Tusas Fire grows to 250 acres in San Miguel County - Nakayla McClelland, Albuquerque Journal
A wildfire that started Wednesday afternoon in San Miguel County has scorched an estimated 250 acres and prompted evacuations of homes near the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire burn scar, which spans 341,471 acres in Santa Fe and Carson national forests.
The Tusas Fire, burning west of Sapello near N.M. 266, sparked around 4 p.m. Wednesday and was 0% contained as of Thursday, when whipping winds and low relative humidity generated red flag warnings east of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Nathaniel Martinez, manager at the Phillips 66 gas station in nearby Sapello, was driving a school bus Wednesday afternoon as part of a route that goes up the canyon when he saw smoke from the fire.
A lifelong Sapello resident, Martinez said the Tusas Fire evoked memories of the 2022 Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire, the largest wildfire in state history.
“So I actually had to turn around the bus with two students and return them here to release them to their parents,” he said as Thursday's high winds howled across the gas station parking lot. “There’s a lot more dry fuel and finer fuels now, especially after the (Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire).”
The cause of the Tusas Fire is under investigation, according to a news release from state Forestry Division spokesperson George Ducker, who said the fire is burning through timber, piñon and juniper on private lands managed by the agency.
A Forestry Division Type-3 ad-hoc fire team assumed command of the fire Wednesday evening, with support from surrounding volunteer fire departments, hotshot crews and air resources, which could be seen dropping red fire retardant over the smoke plume Thursday. A temporary flight restriction has been put in place for the area.
“Crews worked overnight on initial attack and structure protection,” Ducker wrote in a news release. “Fire activity was steady through the night but moderated slightly this morning.”
Residents on N.M. 266 between mile markers 3 and 6 are being evacuated, and residents east of mile marker 3 are in a “Set” status, meaning that they should be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice, Ducker said.
N.M. 266 is closed at the N.M. 94 junction.
“No structures have been impacted, but multiple structures are still threatened and evacuations are in place,” Ducker said.
Local residents are urged to avoid the area if possible. People sensitive to wildfire smoke should exercise caution.
According to the wildfire information management system New Mexico Fire Information, the fire “is burning in timber fuels, torching and making wind-driven runs from the southwest.”
Fire weather is expected to continue through the weekend, according to the National Weather Service in Albuquerque. Wind speeds are expected to range between 20 and 30 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph.
The Forestry Division will continue working alongside support agencies until the fire is contained.
“State, local and federal fire crews and aviation resources are engaging with full suppression tactics,” Ducker said.
New Mexico's CD2 race set for new spending barrage, as Republicans try to hold narrow majority - Dan Boyd, Albuquerque Journal
With control of the U.S. House up for grabs in November, New Mexico’s southern congressional district is once again drawing national interest and hefty outside money.
A Republican political committee aligned with House Speaker Mike Johnson on Thursday announced a planned $153 million fall ad blitz that includes $3.8 million for televised ads in two media markets — Albuquerque and El Paso — that cover the district of incumbent U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez.
Vasquez, a Democrat, is seeking reelection to a third term representing the state’s 2nd Congressional District, after ousting a Republican incumbent in 2022 and winning reelection in 2024.
But he’s expected to face a robust challenge from Republican Greg Cunningham of Albuquerque, a former Marine and retired police officer who has twice run unsuccessfully for the state House.
Another GOP candidate, Jose Orozco of Albuquerque, recently withdrew from the race, though his name will still appear on the June 2 primary ballot.
Cunningham recently landed the endorsement of President Donald Trump, who praised Cunningham in a social media post last week, saying: “HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN.”
Trump has not won in New Mexico during any of his three presidential campaigns, but received more votes in the state’s 2nd Congressional District in the 2024 race than did Democrat Kamala Harris.
The 2nd Congressional District’s status as a key swing seat is not new, as the district has drawn big outside spending and national attention in recent election cycles. But the district could be pivotal once again this year as Democrats are seeking to reclaim control of the U.S. House by flipping GOP-held seats.
Republicans currently hold a narrow 217-212 majority in the chamber, after the death this week of U.S. Rep. David Scott, a Georgia Democrat.
In any case, the spending infusion from the Congressional Leadership Fund, the Republican PAC, was welcomed Thursday by Cunningham, who said it showed Vasquez’s vulnerability.
“I’m proud that Republicans across the country see what the people of New Mexico’s Second District already know: it’s time for a change,” Cunningham said in a statement. “As a Marine Corps combat veteran and longtime Albuquerque police officer, I’m running to bring experienced leadership to our district.”
