Bitter wind chills are expected to hit New Mexico this week - By Nash Jones, KUNM News
The National Weather Service and state Department of Health are warning that much of New Mexico will be getting very cold late Tuesday into Wednesday this week.
A Cold Weather Advisory goes into effect at midnight Tuesday in the Albuquerque Metro Area and areas south and west of the city.
Low temperatures will drop below zero in northern New Mexico and the eastern highlands. They will stay in the single digits elsewhere, though heavy winds from 20 to 55 miles an hour could add a wind chill that makes it feel below zero for many.
While little if any snow is expected in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, the Weather Service predicts anywhere from one to three inches in areas further north Tuesday afternoon, the central mountains Tuesday night and southern New Mexico on Wednesday.
The Health Department recommends dressing in heavy layers, bringing pets indoors, safely heating homes, checking smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and keeping emergency supplies and blankets on hand if traveling by car.
AG seeks to halt WNMU president’s severance pay - By Nash Jones, KUNM News
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed a motion Monday to block Western New Mexico University from providing a nearly $2 million severance package to its outgoing President.
According to the state Department of Justice, the university is offering former President Joseph Shepard $1,909,788 — more than three times the amount stipulated under his contract for termination, though he voluntarily resigned his post.
Torrez said in a statement that the payment is an, “Egregious misuse of public funds and a betrayal of the board’s responsibility to act in the best interest of the university and its students.”
The motion seeks to prevent the board from dispersing the payment until a hearing can take place. It requests that hearing occur sometime in the next week and a half.
KOB-TV reports Torrez's motion for a temporary restraining order comes after Shepard resigned as university president following a state audit that found he spent hundreds of thousands in university funds on trips, furniture and other personal items over the years.
Torrez says those findings, “underscore the urgency of this matter.”
Company plans to extract uranium from the Grants area – By Hannah Grover, New Mexico Political Report
Uranium extraction could be returning to the Grants area after nearly 30 years.
Grants Energy is reaching out to nearby communities about plans to extract uranium from deep underground, using private lands about 20 miles from the city of Grants.
The Grants area has the largest uranium resource in the country, which has made it a hotspot for extraction and has left a legacy of pollution and abandoned mines.
Grants Energy is aware of this legacy, the company’s director of communications Janet Lee Sheriff told NM Political Report. Sheriff said the extraction methods Grants Energy plans to use are both more economical and more environmentally friendly than conventional mining methods that were used during the uranium boom that lasted from the 1950s until the 1990s.
Grants Energy will use what is known as “in situ” recovery for the Grants Precision ISR Project. Essentially, that means the company will inject oxygenated water around 3,000 feet below the ground’s surface. That would leach the uranium from the sandstone formation and allow the company to pull it to the surface using wells.
Sheriff said once the uranium-rich water is pulled out of the subsurface, it goes to a treatment plant. She described this treatment process as being similar to a household water softener and she said the building will be about the size of a large house. This facility will remove the uranium from the water and the water will be returned to the aquifer.
In situ recovery means there won’t be any mine tailings, open pits, tunnels or blasting.
Sheriff said about 60% of uranium operations worldwide use in situ recovery methods, which were developed in the United States about 50 years ago.
Sheriff said the project won’t start for another five years but Grants Energy wanted to start outreach early. Grants Energy still has various permits it will need to obtain.
She said before the project can move forward, the United States government will have to declare the aquifer as contaminated. Sheriff said this aquifer isn’t used and is deeper under the surface than any of the domestic water supplies.
“We’re not talking about tapping into people’s water source,” she said.
To get to that aquifer, Grants Energy will have to drill through various geological formations and water tables. Sheriff said cement casings around the pipes are intended to prevent leaks that could contaminate the freshwater aquifer.
The company will also drill monitoring wells around the project location. These will measure background elements.
“There’s other elements that move faster than uranium,” Sheriff explained.
She said if the company notices those other elements increasing, the operations will halt.
On the surface, she said everything will have an emergency shut-off valve.
“There has never been an incident of groundwater contamination because of ISR technology,” she said.
