NM health officials: 鈥極ne of the most severe鈥� flu seasons in recent years- Danielle Prokop,
Mid-May marks the end of widespread influenza infections across the country, wrapping up a flu season New Mexico health officials described as 鈥渙ne of the most severe鈥� in recent memory.
Hospitalizations and infection rates from influenza ran significantly higher this year, New Mexico Department of Health Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Chad Smelser told Source NM.
鈥淭he respiratory viruses following the pandemic are reestablishing themselves,鈥� Smelser said, 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want higher rates of these diseases in our populations because of the hospitalizations and deaths; it鈥檚 more important than ever that we recommend people stay up to date on immunizations, such as influenza, RSV and COVID.鈥�
A contagious respiratory virus, influenza can infect people year-round, but often spreads further in late fall through the early spring. The virus has several types and can mutate rapidly, often requiring new vaccines to address the specific strains to be developed each year.
While not as high as last year鈥檚 rates, influenza-like illness reports to the New Mexico Department of Health peaked later, in January this year, mirroring the national flu trends. The flu spread intensely in the state鈥檚 Southeastern portion, notably in Lincoln and Lea counties, according to NMDOH data.
Between Sept. 29 and May 3, New Mexico reported 1,916 hospitalizations for influenza, with seniors older than 75 accounting for nearly one-third of the cases and adults ages 18 to 49-years old another 20% of them.
Deaths from influenza and pneumonia, which can be a complication of influenza, decreased from the prior year by 32.5%. Between September and May, New Mexico 145 deaths from pneumonia, 76 adult influenza deaths and three pediatric influenza deaths.
About 27% of eligible New Mexicans received a flu shot this year and more than half of those were older than 65-years-old, .
New Mexico鈥檚 flu season tracked with nationwide trends. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classified the 2024-2025 flu season as 鈥渉igh severity鈥� overall for children, adults and seniors, the first high severity season since 2017-2018.
As of , influenza had infected approximately 47 million people, hospitalized 610,000 people and caused 27,000 deaths nationwide 鈥� including 226 children.The CDC estimates the hospitalization rate was the highest in the last 15 years.
The CDC also notes a decline in influenza vaccinations nationwide with 鈥� 10 million fewer than last year.
Smelser said consistent flu vaccination can protect against future strains of flu, as the virus mutates.
鈥淲e had a very severe year that caused a lot of impact both on the personal level and for their families, communities, loved ones but also economically, with missed days at work, at school,鈥� Smelser said. 鈥淲e really want people to stay up to date on all of their vaccines.鈥�
New state study suggests homelessness far undercounted in New Mexico- Patrick Lohmann,
The number of people experiencing homelessness recently in New Mexico is two to four times higher than previous estimates, according to a new research paper from the state health department.
In findings researchers announced Wednesday, nearly 31,000 unhoused people, including 869 children under age 5, sought care at non-federal hospitals in New Mexico between 2019 and 2013. Researchers arrived at that number by analyzing certain fields within 10 million patient visit records, searching for patient addresses being listed as known homeless shelters or simply 鈥渉omeless,鈥� among other indicators.
Quantifying the number of people who live on the streets in New Mexico is a 鈥減ervasive鈥� problem, the study notes. The annual 鈥減oint-in-time鈥� count, which the federal Housing and Urban Development department requires for certain federal grants, is an and can .
But it鈥檚 still considered an official count, and can be useful to detect trends, including huge increases in homelessness observed in Albuquerque and throughout the rest of the state in the . Read the study .
In what they described as a novel approach to counting the state鈥檚 unhoused population, New Mexico Department of Health researchers Hayley Peterson and Dylan Pell determined that 30,882 patients experiencing homelessness visit hospitals nearly 183,000 times between 2019 and 2023, or nearly six visits each. The number of unhoused patients was about 8,000 in 2019 and hit a peak of a little more than 10,500 in 2022.
鈥淧ublic health approaches that address infectious disease, environmental health, drug overdose, suicide and injury should include strategies to support [people experiencing homelessness] and promote stable housing,鈥� said Miranda Durham, Chief Medical Officer for the Department of Health, in a news release. 鈥淗ealth system interventions like screening for housing needs and linking people to housing services can have positive health impacts.鈥�
The new report鈥檚 numbers are far higher than the 鈥減oint-in-time鈥� counts for those years. In 2022, for example, volunteers counted about in homeless shelters and on the streets. In 2019, they counted 3,241.
The counties with the highest numbers of unhoused patients were Bernalillo, Santa Fe, Do帽a Ana and San Juan, according to the report.
