This category will feature news releases from out-of-area government agencies and representatives, as well as events that are not taking place in the four-county area of Grant, Catron, Hidalgo or Luna. For local events please visit Local News Releases.

Governor reestablishes Organized Crime Commission to combat human and gun trafficking, overdose deaths

SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Wednesday announced the re–establishment of the Governor’s Organized Crime Commission. The bipartisan commission was created in statute in the 1970’s, but has seldom been fully utilized by governors. The seven members are appointed by the governor and must be approved by the state senate.

“These seven individuals have among them well over a century of expertise in law enforcement and the judicial system. This commission will serve as a powerful tool to hit organized crime where it hurts the most,” said Gov. Lujan Grisham. “We must do more to interrupt organized crime operations in our state, and these are sophisticated groups that take a sophisticated approach. That’s what I am tasking this group to do.”

The members of the commission are:

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PNM crews join nationwide utility collaboration project connecting families on the Navajo Nation to the power grid for the first time

Light Up Navajo brings together electric utility companies across the country to connect 14,000 families who have never had power

(Albuquerque, NM) – PNM line crews recently traveled to the greater Shiprock, New Mexico area and in tribal communities located in Arizona and Utah volunteering in a nationwide utility collaboration project called Light Up Navajo. The Navajo Nation is the largest Native American territory, yet more than 14,000 families do not have electricity. The Navajo Nation, American Public Power Association, and the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA), launched the Light Up Navajo project in 2019 to energize homes that have never had power and PNM crews are joining efforts again this year for this critical project.

Imagine life without electricity. Without any lights, cooling, microwaves, television, without computers, or cell phones. Picture life where refrigerators do not exist because there is no electric power. For approximately 14,000 families on the Navajo Nation, this is reality. The Light Up Navajo project is helping to change that for families throughout the region.

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Department of Cultural Affairs Honors Military Members Through National Blue Star Museums Program

Museum of Space History in Alamogordo Carries on the Tradition

Today the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs (NMDCA) announced the participation of its museums and historic sites in the Blue Star Museums program. The program is a collaboration between the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and museums across America to offer free admission to the nation’s active-duty military personnel including National Guard and Reserve and their families beginning on Armed Forces Day on Saturday, May 20, through Labor Day, September 4, 2023.  

Who: NMDCA is the cultural steward of New Mexico’s state museums and historic sites which include: Museum of International Folk Art, NM History Museum, NM Museum of Art, and NM Museum of Indian Art & Culture in Santa Fe; the National Hispanic Cultural Center and NM Museum of Natural History & Science in Albuquerque; NM Museum of Space History in Alamogordo; NM Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces; and Historic Sites throughout the state: Bosque Redondo Memorial at Fort Sumner Historic Site, Coronado Historic Site, Jemez Historic Site, Lincoln Historic Site, Fort Selden Historic Site, and Fort Stanton Historic Site.  

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Heinrich, Luján, Leger Fernández, Vasquez Announce $61 Million in Federal Funding to Lower Utility Costs, Improve Public Safety

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández  (D-N.M.) and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) are welcoming over $61 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to lower utility costs and improve public safety for rural and underserved communities in New Mexico. 

The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Partners Network program. The Rural Partners Network program RPN is an all-of-government program of more than 800 federal, state and local partners that collaborate to address specific needs in communities that have long struggled to access government programs and funding.  

“If we want to build a better future for all New Mexicans, we need to be sure our rural communities have a seat at the table,” said Heinrich. “By investing in infrastructure that will improve public safety, lower utility costs, and provide electricity to hundreds of households, this federal funding will help bridge opportunity gaps and keep our rural communities connected.” 

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I-25 T ofC area to have lane closures today 052423

ROAD ADVISORY:
LANE CLOSURE T or C Area
I-25 northbound from milepost 106 to 107 (Nogal Canyon) the driving right lane will be closed for bridge maintenance Motorists are asked to reduce speed, obey posted signs, and be cautious of personnel and equipment in the area. Please expect delays. The closure will be lifted at approximately 5:30 p.m.

New Mexico farmers have less than one week left to return the 2022 Census of Agriculture

Las Cruces, NEW MEXICO – The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will end data collection for the 2022 Census of Agriculture on May 31. New Mexico producers who have not yet returned their completed questionnaires have less than one week left to respond. Federal law requires everyone who received the ag census to complete and return it. Recipients can respond online at agcounts.usda.gov or by mail.

"The information provided by each of us is used to tell an accurate story about the impacts of agriculture in our local communities, state and nation," said New Mexico Agriculture Secretary Jeff Witte. "Without accurate data, we simply cannot tell our story, and policymakers will make decisions with only partial information."

USDA NASS is reminding ag census recipients that if they produced and sold $1,000 or more of agricultural product in 2022, or normally would have produced and sold that much, they meet USDA's definition of a farm. However, landowners who lease land to producers, those solely involved in conservation programs, and even those who may not have farmed in 2022 are still required to respond.

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Free Star Party Saturday, May 27

What: The Museum of Space History’s Astronomy League is hosting a Free Star Party! A great opportunity to encourage that young or old stargazer!

When: Saturday, May 27, 2023, from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm.

Where: In the large parking lot above the Tombaugh Education Building on the campus of the Museum.

Why: Because it’s fun to star gaze! Bring yourself and your family, we will bring the telescopes! If you have an interest in astronomy or are a telescope owner, consider joining the museum’s Astronomy League. New members are always welcome, membership forms will be available at the star party. League membership is free.

About the New Mexico Museum of Space History: www.nmspacemuseum.org 

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