The project will likely operate for 20 to 30 years, after which the site will be reclaimed.
Grants Energy says the project will create more than 200 skilled, local jobs and has the potential to generate more than $400 million in state and local tax revenue. Furthermore, Grants Energy says the uranium will provide fuel for carbon-free energy production.
This project comes as the U.S. looks to triple its nuclear energy capacity by 2050 in an effort to reduce emissions from fossil fuel generation.
There are no nuclear power plants in New Mexico and the state’s largest utility, the Public Service Company of New Mexico, has reduced the amount of electricity it receives from the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in Arizona. However, nationwide, about 20% of the electricity comes from nuclear power.
Longtime local journalist named editor of Source New Mexico - By Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico
Julia Goldberg, a veteran New Mexico journalist, has been named editor-in-chief of Source New Mexico following a national search.
Goldberg was most recently the editor and publisher of the Santa Fe Reporter, an award-winning alt-weekly based in the state capital. In her 30-plus-year career here, she has also written stories that appeared in the New York Times, Salon and numerous other news outlets in New Mexico, including the Rio Grande Sun.
She was the editor of the Reporter for more than a decade and a faculty member at the former Santa Fe University of Art and Design, prior to its closure in 2018, where she designed the creative writing department’s journalism curriculum and oversaw its weekly online student magazine.
“We’re so glad to have someone with the type of vision and experience Julia has leading our team from Santa Fe,” said Adam Kealoha Causey, national editor with States Newsroom, the nation’s largest nonprofit news organization dedicated to state coverage. Source NM is part of States Newsroom.
In addition to her journalistic and academic pursuits, Goldberg is the author of “Inside Story: Everyone’s Guide to Reporting and Writing Creative Nonfiction.” She’s also been the president of the New Mexico Fund for Public Interest Journalism and the editorial chair for the Association of Alternative News Media.
“I’m honored to join the award-winning journalists at Source, and excited for the stories we’re going to tell in the year ahead,” Goldberg said.
Goldberg replaces former editor Shaun Griswold, who departed in early October.
Source NM launched in August 2021 with a team of three staff reporters and an editor.
Diné College president remembered as a tireless advocate for Native American students - Associated Press
Charles "Monty" Roessel, a former director of the federal Bureau of Indian Education and president of the first tribal college to be established in the United States, has died. He was 63.
Diné College announced that Roessel died Monday while surrounded by his family. The school did not provide any details on the cause of death.
Roessel had led the college since 2017 and was integral in helping it expand into a four-year institution. His administration also spearheaded programs including the development of a Navajo Nation tribal law program, which recently welcomed its first class of students.
Navajo Nation Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley called Roessel a tireless advocate for tribal education and a visionary leader.
"His leadership and dedication were pivotal in shaping educational opportunities for Navajo students, and his efforts have left an indelible mark on the future of our people," she said in a statement.
Roessel came from a family of educators. His parents helped to establish the Rough Rock Community School on the Navajo Nation and they played key roles in creating Navajo Community College, what is now Diné College, in 1968.
A graduate of Chinle High School, Roessel earned a bachelor's degree in photo communications from the University of Northern Colorado and went on to receive a master's degree from Prescott College. He spent a few years working as a journalist, photographer and editor for various publications, including the Navajo Times Today.
He earned a doctorate in educational administration and supervision from Arizona State University and followed in his parents' footsteps, going to work at the Rough Rock Community School in 1998. He served as its executive director and superintendent before becoming an associate deputy director with the BIE in 2011. Two years later, he was appointed director of the bureau and oversaw nearly 200 schools serving Native American children in some 20 states.
His career at the BIE ended in 2016 after the U.S. Interior Department's Office of Inspector General found that he had used his influence to obtain jobs for a close relative and a woman with whom he had a romantic relationship. He took the helm at Diné College several months later.
In March 2024, the American Indian College Fund named Roessel as its tribal college president honoree for the year — an award granted to those who have made positive and lasting impacts on the tribal college movement.
