By Jesse Jones, The Route 66 Independent — Following a three-month vacancy left by former Commissioner Mike Rariden, the town of Edgewood restored its full Town Commission after commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday night to appoint Doug West to the open District 5 seat. West, a retired Albuquerque Police Department commander

Above normal temperatures are about to give way to a cold, windy weekend east of Albuquerque. The National Weather Service in Albuquerque issued freeze and cold weather warnings for most of New Mexico earlier this week as a low pressure system descends over New Mexico from the Nevada and Arizona

By Kevin Hendricks Bernalillo County Commissioner Eric Olivas is seeking a second term representing District 5, which covers much of east central Albuquerque, including Uptown and Four Hills, and all of the East Mountains. He faces Republican Thomas Riley on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Olivas, a Democrat, defeated radio station owner

By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Bernalillo County election workers kept a dead woman’s ballot from counting in 2024. Now her husband faces a federal charge for allegedly trying to cast it. A federal grand jury indicted a 62-year-old Tijeras man on one count of fraudulent voting, the U.S. Attorney’s Office

By Kevin Hendricks New Mexico voters heard a campaign pitch from a familiar voice Wednesday. Former President Barack Obama wants them to elect Democrat Deb Haaland as their next governor. The endorsement comes with early voting underway in the race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. In a

By Rodd Cayton Those interested in the straight dope about big happenings in the East Mountains might want to be in Sandia Park on Oct. 19. The East Mountains Protection Action Coalition (EMPAC) will host its second Community Gathering, with residents, community leaders and elected officials joining to discuss issues

By Joshua Bowling, Source New Mexico — New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez is pushing back against the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s review of a proposed gas pipeline intended to power the Project Jupiter data center, calling it “inadequate.” Texas-based Energy Transfer early this year asked federal regulatory officials

By Kevin Hendricks, Route 66 Independent & NM Political Report — District 5 Bernalillo County Commission candidate Thomas Riley says he wears a ring bearing the Confederate flag as an act of “open rebellion” against the federal government, and he wants the county’s Sheriff’s Office to cooperate with U.S. Immigration

By Kevin Hendricks, nm.news — New Mexico voters can start casting ballots Oct. 6 for the Nov. 3 general election. There’s no reason to wait in line on Election Day, or to walk into the booth guessing. Early voting opens Oct. 6 at county clerk offices. On Oct. 17 it

By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper A soggy September just bought New Mexicans a rain check. The state forester lifted restrictions on campfires, smoking, fireworks and open burning Monday morning after late-season storms knocked down the wildfire threat. State Forester Laura McCarthy’s order ends restrictions in place since April 6 on

By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper New Mexicans who spent last week wringing out their socks should keep the towels handy. Moisture from Hurricane Polo is rolling north this week, and it’s bringing flash flood risk to nearly every corner of the state. Polo is forecast to hit Baja California Sur

By Kevin Hendricks Twenty-one greenhouses near Estancia went from green to gone Thursday after state agents seized an estimated 6,300 illegal cannabis plants, about 10.5 tons of weed, from a large-scale grow on Howell Road. The Regulation and Licensing Department’s Enforcement Bureau and the New Mexico Organized Crime Commission served

East Mountain families hunting for a weekend plan that amounts to more than a hill of beans can head to Moriarty, where the annual Pinto Bean Fiesta opens Friday evening with a balloon glow and rolls into a parade, marketplace and street dance Saturday. The City of Moriarty opens the

As New Mexico continues to get hit hard with monsoon rains this week. A weather alert was issue for potential flooding throughout the region. Check out some photos of the weather in Edgewood and Albuquerque by our photographer, Roberto E. Rosales, and a local resident who shared photos from Cedar

Staff report Bernalillo County residents in flood-prone areas have until Friday to get their sandbags in a row. Monsoon storms could drop up to 3 inches of rain on the East Mountains and up to 2 inches on the metro area by Sept. 25, county officials announced Tuesday. Wednesday should

By Rodd Cayton It’s time for Bernalillo County’s East Mountains communities to gather and celebrate themselves, as well as check out a local gem’s new look. District 5 County Commissioner Eric Olivas is hosting the annual East Mountain Celebration Sunday at Los Vecinos Park, 478 State Route 333 in Tijeras.

