Cerro Pelado Fire Friday Afternoon Update: Progress Continues, Fire 19% Contained, Caution Urged
LANL Director Thom Mason and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham stand at the Back Gate area along N.M. 4 May 12, where LANL fire mitigation teams have been working hard to clear underbrush and more. Courtesy/LANL
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham visits the Emergency Operations Center May 12 with LANL leadership, including Deputy Lab Director of Operations Kelly Beierschmitt, left, and Lab Director Thom Mason, 3rd from right. Courtesy/LANL
LANL News:
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos County, the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Los Alamos Field Office and Department of Energy Read More
U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján Statement On Biden-Harris Administration’s Launching Of ‘Internet for All’ Initiative
From the Office of U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan:
- ‘Internet for All’ Will Move New Mexico Toward 100 Percent Connectivity
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Chair of the Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband, issued the following statement on the Biden-Harris Administration’s announcement of the “Internet for All” initiative to invest $45 billion in affordable, reliable, high-speed internet for communities in New Mexico and across the United States:
“I am proud to have championed digital equity, broadband access, and affordability in the Bipartisan Read More
Notice Of Possible Quorum: LAPS Bilingual Seal Ceremony
LAPS News:
Members of the Los Alamos Public Schools (LAPS) Board may attend the LAPS Bilingual Seal Ceremony.
This meeting is 5-6 p.m. Monday, May 16, at Los Alamos High School.
A quorum may be present; however, no action will be taken. Read More
Heinrich Urges Administration To Establish Pay Rate For Federal Wildland Firefighters To Prevent Staffing Shortages
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) is part of a bipartisan group of senators urging the Biden administration to establish a special pay rate for federal wildland firefighters to prevent staffing shortages as wildfires continue to spread in New Mexico and throughout the West.
Due to an outdated policy, federal wildland firefighters have historically been severely underpaid, in comparison to other state and local fire services. The recently passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requires the federal Office of Personnel Read More
U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández Votes To Strengthen Health Benefits For Federal Firefighters
U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández
From the Office of U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández voted Wednesday for and the House passed the Federal Firefighters Fairness Act “to strengthen these brave first responders’ access to workers’ compensation benefits after contracting cancer or other illnesses from doing their job”.
This legislation will help ensure that these benefits cover the full range of occupational hazards faced by the nation’s 15,000 federal firefighters.
“Every day, our federal firefighters put themselves in harm’s way to Read More
Chart 641: Los Alamos Moves From Green To Yellow On CDC Map
Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its weekly update to the COVID-19 community level map. The CDC framework designates community level based on diagnoses and hospitalization levels (link). Masks are recommended indoors in counties with the highest, red, community level. Masks also are recommended for at-risk (for example, immunocompromised) individuals in counties with the intermediate, yellow, risk level. Los Alamos (link) moved from green to yellow due to an increase in the number of diagnoses: from 182 weekly cases per 100,000 to 206 per 100,000 Read More
Rep. Leger Fernández Introduces Legislation To Fully Compensate New Mexicans Affected By Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire
STATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) and U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) Wednesday introduced the Hermit’s Peak Fire Assistance Act to allow for additional damages to be paid to New Mexico residents and business owners impacted by the Hermit’s Peak Fire or the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fires.
Beginning April 6, the Hermit’s Peak Fire started as a result of an approved prescribed fire plan ignited by U.S. Forest Service fire personnel in the Santa Fe National Forest.
Hermit’s Peak Fire subsequently merged with the Calf Canyon Fire to become the second Read More
Leger Fernández And Luján Applaud House Passage Of Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) Two-Year Extension
U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández
STATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) and U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) applauded the House passage Wednesday of a two-year extension of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The extension cleared the U.S. Senate with unanimous support last week. Without reauthorization, the RECA program is scheduled to sunset in July.
Last week, Rep. Leger Fernández and Rep. Burgess Owens led a bipartisan letter to Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer, Minority Leader McCarthy, and Read More
Luján On Senate Vote To Codify Reproductive Rights
From the Office of U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján:
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement after voting to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act to codify Roe v. Wade into federal law:
“Today, not a single Senate Republican voted in favor of the Women’s Health Protection Act – making it clear to the American people where they stand on women’s health. These decades-long attacks on reproductive health care will put the most vulnerable women at risk, ignore 50-years of precedent, and turn back the clock on progress.
“While Senate Republicans stood Read More
SNAP Emergency Benefits Will Continue In May
NMHSD News:
SANTA FE — New Mexicans receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits will continue to receive the maximum amount for their household size during the month of May, announced the New Mexico Human Services Department.
Maximum supplemental benefits distributed during the pandemic will expire 30-days after the end of the Public Health Emergency is announced, the date is expected on or around July 15, 2022. Households approved for SNAP will continue to receive their pre-pandemic level benefits based on eligibility, and will not see an interruption of Read More
Luján, Welch Support FCC Proposal Making Wi-Fi On School Buses Eligible For E-Rate Funding
U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) announced their support today for the Federal Communications Commission’s new proposal to allow the use of federal funding for Wi-Fi in school buses.
