Latest news with #NewMexicans
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Applications open June 1 for New Mexico's ‘Teacher Loan Repayment Program'
SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) — New Mexico teachers will be able to apply for up to $6,000 in student loan help starting on June 1. Last year, the 'Teacher Loan Repayment Program' helped over 800 teachers. This year, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham backed a $5 million funding increase for the program. Story continues below Crime: Albuquerque business owner faces murder charge for shooting fleeing shoplifter News: Las Vegas deputy charged with aggravated battery and robbery Business: A downtown Albuquerque shoe shine parlor is still serving patrons after nearly a century Events: What's happening around New Mexico May 30-June 5? Kirtland Air Fiesta and more 'The Teacher Loan Repayment Program is a vital investment in our educators and their future. By alleviating the burden of student loan debt, we are showing our teachers that we value their dedication to New Mexico's students and communities,' said Public Education Secretary Mariana D. Padilla. 'Since 2020, the program has provided debt relief to over 2,500 individuals, reflecting the state's commitment to attracting and retaining quality educators.' To be eligible, the teacher must be a US citizen, a New Mexico resident for 12 or more consecutive months, have a New Mexico teaching license, and have taught at least three years in the state. Priority is given to teachers in high-need positions, including those with endorsements and actively teaching in these areas: Bilingual education Early childhood education Special education Science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) Career technical education (CTE) In a low-performing school serving economically disadvantaged populations Awards from the program can be renewed for additional two-year cycles if the recipient continues fulfilling their teaching commitment. Teachers benefiting from the federal program can simultaneously benefit from this one as well. Higher Education Secretary Stephanie M. Rodriguez had this to say about the program. 'The state's Teacher Loan Repayment Program works to alleviate the financial burden of student loan debt, allowing teachers to focus on what is most important – educating our children,' said Rodriguez. 'New Mexico is committed to helping educators by providing them with the support and respect they deserve as they teach the next generation of New Mexicans.' Program applications are due by 5 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 1. They can be completed electronically through the New Mexico Higher Education Department's website. Interested teachers can also email or call 1-800-279-9777. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Forbes
a day ago
- Health
- Forbes
New Mexico Okays $50 Million For Wildlife Crossings To Improve Safety
A cougar (also known as a mountain lion) in New Mexico. New Mexico lawmakers have approved $50 million to pay for wildlife crossings to improve roadway safety and also passed legislation to create a strategic reserve fund for freshwater. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed Senate Bill 37: Strategic Water Reserve Fund on April 7 for the Interstate Stream Commission to manage and conserve water to support recharging the state's aquifer and minimize groundwater depletion. The new law, to take effect June 20, also allows for purchasing and leasing surface water and water rights. The initial funding designated for the water reserve was $5.2 million. 'Advancement of the Strategic Water Reserve crucially expands the ability for the state to buy, lease, or accept donations of water rights for the benefit of a broad array of cultural and environmental values. The reserve is integral to keeping water in rivers and aquifers and conserving important habitat along the shore while honoring landowner water rights,' said Patrick Lane, senior manager of the intermountain West at The Pew Charitable Trusts. 'New Mexicans fully recognize how important clean water is for their well-being – from growing corn to providing a swimming hole on the weekend, it's never been more important to carefully conserve and manage the state's freshwater resource, and the legislature's action puts more tools in the toolbox for New Mexicans to use for this purpose.' On April 11, the governor enacted into law House Bill 5 (General Appropriation Act of 2025) that directed $50 million to fund an existing legislative effort to alleviate vehicle and wildlife collisions. The New Mexico Wildlife Corridors Action Plan, finalized three years ago, has identified numerous 'hot spots' on roadways throughout the state that have the highest numbers of vehicles and wildlife collisions. Lane also applauded the funding for the wildlife crossings. 'This is the largest amount any state has ever appropriated for terrestrial wildlife crossings in a single year. Other states can look to New Mexico as a model for planning and construction of wildlife crossings to protect human and animal lives,' he said. 'Migratory wildlife such as elk, deer and pronghorn have deep ties to New Mexico's culture and identity. They also support a robust recreation economy that families and communities rely on. Wildlife crossings enhance and conserve these wildlife populations, while making a tangible contribution to driver safety across the state.' He predicted the wildlife crossing allocation will save lives on N.M. roadways for people and animals as well as protect the state's wildlife heritage. Also lauding the N.M. allocation was Marcel Gaztambide, Southwest field manager for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. He noted in a recent social media post: 'With over 1,000 wildlife-vehicle collisions taking place in New Mexico every year, this investment in the safety of New Mexico's drivers and wildlife was desperately needed.' Pronghorn in Southwestern New Mexico The New Mexico Department of Transportation and New Mexico