By Kevin Hendricks Young riders ages 3 to 18 can trade reins for handlebars at the fifth annual Bicycle Rodeo, a free event that teaches bike safety in Edgewood on Saturday, Oct. 3. The Edgewood Lions Club, Edgewood Police Department and Boy Scout Troop 640 are hosting the event from

By Kevin Hendricks The Edgewood Lions Club and Sandia Mountain Lions Club stocked East Mountain Food Pantry’s shelves with 1,500 pounds of food and raised $860 for the pantry. The pantry thanked both clubs in a Facebook post this week, calling them “amazing partners and phenomenal leaders in our community.”

By Kevin Hendricks East Mountain and Estancia Valley families can scream, carve and craft their way through October at a haunted farm, library workshops and a town-wide monster hunt. Here’s what’s happening and what to book first. SCARE UP A PUMPKIN: McCALL’S, MORIARTY McCall’s Pumpkin Patch & Haunted Farm runs

by Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Edgewood has a new mayor, and Devon Taylor got the job in a way he never saw coming. The 33-year-old Army veteran and real estate developer said he was sitting in a commission meeting this summer when former Mayor Mike Rariden suddenly nominated him

By Rodd Cayton Repairing Edgewood’s finances will be a time-consuming process, Town Manager Kelly Hamilton says, but the Town Commission and administrators are taking steps in that direction. Hamilton told the Route 66 Independent that town leaders want the public to know what they’re doing. He extended an invitation to

By Rodd Cayton Even if the Town of Edgewood is able to fix its financial oversight issues, Former Mayor John Abrams says, residents are still better off dissolving it and getting their local government services from Santa Fe County. “The town doesn’t have the money to support itself,” Abrams said.

Route 66 Independent — A 1-year-old child died Wednesday after a medical emergency at a Tijeras daycare, prompting an investigation by the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and forcing the school to close for the rest of the week. Deputies responded around 12:11 p.m. to New Mexico Early Learning Academy in

By Rodd Cayton For some, Labor Day Weekend is a chance to relax at home with burgers and hot dogs, honoring the progress of the American labor movement. For others, it’s an opportunity to turn the extra day off into a special end-of-summer adventure. Those in the Albuquerque area will

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — New Mexicans on Medicaid should keep an eye out for a turquoise envelope in the mail this week. It contains important information about changes to Medicaid rules coming because of President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” as well as resources to help New Mexicans comply

Commentary by Pat Davis, nm.news — During last year’s state legislative session, legislators passed, and the governor signed, a sweeping package of medical licensure and malpractice reform bills to fill what hospital companies and think tanks called “a growing shortage of health care providers.” But new data from the state’s

Corner to Corner by Columnist Diane D. Denish — Farewell Dolly Parton. May you rest in peace and may your melodies ring in our hearts, at our weddings, at our funerals, and all our celebrations where an angel on earth is always welcome. Corner to Corner Diane Denish is a

By Rodd Cayton The Town of Edgewood is righting its fiscal ship, according to Town Manager Kelly Hamilton, with finance manager Amber Sanchez at the helm. She’s turning the Titanic away from the iceberg,” Hamilton told the Route 66 Independent. “She’s working diligently on getting us a clean set of

By Rodd Cayton The Aug. 22 Route 66 Centennial celebration is an obvious reason for Tijeras to party, Mayor Jake Bruton said. “It’s always been in the village,” Bruton said. “It’s ingrained in us. It’s who we are.” Bruton said that while the Village of Tijeras was officially incorporated in

By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Edgewood police say their network of license plate cameras exists to catch stolen cars and missing kids, not to watch residents — and Chief Aaron Frost wants the town to know the difference. In a public letter, Frost said the department’s Flock Safety cameras function