Thursday’s Top Stories
- Voter turnout slow in Albuquerque, while Santa Fe sees record-breaking numbers so far
- ABQ Police Dept. reports drop in metro homicides compared to last year at this time
- Professional basketball is returning to New Mexico with TBL and former NBA champion
- Albuquerque man charged with attacking people outside of the Sunshine Theatre
- Albuquerque to set aside 3% of GO bond budget for open space projects
- Roswell man charged with murder following his father’s death
- Sandia Resort and Casino hosting career fair on November 1
- Trinity Site hosting open house for visitors soon
- Biden to deliver primetime address Thursday on Israel, Ukraine wars
- Russian foreign minister offers security talks with North Korea, China as he visits Pyongyang
Thursday’s Five Facts
[1] Efforts made to crackdown on street racing in Albuquerque – APD are hoping to crack down on street racing. APD’s swing shift motors unit started two years ago, with officers patrolling the streets Wednesday through Saturday from 4 p.m. – 2 a.m. Now, the unit is hoping to expand with a second shift that would cover the remainder of the week. They are also looking to bring in other units for a major street racing operation in the future. So far this year, APD has issued more than 1,000 citations through its street racing tact plan.
[2] Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon victims sue FEMA over compensation – New Mexicans who are still recovering from the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire are taking FEMA to court. Congress and the President approved nearly $4 billion for compensation to people impacted by the fire, which started as two federal prescribed burns. Victims are taking FEMA to court in a federal lawsuit, saying FEMA only offered compensation for structural damage, not for non-economic damage, like emotional toll victims experienced. The suit claims New Mexico law says victims should be compensated for non-economic damages.
[3] More near-record heat through the weekend – It will be another warm afternoon, with high temperatures climbing into the 70s and 80s across the state. Near-record and record warm temperatures are expected through the weekend. Skies will stay sunny and dry, aside from cloudier skies on Saturday across the south and east. Winds will stay light through the weekend as well.
[4] Albuquerque Public Schools begins search for next superintendent – The nationwide search for a new Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent has begun. APS is hiring a search firm to lead the process to replace Scott Elder, who is set to retire. The firm says APS is aiming to narrow its candidates to five or six top choices by the end of January. The school board says they hope to have a new superintendent by spring, so the new hire can begin July 1, 2024.
[5] NMSU receives funding to research common disease found in crops like chile – Fungal pathologists from New Mexico State University are looking to stop a common disease threatening the state’s most iconic crops. NMSU Professor Soum Sanogo is leading the work behind a new $6 million federal grant researching a pathogen that thrives in moisture. The fungus causes chile plants to wilt, rot and eventually die. In some cases it can force farmers to abandon their fields. The four-year project aims to find resistance to the pathogen and create ways to detect the fungus in soil and water.