Department of Game and Fish were directed by the state legislature to develop an action plan for wildlife crossings. The plan identified both collision hot spots and priority projects to deter roadway accidents with animals. It focuseA list of priority projects are identified in the Plan that includes both wildlife-vehicle collision (WVC) hotspots and wildlife corridors. It identified 20 species of concern as most vulnerable to collisions. These consisted of four reptiles (ornate box turtle, Gila monster, Mexican garter snake and Western massasauga rattlesnake). The mammals on the list were: The species of concern were also identified for posing a risk to motorists. Other factors putting the wildlife in that category included being killed in collisions to such an extent that it does/could lower population levels in New Mexico or the roads create barriers to important interconnected habitats. Gila monster in the Southwest. Gila monsters in New Mexico mostly live west of the Continental Divide in the southwestern areas with rocky terrain such as in Chihuahuan Desert foothills and canyons. These lizards are the largest in the United States. They can weigh a pound and span as long as nearly two feet. These rare creatures are listed as endangered under the New Mexico Wildlife Conservation Act and also protected by state laws in Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah. According to the National Park Service, 'They may be out digging, hunting, basking, etc. on the surface for only a few hours of a few days per year; about 98% of the year is spent out of sight. They live in burrows, packrat nests, or caliche caves and dens, sometimes sharing their abodes with other reptiles such as snakes or desert tortoises.' Although Gila monsters have venom in their lower jaws, their bite is painful but rarely fatal. Their black and pinkish skin patterns are hard to see in barren landscapes, which could contribute to their mortality rates. The New Mexico Wildlife Corridors Action plan identified Gila monsters as a species in greatest conservation need. 'Highways through Granite Gap and Antelope Pass in the central Peloncillo Mountains are known sites of numerous roadkill records," the report stated. Roadway mortality is thought to be due to more traffic in the border area in southwest New Mexico Another creature to make the list as most in need of conservation and threatened is the the white-sided jackrabbit that also lives in the southwestern part of the state. These jackrabbits are only known to live in two valleys in Hidalgo County, which borders Arizona. This animal population was thought to be diminishing due to overgrazing by livestock on shrubs and grasses in New Mexico. However, significant population decreases of white-sided jackrabbits are likely linked to increased vehicle traffic in there due to more human activity and motorists along the U.S.-Mexico border. For instance, sharp reductions in white-sided jackrabbits populations had been noted on one main county road "yet no degradation of grassland quality or significant shrub invasion is evident,' the report stated. A cougar (mountain lion) prowling at night in New Mexico. Cougars in New Mexico are mostly found in the foothills and mountains in the central northern and southern parts of the states as well as in western areas. Adult males cougars can weigh from 150 to 200 pounds and are often eight feet long. Also known as mountain lions, cougars are among the largest cats in North America. The state estimates there are 3,500 cougars living there with the population declining in part due less habitat and vehicle collisions. Cougars tend to avoid roads and seek to cross using underpasses. There were 135 cougar-vehicle collisions recorded in New Mexico from 2009 to 2018 mostly along Interstate 25 (north of Albuquerque to the Colorado border) as well as on the eastern slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, in/near the Sacramento Mountains and along U.S. Route 180. During the same time period, vehicles collided with just over 500 black bears mostly while traveling along mountain roadways. Among the top 30 wildlife-vehicle collision hot spots in New Mexico, 'one stands out' due to 49 motorists crashing into black bears on the I-25 corridor (from south of Raton to the Colorado border). Other top areas with high black bear-vehicle collisions include U.S. 64/U.S. 84 just south of Chama (7 collisions), I-25 around Glorieta Pass (6 collisions), Tijeras Canyon along I-40 (6 collisions), and I-25 south of Wagon Mound (5 collisions). A black bear. Similar to cougars, black bears have been found to avoid crossing roads by using underpasses and culverts. State wildlife researchers from New Mexico and Arizona noted 169 cases of black bears crossing the roads via underpasses. In contrast to these animals, New Mexico's pronghorns prefer to use overpasses to tackle crossing roads. The state is thought to have from 47,000 to 49,000 pronghorn. From 2002 to 2018, the state recorded 221 wildlife-vehicle collisions. 'Roads, traffic, and right-of-way fences affect pronghorn through direct mortality and by affecting their behavior, while fences along roads and even traffic restrict or alter their movements. Pronghorn prefer to crawl under fences rather than jump over them, and they struggle with multiple strand fences when the bottom wire is too low,' the report noted. 