Lincoln County to spend millions in state, federal funds to buy Ruidoso homes at risk of flooding - Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico
Lincoln County and federal officials are finalizing a program that will enable the county to buy hundreds of Ruidoso-area homes at acute risk of floods stemming from New Mexico’s 2024 South Fork and Salt fires.
The buyout operation, which Lincoln County officials have dubbed the “Rio Safe Program,” represents a collaboration between the county and the federal Agriculture Department’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. The NRCS will pay $3 for the buyout program for every $1 the state pays.
The state budget the Legislature approved during the recent session includes $21 million for the program.
Lincoln County Manager Jason Burns told Source NM last week that with the state funding secured, the county is going through NRCS’ “final bureaucratic steps.”
The Rio Safe program marks the first home buyout program in New Mexico, and it would be the first time the NRCS funded a buyout for communities recovering from post-fire flooding, NRCS spokesperson Leanord Luna told Source NM in an email Monday.
New Mexico Rep. Harlan Vincent (R-Ruidoso Downs) pushed for the funding in the state budget, although he asked for more. He told Source NM in a phone interview that the buyout program as it stands now will pay approximately 400 homeowners in the highest-risk areas for their homes and to safely relocate.
Residents who participate in the voluntary program receive fair-market value for their homes. The program will also fund the demolition of properties the county purchases, and it will pay for the rehabilitation of the area into a county-owned public park and watershed restoration.
Rio Safe, Vincent said, acknowledges the long-lasting effects of the South Fork and Salt fires in the summer of 2024. In addition to destroying hundreds of homes, the Rio Ruidoso and its tributaries will be prone to unpredictable and dramatic floods for the next decade or longer.
Last summer, flooding along the river and its tributaries area required dozens of swiftwater rescues and swept away homes and vehicles. Three people, a father and his two children, died after floodwaters carried them from a mobile home park.
“The fire broke everything,” Vincent said. “The concept is, it’s a one-time buyout, pull all this off the river so we protect our infrastructure, and quit throwing money at something that’s just going to continue to happen.”
According to Vincent, the NRCS has committed to paying up to $186 million in federal funds for the buyout through its Emergency Watershed Protection Program, but unlocking that amount would require $62 million in state funds.
That’s how much he asked the Legislature for in a bill he sponsored during the session, but the Senate Finance Committee cut the funding to $21 million. Vincent last week called on Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to use some of her capital outlay or other discretionary funds to increase funds for the buyout.
Michael Coleman, the director of communications for the governor’s office, told Source NM in an emailed statement Friday that while the governor is “deeply committed” to Ruidoso’s recovery, “There is no current plan to earmark funding for this specific purpose.”
Laura Doth, whose Ruidoso-area nonprofit serves as a liaison between flood-affected property owners and the county, told Source NM on Friday that she’s already seeing “tremendous interest” from homeowners. She said the program, if successful, will mean a permanent change to the landscape where she raised her children.
“It will certainly change what we knew, the Upper Canyon area, what it looked like,” said Doth, who is the executive director of the South Central Mountain Resource Conservation and Development Council. “It’s going to be different, but because it will basically become green space, I think it will become an asset at some point.”
New Mexico's high school graduation rate climbs to highest number in over a decade - Natalie Robbins, Albuquerque Journal
New Mexico’s four-year high school graduation rate at public and charter schools rose 2.4 percentage points in 2025 to 80.6%, the state’s highest rate in more than a decade.
This puts New Mexico in 36th out of the 39 states and District of Columbia that have already reported graduation data for last school year.
Graduation rates for almost every demographic across the state showed small gains since 2024, though rates for some groups, like Native American and Black students, still fell below the state number. Native American students graduated high school in four years at a rate of around 78% last school year, while Black students graduated at a rate of 76.4%, according to data from the Public Education Department released Friday.
PED data shows homeless students and students in foster care graduated high school at rates far below their peers. Homeless students graduated in four years 63.2% of the time, while students in foster care graduated in four years only about 40% of the time.
Male students also graduated just over two points below the state rate, while female students graduated more than two points above it.
Statewide, Los Alamos Public Schools reported the highest graduation rate of any district or charter at 97.1%.
Las Montañas Charter High School — now called Sendero School of Academic and Career Preparation — a career and technical education school in Las Cruces, logged the lowest graduation rate of any district or charter at 26.6%.
Albuquerque Public Schools recorded a graduation rate of 76.8%, not including its charter schools, nearly four points below the state rate, but up almost one percentage point from the 2023-24 school year.