Navajo Council Delegate Carl Slater, one of Roessel's nephews, said his uncle was a man of integrity.
"He dedicated his life to advancing the cause of our Diné and demonstrated his immense love for our learners, no matter their background," Slater said in a statement. "His children and family, who live his legacy each day, were his life's greatest pride. His loss, while painful, is a challenge for each of us to serve, in our own ways, our Dine, families, clans, and communities."
Lawmakers file the first bills of New Mexico’s 2025 legislative session, which starts in 3 weeks — Danielle Prokop, Source New Mexico
The start to the 2025 New Mexico legislative session is still several weeks away, but some lawmakers have already introduced proposed changes in state laws.
Legislators started putting forward proposals known as prefiles Thursday, the first day they file bills before the opening gavel on Jan. 21. Three state senators filed five bills on the opening day.
Proposed bills would develop a state and tribal schools partnership, amend the constitution on retired public worker’s health care funds, and expand eligibility for a state program for youth aging out of foster care.
Sen. Benny Shendo (D-Jemez Pueblo) introduced legislation to expand tribal and pueblo governments’ ability to enter into agreements with the state’s education authority for cultural and language schools, and allow schools to access public funding. The schools would develop the curriculum and agree not to charge tuition. Schools would report enrollment, and receive funds like any other public school, and could apply for state grants.
There would need to be a public rule-making process for how the process would work, if the law is passed.
Sen. Roberto “Bobby” Gonzalez (D-Ranchos de Taos) introduced a state constitutional amendment, which would have to be approved by voters. The bill would require the state to create a trust fund for health care programs for retired public employees, and prohibit spending and investment of that money outside of the needs of the retirees.
Sen. Micheal Padilla (D-Albuquerque) introduced three bills on opening day. Two related to public works construction, by requiring projects to offer minimum wage to specific workers and increase financial support for apprenticeships. Padilla’s third bill expands eligibility to youth held in state custody into a state program supporting foster youth who have aged out of state support.
The House released 14 prefiled bills on Friday. Some bills would make small changes such as motorcycle licence designs, or removing deductions for tips paid with a credit card.
Rep. Kathleen Cates (D-Rio Rancho) introduced a bill to protect libraries from losing funding for refusing to ban books based on the subject or an author’s sexuality, race or gender, countering a rise in book bans across the nation. This law wouldn’t impact the right of individuals to challenge specific materials in a library’s collection.
Rep. Joy Garratt (D-Albuquerque) introduced a bill to make a shooting or bomb threat a fourth degree felony, raising it from the current penalty of a misdemeanor. The law also adds a provision putting the person who made the threat on the hook for costs incurred because of a threat – loss of business or lost wages, among others.
Rep. Matthew McQueen (D-Galisteo) put forward two state constitutional amendments, requiring voter approval. One to make all legislative sessions 45 days in length, rather than alternating between shorter and longer sessions. The second would remove the governor’s pocket veto power, which means any bill that goes unsigned by a certain deadline after a session dies. The bill would also require the governor to send an explanation for any veto, which has not applied because of the pocket veto.The last day lawmakers can put forward bills before the start of the session is Jan. 17.
Prefiles only contain the language of the proposed legislation, and don’t have official numbers yet. No analysis or actions such as committee assignments are made until the lawmakers convene officially.
New council president, bills on housing and vacant properties in front of City Council — Elizabeth McCall, City Desk ABQ
Albuquerque city councilors on Monday will kick off their first meeting of the year with a vote to elect the new City Council president. Councilors are also expected to vote on a proposal to improve the city’s housing voucher program, a proposal to make it easier for housing developments to get a green light and a returning bill to fix the vacant property issue in Downtown.
Housing vouchers
A proposal, sponsored by Councilor Renée Grout, is aimed at improving the city’s housing voucher program.
The bill would direct the Health, Housing and Homelessness Department to make the voucher program “more efficient and transparent.” The proposal comes after the department ended its contracts with a housing voucher service provider that misused funds.
Grout and Councilor Nichole Rogers have worked to reform the voucher programs this year, read more about their efforts and the proposal here.