The Declaratory Ruling, if adopted, would allow E-Rate program funding to equip school buses with Wi-Fi, providing substantial benefits to students, including millions of students caught in the Homework Gap. The proposal would clarify that use of Wi-Fi, or similar access point technologies, on school buses serves an Read More
PED Provides $2.7M In Emergency Transportation Funds To School Districts, Charters To Offset Increased Gas Prices
Public Education Secretary Kurt Steinhaus
PED News:
SANTA FE – The Public Education Department is tapping into the Emergency Transportation Fund to allocate nearly $2.7 million to New Mexico school districts and state-chartered schools to offset the rising cost of fuel.
The cost of a gallon of gas has risen 82 cents on average since most school transportation contracts were signed last summer.
“We have the Emergency Transportation Fund for situations like this when – through no fault of their own – districts and schools face an extraordinary increase in the cost of getting students to and from Read More
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich Secures Over $15M To Improve Wildfire Response Capabilities At Kirtland Air Force Base
From the Office of U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees funding for Military Construction, secured the approval of more than $15 million for the Cibola National Forest Air Tanker Base (ATB) on Kirtland Air Force Base to upgrade facilitates to allow the use of Very Large Air Tankers (VLATs) to fight wildfires.
Sen. Heinrich secured this funding after engaging with Air Force leadership and the U.S. Forest Service.
“After working directly with both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Forest Service, Read More
U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury Votes To Expand Access To Critical Benefits For Firefighters In New Mexico
From the Office of U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury:
As New Mexico faces some of the largest wildfires in the history of the state, the Federal Firefighters Fairness Act will expand access for job-related disability and retirement benefits for federal firefighters.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01) voted to pass critical legislation to ensure federal firefighters receive the same access to job-related disability and retirement benefits as state, county, and municipal firefighters. Numerous studies have found heart disease, lung disease, certain cancers, Read More
New Mexico Superintendent Of Insurance Issues Emergency Order In Response To Wildfires To Assure Affected Individuals Have Access To Health Care Services
New Mexico Superintendent of Insurance Russell Toal
STATE News:
SANTA FE – In response to the horrific fires the state is experiencing, the New Mexico Superintendent of Insurance has issued an Emergency Order to assure affected individuals in these counties continue to have access to needed health care services and are able to maintain their insurance coverage during this period of displacement and uncertainty.
The order covers the counties for which Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has declared an emergency.
“New Mexicans whose lives have been disrupted by these terrible wildfires still Read More
U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury Of New Mexico Votes To Recognize Congressional Workers’ Right To Unionize
U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury
STATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01) voted to pass H. Res. 1096, Recognizing Congressional Worker’s Right to Organize. In February, Rep. Stansbury joined Rep. Andy Levin (Mich-09) and nearly 130 House Democrats as an original co-sponsor to introduce the resolution.
Following the passage of the Congressional Accountability Act in 1995, the Office of Compliance and Workplace Rights ruled in 1996 that passage of this resolution was the final step to give congressional workers legal protection to organize and bargain Read More
Heinrich Requests Wildfire Disaster Recovery Assistance From USDA Secretary During Key Hearing
From the Office of U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — During a key Appropriations Hearing Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) requested the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack to reduce cost-share requirements for disaster recovery programs and to send additional personnel and resources to New Mexico to help communities affected by wildfires access federal assistance.
WATCH: Heinrich Secures Wildfire Disaster Recovery Assistance Commitments From USDA Secretary During Key Hearing [HD DOWNLOAD LINK HERE]
Tuesday’s hearing in the Appropriations Read More
2022 Primary: Make Your ‘Ready, Set, Go’ Voting Plans
Election Workers ready to greet voters earlier today in Council Chambers, the first day of In-Person Early Voting for the 2022 Primary Election, from left, Debra Baker, Norma Tech, Leslie Esquibel, Zoe Robles Rivera, Sharyl Hofer, Marilyn Rohn and Linda Fox. Courtesy/LAC
COUNTY News:
Today marked the start of in-person early voting for the 2022 Primary Election, and County Clerk Naomi Maestas would like to let residents know that her office is working hard to make sure citizens are still able to vote while the community is impacted by the Cerro Pelado Fire.
As the County moves between the “Ready, Read More
In-Person Registration And Early Voting Get Underway Today At Los Alamos County Municipal Building
Los Alamos County Clerk’s Office staff from left, Chief Deputy Clerk Adrianna Ortiz, Student Clerk Katelyn Alarid, Deputy Clerk Anna Archuleta and County Clerk Naomi Maestas assisting with in-person same day voter registration this morning in their office in the Los Alamos County Municipal Building. Early voting also began today downtown stairs from the Clerk’s Office inside Council Chambers. The Clerk’s Office will move its operation to the White Rock Town Hall in the event that the townsite is evacuated, Maestas said. Photo by Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com
Debbie Baker welcomes Read More
Luján Launches Fire Resource Guide For New Mexicans
From the Office of U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan:
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) launched a Fire Resource Guide to provide New Mexicans impacted by the wildfires with the most up-to-date information on evacuation shelters, hotline numbers, and more.
The resource guide can be found on the Senator’s homepage at lujan.senate.gov and will continue to be updated as additional resources become available.
NEW: FEMA Application for Federal Assistance
Last week, Sen. Luján joined President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to sign a Major Disaster Declaration so much Read More