“We’re happy that our graduation rate continues to improve but know there’s still more work to be done,” APS Superintendent Gabriella Blakey said in a statement. “Toward that end, we’re partnering with our community to reimagine the high school experience and make it more engaging for students.”
APS graduation rates have steadily increased each year since the 2021-22 school year, marking a return to pre-pandemic levels, according to district spokesperson Martin Salazar.
La Cueva High School had the district's highest public school graduation rate of 89.5%, while Freedom High School, APS's alternative credit recovery high school, reported the lowest, at 29.4%.
Eight New Mexico high schools have also graduated from “more rigorous intervention status,” the state’s highest level of support for chronically struggling schools, according to the PED. Five are part of APS: Mark Armijo Academy, Highland High School, Rio Grande High School, Siembra Leadership High School and Technology Leadership High School.
Rio Grande and Highland moved out of the lowest tier after sustained gains in graduation rates, PED officials said.
The three other schools no longer on “more rigorous intervention status” are Rocinante High School in Farmington, University High School in Roswell and Vista Grande High School in Taos.
Graduating from the highest intervention level is “no small feat,” Public Education Secretary Mariana Padilla said in a statement.
“These schools, their educators and their communities have committed to meaningful change to ensure more students cross the graduation stage ready for college or career,” Padilla said.
Hundreds honor fallen Bernalillo County sergeant - Nakayla McClelland, Albuquerque Journal
An American flag waved gently in the air as police sirens blared in the background to honor the life of Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Michael Schlattman Monday morning.
Hundreds of people, a majority of whom were law enforcement, filled the seats of the Rio Rancho Events Center to pay their respects to Schlattman, who was struck and killed during a traffic stop on Interstate 40 on Feb. 23. Schlattman is the first officer killed in the line of duty in New Mexico this year.
The truck driver hasn't been charged or cited, and the collision is still being investigated as of Monday. Schlattman's birthday fell on the day of the funeral. He would have been 53.
Sheriff John Allen, who gave the opening remarks during the funeral, spoke of Schlattman's various accomplishments as a sergeant and as a man, holding back tears at one point as he talked about how much joy Schlattman brought BCSO.
"The example he set through his kindness, his resilience, his humor and his relentless drive has led us all on the path to follow," the sheriff said.
Schlattman was known for his infectious smile, his positive attitude and love for high-speed pursuits around the city, Allen said. But in between jokes and reminiscing of earlier times in BCSO, Allen said he and all other members of law enforcement knew how dangerous the job was and how any day could be their last.
"As all of law enforcement knows, every time we leave home, going back home is never a guarantee," Allen said. "This reality on this day became a nightmare. We lost one of our own."
Capt. Santiago Roybal, who served as Schlattman's supervisor, began his eulogy by sharing some of Schlattman's interests outside of work, including cars, pets, working out and his love for his family.
"It's almost impossible to talk about Mike without having a smile on my face," Roybal said. "Mike was someone that you could count on. He'd have your back without question. And as a supervisor, I could count on him to complete any assignment I gave him."
While everyone gathered for a somber and tragic occasion, the event center was filled with laughs as everyone traded personal stories about Schlattman. Some joked about his love of high-speed pursuits while others spoke of him dancing in substation break rooms in between writing reports.
But everyone who spoke shared one thing in common: Their love for Schlattman was strong; they and many others in the room would love him forever.
Schlattman is survived by his fiancée, two stepchildren, sister and his mother and father.
"Although we are suffering through a tragedy, the mission must continue," Allen said. "In those times of hurt and doubt, you always honor the fallen and continue the mission, because this is what our fallen brothers and sisters expect us to do."
Will Rio Rancho voters show up? Turnout is down from 2022 ahead of March 3 Election Day - Sandoval Signpost, KUNM News
Rio Rancho Espanola and Bernalillo voters will visit the polls for municipal elections Tuesday.
The Sandoval Signpost reports Rio Rancho voters will choose from among six candidates vying to succeed outgoing Mayor Gregg Hull. Alexandria Piland, Zachary Darden, Michael Meek, Paul Wymer, Aleitress Owens-Smith and Corrine Rios are all seeking the mayor’s office.
Hull is not seeking reelection and is instead running for the Republican nomination for governor.
In Rio Rancho City Council races, Jeremy Lenentine is running unopposed in District 2, and Bob Tyler is unopposed in District 3. The District 5 race is a contested matchup between incumbent Karissa Culbreath and Calvin Ward. Robert Cook is the sole candidate for municipal judge.
