State

Tree Deaths Tripled Across New Mexico In 2025 Amid Drought, Heat

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Aerial view of the extent of beetle kill, as seen in red, in untreated piñon-juniper woodland (above) versus a landscape that has been thinned (below). Photos by Victor Lucero

NMFD News:

SANTA FE — Tree deaths tripled in New Mexico during the second warmest year on record, according to a new report that shows a mixed portrait of resilience and vulnerability across New Mexico’s forested landscapes.

Each year, the New Mexico Forestry Division and U.S. Forest Service conduct aerial surveys to map insect and disease activity across 14 million acres of state, private, Tribal, and federal forests Read More

Los Alamos County Government Offices To Close June 19 In Observance Of Juneteenth

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COUNTY News:

In observance of Juneteenth, Los Alamos County government offices will join other federal, state, and local governments and close on Friday, June 19.

Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. Recognizing and observing this holiday provides an important opportunity for all to reflect on and celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of African Americans throughout history.

While the County’s administrative offices, Atomic City Transit fixed bus routes, and the Environmental Services division Read More

Wanted By The FBI: Raymond Lawrence Gonzales

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FBI News:

The FBI Albuquerque Office is seeking information from the public. 

Raymond Lawrence Gonzales is wanted for his alleged involvement in drug-related crimes in New Mexico. On April 17, 2024, local law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a car driven by Gonzales. The vehicle had traveled from Arizona to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and contained approximately 72 kilograms of fentanyl pills. On June 25, 2024, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Gonzales in the United States District Court, District of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, after he was charged with Possession with Read More

New Mexico Courts HelpLine Offers Assistance To Navigate Civil Legal System

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COURT News:

SANTA FE — A new judiciary-operated information service offers assistance to the public about courts in New Mexico and civil legal matters.

Trained staff with the New Mexico Courts HelpLine are available six days a week by telephone to provide legal information and answer questions about state courts.

The no-cost service guides people to court forms and rules for filing or responding to lawsuits, self-help videos on legal topics, and other resources for understanding court procedures in civil actions, including landlord-tenant housing disputes, consumer debt matters and Read More

FBI: Bloomfield Man Charged With Murder

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FBI News:

ALBUQUERQUE — A Bloomfield man has been charged with second degree murder after allegedly fatally stabbing a man during an argument.

According to court documents, on May 20, 2026, Seviano Kee, 18, and enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, stabbed John Doe with a kitchen knife during an argument, killing him. 

Kee is charged with second degree murder and will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charge, Kee faces up to life in prison. 

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent Read More

Luján, Heinrich, Klobuchar, Slotkin, Colleagues Urge USDA To Address New World Screwworm Outbreak

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U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sens. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) led 17 of their colleagues in calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to take further immediate action to contain and respond to the outbreak of New World Screwworm (NWS) in the United States. 

“We write with great concern regarding the current outbreak of New World Screwworm (NWS) Read More

New Mexico Reports First Case Of Human Plague In 2026

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NMDOH News:

SANTA FE — A Santa Fe County woman has died from plague—the first human case in New Mexico in 2026, the New Mexico Department of Health reports.

The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) has reached out to close contacts of the woman and will conduct an environmental assessment to determine ongoing risk and confirm no other close contacts have symptoms consistent with plague.

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the friends and family of the woman who passed away due to plague,” said Erin Phipps, state public health veterinarian for NMDOH. “This tragedy emphasizes the need for Read More

State Sells First $220 Million In Transportation Bonds

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Nogal Canyon Bridge. Courtesy photo

Border Connector. Courtesy photo

NMDOT News:

SANTA FE — New Mexico’s historic $1.5 billion transportation bonding program is officially underway with the first $220 million bond sale closing June 30, launching major infrastructure investments across the state.

The 2026 Series A Bonds were sold June 9 and will deliver approximately $220 million to the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) at the end of the month, marking the first allocation from the unprecedented bonding package signed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham during the 2026 legislative Read More

Interior Department Begins Nationwide Review Of Rock Climbing And Wilderness Study Area Management Policies

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DOI News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Department of the Interior (DOI) has announced a 60-day public comment period on proposed recreational climbing guidance and potential updates to wilderness study area management policies for lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service.   

The Department is seeking public input on two important efforts:

  • First, establishing a consistent approach to recreational rock climbing management across designated wilderness areas; and
  • Second, evaluating whether existing wilderness study areas and
Read More

Applications For Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Now Open 

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NMHED News:

SANTA FE — New Mexico veterinarians who commit to serving rural, frontier and tribal communities can now apply for up to $80,000 in student loan repayment assistance through the state’s Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program. 

Administered by the New Mexico Higher Education Department, the program targets a persistent shortage in food animal veterinary care across the state’s rural and agricultural communities.  

Recipients must commit to providing care for food-producing livestock, including cattle, sheep, goats and poultry, in New Mexico’s rural communities Read More