Easing restrictions on housing developments
Councilors are also expected to consider a proposal to ease restrictions on housing developments.
Councilor Joaquín Baca and Council President Dan Lewis are sponsoring the bill — which Baca said would make it easier to finish housing projects and will “get a lot more attention” Monday night.
“[The bill is] essentially is to build more housing,” Baca said. “We have vouchers that don’t get spent because there’s literally no place to spend those vouchers at. This would make that a whole lot easier to do.”
The legislation also proposes making the appeal process more expansive for property owners or neighborhood associations who wish to appeal a development.
Downtown vacant buildings
Another proposal from Baca would put more pressure on owners of Downtown vacant properties.
The measure comes from a controversial bill the council shot down in October. The original bill would have created “no obstruction zones” and effectively ban sleeping or sitting on Downtown sidewalks.
The new proposal excludes the “no obstruction zones,” strictly focusing on implementing more regulations for vacant properties. The legislation cites vacant properties as a “public nuisance” and argues the bill will renew “economic opportunity and overall prosperity” for Downtown.
Lawsuit says 10-year-old sexually assaulted at a CYFD office – Santa Fe New Mexican, KUNM News
A lawsuit filed against the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department accuses the agency of failing to protect a 10-year-old boy from an alleged sexual assault in 2022 by a teenager in a CYFD bathroom
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports the boy had a history of abuse and CYFD knew the teenager had a history of sexual assault.
The lawsuit calls on CYFD to stop housing children in offices and provide them with access to “a safe and therapeutic home.” It alleges the agency violated the state’s civil rights and tort claims laws.
The department has struggled to find homes for some children for years, leading to them being housed in state custody in CYFD offices. The boy’s guardian ad litem said this lawsuit highlights the problems that can result from this practice.
A spokesperson for CYFD said in an email to the New Mexican that the department had not yet been served with the lawsuit, but after reviewing the claims would respond through the legal process.
Have an extra $4 million? You could buy the 'Breaking Bad' house — Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press
The house made famous by the "Breaking Bad" TV series is up for sale, and the owners of the otherwise unassuming home in one of Albuquerque's older neighborhoods are hoping the property's role in the long-running series will help them fetch a pretty penny.
Centered on mythical methamphetamine cookers Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, the series wrapped up more than a decade ago, but its legacy continues to draw looky-loos to the home and other associated filming spots around town.
New Mexico's governor also recently tapped the Walter White character, played by Bryan Cranston, to star in a campaign against littering in New Mexico.
While "Breaking Bad" certainly has left its mark on New Mexico and this quiet block in Albuquerque, the listing is sure to reignite interest.
Time to move on
Fans often flock to the home, sometimes with hundreds of cars driving by in a single day, Joanne Quintana told Albuquerque television station KOB-TV.
Quintana said her parents purchased the home in the 1970s and that she and her siblings grew up there. As her parents got older and the show's popularity skyrocketed, it became harder to protect them. The family was forced to put up a metal fence and install security cameras to keep fans at bay.
Now that her parents are gone, it's time to sell.
"This was our family home from 1973, almost 52 years," she told the station. "So we're going to walk away with just our memories. It's time to move on. We're done. There's no reason to fight anymore."
Hollywood magic
It was 2006 when a film scout first approached Quintana's mother about shooting a pilot episode at the home. Within months, the equipment was set up and filming began.
The family got to meet Cranston and the other stars and watched from behind the scenes as crew members worked their magic. Quintana's mother was always sure to have cookies for the cast and crew.
The inside of the home was used to prep, while interior scenes were shot in a studio.
For the famous pizza scene, Quintana remembers boxes of pizza lining the sidewalk. Plenty of unsliced cheese and pepperoni props were at the ready in case Cranston didn't nail it first try. He did — landing the pizza face-up on the roof after his character's wife shut the door in his face.
The homeowners had a hard time keeping fans from attempting their own pizza tosses or trying to sneak dips in the iconic backyard pool.
Priced to sell?