Two-thirds of the patients were male, according to the report. Nearly 40% were Hispanic, another 40% were white, and 15% were American Indian or Alaska Native in a state where about
A little over 2,100 of the people counted, comprising 7% of the people the researchers counted, were under age 18.
The researchers also examined medical diagnoses the patients received, finding the top 鈥渃omorbidity鈥� along with homelessness, was alcohol-related disorders, with 17% of patients having that diagnosis. About 8% had a stimulant-related disorders, 7.1% had schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders and 4.8% were suicidal, among other common diagnoses, according to the report.
About 455 people were treated related to their pregnancy, a finding that indicates 鈥渁dditional supportive housing needs for families during a vulnerable life stage,鈥� researchers wrote.
The researchers determined that their method of counting and analyzing homelessness could help present a clearer picture of an issue that has long plagued the state.
鈥淭hese findings bolster understanding of homelessness in New Mexico and demonstrate that statewide healthcare system data can be used to report homelessness and its comorbidities,鈥� the authors write.
Senators and students sound the alarm on National Institutes of Health cuts- Noah Alcala Back and Cathy Cook,
A memo sent out to University of New Mexico researchers Friday urged them to spend all of their federal National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant funding as uncertainty looms over what income streams from Washington, D.C., to the largest college in New Mexico will remain.
That same day, a small crowd of citizens, students and faculty gathered at the UNM campus to send letters to their congresspeople asking them to 鈥渟tand up鈥� against funding freezes and cuts being implemented by the Trump administration. Approximately $36 million has been eliminated through NIH grant cuts at UNM in recent weeks, according to James Holloway, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs.
鈥淭hese grants support our understanding of the health of New Mexicans and advance our capacity to improve health outcomes across our state. 鈥� Our dedicated faculty and research staff are assessing what work they can continue, but losses of this magnitude cannot be easily or quickly replaced,鈥� Holloway said in a statement.
One of the students affected by those cuts was Khia Yang, a third-year Ph.D. student researching neurosciences via an NIH T32 Institutional Training Grant that she said was part of the federal funding slashes.
鈥淭his training program allowed students of underrepresented backgrounds to get three years of funding for their first three years of their Ph.D as part of the Biomedical Sciences graduate program,鈥� Yang said. 鈥淚t gives me a lot of concern for the future.鈥�
The Trump administration has effectively cut $2.7 billion in NIH funding in the first three months of 2025, according to a new Senate committee report authored by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. New Mexico鈥檚 Democratic Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luj谩n criticized President Donald Trump鈥檚 preliminary budget request, which proposed cutting funds for the NIH by $18 billion.
Trump鈥檚 budget proposal says NIH has 鈥渂roken the trust of the American people with wasteful spending, misleading information, risky research, and the promotion of dangerous ideologies.鈥�
鈥淣IH research would align with the president鈥檚 priorities to address chronic disease and other epidemics, implementing all executive orders, and eliminating research on climate change, radical gender ideology, and divisive racialism,鈥� the budget proposal reads.
Researchers at the university are 鈥減erpetually bobbing and weaving,鈥� in response to updates from funding agencies, according to the UNM memo. The latest change is extensions on deadlines for spending NIH grants have been temporarily disabled, so the university is encouraging its researchers to spend their grant money by the original deadlines.
Kalina Fahey was one of the event organizers and is a postdoctoral researcher at UNM focused on LGBTQ health.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a group that experiences significant health burden because of their marginalization in society. So to just say that鈥檚 not a priority is really hard to hear and really frustrating,鈥� Fahey said.
Because she doesn鈥檛 expect LGBTQ-related research grants to get approved over the next four years, Fahey is shifting gears, working on a grant application not focused on LGBTQ people. Instead, it looks at alcohol use in young adults.
Postdoctoral research fellow Nina Christie, another event organizer, is concerned about recruiting future scientists into the field.
鈥淲e鈥檙e now making it nearly impossible for early career people to see this as a stable or reasonable field to go into for their career,鈥� Christie said.
While not a student, Jackie Hertel, a retired Albuquerque resident, came to UNM on Friday to support the effort.
鈥淭here鈥檚 not going to be much of a future for them, as far as having freedoms and democracy and having a government that they can vote in and hope to have some impact, if they don鈥檛 act now,鈥� Hertel said.
The US has 1,001 measles cases and 11 states with active outbreaks- Associated Press
Kansas logged eight more cases of measles in a week, as state health officials try to tamp down an multi-county outbreak that is linked to the large one in the Southwest.
The U.S. surpassed 1,000 measles cases Friday, and still accounts for the vast majority of cases in an outbreak that also spread measles to New Mexico, Oklahoma and died from measles-related illnesses in and an who was not vaccinated died of a measles-related illness.