“We’re going to win this race from the ground up, and this national investment shows the momentum is on our side,” he added.
New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District was not included in an initial list of targeted ad buys announced Thursday by the House Majority PAC, a Democratic political committee. However, outside spending on Vasquez’s behalf is still likely to materialize this fall.
Vasquez’s campaign manager Patricia Socarras Santiago said Thursday the announced GOP ad buy in the district was largely expected.
“This is no surprise — our district has been a top target by the NRCC and their billionaire donors since we defeated them in 2022,” Socarras Santiago said in a statement.
“MAGA Republicans think they can distract voters from the skyrocketing cost of living, tariffs ruining their businesses, the multi-billion dollar war in Iran, and robbing Americans of their food and healthcare,” she added. “But what they fail to understand is they can’t buy their way out of a bad agenda for working New Mexicans.”
Both Vasquez and Cunningham are also expected to deploy their own campaign war chests on this fall’s race.
So far, Vasquez has outraised his opponents, as he reported last week having raised roughly $885,000 during the most recent reporting period, though much of that money came from out-of-state donors. The Democratic incumbent had more than $1.8 million on hand for his reelection campaign, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
As for Cunningham, he reported receiving roughly $225,000 in contributions and had nearly $204,000 unspent in his campaign account.
The 2nd Congressional District has tilted more Democratic since state lawmakers redrew the district’s boundary lines in redistricting in late 2021. Under the current map, the district stretches from Las Cruces north into Albuquerque's South Valley and also includes much of the Oil Patch in southeast New Mexico.
NM State Ethics Commission sues secretive group behind pro-Project Jupiter ad campaign - Joshua Bowling, Source New Mexico
The New Mexico State Ethics Commission on Thursday filed a lawsuit against Elevate New Mexico, the anonymous, out-of-state company behind the massive physical and digital ad campaign that urged New Mexicans to support the controversial OpenAI and Oracle data center complex Project Jupiter.
The lawsuit, filed in the state Second Judicial District Court, alleges that since Elevate New Mexico spent at least $2,500 to lobby the New Mexico Environment Department to approve air quality permit applications during a public comment period in March for natural gas power plants associated with Project Jupiter, it should have registered as a lobbyist organization and is in violation of the state Lobbyist Regulation Act.
“Despite the Commission’s request for compliance with the registration and disclosure requirements…Elevate refuses to register and to disclose any information related to its expenditures and contributions for its advertising campaign for the purpose of lobbying Secretary Kenney to approve Acoma, LLC’s air permit applications,” the lawsuit says. “New Mexicans have a right to know who is contributing money to fund advertising campaigns for the purpose of lobbying, including who Elevate is and, moreover, who is contributing money to Elevate.”
A spokesperson for Project Jupiter’s developer, BorderPlex Digital Assets, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In March, Source NM was first to report that a Virginia corporation was behind the physical mailers that appeared in New Mexicans’ mailboxes and asked them to support Project Jupiter, which it claimed would bring $360 million in community investments, $50 million for improving local water systems and “thousands of high-paying careers, prioritizing Doña Ana residents.”
The State Ethics Commission’s lawsuit repeats Source NM’s findings, including that the smiling Hispanic woman on the mailers is a stock model who also appears on a Texas dentistry’s website. Critics at the time told Source that the Hispanic model, along with project developers naming their companies after New Mexico iconography — Green Chile Ventures and Acoma LLC — appeared to be a “brownwashing campaign.” The latter company recently changed its name following criticism by Acoma Pueblo Gov. Charles Riley.
The lawsuit says that — unlike political mailers — the mailers did not disclose who was behind them.
“New Mexicans have a right to know who is funding efforts to influence state official acts that impact their communities, environment, health, and public resources,” State Ethics Commission Deputy Director Amelia Bierle said in a statement. “Out-of-state corporations do not get to operate in the shadows when attempting to influence New Mexico official actions affecting New Mexico communities.”
Lawyers for the Ethics Commission are asking a judge to require Elevate to register its ad campaign as a lobbying effort with the New Mexico Secretary of State and to report contributions and expenditures, including names, addresses and employers of the people making contributions.
“I’m glad that they are being held accountable for their corrupt actions across every avenue that they’re approaching this,” said Neeshia Macanowicz, a Las Cruces resident who received one of the mailers in January. “I hope this is indicative of what’s to come.”
End of an era: North America’s largest powwow holds its ‘Last Dance’ - Logan Royce Beitmen, Albuquerque Journal
The Gathering of Nations Powwow, which grew from humble origins to become the largest powwow in North America, is ending this week after a 43-year run.
