Wednesday’s Top Stories
- House of lies: The legal battle for a criminal headquarters
- New Mexico State University breaks ground on new film studio
- Two cities in New Mexico make list of best foodie cities in the U.S.
- Tornados, dust devils, flooding – NM weather phenomenon; Beyond the Forecast
- Public comment open for input on how to improve Big I traffic congestion
- Community solar farm in Belen creates energy hubs for residents
- What happens now that a government shutdown is underway
Wednesday’s Five Facts
[1] New Mexico lawmakers make final preparations ahead of special session – Lawmakers are heading back to Santa Fe this week for Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s special session. Items on the governor’s agenda include health insurance and Medicaid, investing in food assistance programs, and making sure the rural health care delivery fund continues running. The special session is set to begin at noon. This will be the seventh special session the governor has called.
[2] Resident puts up billboards highlighting state’s worst statistics ahead of Balloon Fiesta – Through his LLC, Land-of-enchantment.org, Joseph Digangi paid $5,000 for five billboards. The signs read, “N.M. National Rankings. Lowest in education, highest crime and drug use. Why can’t we do better?” The boards include a link to his website with sources to support his claims. People can see three smaller billboards in Albuquerque and two bigger ones on I-40 near Moriarty and Grants. Digangi has been a New Mexico for 40 years.
[3] Monsoon season officially ends & warmer weather around New Mexico – Monsoon season is officially over in New Mexico after today. This will bring dry weather back to all of New Mexico on Wednesday as temperatures continue to warm. The warmest days are going to be Thursday and Friday when the high pressure system moves over New Mexico. A fall storm system begins moving into western New Mexico Friday, bringing a chance for isolated rain and storms to western and northwestern New Mexico.
[4] Nearly 120,000 acre wildfire prevention project set for Santa Fe National Forest – In the northern region of Santa Fe National Forest, work is set to begin on wildfire prevention. It’s called the Encino Vista Landscape Restoration Project and it’s been in the works for six years. The cleanup will cover 119,848 acres of land. Part of the work will be removing trees, thinning out the forests, conducting prescribed burns, and reducing overall risk for wildfires. Work is expected to start next week. The US Forest Service said it could take 10 to 15 years to get all the work done.
[5] Indoor sports facility slated to come to west Albuquerque – City leaders have reached a deal to buy almost 13 acres of land at the southwest corner of Coors Blvd and St. Josephs Blvd NW to build the “Ken Sanchez Indoor Sports Facility.” Phase 1 would include a room for 8 basketball courts or 16 volleyball courts. It’ll also offer the ability to host other indoor sports, including wrestling, cheer, dance, indoor soccer, and more. The development site was purchased for $7.7 million.