Other 鈥� which the CDC defines as three or more related cases 鈥� include Indiana, Michigan, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.
North America has . One outbreak in Ontario, Canada, has resulted in from mid-October through May 6 鈥� up 197 cases in the last reported week. Alberta, Canada, also has a growing outbreak that has sickened . And the had 1,194 measles cases and one death as of Wednesday, according to data from the state health ministry.
is caused by a highly contagious virus that鈥檚 airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is , and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.
As the virus takes hold in , health experts fear that spread . Here鈥檚 what else you
How many measles cases are there in Texas?There are a total of 717 cases across , state health officials said Tuesday. The state confirmed only eight more cases since its update Friday.
The state also added one hospitalization to its count, for a total of 93 throughout the outbreak.
about 1% of cases 鈥� fewer than 10 鈥� are actively infectious. Fifty-seven percent of Texas鈥� cases are in Gaines County, population 22,892, where the virus started spreading in a close-knit, undervaccinated Mennonite community. The county has had 405 cases since late January 鈥� just over 1.7% of the county鈥檚 residents.
The April 3 death in Texas was an according to Local health officials said the child did not have underlying health conditions and died of 鈥渨hat the child鈥檚 doctor described as measles pulmonary failure.鈥� A unvaccinated in late February; Kennedy said the child was 6.
How many measles cases are there in New Mexico?New Mexico remained steady with 71 total cases Tuesday. Seven people have been hospitalized since the outbreak started. Most of the state鈥檚 cases are in Lea County. Three are in Eddy County, two in Don虄a Ana County and Chaves and Curry counties have one each.
An unvaccinated adult died of . The person did not seek medical care.
How many cases are there in Oklahoma?Oklahoma held steady with a total of 14 confirmed and three probable cases as of Tuesday.
The state health department is not releasing which counties have cases, but Cleveland, Oklahoma and Sequoyah counties have had public exposures in the past couple of months.
How many cases are there in Kansas?
has a total of 56 cases across 10 counties in the southwestern part of the state, with two hospitalizations. All but two of the cases are connected, and most of the cases are in Gray County.
How many cases are there in Indiana?
Indiana has eight cases, all of them in Allen County in the northeast part of the state. The cases have no known link to other outbreaks, the Allen County Department of Health has said.
How many cases are there in Michigan?Michigan has eight confirmed cases of measles, with an outbreak of four connected cases in Montcalm County in the western part of the state that health officials say is tied to the Ontario outbreak.
State health officials said Wednesday that what they thought was a ninth case wasn't after further testing; a child had an unrelated illness but initially tested positive for measles because they recently got the vaccine.
Vaccination does not cause measles and people who are recently vaccinated are not contagious. The measles vaccine contains a weakened form of the live virus that can trigger an immune system response that shows up on early tests.
How many cases are there in Montana?
Montana added three new measles cases in the last two weeks, bringing the total to eight. The state's outbreak started in mid-April in southwestern Gallatin County 鈥� Montana鈥檚 first measles cases in 35 years. Health officials didn鈥檛 say whether the cases are linked to other outbreaks in North America.
How many cases are there in North Dakota?
North Dakota has 11 cases of measles as of Sunday. The state hadn't seen measles since 2011, health officials said.
State health officials announced two new cases in Cass County on the eastern side of the state. The rest are in Williams County in western North Dakota on the Montana border and are not linked to Cass County.
The state health department says three of the confirmed cases in Williams County are linked to the first case 鈥� an unvaccinated child who health officials believe got it from an out-of-state visitor.
The other five cases were people who were not vaccinated and did not have contact with the other cases, causing concern about community transmission. The state health department said four people diagnosed with measles attended classes while infectious at a Williston elementary school, middle school and high school.
How many cases are there in Ohio?
Ohio has 34 measles cases and one hospitalization, according to the Ohio Department of Health. That count includes only Ohio residents.
The state has two outbreaks: Ashtabula County near Cleveland has 16 cases, and Knox County in east-central Ohio has 20 鈥� 14 among Ohio residents and the rest among visitors.
Allen, Cuyahoga, Holmes and Defiance counties have one case each.
How many cases are there in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has 15 cases overall in 2025 as of Friday, including international travel-related cases in .
There were eight measles cases in Erie County in far northwest Pennsylvania in late April; the county declared an outbreak in mid-April.
How many cases are there in Tennessee?
Tennessee had six measles cases as of early May. Health department spokesman Bill Christian said all cases are the middle part of the state, and that 鈥渁t least three of these cases are linked to each other鈥� but declined to specify further. The state also did not say whether the cases were linked to other outbreaks or when Tennessee鈥檚 outbreak started.
Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.?
Measles cases also have been reported in Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.
Cases and outbreaks in the U.S. are frequently traced to . In 2019, the U.S. saw 1,274 cases and almost lost its status of having eliminated measles.
What do you need to know about the MMR vaccine?The best way to avoid measles is to get the vaccine. The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old and the second between 4 and 6 years old.
Getting another MMR shot as an adult is harmless if there are concerns about waning immunity, the CDC says. People who have documentation of receiving a live measles vaccine in the 1960s don鈥檛 need to be revaccinated, but people who were immunized before 1968 with an ineffective vaccine made from 鈥渒illed鈥� virus should be revaccinated with at least one dose, the agency said.
People who have documentation that they had measles are immune, and those born before 1957 generally don鈥檛 need the shots because so many children got measles back then that they have 鈥減resumptive immunity."
Measles has a harder time spreading through communities with high vaccination rates 鈥� above 95% 鈥� due to 鈥渉erd immunity.鈥� But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.
What are the symptoms of measles?
Measles first infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing a high fever, runny nose, cough, red, watery eyes and a rash.
The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.
Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.
How can you treat measles?
There鈥檚 no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute鈥檚 Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
NM budget expert expects Medicaid work requirements out of Congress - Austin Fisher,
One of the New Mexico Legislature鈥檚 top budget advisers says he expects the federal government鈥檚 planned budget cuts to make it harder to qualify for the state鈥檚 health insurance program for low-income people.
Medicaid is under threat from the executive branch and Congress. On Sunday, House Republicans released a plan that the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office would cut $715 billion cut to Medicaid funding. As of publication on Tuesday, a U.S. House committee tasked with that work on the proposals.
Also on Tuesday, at the state 鈥檚 first meeting since this year鈥檚 legislative session, Director Charles Sallee told lawmakers that in the worst-case scenario, the Republican proposal would translate to cuts of more than $1.1 billion for New Mexico鈥檚 Medicaid program.
Sallee said work requirements for some Medicaid patients are 鈥済uaranteed鈥� to be included in the Congressional budget as an additional eligibility condition for nondisabled adults without dependents on Medicaid. That could dramatically increase the number of people who don鈥檛 qualify for health insurance under the program, he said.
鈥淚t remains to be seen just how tough Congress will make the work requirements,鈥� Sallee said.
Whether people who lose their Medicaid coverage will be able to find a low-cost or free alternative health insurance policy through the state鈥檚 BeWell exchange, or lose coverage altogether remains an open question, he said.
Sallee also said provider taxes, which the state government levies on nurses and hospitals, are on the chopping block. That could upend programs designed to enhance service quality in those facilities, he said.
Sen. Linda Trujillo (D-Santa Fe) asked whether Congress is considering the potential increase in social costs of people losing their health insurance, and Sallee said no.
鈥淧art of the benefit of giving people access to health insurance is that they鈥檒l go to their doctor for ear infections or things that you don鈥檛 need to go to the emergency room for,鈥� Trujillo said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 an indirect cost that鈥檚 going to increase, because it costs thousands of dollars more to go and get your ear looked at in an emergency room than it does to go to your health care provider.鈥�
Court battle looms after ethics board rules Bernalillo County treasurer broke conduct code with hire - Justin Garcia,
Bernalillo County Treasurer Tim Eichenberg violated the code of conduct when he hired former County Clerk Linda Stover the day after her term ended, according to a Tuesday ruling from a county ethics board.
However, the Bernalillo County Code of Conduct Review Board left the door open to Eichenberg鈥檚 argument, contending that he is bound to state law 鈥� not county ordinance 鈥� when choosing who he hires as deputy county treasurer. The review board said they could not rule on that argument because they lacked the jurisdiction to do so.
鈥淭he ruling in today鈥檚 Code of Conduct hearing upholds the integrity of Bernalillo County鈥檚 Code of Conduct Ordinance,鈥� County Commission Chair Eric Olivas said in a statement. 鈥淭he Code of Conduct is specifically designed to guide our ethical behavior as public servants to maximize the public trust in government and ensure accountability and transparency. Elected officials must wait one year after their term ends to enter into a contract or paid position with the county.鈥�
The County鈥檚 Code of Conduct, which is meant to limit the possibility of corruption and promote fairness, calls for a 鈥渃ooling off鈥� period that prohibits elected officials from holding positions in the government for up to a year after their term. But Eichenberg ignored that rule when he hired Stover on Jan. 1, 2025.
Stover was elected clerk in 2016 and served the maximum two terms allowed. She left the office on Dec. 31, 2024, and was hired by Eichenberg the next day with an annual salary of $128,265, according to the county鈥檚 transparency page.