Voters will also decide on three general obligation bond questions totaling $18 million for roads, public safety and quality of life facilities. If approved, Rio Rancho officials say no property tax rate increase would occur because previously issued bonds have been retired.
As of this past weekend, early voting numbers are down from Rio Rancho’s last mayoral contest in 2022.
Española heads into Tuesday election projecting $4M general fund deficit amid mayor's legal battles - John Miller, Albuquerque Journal
In the lead-up to the Municipal Officer Election here on Tuesday, the state of the city's financial health might be top of mind for voters as they prepare to cast their ballots for mayor, municipal judge and three contested city council seats.
Española's Board of Finance, which is comprised of its eight-person council and chaired by incumbent Mayor John Ramon Vigil, met Monday to review its budget, which projects a roughly $4 million deficit in the city's general fund for fiscal year 2026.
If current spending holds, Española is on track to log its second-consecutive year of overspending after running an approximately $1.7 million deficit in fiscal year 2025, which ended Sept. 30.
As of December, the city had already spent just over $2 million beyond the limits of its general fund, according to Patrick Varela, who stressed at Monday's meeting the urgency that Española's elected leaders bring spending to within budgetary constraints.
A significant line item in Española's budget is for legal fees, estimated in the current fiscal year at around $500,000, much of which has gone toward defending the city's mayor, who is running for reelection to a second term.
Vigil faces two challengers: five-term City Councilor Dennis Tim Salazar, Vigil's cousin, and Joann Salazar, the chair of both the Rio Arriba County Democratic Party and the city's Community Development Commission.
Both mayoral challengers have taken aim at Vigil's tumultuous first term during their campaigns, presenting themselves each as an opportunity for voters to restore stability, in their view, to this northern New Mexico city of around 10,000 residents.
Since assuming office in 2022, Vigil has faced a series of legal complaints ranging from allegations of discrimination to sexual harassment, as well as significant turnover in key positions.
Three former city employees have lodged complaints of sexual harassment and discrimination against Vigil during his tenure. A department director, who claimed the mayor sexually assaulted her at a Santa Fe bar in 2024, is also threatening legal action after a New Mexico State Police investigation into her allegations last year ended without criminal charges.
The Española City Council voted out former Rio Arriba County health and human services director Lauren Reichelt as city manager last month after a short-term tenure, marking the fifth person to come and go from the position under Vigil's administration in four years.
In Reichelt's place, Vigil appointed an apparent ally, Police Chief Mizel Garcia, who remains in the role heading into Tuesday's election in an interim capacity.
The turnover under Vigil's administration has come at a cost to the city.
Former City Manager Eric Lujan, for example, exited the role only after reaching a settlement with the town to extend his salary and benefits, keeping him on the payroll in a newly created position for around six months.
Lujan's predecessor, Jordan Yutzy, filed a lawsuit against the city and Vigil, accusing the mayor of misconduct and overruling Yutzy where it came to hiring decisions commonly reserved for city manager roles.
Despite the pattern of allegations against him, Vigil has consistently denied wrongdoing. Instead, he said he is looking toward the future after laying what he believes to be a strong groundwork for progress in Española.
"I respect the legal process and due process," he said in a statement. "I will not litigate these matters in the press, but I remain confident in the facts that have always proven to clear my name and I remain with a strong commitment to this community.
"If reelected, reassurance will not come from words — it will come from performance."
Vigil declined a phone interview, and instead asked he be able to respond to questions submitted in writing.
A lifelong resident who grew up on Española's historic west side, Vigil has deep family roots in the Española Valley. He previously served as a city councilor from 2018 to 2022 and is a former member of the Jemez Mountains Electric Cooperative Board of Trustees. He's also a small business owner and licensed real estate broker.
His reelection campaign promises public safety reform, transparency, "youth investment and intervention programs," economic growth and infrastructure improvement.
Dennis Tim Salazar, a cousin running against Vigil, said the city is in a state of disarray and urgently needs a leadership change. He gave a searing assessment of Vigil's performance as mayor, arguing that Vigil has severed community partnerships that will take some time to rebuild.
"To be straight up," Salazar said, "I think he's the worst mayor the city's ever seen."
Salazar served as an Española city councilor for five consecutive terms, from 2004 to 2024. He has garnered support from former Española Mayor Javier Sánchez and current District 4 Councilor Sam LeDoux.
"I think the current mayor has had an element of chaos to his entire administration," Ledoux told the Journal. "We went through five city managers and seven city finance directors during his time, and we haven't been able to do anything on the City Council.