'Mitigation of road-caused fragmentation and mortality is possible with the use of overpasses. Because of their keen eyesight and use of distance for predator avoidance behavior, pronghorn prefer overpasses to underpasses when crossing roads.' Top 10 Wildlife/Vehicle Collision Hotspots in New Mexico per Number of Crashes Per Mile The NMDOT has been involved in several wildlife crossing projects in the state as well as creating mitigation strategies to provide safer traveling for motorists and animals. For example, it has created escape ramps that provide an area for deer and elk to jump over to avoid vehicles. The department has also installed game fencing, such as an eight-foot-tall woven wire fence along I-40 near Edgewood to direct wildlife to pass under bridges instead of darting into traffic. Another use of technology is installing double cattleguards where side roads intersect with highways to prevent large animals from walking into vehicles at roadway turnouts. NMDOT built a pair of 32-foot-wide arched wildlife underpasses wildlife crossing at the I-25 pass in Raton after finding 102 dead deer during a two-year period there installed over six miles of game fencing, wildlife escape ramps, and double cattle guards. Built a pair of 32-feet-wide arched wildlife underpasses after finding 102 dead deer within a two-year period at the I-25/Raton pass in Colfax County. Within two years after the safe crossings were built there was a 60% drop in the number of dead deer from vehicle collisions found there. In another wildlife crossing project, NMDOT targeted U.S. Route north of Aztec close to the Colorado border due to deer-vehicle crashes. The state dropped the number of collision to improve roadway safety by more than 80% after putting larger box culverts for safe underpasses to replace three metal culverts. Guard fencing 8-feet high was constructed for three miles to guide the animals to the crossing areas and block the road. Double cattle guards were also placed as a deterrence. Red line showing location of U.S. 550 Highway Wildlife Crossing Project in New Mexico. NMDOT is working on a new transportation safety project on U.S. Highway 550 in Sandoval County as to curb vehicle crashes primarily with six types of animals (such as deer, black bears and elk) in its most hazardous area in need for wildlife crossings. At issue is a 17-mile long stretch of road in which 1.21 reported wildlife-vehicle collisions occurred per mile during a 10-year period. Most (58%) of the vehicles crashed into elk. Male elks can weigh 700 pounds or more and the females can weigh 500 pounds. The state is working to build large overpasses for the safe movement of wildlife there since elk are reluctant to pass through tunnels/culverts go over small bridges. Currently, the project is in design development and will be completed in four phases that will involved 16 miles of U.S. 550. Design plans for Phases 1 and 2 are expected to be finished by the end of this year. To accommodate various animals likely to cross that part of the road, NMDOT is planning to build a wide single-span overpass with natural vegetation planted (to match the terrain) that would rise over four existing travel lanes and shoulders of US 550. In addition, arched underpass structures would be enable animals to travel below the road level. Wildlife fencing would guide the animals to crossing areas and double cattleguards would be placed to restrict access to the highway. Based on Federal Highway Administration figures that are nearly 20 years old, from 1 million to 2 million collisions between large wildlife animals and vehicles happened through the United States each year—killing 200 people and causing injuries to 26,000 others. The property damage then was estimated at $8.3 billion. Most crashes were single vehicles on two-lane roads. Most of the wildlife struck by vehicles dies immediately or soon afterwards. State environmental and transportation agencies are increasing their efforts to boost both motorist roadway safety and wildlife survival rates by using technology to build road structures for animal passageways. According to Lane from Pew, 'Wildlife migration pathways, which are critical in maintaining many terrestrial wildlife populations, are particularly threatened due to the effects that roads and highways have on their movement patterns. The good news is that a proven solution to this problem exists. Wildlife crossings help reconnect migratory routes and make our roads safer for drivers by reducing the risk of wildlife-vehicle collisions. Time has shown that these crossings are highly effective.' FHWA Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program 2024-2025 fiscal year grants of $125 million to 16 wildlife ... More crossing projects. The other good news is that federal wildlife crossing grants, especially from the U.S. Department of Transportation/FHWA, are providing vital revenue to help states improve highway safety for the traveling public and the many special creatures who live within our nation.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Roswell expected to be the location of new Amazon facility
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) –Roswell is moving closer to securing a new facility from the online retail giant Amazon. 'We've been working with Amazon for a number of years to site them here in Roswell,' said Mike Espiritu, President of the Roswell Chaves County Economic Development Corporation. Story continues below Entertainment: First-of-its-kind indoor pickleball facility coming to northeast Albuquerque Community: Albuquerque church leaning on faith after 2 members killed by their son Environment: What should New Mexicans do if they come across a raccoon? Amazon is considering a 7.5-acre plot of land on the south side of Roswell, near the airport, to construct a new 'last mile facility.' This center would facilitate easier routing of deliveries to their final destinations in southeastern New Mexico. 'One of the things we did is create a number of site-ready plots on the airfield and other locations around southern Roswell. They're filling up, and things are going really well,' said Mayor Timothy Jennings. The City of Roswell is offering the land for $60,000, but the potential return on this investment could be substantial, bringing hundreds of jobs and the opportunity for further expansion. 'We anticipate or hope that this will lead to more expansion opportunities, possibly for Amazon or another company, as we are developing that area to make more acres shovel-ready for others,' said Espiritu. The city is experiencing significant growth thanks to companies like Biltwise, which builds modular homes, along with the upcoming Roswell air races later this year. 'We, because of the air races, because of the Amazon project, because of the built-wise and so on, we're starting to see a lot of other things popping up here in Roswell as far as development,' said Espiritu. Once Amazon finalizes the purchase, it could break ground as soon as next year. A public hearing will be held next week to discuss the land purchase, after which the city council will vote to finalize the deal. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Teachers' union files complaint against NM school after questions about student's immigration status
