Elaine Baumgartel

By Elaine Baumgartel

Albuquerque, NM – The Albuquerque Journal reports workers filled meeting chambers and overflow rooms on Thursday night. Workers expressed concern that pay cuts combined with increases in health care costs would be greater than Berry administration officials suggested.

With tax revenue down around 8 percent this fiscal year, city officials told councilors the city should cut salaries in order to avoid raising taxes or cutting basic services. Berry's administration pointed out that city workers had received raises in recent years.

By Elaine Baumgartel

Albuquerque, NM – In celebration of Earth Day, the Rio Grande Nature Center is hosting events on Saturday intended to get people out into nature. Participants in the BioBlitz event will participate in a one-day concentrated effort to do a biological inventory of the plants, insects, and animals in the Rio Grande Bosque in Albuquerque.

By Elaine Baumgartel

Albuquerque, NM – This week, KUNM's Elaine Baumgartel spoke with reporter Matthew Reichbach about news from around the state.

By Elaine Baumgartel

Albuquerque, NM – School boards in Albuquerque and Santa Fe are saying that teacher layoffs and school closures may be necessary.

New Mexico U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman has co-sponsored legislation that he says could relieve some financial pressure the economic downturn has placed on school officials.

He said, "I don't think education is something that you want to fund just when the economy is strong you want to fund it all the time."

By Elaine Baumgartel

Santa Fe, NM – The Santa Fe New Mexican reports more than 150 people attended the meeting to voice their concerns. Several of the more contentious options on the table include proposals to consolidate smaller schools and to cut salaries for teachers.

Some of last night's speakers spoke out against closing smaller schools like Acequia Madre Elementary School. Others called for teachers' pay to be preserved and for the board to look for savings by cutting administrative staff salaries.

By Elaine Baumgartel

Albuquerque, NM – This week, KUNM's Elaine Baumgartel spoke with Senior Reporter Megan Kamerick about business news from around the state.

By Elaine Baumgartel

Albuquerque, NM – This week, KUNM's Elaine Baumgartel spoke with editor Gwyneth Doland about news from around the state.

By Elaine Baumgartel

Albuquerque, NM – Last week's announcement by Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens that he will retire this year gives President Obama another opportunity to select a nominee for a lifetime position on the highest U.S. court.

U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman says Obama made a good choice in his nomination of Sonia Sotomayor last year, but Bingaman says, this year the situation is different.

By Elaine Baumgartel

Albuquerque, NM – This week, KUNM's Elaine Baumgartel spoke with reporter Dennis Domrzalski.

By Elaine Baumgartel

Albuquerque, NM – A new documentary film premieres in Albuquerque Friday night. It's the story of a Mohammed Khan Kharoti and his struggle to rebuild a school in his home town in Helmand Province Afghanistan.

Kharoti's Green Village Schools was created in 2001. It was destroyed in 2008 by militants, but hundreds of children still gather for classes.

The new documentary film "Stealing the Light" premiers tonight at 7:00 P.M. at the KIMO theater.

By Elaine Baumgartel

Albuquerque, NM – This week, KUNM's Elaine Baumgartel spoke with reporter Matthew Reichbach.

By Elaine Baumgartel

Albuquerque, NM – The Secretary of the New Mexico Department of Health yesterday announced cuts to services and facilities as a result of an over $24 million reduction in state funding. Secretary Alfredo Vigil says all programs are important but that there isn't enough money to fully fund all programs.

By Elaine Baumgartel

Albuquerque, NM – Superintendent Winston Brooks last night offered a budget proposal to the Albuquerque Public School Board that would layoff 664 district employees, require two furlough days from non-school employees, and cut non-school budgets by 6.5 percent. The Albuquerque Journal reports the proposal would cut operating budgets at schools by 1.5 percent.

Layoffs would focus specifically on double dippers, retirees who have returned to work and are earning both a pension and a salary.

By Elaine Baumgartel

Albuquerque, NM – Each week we hear from reporters at the New Mexico Business Weekly about business news from around the state. KUNM's Elaine Baumgartel spoke with reporter Dennis Domrzalski.

By Elaine Baumgartel

Albuquerque, NM – Mitzi Kraft says she got involved because of the impacts war had on her family. Her father was a pilot during World War II and flew in the bombing raids over Dresden Germany. He committed suicide 50 years ago on Good Friday.

Kraft's grandson did a tour in Iraq and is now having a hard time adjusting to civilian life and suffering from PTSD. He joined a JROTC program when he was a freshman in high school and Kraft says she never thought his participation would eventually lead to his enlistment in the military.

