Public Safety

Bill Would Overhaul Virtual Education In New Mexico … And Its Funding

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Bill Sponsor Rep. Joy Garratt, D-Bernalillo

By ANDRÉ SALKIN
The Santa Fe New Mexican

Supporters of virtual education, many wearing shirts reading “Save Our Virtual Schools,” packed into a room at the state Capitol on Friday to push back against a bill that would overhaul New Mexico’s online learning regulations for the first time in nearly two decades. 

The changes include a slash in funding for schools that serve distance learning students to fix a crisis: a $35 million hole in the roughly $4.5 billion pool of per-student funding.

The provision also would prevent nearly $40 million in state Read More

Catch Of The Week: Apple Pay Scams

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By REBECCA RUTHERFORD
Los Alamos
For the Los Alamos Daily Post

Congratulations. You made it through another week on the Hill, but a scammer still thinks you are going to panic over a fake Apple Pay charge. Hard pass. This week’s scam is aimed at people who use Apple Pay, which in this town is basically everyone who has ever stood in line at Starbucks behind someone paying with their watch like a pro.

Here is how the scam works. You get an email or text that looks like it came from Apple. The notification says there was a suspicious Apple Pay purchase, usually for an alarming amount of money. The message helpfully Read More

Luján, Morelle, Gluesenkamp Perez Continue Fight For Consumers’ Right To Repair

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Congressional News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Congressman Joe Morelle (D-NY-25), and Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA-03), introduced the Fair Repair Act, legislation to guarantee consumers and small businesses a right to repair their own products by requiring manufacturers to make diagnostic repair information, parts, and tools readily available.

“For far too long, the wealthiest individuals and largest corporations have made it more difficult for Americans to repair the products they own,” Luján said. “The costs of these barriers can Read More

Legislative Roundup: 13 Days Left In Session

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Demonstrators cheer and hold up signs during a public lands rally on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, outside of the state Capitol. Matt Dahlseid/The New Mexican

The Santa Fe New Mexican

Dawn the duck: The New Mexico Senate unanimously confirmed the appointment Friday of Dawn Walters to lead the state’s newly established Office of the Child Advocate.

The office will be responsible for providing third-party oversight of New Mexico’s troubled child welfare system.

“This role has been long awaited and is critical to the safety and success of New Mexico’s children and families,” Sen. Katy Duhigg, D-Albuquerque, Read More

NMDOT Awards Nearly $47 Million For 27 Local Transportation Projects

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NMDOT News:

SANTA FE — The New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) awarded nearly $47 million to 27 projects through four federal funding programs, benefiting 15 agencies statewide, during the federal fiscal year 2026 call for projects.

Awarded projects range from supporting transit operation and infrastructure upgrades, to design and construction of urban and rural multiuse paths and trails, to supporting Safe Routes to School programs. A full list of projects is listed below. 

“These programs are critical for Tribal and local public agencies, funding projects from planning Read More

FBI: Men Sentenced For Kidnapping, Human Smuggling Scheme

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FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE — Two Guatemalan nationals were sentenced to prison for orchestrating a ransom scheme in which they held 11 undocumented immigrants captive and extorted their families under threats of violence and cartel retaliation.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, the FBI received a kidnapping complaint on March 1, 2025, alleging that the family of an undocumented immigrant was being extorted for ransom under threats of violence and cartel involvement. Agents traced the ransom calls to a residence in southwest Albuquerque and executed a search Read More

RCAA To Host Four Community Listening Sessions On Lower Rio Chama Watershed Project

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RCAA News:

The Lower Rio Chama Watershed Project, led by the Rio de Chama Acequia Association (RCAA), is an acequia- and community-led effort to improve watershed health and resilience in the lower Rio Chama region, from below Abiquiú Dam to El Guache.

Guided by community priorities, this effort aims to bring together acequias and neighbors from across the region to co-develop a shared plan and vision for a healthy watershed – from the uplands through the arroyos and down to the acequias along the Rio Chama. A key focus is on slowing and spreading destructive flood waters from arroyos to mitigate Read More

Head Slapping No Longer Allowed In High School Football

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SPORTS News:

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — In an ongoing focus on minimizing risk of injury in high school sports, the NFHS Football Rules Committee strengthened a rule related to illegal personal contact. Both revisions recommended by the committee were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors. 

The Football Rules Committee is composed of one member from each NFHS member state association that uses NFHS playing rules, along with representatives from the NFHS Coaches Association and NFHS Officials Association. 

Previously, Rule 9-4-7 stated that defensive players could not use the Read More

New Mexico Supreme Court Data Dashboard Now Online

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NMSC News:

SANTA FE — The New Mexico Supreme Court has published a new data dashboard for the public to get information about the Court’s performance measures that focus on case management.

“The Judiciary dashboard identifies what the Supreme Court has been doing throughout the year and demonstrates a transparent way to show our accountability to New Mexicans,” Chief Justice David K. Thomson said. 

The dashboard provides information about the number and types of cases opened, the number of cases closed, and the average number of days to resolve cases from the time they were initially filed. Read More

FBI: Farmington Man Charged For Fentanyl Distribution, Firearms Offenses

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FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE — A Farmington man is facing federal charges for suspected federal drug trafficking and firearms violations stemming from a traffic stop. 

According to court documents, Jan. 26, 2026, Stevie Anthony Lovato, 39, was stopped while driving on U.S. Highway 550 with two other individuals in the vehicle and arrested on an active felony warrant. During the arrest, officers recovered a 9mm hollow point round, approximately 1.34 grams of methamphetamine, and two cellphones from his person. A subsequent search of the vehicle, conducted pursuant to a warrant, resulted in the Read More