Non-Local News Releases

WASHINGTON — Today, a bill backed by U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) to extend federal programs that help local fire departments address staffing needs, purchase equipment, develop fire training and education programs, and improve emergency medical services, was signed into law by President Joe Biden.

The Fire Grants and Safety Act reauthorizes two federal grant programs at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which have provided over $15.3 million to local fire departments in New Mexico. Those programs were set to expire this year but are now reauthorized through 2030. The bill also reauthorizes the United States Fire Administration (USFA) through 2028.

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) ?announced today that U.S. Army Sgt. Sam A. Prince, 28, of Clovis, New Mexico, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for April 25, 2024.

In late 1942, Prince was a member of Headquarters Battery, 200th Coast Artillery Regiment, U.S. Army, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942. ?

July 9, 2024 - UPDATE

Reported date / time: July 1, 2024 / 6:25 PM Cause: Lightning Strike Size: 7,701 acres.
Fuels: Oak and ponderosa pine litter. Strategy: Confine and contain Containment: 0%
Fire Behavior: Low to moderate Resources: 126 personnel

UPDATE: The Fisher fire is currently 7,701 acres. Yesterday ground crews were able to finish the perimeter and connect the divisions at the southernmost end of the fire. Air crews were able to finish firing efforts and connect in with ground crews. Today's operational goal is to patrol the perimeter, clean up unburnt internal pockets, secure the fire's edge, and prepare the terrain for likely precipitation. Air support & the Incident Commander will surveille the area in the morning as weather permits.

Below is a report about jury selection from the pool reporter, Morgan Lee, of The Associated Press.

9:20 a.m.

70 prospective jurors are assembled in jury services room, wait in silence. Headsets for language interpretation are distributed to two or three potential jurors.

Proceedings are delayed.

When a bathroom break is announced, one potential juror said aloud, "Who are we waiting for?" to muted laughter.

9:50 a.m.

Albuquerque, NM – July 9, 2024 – The Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands (NF & NGs) is excited to welcome Heidi McRoberts as Forest Supervisor. McRoberts replaces Steven Hattenbach who serves as Deputy Regional Forester for the Southwestern Region.

McRoberts comes to the Cibola from the position of Deputy Forest Supervisor on the Kootenai National Forest in northwest Montana and northeast Idaho. She provided leadership and was responsible for all aspects of managing the forest's vast resources of 2.2 million acres of National Forest System Lands. Her prior land management experiences were on the Umatilla National Forest in Pendleton, Oregon and the Nez-Perce Clearwater National Forests in Idaho. McRoberts spent 22 years

Lower Health Care Costs for Working Families

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) cosponsored the Choose Medicare Act, legislation that gives every American who is not already eligible for Medicaid or Medicare the opportunity to enroll in Medicare.

The Choose Medicare Act opens up Medicare to all Americans with a new 'Part E' and builds on the Affordable Care Act. By allowing Medicare to compete with private health insurance, Medicare Part E puts consumers and businesses in the driver's seat on the road to universal health care.

Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands

Reported date / time: July 1, 2024 / 1825 Cause: Lightning Strike Size: 7,211 acres.
?Fuels: Oak and ponderosa pine litter. Strategy: Confine and contain Containment: 0%
Fire Behavior: Low to moderate Resources: 107 Personnel, 11 Other Resources

UPDATE: The Fisher fire is currently 7,211 acres. Yesterday we conducted ground and aerial firing around the planned perimeter and today we will continue firing towards the interior. Yesterday aerial observations were limited by smoke, however, the afternoon allowed for increased visibility and updated acreage report. Today's operational goal is to continue work around the fire perimeter as weather permits.

Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands

Reported date / time: July 1, 2024 / 1825 Cause: Lightning Strike Size: 2,500 acres.

Fuels: Oak and ponderosa pine litter. Strategy: Confine and contain Containment: 0%

Fire Behavior: Low to moderate

UPDATE: The Fisher fire is currently 2,500 acres. Yesterday's favorable weather conditions allowed for optimal ground and aerial firing. The confine and contain strategy aims to establish a fire perimeter by a combination of direct and indirect actions and use of natural topographic features, fuel, and weather factors. The Albuquerque Zone Type 3 Incident Management Team, led by Incident Commander Lino Baca, assumed command of the fire this morning. The intended outcome of the Fisher Fire includes encouraging the growth of native plants, increasing species diversity in the understory, and the restoration of wildlife habitat.