Non-Local News Releases

SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an emergency declaration for Chaves County on Monday that unlocks $1 million in state funding to bolster flooding relief efforts in and around Roswell.

First responders have rescued more than 300 people since the torrential flooding began in Chaves County on Oct. 19. The governor traveled to Roswell on Monday morning and will receive status updates from state and local officials throughout the day.

SANTA FE – A judicial decision on the limitations of underinsured motorist insurance coverage in New Mexico applies retroactively, the state Supreme Court ruled today.

The Court unanimously declared that its published opinion in the case Crutcher v. Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. applies to policies that were sold before the Court's 2022 ruling. In New Mexico, there is a presumption that judicial rulings in civil cases generally apply retroactively.

Long-smoldering fires threatened infrastructure projects, including new water supply line

SANTA FE, NM – Two underground coal fires that were emitting toxic gases and threatening to disrupt infrastructure projects near the City of Gallup and nearby tribal communities have been extinguished, thanks to efforts of the New Mexico Mining and Minerals Division (MMD).

The Gallup Coal Fire Mitigation Project targeted two fires that had been smoldering at least since 2011 at separate abandoned mine sites.

SANTA FE, N.M. – In support of the Biden-Harris administration's goal of creating a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035, the Bureau of Land Management New Mexico State Office will hold a virtual competitive geothermal lease sale on Dec. 5, 2024, offering seven parcels totaling 4,467.77 acres in Doña Ana County.

"The BLM manages vast stretches of public land that have the potential to make significant contributions to the nation's renewable energy portfolio," said BLM New Mexico Deputy State Director for Minerals Michael Gibson. "In coordination with experts, the BLM is diligently working to expand development of renewable energy resources such as wind, solar, and geothermal where appropriate on public lands."

October 20-26 is National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week

SANTA FE – Exposure to lead can result in serious illness and could require immediate medical attention. Lead exposure in children can cause behavioral and learning problems, hearing loss, and at very high levels, seizures, coma and death. High lead levels can cause high blood pressure, reproductive problems, kidney damage, hearing loss and neurological problems.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Today, October 21, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, will highlight more than $2.5 million he has secured through the Appropriations process for the United Association of Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 412 (U.A. Local 412) to operate a mobile training unit that provides pre-apprenticeship training to New Mexicans living in rural and Tribal communities. The mobile training unit is creating more pathways to in-demand careers in the skilled trades and has already trained dozens of New Mexicans in Española, Taos, Las Vegas, Mora, Raton, and Santa Fe. Heinrich will also participate in a training demo with U.A. Local 412 leadership and apprentices learning skills in the plumbing, pipefitting, and HVAC trades.

DEMING – The New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT), in collaboration with the I-10 Corridor Coalition, is conducting a survey aimed at truck drivers and dispatchers to understand the challenges and issues related to parking along the I-10 corridor.

The I-10 Coalition is focused on providing truck drivers and dispatchers with real-time parking information for the I-10 route through Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. By 2025, the Truck Parking Availability System (TPAS) will offer information on over 550 parking spaces at 37 public rest areas along I-10 across these states, helping drivers make informed decisions about safe parking.

 In all construction zones, motorists are asked to reduce speed, obey posted signs, and use extreme caution, as well as continue to be cautious of heavy equipment and construction personnel in the area. PLEASE NOTE: Conditions are subject to change without notice. Double fines for speeding in work zones may be in effect.

White Sands Missile Range Notification
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