contained again later this year as the U.S. Forest Service works on repairing and replacing fences that the 2022 Black Fire and following flooding wiped out. Federal officials are paying for it, too. It’s something ranchers living in the Gila need assistance to cover. They’ve seen […]
NM state department received disaster relief funds by mistake. Now, officials commit to quickly getting money to the right place.
An error sent $2 million dollars in relief aid for Black Fire disaster victims to the wrong state agency, and New Mexico officials say they want to quickly fix this mistake. State lawmakers approved the allocation in the budget to help victims recover from New Mexico’s second largest wildfire in 2022 as well as flooding […]
USDA awards $43.3M to Oklahoma internet company that should benefit Union County in northeast NM
A telephone company that normally serves Oklahomans and Texans will be reaching beyond its boundaries to set up high-speed internet for New Mexicans in the most northeastern part of the state using federal dollars announced on Monday. The United States Department of Agriculture awarded $714 million in grants and loans aimed to connect rural areas […]