ESPAÑOLA, N.M. (KRQE) – A local teachers' union wants to know why a New Mexico school district is asking students about their citizenship status. The union has now filed a complaint against the district, hoping to get more answers. 'We would like to prevent it from happening again,' said Mary Parr-Sánchez, President of the National Education Association of New Mexico (NEA-NM). Story continues below Entertainment: First-of-its-kind indoor pickleball facility coming to northeast Albuquerque Community: Albuquerque church leaning on faith after 2 members killed by their son Environment: What should New Mexicans do if they come across a raccoon? In an effort to prepare students for real-world jobs, Española Public Schools has used optional career-readiness programs that help connect students with potential future employers. One of those programs is a standardized test called the ACT WorkKeys Assessment. To take the test, students must provide personal information. 'Collecting demographic information on students is not out of the norm,' Parr-Sánchez said. 'Like, if they're male or female, how old they are, their ethnicity, that type of thing. That is normal demographic information.' What's not common are questions related to students' citizenship status. But, according to a group of teachers with Española Public Schools, as part of the assessment, the district directed teachers at Española Valley High School to ask students for their country of origin, and their 'alien registration number'. 'We were contacted by educators and their leadership from Española that Española Valley High School was asking teachers to collect immigration data,' Parr-Sánchez explained. According to Parr-Sánchez, a former teacher with 25 years of experience, and someone who's administered standardized tests, these types of questions raised concerns. As the current president of the NEA-NM, a local teachers' union, she's taken steps to figure out who sent the directive, and why, by filing a complaint with the state. The district has until June 2nd to formally respond. 'They were terrified to be asked to give private information about their students,' Parr-Sanchez said about the teachers who brought the incident to her attention. The union argues the incident goes against a bargain reached by the district and teachers' union, arguing the directive is out of educators' agreed-upon 'work conditions.' They also believe it violates FERPA, a federal law that protects student privacy. 'Our mission is to educate every child that comes to our schools regardless of their race, ethnicity, country of origin,' Parr-Sánchez added. Española Public Schools said they've started an investigation into the concerns and will take appropriate action if any violations are found. It's unclear who, or why the directive was sent out. The district sid they are unable to comment further, as the investigation takes place. NEA-NM provided KRQE News 13 with a quote from the ACT testing group, that states 'ACT does not ask for, or collect information about examinees immigration status… this is not a requirement for taking our exams and is not information we collect or use in any way.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Alamogordo man believes he was bitten by shark off North Carolina coast
ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (KRQE) – A New Mexico man is back home and recovering after a wild encounter during a family vacation in North Carolina landed him in a hospital. Story continues below Entertainment: First-of-its-kind indoor pickleball facility coming to northeast Albuquerque Community: Albuquerque church leaning on faith after 2 members killed by their son Environment: What should New Mexicans do if they come across a raccoon? Sean Barton was visiting family in North Carolina when the fun day at Sunset Beach turned dangerous on Wednesday. 'I just got done riding a wave, standing up, I felt something bite down on calf-shin region, just bite down on my leg and then let go pretty quickly there after,' said Sean Barton. He said the adrenaline kicked in. 'Immediately I thought, 'I think I just got bit by a shark and I think I should probably get out of the water now,'' said Barton. He yelled for his nieces to get out of the water and ran onshore. Barton said his brother-in-law, a former Air Force EMT, patched him up on the beach chairs while his sister called 911. 'Overall, pretty scary. I'm glad it was me and not any of my nieces or any of the kids playing in the water. And definitely lucky that it wasn't a lot worse than it could've been,' said Barton. Barton ended up in the hospital with 11 stitches. Sunset Beach Fire Department also put out a release warning people about a potential shark in the water. 'You really never expect something like this to happen, especially when you look at the statistics. So, I don't know if it's necessarily a reason to fear the water, but you definitely have to respect that you're in the habitat of some of these creatures,' said Barton. He said this won't keep him from catching another wave. 'Making my way home now, back to the desert, maybe away from the ocean a little bit. I'll definitely be back in the water at some point in the near future,' said Barton. He has to have his stitches in for 10 more days. According the the Florida Natural History Museum, last year the U.S. had 28 confirmed unprovoked shark bite incidents which is 60% of bites worldwide. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
