Employment

LAFD Wildland Division Chief To Present Wildfire Preparedness Program At White Rock Library April 16

LAFD Wildland Division Chief Van Leimer

COUNTY News:

The White Rock Branch Library will host “Discover! Wildfire Preparedness 101,” a free program for adults, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 16, 2026, in the branch library’s multipurpose room.

The event is part of the library’s adult Discover! program series and will provide an overview of wildfire risk in Los Alamos County, along with practical steps residents can take to safeguard their homes and families.

The presentation incorporates principles such as defensible space, ignition-resistant construction, and community-level Read More

Izraelevitz: All Public Safety In Los Alamos Should Be The Purview Of Professionals

By DAVID IZRAELEVITZ
Candidate
Los Alamos County Sheriff

Los Alamos, alone among the 33 Counties in New Mexico, delegates all law enforcement responsibilities to the Chief of Police. Similarly, all summons, subpoenas, and similar civil actions are also handled by the Police Department. Finally, as a practical matter, Police staff handle the Sex Offenders Registry, even though that is formally the only remaining responsibility of the Sheriff.  

This makes sense because only Police staff have the training and expertise to monitor, update, and verify a database so important to our public Read More

Governor Appoints Bernitz To Eleventh Judicial District 

STATE News:

SANTA FE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has announced the appointment of John William Bernitz as the Eleventh Judicial District Attorney, Division II, serving McKinley County.

Bernitz’s appointment is effective immediately and will last until the next general election as provided by law. He currently serves as Chief Deputy District Attorney in the Office of the District Attorney, Eleventh Judicial District, a position he has held since October 2025.

He previously operated the Law Office of John Bernitz in Gallup from 2021 to 2023, handling criminal and family law matters.

Bernitz Read More

New Mexico State Treasurer’s Office To Swear In Ricky Serna As Deputy State Treasurer Monday April 6

Ricky Serna

STATE News:

The New Mexico State Treasurer’s Office will swear in Ricky Serna as Deputy State Treasurer at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, April 6, at the State Treasurer’s Office.

The oath of office will be administered by New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver and will be open to members of the public and press.

View the invitation here: Deputy Treasurer Serna’s Swear… | Partiful

Following the swearing-in, Serna will fulfill statutory requirements and be sworn in as Treasurer Montoya’s proxy to serve on the Renewable Energy Transition Authority (RETA), Educational Assistance Read More

US Poet Laureate Arthur Sze To Attend Santa Fe International Literary Festival May 15-17

U.S. poet laureate Arthur Sze

SFILF News:

SANTA FE — The Santa Fe International Literary Festival (SFILF) announced today the addition of U.S. poet laureate and longtime Santa Fe resident Arthur Sze to its star-studded 2026 Festival, taking place May 15-17, 2026.

Sze, whose laureateship was announced in September, joins Ada Limón, the first Latina U.S. poet laureate, Navajo Nation poet laureate Jake Skeets, Santa Fe poet laureate Tommy Archuleta, and other acclaimed poets in the Festival’s poetry programming. Other featured Festival authors include literary giants Isabel Wilkerson, Read More

New Mexico Invests $1.9M To Expand Youth Outdoor Access

Wumaniti Earth Native Sanctuary engages Indigenous and rural youth in traditional horseback riding, archery, mustang rescue and shelter building. Courtesy/EDD

EDD News:

SANTA FE — A $1.9 million investment through the state’s Outdoor Equity Fund will connect over 22,000 youth across 14 counties to 62 programs that promote wellness and expand outdoor access.

Applications for overall FY26 funding surged 141% over the previous year, with 228 organizations requesting $7.8 million in funding against $4 million available.

“This state investment in our youth is amplified by nearly $2 million Read More

Veteran Focused Hiring Events Across New Mexico In April

NMDWS News:

ALBUQUERQUE — The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions (NMDWS) and the American Legion are partnering for the 11th consecutive year to host Heroes Hiring Heroes, a series of free hiring events connecting veterans, transitioning service members, military families, and the public with employers statewide.

“Veterans have the skill sets that businesses tell us are the most important, like leadership, adaptability, and strong work ethic. The Heroes Hiring Heroes events create a direct pathway to connect those strengths with employers who are ready to hire and invest in Read More

EEOC Sues St. Vincent Hospital For Disability Discrimination

EEOC News:

SANTA FE — St. Vincent Hospital, a medical facility operating Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center (CSV) in Santa Fe, violated federal law by failing to accommodate an employee with a disability and firing her because of her disability, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit announced today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, in or around 2021, a long-term employee of CSV fractured her foot and tore tendons in her ankle. After returning from medical leave and working light duty in a patient care position for months, the employee requested Read More

Kristin Varela Appointed Chief Investment Officer Of New Mexico State Investment Council

Kristin Varela

STATE News:

SANTA FE — New Mexico State Treasurer Laura M. Montoya is proud to congratulate and welcome Kristin Varela as the newly appointed Chief Investment Officer (CIO) of the New Mexico State Investment Council (SIC).

A native of Pecos, N.M., Varela returns to her home state following a distinguished tenure as the Chief Investment Officer (CIO) for the Employees’ Retirement System of the State of Hawaii, where she manages a $24 billion portfolio. 

Varela’s appointment marks a historic milestone for the SIC as its first female Chief Investment Officer. Her return to New Read More

Los Alamos History Museum Announces New Exhibit: Secrets Of Shangri-la: Enlisted Women At Project Y

 Los Alamos History Museum News:

The Los Alamos History Museum is proud to announce the opening of a new special exhibit, Secrets of Shangri-la: Enlisted Women at Project Y, which explores the often-overlooked contributions of enlisted women who served in Los Alamos during World War II as part of the Manhattan Project.

During World War II, Los Alamos—known only by its code name, Project Y—became the central laboratory of the Manhattan Project, the top-secret effort to develop the atomic bomb. While scientists such as J. Robert Oppenheimer have become household names, hundreds of enlisted Read More