“Gathering of Nations Powwow was spirit driven,” Derek Mathews, co-founder and organizer, said in an email.
He said it was intended from the very beginning “to promote Native pride, culture and intertribal relations.”
This year’s festival, dubbed “The Last Dance,” will take place Friday, April 24, and Saturday, April 25, at Expo New Mexico.
Actor Brian Frejo (Pawnee and Seminole) will host an eclectic program of Indigenous music at Stage 49, while over 300 artists, crafters and vendors will offer unique hand-crafted items and Indigenous food at the Indian Traders Market. Thousands of dancers will perform, and a Horse and Rider Regalia Parade will showcase Indigenous equestrians in traditional regalia. There will also be a Red Spirit and Redrum Motorcycle Rally on April 25 to raise awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives. For the full event schedule, visit gatheringofnations.com.
The Gathering of Nations hosts participants from over 700 Indigenous tribes from all over North America.
“It is truly a gathering of nations,” Rose Ann Abrahamson, an Agai Dika/Lemhi Valley Shoshone elder and educator who hosts the Gathering of Nations’ Horse and Rider Regalia Parade, said.
“To see the smoke dancers of the Haudenosaunee, you would have to go to the northeastern United States. And if you wanted to see Alaskan peoples, we’d have to fly to Alaska,” Abrahamson said. “But this is everything all at once. Everyone is brought together.”
Abrahamson said Gathering of Nations helps Indigenous communities celebrate the distinctive cultural traditions of each tribe while recognizing the commonalities that unite them all.
“We have the commonality of being the First People, and the commonality of the joy of singing and dancing, the joy of having a culture that is still thriving, despite history, and the joy of sharing who you are and representing your people,” Abrahamson said.
The Horse Parade showcases the heritage of many tribes for whom horses hold special significance.
“One year, we had Crow riders. They were in a whole group, and they sang their horse songs. One year, we had the Nez Perces with their Appaloosas,” Abrahamson said. “... Last year, the Spokane Tribe (presented) horse regalia that was 100 years old. ... It had beautiful beadwork.”
The grand marshal for the 2026 Gathering of Nations Horse Parade will be Mary “Chet” Bluff (Kalispel and Blackfeet).
“She (Bluff) is very much loved and respected for her work sponsoring and mentoring tribal youth. ... In fact, she has her own company, entitled Counting Coup, which promotes healthy lifestyle, wellbeing and drug-free communities, utilizing horses,” Abrahamson said.
Gathering of Nations’ Miss Indian World pageant is ending this year as well.
The current Miss Indian World title holder, Dania Wahwasuck (Prairie Band Potawatomi and Pyramid Lake Paiute), will also be the last.
“On Saturday evening, approximately 7 p.m., the ceremony to retire the crown and sash will take place inside Tingley Coliseum,” Mathews said in an email.
Wahwasuck said she dreamed of representing her tribe at the pageant since she was 10 years old, and she thought of her win last year as a win for her tribe, as well.
“Being crowned was a really amazing experience, because they first announce your tribe when you win,” Wahwasuck said. “I was really touched when they announced Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation ... (because) I was the first Potawatomi to ever run for Miss Indian World back in 2023, and then in 2025 I was the first Potawatomi to be Miss Indian World.”
On Friday, April 24, Wahwasuck will host the Gathering of Nations’ appliqué scrub dance contest. The scrub dance originated with the Anishinaabe people, which includes Wahwasuck’s Potawatomi tribe, and features floral-appliquéd fashions and a unique “scrubbing,” or bouncing, style of dance.
Wahwasuck thinks the final Gathering of Nations will be bittersweet.
“It’s definitely a little bit somber, but I will say, they had an amazing 40-plus years, and all good things come to an end. ... I just know everything is going to turn out the way it’s supposed to, and I look forward to this year’s gathering,” she said.
New Mexico-based Diné filmmaker, Carl “Pony” Vigil, plans to film the final Gathering of Nations powwow for a feature-length documentary, which he is co-producing with the Gary Steven Costner Foundation.
“This documentary is (about) the music, the dance, the drums, the power of the people and the synergy,” Vigil said. “We’ve been at this for 43 years, and the ‘Last Dance’ is very powerful and symbolic to all the relatives and all the different generations who have been here."
Vigil said he plans to shoot the event “guerilla style.” The organizers are aware that his team will be filming, he said, but he plans to use smaller, less intrusive cameras. He said he wants to capture the spirit of oneness that he has experienced at past Gathering of Nations powwows.
Vigil said the river of life flows through the veins of the participants, tying them together through music and dance.
“We flow together,” he said. “… When the song and the drum comes, we’re all the same.”