"Often, we've gotten to only about four to five ordinances a year heard by the council because of various delays," he added, "and a lot of those delays have to do with the fact that our city attorney is tied up with legal cases in relation to the mayor."
Joann Salazar, a write-in candidate and 30-year veteran of government work, says she would bring her long history of service in various public roles and nonprofit leadership to lead the city if elected.
She submitted her candidacy on the very last day she was eligible, she said, after hearing from many Española residents who have become dissatisfied with the city's current administration.
Salazar, who also grew up on the city's west side, said her position on Española's Community Development Commission gives her a valuable vantage from which to reshape the city's economy and get its financial house in order.
She said the commission has been batting around the idea of forming a relationship with nearby Los Alamos National Laboratory to rent office space to the federal employer, helping to resolve some of the commuter congestion in the nearby town.
Española remains one of handful of municipalities in New Mexico to not take part in the statewide local election, which was established in 2018 and is held in November of odd-numbered years.
All three mayoral candidates said they were interested in aligning with the state's local election system, citing administrative difficulties and added costs associated with remaining independent.
Española residents will also have a new option for municipal judge this election cycle: Peggy Sue Martinez, a current city councilor representing District 2, is running against Judge Joseph Madrid.
District 1 City Councilor Aaron Salazar faces one challenger this year, Jacob Torres; Michelle Martinez and Steven Salazar are seeking a seat in District 2; Floyd Archuleta and Manuel Martinez are vying to represent District 3; and District 4 Councilor Justin Salazar-Torrez faces no challengers this year.
Race for Bernalillo’s future: Tax hike and leadership change on election day agenda - Kevin Hendricks, Sandoval Signpost
Voters in the Town of Bernalillo head to the polls Tuesday to choose the city’s mayor and also decide whether to approve a new gross receipts tax for economic development.
Mayor Jack Torres, who first took office in 2010, is seeking a fifth term against challenger James Baca.
Two at-large council seats are also on the ballot, though incumbents Vincent Montoya and Gerred Prairie are running unopposed.
The Sandoval Signpost reports the proposed local gross receipts tax would impose a rate of 25 cents per $100 of taxable gross receipts.
Qualifying uses under state law include arts and cultural districts, cultural facilities and retail businesses.
Torres told the Sandoval Signpost the town does not yet have specific plans for the potential revenue.
NM Gov says overnight stays for children in state custody over - Source New Mexico
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office announced on Friday the official end to overnight stays for children in custody of the state Children, Youth and Families Department.
According to a news release, Feb. 12 marked the last day any child in CYFD custody stayed overnight in an agency office. The governor issued an executive order on Jan. 19, following years of concerns and incidents, which set a deadline of March 1 to end the practice.
“Every child in New Mexico deserves a safe place to sleep, a caring adult nearby, and a real shot at a better future,” the governor said in a statement on Friday. “We owed it to these kids to make it happen, and now overnight office stays for children in CYFD’s care are a thing of the past. I’m proud of CYFD’s staff and every partner who stepped up to turn my executive order into reality.”
According to the news release, as many as 30 children stayed overnight during winter holidays. Subsequently, CYFD said it held meetings with other state agencies, family members, guardians, Presbyterian Health Services and youth themselves to find additional placements and services. Since then, the news release says, “most of the children staying in offices were placed in family-based settings or were appropriately reunified with their families, with additional wraparound services.”
CYFD Acting Secretary Valerie Sandoval also issued a statement thanking CYFD staff, whom she called “champions” for providing “care and comfort to children staying in our offices,” along with “the many partners who have stepped up to help place children in safe and appropriate settings.”
Legislation that would have required ongoing reporting by the state’s Children, Youth & Families Department regarding foster children housed in the agency’s offices failed to make it out of committee during the most recent legislative session.
City of Santa Fe begins work on removing historic pedestrian bridge - Santa Fe New Mexican
Santa Fe’s Shelby Street pedestrian bridge is on track to being replaced, though city officials have yet to set a date.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports crews are currently taking down the remnants of the old bridge, which has been closed since 2022 due to structural concerns.
The bridge at the intersection of East Alameda and Shelby streets was built in 1968. The stone structure was a replacement for a timber bridge constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.
The New Mexican reports that stones from the old bridge will be used in the facade of the new one. That detail was mandated by the city Historic Districts Review Board, which has jurisdiction over the project due to its location.
A portion of the River Trail on the south side of the Santa Fe River will be closed during construction, and the north sidewalk might also be intermittently closed while the work is ongoing.