A brand-new facility that will treat mental health emergencies will begin taking patients on Tuesday June 18, and some of the state’s top officials celebrated the center in a ribbon cutting ceremony Friday.

Public school students in New Mexico experienced the highest increase in chronic absenteeism between 2019 and 2023 in the country, according to a recent Legislative Finance Committee report. Plus, State investigators determined that Bernalillo County commissioners violated the open meetings law when they established a process for choosing a new county manager.

Juneteenth, the holiday recognizing the release of the last enslaved people more than a year after the end of the Civil War, is coming up soon. Our communities commemorate the day with parades, conferences, and even yoga in the park. On the next Let’s Talk New Mexico we’ll discuss those celebrations and whether the holiday goes far enough to help heal the wounds of slavery. What will you do to recognize Juneteenth?