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.

Motorcycle safety awareness when riding or sharing the road saves lives   

SANTA FE – Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in May reminds New Mexicans of the importance of staying safe as they ride or share roads with motorcycles as the spring and summer riding season is now underway. 

“It’s job one on New Mexico roads for both motorcyclists and drivers to share the road safely. Stay alert for both fellow commuters and traffic hazards” said Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Patrick M. Allen.  

During the recently completed New Mexico Legislature, House Memorial 45 declared May Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in the state as it’s also designated nationwide by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). According to the DOH Office of Injury and Violence Prevention and the NHTSA: 

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Heinrich Announces Approval of New Training Mission at Kirtland Air Force Base

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) welcomes the U.S. Air Force’s approval of Albuquerque’s Kirtland Air Force Base as the designated location to host a new training mission for the AC-130J aircraft. 

“Throughout my tenure in Congress, I have been pushing to bring more missions to New Mexico. Today, I am very pleased to welcome one of these new missions. The AC-130J Formal Training Unit will prepare pilots and aircraft crew to operate the AC-130J platform in some of the most challenging environments in the world. This mission will support up to 386 full-time Air Force personnel, with additional contract and maintenance support,” said Heinrich.  “Our unrivaled airspace, premier testing ranges, and on-ground expertise continue to make New Mexico an ideal location for training new aircraft units.”

This announcement follows many years of advocacy by Senator Heinrich, formerly as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, then the Senate Armed Services Committee, and most recently as Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies.

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RioSol’s 550-Mile Transmission Project will Help New Mexico and Arizona meet Renewable Energy Goals Permitting and Routing for RioSol Line Started in 2008

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The planned RioSol transmission line will connect New Mexico and Arizona communities with renewable energy. The 500-kilovolt (kV) High Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC) power line is anticipated to have a minimum of five substations between Central New Mexico to South Central Arizona. When completed, RioSol will carry enough clean energy to power approximately 500 thousand homes in Arizona and New Mexico as well as generate an estimated 971.1 million in economic revenue (according to a 2022 Moss Adams Economic Benefits Study).

RioSol is part of the largest clean energy infrastructure project in U.S. history. RioSol’s route parallels SunZia and is a part of the SunZia Environmental Impact Statement process. The two separately owned transmission lines (RioSol is an HVAC line, SunZia is a High Voltage Direct Current line) will largely traverse the same 550 miles of federal, state and private lands between central New Mexico and central Arizona. Both transmission lines anticipate a record of decision in May 2023 with construction to follow soon thereafter.

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New Mexico Judiciary to hold nation’s first summit for state’s treatment court graduates

SANTA FE – The first summit tailored for graduates of New Mexico treatment courts will be held on May 15th and 16th beginning at 8 a.m. at the Santa Ana Resort & Casino.

More than 100 New Mexico treatment court graduates from around the state are expected to attend the summit hosted by the Administrative Office of the Courts’ Department for Therapeutic Justice (AOC/DTJ). The two-day engagement is designed to reinforce for graduates how powerful their lived experiences and successes are when supporting their peers and people currently enrolled in treatment courts,  provide professional development, and share peer testimonials.

“For almost 30 years, judges, program managers and justice partners have contributed to the growth and effectiveness of New Mexico’s treatment courts,” said New Mexico Supreme Court Chief Justice C. Shannon Bacon. “Yet we all agree, alumni are our biggest treatment court success story.  They chose to do the hard work to graduate and hopefully they will continue to help other New Mexicans by being active in treatment court alumni groups throughout the state.”        

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NMSU business students receive national insurance organization recognition

A small team of students at New Mexico State University’s College of Business is making a big impact with an article that was recently published by the National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research.

The paper is titled “School Districts Targeted for Cyber Attacks: Is Yours Prepared?” and spotlights the Las Cruces Public Schools ransomware attack in 2019. It was written as a partial fulfillment of a class on Insurance and the Law at NMSU’s College of Business taught by Dwight Kealy, college professor of business law and insurance attorney.

“It was exciting to see the article these students worked on get published in a national publication. I consider it an honor to be included as an “et al.” with these undergrads,” Kealy shared.

Eleven students and Kealy worked together on the article and were split into two groups. With growing technology and more growing threats online, the focus was to highlight how cyber insurance can be beneficial for school districts and other companies.

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Las Tunas Fire in San Miguel County 051123

Wildfire Information
EMNRD-FORESTRY DIVISION

Incident Name: Las Tusas fire
Start Date & Time: 5/10/2023 13:50
Start Location: Hwy 266 in Las Tusas area
Latitude: 35.7874
Longitude: -105.2808
Cause of Fire: Under investigation
Area Vegetation: Timber, Brush, Grass
Estimated Acres Burned: 1000 +
Ownership(s): Private
Structures Threatened: Yes
Structures Burned: Yes
Evacuations: Yes

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NM SBDC Webinars for May 2023

Join us for These No-Cost Webinars

TCA Presents USPTO Intellectual Property Events

USPTO brings multiple states together for these training events: 

IP Basics

IP Abroad 

These events are open to small business owners and New Mexico residents. Register using the buttons below. Once registered you will be provided with the Zoom link, directly from eCenter. 

Learn IP Basics 05/17/2023

Learn How to Protect Your IP Abroad 05/31/2023

Las Tunas Fire near Sapello 051023

las tusas fireThe Las Tusas fire is located near HWY 94, west of Sapello in San Miguel County and was discovered around 4 p.m. this afternoon. The fire is running through pinon/juniper, mixed conifer, ponderosa and heavy grass. It is estimated at 100-200 acres and the cause is under investigation.

A Type-3 incident management team has been ordered. Structures have been burned, and multiple structures are threatened. Evacuations are in place for residents along HWY 94. Forestry Division, local agencies and Forestry Service are on scene and engaged. Dozers are on scene putting in containment lines, and crews are working on structure protection in the surrounding area.

Weather: Red Flag Warnings are in effect until 8 p.m. this evening, and today's heavy winds contributed to the fire's spread. The recent stretch of critical fire weather conditions will continue in some areas through Thursday, with winds estimated to reach 40 -55 mph.

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