Taylor Velazquez

New Mexico has a gun death rate higher than the national average, and two-thirds of those deaths are suicides. The Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Order Act being heard this legislative session is controversial. Opponents say this bill is a form of gun control and violates the U.S. Constitution, but its supporters say it's a necessary step in mental health care.

Reports of sexual assault and misconduct at the University of New Mexico have been on the rise since the school entered into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, according to recent crime statistics. 

Early voting has begun in Albuquerque, and for the first time, voters can register and vote all within the same day. This could help historically underrepresented groups access the polls more easily.

Some voters may not know they are eligible to vote, like New Mexico’s homeless population. 

Bernalillo County Clerk Linda Stover said a home address isn’t necessary for someone to register to vote. People just need a mailing address, and that can be a post office box or a shelter. 

The Healthy Soil Act was signed into law earlier this year and it created a grant of $175,000 for farmers and ranchers to maintain soil health by doing things like: keeping the soil covered, maximizing biodiversity, and integrating animals into land management.

In New Mexico 75 percent of kids are children of color. A new Kids Count report found these kids are disproportionately affected by what's called concentrated poverty, which means that least 30 percent of residents in an area live at or below the poverty level.

Bernalillo County’s Peer Drop-In Center for folks looking for help with things like counseling, addiction, and job searches is now open in southwest Albuquerque. It's the first of its kind in the community.

There are stereotypes about people who seek help when they're in crisis or dealing with addiction, said Evan Gonzales, program specialist with Bernalillo County Health Services.

Conservation groups are criticizing the Trump Administration’s new Endangered Species Act rules, saying they weaken the law. They’re concerned the rules will do more harm to New Mexico’s endangered and threatened species. 

New Mexico schools are experiencing a widespread shortage of teachers. In the Albuquerque Public School district alone there are 300 teacher vacancies. 

The New Mexico Highlands University School of Education is awarding over half a million dollars in scholarships for students who want to teach or get advance teaching degrees.

Women don’t become firefighters at nearly the rate that men do in the U.S. Now, forest service officials in New Mexico are working to have crews that reflect our communities.

The Women in Wildland Fire Bootcamps begin in September and they train women in wildland firefighting.

The beginning of the school year is fast approaching and school supplies can be expensive, especially for women who are getting out of jail or prison and reconnecting with their families. Crossroads for Women in Albuquerque is holding their annual backpack and school supply drive and it ends this week.

Fire officials are pleading for campers to safely put out their campfires this Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Around the country, abandoned campfires are the leading cause of wildfires. So, how do you know you have successfully put out your campfire?