Features

Los Alamos High School Key Club Members Spread Holiday Joy At CYFD’s 2024 Foster Children Christmas Party

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Deborah Brug, Jonathon Chen, Rafaela Rocha, and Lucia Rudin prepare to load the school Suburban with cotton candy machinery. Jonathon Chen and Deborah Brug spin cotton candy for guests. Photo by Morrie Pongratz

Jonathon Chen and Deborah Brug spin cotton candy for guests. Photo by Morrie Pongratz 

Kiwanis Key Club News:

What does a Los Alamos High School (LAHS) student do after finishing final exams? For five Key Clubbers, the answer was simple – help bring holiday cheer to foster children.

Last Friday, Key Club members volunteered at the Foster Children Christmas Party hosted by the Read More

Homewise Given Transformative Investment Totaling $35M

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HOMEWISE News:

Homewise has announced a transformative investment totaling $35 million with a $25 million donation from MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving and a $10 million impact investment from the Anchorum Health Foundation.

These extraordinary contributions will directly fund programs that create pathways to affordable homeownership and improve energy efficiency in homes. None of the funding will be allocated to operational costs, ensuring that every dollar is dedicated to expanding Homewise’s impact on individuals, families, and communities.

“The affordable housing crisis Read More

Sandra Salazar Hosts 5th Annual Adopt A Grandparent Event

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Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant Sandra Salazar , left, is assisted by Destini Kuropatwinski of Sombrillo Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Center with unloading 63 Christmas stockings Thursday and placing them under the Christmas tree for residents. Courtesy photo

Sophia Sisneros, left, assists her Aunt Sandra Salazar to deliver Christmas stockings Thursday to the residents at Sombrillo Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Center for her 5th Annual Adopt a Grandparent event. Courtesy photo

COMMUNITY News:

This year marks the fifth year Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant Read More

New Mexico’s 988 Lifeline Available 24/7 During Holidays 

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HCA News:

          • Mental health support is always available

SANTA FE — The New Mexico Health Care Authority (HCA) reminds residents that the 988 lifeline is available 24/7 throughout the holiday season, providing free and confidential support for anyone experiencing mental health, emotional, or substance use challenges.

“If you’re facing a difficult time, you’re not alone this holiday season,” said Kari Armijo, Secretary of the New Mexico Health Care Authority. “The 988 lifeline is available 24/7 to provide support, someone to talk to, and behavioral health resources.”

The holiday season, while Read More

Raffin: Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

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Dr. Celeste Raffin
Member
Los Alamos Health Council

Mr. X was a 50 something white male who worked for a prominent firm in a large Intermountain West city. He lived in an elegant old home in a very tony neighborhood.

One January morning, he came to work and told his secretary that he wasn’t feeling well. He complained of a headache, nausea, feeling dizzy and spacy. She urged him to call his doctor but by the end of the day he felt much better so he went home.

For several days, he would come to work feeling poorly but then normal by the end of the day. He thought he was fighting off a flu bug. One morning he did not Read More

Lost Your Medicare Coverage? Here’s How To Regain It!

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By BEVERLY NEAL-CLINTON
Loreen and Lane Retirement Answer Agent
Los Alamos

If you’ve recently lost your Medicare coverage under Aetna, Humana 341, Presbyterian PPO, Wellcare, United CSNP, or simply due to a plan discontinuance, you may qualify for a Special Election Period (SEP), allowing you to make changes to your plan outside the regular enrollment windows. Beginning in January.

This SEP can be a lifeline for those who’ve experienced a qualifying event such as marriage, divorce, the death of a spouse, an employer settlement payment, losing employer-based insurance, changes in income, Read More

Robinson: Faceless Flunkies Making Dangerous Decisions

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By SHERRY ROBINSON
All She Wrote
© 2024 New Mexico News Services

“Live your life in such a way that half the world isn’t dancing in the streets when some hero puts you in the forever box.”

This meme, with a photo of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, isn’t circulating in public – it’s on websites for medical professionals.

Debates over Thompson’s assassination and the capture of his accused killer are still blazing on social media and even at Christmas parties and show no sign of letting up. The consensus is the shooting reveals a seething anger against health insurers, although most of us stop Read More

U.S. Senate Passes Luján-Collins Bill To Protect Native American Children Against Abuse And Neglect

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U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján

From the Office of U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Wednesday, the U.S. Senate passed the Native American Child Protection Act (NACPA), legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine).

The bill reauthorizes and reforms three programs that ensure Tribes have the tools needed to treat, prevent, investigate, and prosecute Native American child abuse and neglect. U.S. Representative Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) introduced the House companion bill.

These programs were originally authorized in 1990 as part of the Indian Read More

COVID-19 & RSV Present In Los Alamos County Wastewater

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COUNTY News:

Recent data from the CDC National Wastewater Surveillance System indicates very high COVID-19 activity in New Mexico, based on wastewater samples collected from Santa Fe and Bernalillo counties between Dec. 1 and Dec. 7.

In Los Alamos County, BioBot Analytics data shows COVID-19 concentrations in the Los Alamos townsite wastewater decreased from 10 million copies per liter (copies/L) on Dec. 3 to 5 million copies/L on Dec. 10. Similarly, White Rock wastewater concentrations dropped from 6.3 million copies/L on Nov. 26 to 5.7 million copies/L on Dec. 9. These represent the Read More

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich Urges Senate Leadership To Help Lower Rx Costs And Save Rural Pharmacies

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U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich

U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) is urging Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to rein in damaging pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) practices that hurt patients and pharmacies.

PBMs are intermediaries that negotiate and manage prescription drug benefits on behalf of health insurance companies, self-insured employers, and government programs.

Currently, three PBMs control nearly 80 percent of the prescription drug market and operate with little oversight by federal regulators Read More