State

Experience New Mexico After Dark During International Dark Sky Week April 11–18

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City of Rocks State Park pictured at nighttime. Courtesy/EMNRD

EMNRD News:

SANTA FE — Home to some of the darkest skies in the country, New Mexico will mark International Dark Sky Week with a series of guided nighttime programs at state parks across the state, offering residents and visitors a chance to experience the night sky up close. 

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has proclaimed April 13-20 as International Dark Sky Week in New Mexico, recognizing the state’s exceptional night skies and the importance of preserving them for future generations. 

“New Mexico offers some of the best night sky Read More

New Mexico Aging Dept. Relaunches Statewide Volunteer Program & Opens Nominations For Volunteer Awards

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ALTSD News:

SANTA FE – The New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department (ALTSD) has relaunched its statewide volunteer program with a new centralized hub connecting New Mexicans to service opportunities — and is now accepting nominations for its 2026 Volunteer Recognition Awards through April 22.

Last fiscal year, 1,018 volunteers contributed nearly 600,000 hours of service across programs, including the Long-Term Care Ombudsman, Retired Senior Volunteer Program, Senior Companion Program, and the Foster Grandparents Program. Combined, their work contributed an estimated Read More

Santa Fe National Forest And Spanish Land Grant Sign Historic Memorandum Of Understanding

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From left, Monica T. Rodriguez, Secretary of the San Joaquin del Rio de Chama Land Grant, Leonard Martinez, President of the San Joaquin del Rio de Chama Land Grant, Shaun Sanchez, Forest Supervisor, Santa Fe National Forest. Courtesy/SFNF

SFNF News:

SANTA FE — The Santa Fe National Forest and the San Joaquín del Río de Chama Land Grant signed a first ever Memorandum of Understanding March 27, to advance both organizations’ goals of improved coordination, communication, and collaboration on land and natural resource management.    

“This is truly a momentous occasion,” said Santa Fe National Read More

Luján, Leger Fernández Demand Accountability From New Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office Leadership

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STATE News:

SANTA FE — U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) issued the following statement after meeting with FEMA and Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Office leadership:

“As the sponsors of the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act, we fought to establish the Claims Office and secure $5.45 billion to help New Mexicans rebuild. Since the fire, we have consistently pressed FEMA to speed up relief and answer for the unacceptable delays families continue to face.

“Yesterday, we met with the new leadership at the Claims Office to get answers. The Read More

DEA To Host 30th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

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DEA News:

EL PASO, Texas — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will host the 30th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, April 25, at nearly 4,200 locations nationwide.

Twice a year, DEA joins forces with local law enforcement and community groups to host DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, giving the public a safe and anonymous way to dispose of expired and unused prescription medications.

By getting rid of unnecessary medications in the home, families can help prevent prescription drug misuse and reduce the potential for accidental poisonings. Read More

Celebrate Ancestral Roots To The Land This Earth Day At Jemez Historic Site

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NMDCA News:

Celebrate Earth Day with a variety of fun activities including a hike, traditional children’s games, an “artifact” dig, pottery demonstrations, bread baking in the horno, and Native arts and crafts vendors.

This year, Jemez Historic Site celebrates Earth Day in a big way.  From 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Saturday, April 18, we’ll be leading a guided 3.2-mile hike up Oak Canyon (a.k.a. Church Canyon) to teach about native plants, birds, and animals. The event will also include a pottery demonstration where you can make your own pottery. You can paint flowerpots and take home a daisy plant in Read More

Justice Vargas Takes Oath Of Office As Chief Justice

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Chief Justice Julie J. Vargas takes the oath of office from Justice David K. Thomson, her predecessor as Chief Justice. Courtesy/Administrative Office of the Courts

Chief Justice Julie J. Vargas, NM. Courtesy/Supreme Court)

NMSC News:

SANTA FE — April 8, Justice Julie J. Vargas became Chief Justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court.

Chief Justice Vargas was sworn into office after being elected by her colleagues on the Court to a two-year term. She is the 44th person to serve as Chief Justice of the state’s highest court. She succeeds Justice David K. Thomson, who had been Chief Justice since 2024.  Read More

Senator Crystal Brantley Issues Statement On DOJ CYFD Investigation Report And Lawsuit

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STATE News:

ELEPHANT BUTTE — Wednesday, Attorney General Raúl Torrez released a 224-page investigative report finding that New Mexico’s Children, Youth and Families Department has systemically endangered the children it is sworn to protect—returning children to dangerous homes, obstructing oversight, and losing at least seven children to preventable deaths since the investigation opened in April 2025. Simultaneous with the report, AG Torrez announced a lawsuit to narrow the Children’s Code confidentiality statute.

Sen. Crystal Brantley (R-Elephant Butte) has introduced Read More

Remembering The Legacy: Fred Harvey’s Indian Detours 100 Years Later

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Courtesy photo

NMDCA News:

The New Mexico History Museum and La Fonda on the Plaza in Santa Fe present an afternoon of armchair travel along historic Route 66 and the Fred Harvey Company’s Indian Detours with four special guests. The event will take place from 2–4 p.m., Sunday, May 3.

Join four guest speakers at La Fonda at the Plaza for photos and stories about the history of Indian Detours. Ed Pulsifer, historian at La Fonda on the Plaza, will give a tour of yesteryear, when the Fred Harvey Company started its residency and Mary Colter’s vision radically changed the look and feel of the hotel.

History Read More

House Republicans Demand CYFD Accountability Following DOJ Report

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STATE News:

SANTA FE — Following the Department of Justice’s report on the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD), House Republicans are demanding immediate accountability and reform, calling on Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, CYFD leadership, and the legislative majority to answer for years of ignored warnings and blocked efforts to fix a broken system.

The findings in this report are disturbing. They describe a system that failed to protect children, missed clear warning signs, and allowed dangerous situations to continue when intervention was needed most. These failures are Read More