Non-Local News Releases
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.
Traffic Alert: White Sands Missile Range - US 70 Roadblock
- Category: Non-Local News Releases Non-Local News Releases
- Published: 25 May 2023 25 May 2023
LAS CRUCES - The New Mexico Department of Transportation District One office (NMDOT) along with White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) have posted an alert for Friday, May 26, 2023.
US 70 will be blocked two times beginning at 6:25 a.m. and the second block will begin at 7:55 a.m. lasting approximately 1 hour each. The block will be located at 'BLUE Block' (2 miles east of the access road - Mile Marker 172) and at 'BROWN Block' (Mile Marker 192). Nike Avenue will also be impacted by this block; however, San Augustine Pass and Las Cruces Gate will remain open.
All roadblocks are subject to change without notice, please call WSMR at 575-678-2221/2222 for updates or go to New Mexico Department of Transportation: www.nmroads.com or call 511.
DFA Announces Federal Grants Workshops Across New Mexico
- Category: Non-Local News Releases Non-Local News Releases
- Published: 25 May 2023 25 May 2023
Federal Grants Bureau set to host statewide regional trainings beginning on May 31
SANTA FE – New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) announces a series of regional, in-person workshops designed to assist local, state, and tribal governments in obtaining and managing federal grants. The workshops are part of DFA's Federal Grants Bureau's (FGB) efforts to help local entities build the capacity to acquire federal funds and develop the expertise to manage them successfully.
"New Mexico communities have the opportunity to expand their rightful portion of federal grants, but acquiring federal funding requires familiarity, expertise, and capability, which is why we are hitting the road and visiting communities throughout the state," said DFA Cabinet Secretary Wayne Propst.
Spaceport America celebrates Virgin Galactic successful spaceship launch
- Category: Non-Local News Releases Non-Local News Releases
- Published: 25 May 2023 25 May 2023
SPACEPORT AMERICA, NEW MEXICO – May 25, 2023 – Spaceport America is elated to extend its congratulations to Virgin Galactic on the remarkable success of today’s Unity 25 Spaceship launch. This achievement marks a significant milestone in the history of commercial space travel and reinforces Spaceport America's position as a leading hub for innovation in the space industry.
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham stated, “Congratulations to Virgin Galactic and Spaceport America on a successful flight today. With the first commercial flights just a month away and 300 New Mexicans employed, our investment in this up-and-coming industry is clearly paying off. I also want to especially congratulate astronaut and New Mexican Jamila Gilbert for making it to space today!”
The Unity Spaceship, designed and developed by the team at Virgin Galactic, soared into the heavens, carrying the aspirations of individuals who seek to explore the cosmos. The execution of this mission demonstrates Virgin Galactic's commitment to pushing the boundaries of human space exploration.
Boat ramp opens for the first time in two years at New Mexico’s Storrie Lake State Park
- Category: Non-Local News Releases Non-Local News Releases
- Published: 24 May 2023 24 May 2023
Life jackets save lives, wear it! ¡Chalecos salvavidas salvan vidas, úsalos!
Santa Fe, NM – After a two-year hiatus, the State Parks Division (State Parks) of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department announces the boat ramp at Storrie Lake State Park near Las Vegas will re-open Friday, May 26, 2023, just in time for the busy Memorial Day weekend.
Widespread drought and extremely low water levels forced the closure of the Storrie Lake Boat Ramp on May 6, 2021. Now, thanks to recent rain and runoff from snowmelt, the lake has risen approximately 12 feet compared to the same time last year allowing the park to re-open the ramp to all types of watercraft.
“We’re looking forward to a great summer on the water,” said Wendy Mason, NM State Parks Marketing and Public Relations Manager. “The melting snowpack is expected to give us about another month of runoff in Northern New Mexico, and the recent rainstorms are a bonus.”
Governor reestablishes Organized Crime Commission to combat human and gun trafficking, overdose deaths
- Category: Non-Local News Releases Non-Local News Releases
- Published: 24 May 2023 24 May 2023
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:
PNM crews join nationwide utility collaboration project connecting families on the Navajo Nation to the power grid for the first time
- Category: Non-Local News Releases Non-Local News Releases
- Published: 24 May 2023 24 May 2023
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.
Department of Cultural Affairs Honors Military Members Through National Blue Star Museums Program
- Category: Non-Local News Releases Non-Local News Releases
- Published: 24 May 2023 24 May 2023
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.
Heinrich, Luján, Leger Fernández, Vasquez Announce $61 Million in Federal Funding to Lower Utility Costs, Improve Public Safety
- Category: Non-Local News Releases Non-Local News Releases
- Published: 24 May 2023 24 May 2023
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.”