Council Proclaims Friday ‘National Vietnam War Veterans Day In Los Alamos County’
Los Alamos County Councilor Randall Ryti presents a proclamation designating March 29, 2024 as ‘National Vietnam War Veterans Day in Los Alamos County’ to Linda Carol Alt, chapter regent of the Valle Grande Chapter of National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution during Tuesday’s council meeting. Courtesy/LAC
Staff Report:
Los Alamos County Council presented during its meeting Tuesday night a proclamation designating March 29, 2024 as “National Vietnam War Veterans Day in Los Alamos County”.
Councilor Randall Ryti read the proclamation:
WHEREAS, the Vietnam War was officially Read More
New Mexico Economic Development Department Launches Interactive Business Resource Map
EDD News:
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Economic Development Department’s Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Office has launched a new tool that will connect New Mexicans to business, entrepreneurial, and community resources from across the state, Acting Cabinet Secretary Mark Roper announced today.
New Mexico Economic Development Department Business Resource Map is now live on the New Mexico Economic Development Department (EDD) website.
“At the core of this initiative lies the JEDI office’s unwavering commitment to fostering entrepreneurial growth, by addressing Read More
Heinrich, Luján Urge Senate Leadership To Act Immediately To Lower Prescription Drug Costs
SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a letter to Senate leadership, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) urged Senate leadership for immediate action on reforming pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) in an effort to reduce the cost of prescription drugs.
“Immediate action is needed to address these harmful practices by PBMs. Americans deserve and expect protection from inflated prescription drug costs, forced pharmacy closures, formulary manipulation, and barriers to their pharmacy of choice that result from harmful PBM tactics. We cannot sit idly by while patients Read More
County Art In Public Places Board To Meet March 28
COUNTY News:
The Los Alamos County Art in Public Places Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 28 in person in Council Chamber in Suite 110 at 1000 Central Avenue, and virtually on Zoom.
This meeting is open to the public.
Find the agenda for this meeting here.
Denish: Interesting Matchups In Primary Filings
By DIANE DENISH
Corner to Corner
© 2024 New Mexico News Services
It’s election year. This year all 112 seats in the New Mexico Legislature are up for grabs.
That isn’t totally accurate because 37 of those candidates have no opposition in either the primary or the general. No one else is “grabbing” for those seats.
On the Republican side, nine House seats and nine Senate seats have competitive races. For Democrats there are 15 completive House primaries and 11 competitive primaries on the Senate side.
Competitive primaries are created by numerous factors. This year, there have been a number Read More
Gessing: Land Commissioner Is Right – New Mexico Oil And Gas Boom Will Continue
By PAUL J. GESSING
President
Rio Grande Foundation
Recently, Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard, after pushing the Legislature for a 25 percent tax hike on New Mexico oil and gas producers made the decision to pull those “highly valuable” tracts of land and not lease them. That decision has raised concerns that her actions may violate her fiduciary responsibility to maximize revenues from the lands under her control.
Garcia Richard told the Albuquerque Journal, “It’s worth it to temporarily forgo the dollars (from leasing immediately) to make billions more in the future by leasing Read More
County Planning & Zoning Commission To Meet March 27
COUNTY News:
The Los Alamos County Planning And Zoning Commission is scheduled to meet 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 27.
The complete agenda packet for this meeting is available here.
This meeting is in person and open to the public. However, for convenience, the following Zoom meeting link and/or telephone call-in numbers may be used for public viewing and participation: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81885706651
Or Telephone: US: +1 719 359 4580 or +1 253 205 0468 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 444 9171 or +1 669 900 6833
Webinar ID: 818 8570 6651
Agenda:
- CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL
- PUBLIC
Robinson: War Veterans Join Public Debate Over Monuments
By SHERRY ROBINSON
All She Wrote
© 2024 New Mexico News Services
On Indigenous Peoples Day 2020 in broad daylight, a mob of vandals tore down the 154-year-old Soldier’s Monument in the center of Santa Fe Plaza because it was offensive to some Native Americans. Now veterans groups are demanding it be restored.
The destruction followed months of controversy that was notable for its absence of historical fact. Nobody seemed to know the obelisk honored Union soldiers, many of them Hispanic, who died in New Mexico’s two Civil War battles. But there was plenty of vitriol directed at one word that’s been Read More
County Social Services Manager To Present Comprehensive Health Plan Interim Report To Council Tuesday
COUNTY News:
Los Alamos County Social Services Manager Jessica Strong will present an interim report on the status of the Comprehensive Health Plan at Tuesday’s Council meeting at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers, 1000 Central Ave.
The Los Alamos County Council tasked the Los Alamos County Health Council in 2022 to develop a health plan in accordance with New Mexico legislation that would monitor local health and health care, advise on policies that affect health care, facilitate communication, and identify resources to improve health.
At the March 26 Council meeting, Strong will share the findings Read More
New Mexico’s Elections Ranked Number One In Nation
New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver
STATE News:
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- Prestigious Non-Partisan Ranking Measures Election Performance in Each State
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SANTA FE – New Mexico’s elections have been ranked best in the nation by the prestigious Elections Performance Index (EPI), a project of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Election Data and Science Lab described as “a non-partisan, objective measure of U.S. election administration.”
