Public Safety

Op-Ed: Be Forewarned…

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By CHRISTINA STAFFORD
White Rock

Be Forewarned … the signs of N.M. 4 work beginning 5/28/26. It actually started today 5/29/26. The state is repaving. That’s great! HOWEVER, do they EVER plan for a temporary lane? What about Emergency Response events?

With only one road in and out of White Rock (without going through the Jemez, or possessing a LANL badge), this is not just inconvenient, it is dangerous and not well planned for.

May I remind the community, we are currently at a Stage 2 FIRE RESTRICTION! Judging from my sitting at a standstill this morning (9:20 a.m.), what provisions have been made Read More

FBI: Fruitland Man Pleads Guilty In Fatal Drunk Driving Crash

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FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE — A Fruitland man pleaded guilty to second degree murder after driving drunk at 107 miles per hour and crashing into an oncoming vehicle, killing the driver.

According to court documents, Dec. 9, 2024, Timothy Begay, 39, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was driving drunk when he crossed the center line and hit a car driving the opposite direction, killing the driver. At the time of the crash, Begay was driving 107 MPH. Medical records showed that he has a blood alcohol level of .239.

Begay pleaded guilty to second degree murder and faces up 15 years in prison at sentencing. Read More

Groundbreaking Marks Start Of Construction On New Los Alamos Fire Station #4

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Participating in the official groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, May 20, for new Fire Station #4 on Diamond Drive, from left, Los Alamos Fire Chief Erik Litzenberg, Council Chair Randall Ryti, Council Vice Chair Ryn Herrmann, Project Manager Sobia Sayeda, Councilor David Reagor, and Councilor Melanee Hand. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com

Staff Report

Los Alamos Fire Chief Erik Litzenberg, Council Chair Randall Ryti, Council Vice Chair Ryn Herrmann, Project Manager Sobia Sayeda, Councilor David Reagor and Councilor Melanee Hand among other officials and project staff participated Read More

New Mexico Supreme Court Ruling Clarifies Scope Of Exceptions In Public Records Law

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New Mexico Supreme Court News:

SANTA FE – New Mexico’s highest court ruled today an investigative report for Albuquerque Public Schools about a former superintendent must be publicly disclosed under state law, although some information in the document potentially may remain confidential.

The Supreme Court directed the district court in Albuquerque to privately review the report and determine whether any information in it was protected from disclosure by an exception in the Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) for “matters of opinion” in personnel files. That IPRA exception “does Read More

Los Alamos County Enters Stage 2 Fire Restrictions

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COUNTY News:

Due to ongoing dry conditions and prevailing high winds, Fire Marshal Colorado Cordova of the Los Alamos Fire Department (LAFD) has elevated fire restrictions to Stage 2, effective today, May 28,  within the boundaries of Los Alamos County to safeguard public health and safety, as well as protect lands, structures, and natural and historical artifacts.   

Under the Stage 2 Fire Restrictions Order 2026-02, stringent restrictions and conditions are imposed as follows:

  • Building, maintaining and use of outdoor fires including campfires and recreational fires of any kind
Read More

Documents Added To LANL Electronic Public Reading Room

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LANL News:

New documents have been added to the Los Alamos Legacy Cleanup Contract Electronic Public Reading Room.

All legacy cleanup documents required to be posted after April 30, 2018, are available on the site linked above.

For legacy cleanup documents that were posted prior to April 30, 2018, please visit the LANL electronic public reading room.

  • Response to the New Mexico Environment Department’s Notice of Disapproval, Phase III Investigation Report for Chaquehui Canyon Aggregate Area, Los Alamos National Laboratory, EPA ID #NM0890010515, HWB-LANL-25-051, dated January 22, 2026,
Read More

LAHS Students Help Give Safety Town A New Look

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LAPS Superintendent Jennifer Guy, along with teacher James Steritz, police officers and students pose with the new buildings that will be unveiled at this year’s Safety Town. Courtesy/LAPS

Los Alamos Police Chief Dino Sgambellone, left,  poses with the new Safety Town buildings along with Officers Harris, Smith and Weiss. Courtesy/LAPS

LAPS News:

Los Alamos High School students in the Stagecraft and Theatrical Building Trades class, in collaboration with Los Alamos County and the Los Alamos Police Department, have been busy building new props for this year’s Safety Town. Safety Town Read More

RPNM Responds To Temporary Injunction

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RPNM News:

Wednesday a Valencia County judge entered a temporary injunction against the Republican Party of New Mexico, its chairwoman and treasurer, and the state’s RNC committeeman.

The order prohibits, on pain of criminal contempt, all three of the aforementioned individuals from “publicly supporting” any Republican candidate in a contested primary. It also appears to direct Chairwoman Amy Barela to turn over the occupancy of the chair to the First Vice Chair, although the order’s duration is unclear, it does not direct the Party to hold new elections, and it does not declare the position Read More

USMS Task Force investigation Leads To Recovery Of Two Abducted Children From Missouri In New Mexico 

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U.S. Marshals Service News:

LAS CRUCES – On May 25, 2026, two children were abducted by a non-parental man in Missouri. An Endangered Person Advisory was broadcast to law enforcement and media in Missouri for the children.

On May 26, 2026, a lead was sent by the United States Marshals Service (USMS) Western District of Missouri to the District of New Mexico to help locate the two abducted children, and to apprehend the alleged abductor, Ralph Jones Jr., who is wanted by the Nodaway County Sheriff’s Office in Missouri for kidnapping.

Jones was believed to be traveling through New Mexico with Read More

NM Supreme Court Invalidates Man’s Convictions For Killing When He Was A Teenager

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COURT News: 

SANTA FE — The state Supreme Court today vacated the second-degree murder and evidence tampering convictions of a Valencia County man, Brandon Villalobos, for a killing that occurred when he was a teenager.

The Court unanimously concluded that Villalobos was denied his constitutional right to a speedy trial. He spent nearly six years in custody awaiting trial after his arrest in 2014 for the beating death of a 12-year-old friend, who was identified in the opinion by his initials, A.M. The Court reversed a decision of the state Court of Appeals that affirmed Villalobos’ convictions. Read More