The housing market in New Mexico's largest city certainly isn't what it would have been when Walter White was applying for a mortgage, and the price paid by Quintana's parents five decades ago is unimaginable now. The median price in the Albuquerque area is approaching $400,000, and interest rates are expected to hover around 6% this year.
Some online real estate calculators put the estimated market value of the four-bedroom ranch-style home at just over $340,000. But with the star power of "Breaking Bad" behind it, the global luxury realty service that is listing the home for Quintana and her family has it priced at just under $4 million.
David Christensen with eXp Luxury told The Associated Press on Friday that it's been a busy day with the listing going live and that investors will be looking at the property. Ideas include turning the home into a vacation rental or a museum.
The listing company has set up a website to showcase the property, billing it as a chance to own a piece of pop culture history.
State of New Mexico starts 2025 with $58 billion in assets – Albuquerque Journal, KUNM News
The state of New Mexico is starting the year with $58 billion in assets, an amount that has quadrupled over the last 15 years.
The Albuquerque Journal reports the New Mexico State Investment Council was managing just over $14 billion fifteen years ago.
The majority of the overall net assets are held within the Land Grant Permanent Fund. That’s the state’s largest permanent fund due mostly to oil and gas royalties,
Public schools get 88% of the Land Grant Fund revenue. The Investment Council sent about $1.8 billion to the fund beneficiaries in the last fiscal year.
The Severance Tax Permanent Fund currently holds over $9.8 billion. According to the Investment Council, that fund saves New Mexicans money on taxes and government services.
The Early Childhood Education and Care Fund, which was only created four years ago, already has $8.3 million in assets. Its money goes to the Early Childhood Education Department.
Attention ABQ beer lovers: Marble has a new owner – Damon Scott, City Desk ABQ
One of Albuquerque’s original and most well-known breweries will soon have new owners.
Members of a new ownership group — led by Bert Boyce and Jarrett Babincsak, formerly of Santa Fe Brewing Co. — said in a statement Friday that a management agreement had been finalized and the finishing touches were being put on the purchase.
The release said the sale would be finalized when liquor licenses were issued for the new owners — expected in the next 90 days. A sale price wasn’t disclosed.
Babincsak is the former vice president of sales and marketing at Santa Fe Brewing, which first opened in 1988 and now has six locations. Boyce is its former brewmaster.
“Marble’s roots run deep in this community,” Boyce said in the statement. “With a long history of high quality and creative brewing, Marble was not only on the cutting edge of our beer scene but has really provided a home for culture, music and the arts.”
The announcement comes after months of rumors about the potential fate of Marble, particularly on social media, about its possible closure, bankruptcy and the future of dozens of Marble employees. City Desk ABQ was the first to report on what might lie ahead for the 16-year-old business.
Albuquerque’s beer lovers have since been worried that a favorite community gathering spot would significantly change, including the availability of its award-winning beers. It wasn’t immediately clear from Friday’s statement, however, if Marble’s name would change or its beers replaced.
The statement did say that the new owners and Marble officials would “work closely together … to bring stability and support to the organization now, and ensure Marble remains a pillar of the Albuquerque community for its staff and drinkers.”
“The recent outpouring of support has shown us how much love our town has for Marble, and we are honored to guide this organization into a bright future,” Boyce said in the statement. “We are committed to bringing to the team the resources, energy, and
leadership that they need to be successful, and we’re excited to pull our boots on and get to work.”
Marble’s original location opened in 2008 at 111 Marble Ave. NW, just north of Downtown in the Wells Park neighborhood. Craft beer aficionados quickly welcomed the business and its beer. The spot soon became a go-to community hangout for craft beer lovers who had access to a large outdoor patio and frequent live music.
Marble would later expand to two other locations — one in the Northeast Heights and one on the Westside. It has dozens of employees and its beer is also distributed in Arizona, Colorado and Texas.
“Bert and I have long-admired Marble,” Babincsak said in the statement. “We are humbled to lead this organization and excited to be investing in Albuquerque. … And ultimately, create something unique and enduring for Albuquerque and our team.”