The rankings, released late last week and based on the 2022 midterm elections, use a variety of performance indicators measuring aspects of election Read More
Heinrich Pushes For Action To Tackle Fentanyl Crisis
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Friday U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) held a press conference with New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, first responders, law enforcement, and a New Mexico resident personally impacted by the fentanyl crisis to highlight the urgent need for action and discuss efforts happening at all levels of government to keep families safe and get deadly fentanyl out of our communities.
Heinrich is leading comprehensive efforts to tackle the opioid epidemic and protect New Mexico communities from fentanyl. Most recently, as Read More
New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division’s FY24 Outdoor Equity Funding Reaches $3.7 Million
Photo by Kiefer Garcia
Courtesy/Santo Domingo Pueblo
EDD News:
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division (ORD) of the New Mexico Economic Development Department (EDD) has announced funding of $975,142 in new Outdoor Equity Fund (OEF) awards to 33 organizations.
These awards will be distributed to 16 rural, 13 urban, one land grant, and five Tribal communities. Of those awarded, 28 are first-time recipients of OEF funding.
The first-of-its-kind Outdoor Equity Fund (OEF) was created in 2019 to enable all New Mexican youth equitable access to the outdoors. The grant supports programming Read More
McDonough: Doing Something About State Of Education
By Patrick McDonough
Chairman
Excellent Schools New Mexico
A dear friend of mine has a standard question for his friends complaining about the state of education in New Mexico. He asks, “what are you going to do about it?”
Well, my wife Nella Domenici and I are doing something about it.
We believe this is the social justice issue of our time – the lack of educational preparedness that is systemic in underserved, and often ignored communities. We know, based on results being achieved nationally in underserved communities, and at our Excellent Schools New Mexico (ESNM) partner schools, that this Read More
EPA And NMED To Host Community Meeting On Chevron Questa Mine Superfund Site On Tuesday April 16
NMED News:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in cooperation with the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) and the New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD), invites you to attend the community meeting for the Chevron Questa Superfund site.
The meeting will be held:
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- 5:30-7:30 p.m.;
- Tuesday, April 16, 2024
- VFW Post 7688
- 2597 North Highway 522
- Questa, New Mexico 87556
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During the meeting, an update will be provided on current site activities and future cleanup work at the Questa Mine. Following the updates, a question‐and‐answer session will Read More
New Mexico County Insurance Authority Elects Officers
NMCIA News:
SANTA FE – At its first regular Board meeting following the Jan. 16, 2024 General Membership meeting, the New Mexico County Insurance Authority (NMCIA) Board of Directors held elections for officers on Wednesday, March 13, 2024.
Officers will serve until the first regular board meeting in 2025.
By a unanimous vote, the NMCIA Board of Directors re-elected:
- Curry County Manager Lance Pyle as Chair;
- Santa Fe County Manager Gregory S. Shaffer as Vice Chair; and
- Re-elected Sandoval County Commissioner Michael Meek as Representative.
The NMCIA Board representative to the NMC Board Read More
USA Today Names New Mexico State Land Office Among Top Workplaces In The Nation For 2024
The New Mexico State Land Office team including Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard, front row 3rd from left, celebrate as USA Today announces that their agency has been ranked 22nd nationally in its category of 150-499 employees and the #1 government agency in the top 100 organizations of its size. Courtesy/NMSLO
New Mexico State Land Office News:
SANTA FE — USA Today has announced that the New Mexico State Land Office has won a Top Workplaces USA award, ranking 22nd nationally among organizations with employees between 150-499.
More than 2,220 organizations participated in anonymous Read More
Congressional Delegation On $10M To Help Close Digital Divide, Expand Opportunity For Tribes In New Mexico
Congressional News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.), welcomed $10 million for multi-purpose facilities for Tribes under the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Capital Projects Fund (CPF).
This investment will fund New Mexico’s Tribal Library Broadband-Ready Facility Improvement Program, which will construct a new childcare center and expand six libraries and family resource centers to help ensure access to educational Read More
NACo On Action To Improve 9-8-8 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
NACo News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Association of Counties (NACo) Friday applauded an announcement from bipartisan congressional leaders and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel regarding steps to improve the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
The FCC will issue a notice of proposed rulemaking on georouting for 9-8-8, a priority for NACo and its Commission on Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Since launching in 2022, there have been over seven million calls to 9-8-8, making it an essential tool for counties in supporting the mental health of residents. Read More
New Mexico Unemployment Rate: 3.9% In February 2024
NMDWS News:
New Mexico’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.9 percent in February, down from 4.0 percent in January and up from 3.6 percent in the previous year. The national unemployment rate in February was 3.9 percent, up from 3.7 percent in January and up from 3.6 percent in February 2023.
Total nonagricultural payroll employment grew by 13,700 jobs, or 1.6 percent, between February 2023 and February 2024. The majority of gains came from the private sector, which was up 6,300 jobs, or 0.9 percent. The public sector was up 7,400 jobs, or 4.0 percent. Within the private sector gains, Read More
U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján Announces Over $15 Million For 26 New Mexico Projects In Final Appropriations Package
U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Friday, U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) announced that he secured $15,416,195 million for 26 projects across New Mexico in the final appropriations package covering Congressionally Directed Spending funding across three subcommittees.
The projects Sen. Luján secured include investments in flood and fire mitigation, health care access, small business support, and workforce development.
“I’m proud to announce this next tranche of Congressionally Directed Spending projects to address New Mexico’s needs. These investments Read More