By Elaine Baumgartel

Albuquerque, NM – Every Thursday we hear from reporters and editors at the New Mexico Independent.

KUNM's Elaine Baumgartel spoke with senior reporter Trip Jennings about this week's top stories.

By Elaine Baumgartel

Albuquerque, NM – The Albuquerque Journal reports APS officials failed to include $20 million of employee salaries and benefits in the district's budget over the past two years.

State funding for APS was also reduced and Superintendent Winston Brooks announced last week the district will have to cut $43 million to fill these gaps. That could mean layoffs for over 700 teachers, educational assistants and administrators.

Brooks says the process that led to the miscalculation has been fixed.

By Elaine Baumgartel

Albuquerque, NM – Several University of New Mexico student organizations met today to protest budget cuts that would eliminate three community service groups and withhold funding for a new Queer Resource Center. UNM Administrators last week denied a recommendation by student leaders for a 10 dollar-a-year student fee increase to fund the groups and the center.

By Elaine Baumgartel

Albuquerque, NM – The Albuquerque Journal reports the investigation will determine if tribal, forest service, and national monument lands should receive damages from LANL to clean up the contamination.

New Mexico Environment Secretary Ron Curry says LANL must be held accountable for its activities in the state. He says the public will have an opportunity to comment.

According to the report, existing air, soil, surface water and groundwater contamination will be analyzed to see if levels justify damages under federal law.

By Elaine Baumgartel

Albuquerque, NM – New Mexico U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman says he is confident this reconciliation bill will pass, even if some Senators opposed to the health care legislation offer amendments.

BINGAMAN: "Those who are offering amendments will be doing so with full knowledge that their amendments are unlikely to prevail they may wish to make some kind of a statement... or cause their colleagues to cast an uncomfortable vote."

By Elaine Baumgartel

Tesuque, NM – At the Democratic state convention this weekend, former state Democratic party chairman Brian Colon won the top spot on the primary ballot for Lt. Governor. With over 34% of convention votes, Colon established a significant lead over Lawrence Rael, former director of the Mid-Region Council of Governments, who trailed with 22%.

By Elaine Baumgartel

Santa Fe, NM – The Santa Fe City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to delay a proposed telecommunications ordinance. The Santa Fe New Mexican reports Councilor Patti Bushee said the ordinance has been significantly changed and should be considered in a new public hearing.

Some opponents of the ordinance are concerned about possible health impacts from increased wireless technology and say the ordinance does not provide enough regulation of the telecommunications industry.

By Elaine Baumgartel

Albuquerque, NM – The suspect in the murders of a University of New Mexico English professor and a Bernalillo High School teacher had a history of stalking his ex-girlfriends according to the Albuquerque Journal.

Police say Ralph Montoya shot Hector Torres and Stefania Grey, who was his ex-girlfriend, on Sunday. Grey had filed for a restraining order against Montoya after an incident in January when Montoya allegedly attacked her at Torres' house.

By Elaine Baumgartel

Albuquerque, NM – Communities across the country and New Mexico are celebrating the history, culture, and contributions of African Americans during the month of February, Black history month.

KUNM's Elaine Baumgartel recently spoke with Professor Sonia Gipson-Rankin, Associate Director of the Africana Studies Program at the University of New Mexico about the meaning and purpose of Black History Month. She says it's about more than just a segment that is taught in schools.

By Elaine Baumgartel

Albuquerque, NM – In the final installment of our three-part series, KUNM's Elaine Baumgartel speaks with new Mexicans about tax increase proposals making their way through the state legislature.

By Elaine Baumgartel

Albuquerque, NM – In the second part of our series, KUNM's Elaine Baumgartel speaks to New Mexicans about a proposal to reinstate the food tax.

By Elaine Baumgartel

Albuquerque, NM – In the first of a three-part series, KUNM's Elaine Baumgartel speaks with New Mexicans about proposals to increase taxes in order to fill the state budget deficit.

By Elaine Baumgartel

Health Care Bill Close to Passing in the Senate

Albuquerque, NM – Elaine Baumgartel spoke with New Mexico U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman about the mood on Capitol Hill and some of the details of the bill. Bingaman says passage in the Senate is pretty much a done deal...

By Elaine Baumgartel

Santa Fe Film Festival

Elaine Baumgartel

Santa Fe, NM – The 10th Annual Santa Fe Film Festival is underway this week in Santa Fe.

Operations Director Karen RedHawk Dallett says the economic downturn created unexpected challenges for the festival. She says organizers had to be particularly creative with limited resources.

Every Friday we hear from writers at the New Mexico Business weekly. This week KUNM's Elaine Baumgartel spoke with reporter Dennis Domrzalski about the week's business news.