Thursday’s Top Stories
- 13-year-old accused of hitting and killed bicyclist for fun in Albuquerque held
- Albuquerque City Council votes to let plans move forward for Mesa Film Studios
- Police arrest man accused of fatal shooting in northeast Albuquerque
- APS Board of Education defends change in media policy amid criticism
- Santa Fe County to hold wildfire mitigation and preparedness event
- New Mexico residents fight to protect their mobile homes from rising rents
Thursday’s Five Facts
[1] Man accused of orchestrating shootings at NM lawmakers’ homes found guilty – The man accused of being the mastermind behind shootings at four New Mexico lawmakers’ homes has been found guilty on all charges. Solomon Peña was charged federally for his role in the shootings which investigators believe was in revenge for his loss during the 2022 election for the New Mexico House of Representatives.
[2] Lawmakers seek more than $1.2 billion to fund infrastructure projects in New Mexico – More than 1,400 projects statewide may soon be getting more than a billion dollars in funding. This comes after lawmakers passed the capital outlay bill through the House. The funding will go towards upgrades for Balloon Fiesta Park, a new facility at the University of New Mexico, the Domingo Baca Aquatic Center, and improving water lines and fire stations, especially in rural communities.
[3] Warmer weather on first day of spring for New Mexico – Breezier and warmer weather returns Thursday, bringing a critical fire danger back to parts of New Mexico. Much warmer and calmer weather will move in by early next week. Breezier conditions will occasionally return late this week into the weekend with relatively mild air returning as little to no precipitation will fall ahead, even for the northern communities.
[4] Turquoise Alert System for missing Indigenous people heads to governors desk – A bill aimed at addressing the missing and murdered indigenous people crisis in the state is heading to the governor’s desk. Lawmakers say on average more than 200 indigenous people are missing in New Mexico at any given time. Senate Bill 41 would create a new alert system called “Turquoise Alert.” It would send a statewide notification to law enforcement and the public. The bill now heads to the governor’s desk for final action.
[5] Albuquerque Community Safety celebrates 100,000 calls for service – Albuquerque Community Safety will be holding a special celebration in recognition of a pivotal achievement. In just over three years of service the department has responded to more than 100,000 calls. ACS is the first civilian-led public safety agency in the country that provides an alternative first response instead of getting the police involved.