The county manager鈥檚 office declined an opportunity to comment on the matter.
The ruling sends the issue to the county manager鈥檚 office to review the hiring decision, even as a separate process plays out in district court.
Eichenberg told the Journal that he was disappointed that the review board could not consider state law or some of Stover鈥檚 arguments.
鈥淚鈥檓 grateful to the board that they recognize that the district court will need to fix this,鈥� Eichenberg said.
Eichenberg has challenged the county ordinance鈥檚 authority in 2nd Judicial District Court on two fronts after the County Commission sent the matter to the conduct review board earlier this year.
First, he argued that a 3-2 vote in December 2024 to repeal a portion of the code of conduct ordinance should have nullified the ordinance. The reason the 鈥渃ooling off鈥� period is still on the books is because the County Commission contends that the measure needed a vote of at least 4-1 to repeal.
Eichenberg鈥檚 second argument is that state law supersedes county law. Eichenberg pointed out in his lawsuit that the state constitution permits all elected county officials to hire deputies.
Further, he argues that other court rulings have found that county laws, particularly those around merit systems, cannot infringe on this permission. That鈥檚 a point that the New Mexico Department of Justice agrees with, according to a 2024 opinion issued by Attorney General Ra煤l Torrez.
Eichenberg has asked a district judge to weigh the matter and decide who鈥檚 right. A hearing in that case has not yet been scheduled. Eichenberg confirmed to the Journal that Stover has remained a part of his team despite the ongoing dispute.
The Conduct Review Board鈥檚 decision is not final until they send a written order to the county manager. A county spokesperson said that should happen by May 28.
20 Democratic attorneys general sue Trump administration over conditions placed on federal funds - By Kimberlee Kruesi, Associated Press
A coalition of 20 state Democratic attorneys general filed two federal lawsuits on Tuesday, claiming that the Trump administration is threatening to withhold billions of dollars in transportation and disaster-relief funds unless states agree to certain immigration enforcement actions.
According to the complaints, both Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy have threatened to cut off funding to states that refuse to comply with President Donald Trump's immigration agenda.
While no federal funding is currently being withheld, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said during a news conference on Tuesday that the threat was "imminent."
"President Donald Trump can't use these funds as a bargaining chip as his way of ensuring states abide by his preferred policies," Bonta added.
Department of Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that the lawsuit will not stop the Trump Administration from "restoring the rule of law."
"Cities and states who break the law and prevent us from arresting criminal illegal aliens should not receive federal funding. The President has been clear on that," she said.
Duffy said in a statement that the 20 states have filed the lawsuit because "their officials want to continue breaking federal law and putting the needs of illegal aliens above their own citizens."
Both lawsuits say that the Trump administration is violating the U.S. Constitution by trying to dictate federal spending when Congress has that power 鈥� not the executive branch.
On April 24, states received letters from the Department of Transportation stating that they must cooperate on immigration efforts and eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs or risk losing funds.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin criticized the timing of Duffy's letter when Newark's airport struggles with radar outages and other issues.
"I wish the administration would stop playing politics with people's lives," Platkin said. "I wish Secretary Duffy would do his damn job, which is to make sure planes land on time, not to direct immigration enforcement."
Meanwhile, on Feb. 24, states received letters from the Department of Homeland Security declaring that states that "refuse to cooperate with, refuse to share information with, or even actively obstruct federal immigration enforcement reject these ideals and the history we share in common as Americans."
"If any government entity chooses to thumb its nose at the Department of Homeland Security's national security and public safety mission, it should not receive a single dollar of the Department's money unless Congress has specifically required it," Noem wrote in her letter.
Attorneys general behind the lawsuits include the following states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin and Vermont.
The cases are being spearheaded by California and Illinois, but they were filed in federal court in Rhode Island, a detail that the attorneys general defended by saying they filed in "any court that is going to be fair and objective and consider our factual presentation and legal analysis."
The lawsuits are the latest legal actions that Democratic-led states have taken against Trump since he took office earlier this year. Bonta noted that California has filed more than 20 lawsuits against the administration, while Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said his state has launched more than a dozen.
While the lawsuits have challenged policies on tariffs, federal employee firings and health care research, Trump's focus on immigration enforcement and the mass deportation of immigrants in the United States illegally have received the most attention.
This has included the president's promise to mass deport people and the start of a registry required for all those who are in the country illegally.
"What we're seeing is a creeping authoritarianism," Neronha said.
Albuquerque orders Ezee Fiber to halt construction amid resident complaints - Kevin Hendricks,
The City of Albuquerque has issued a cease and desist order to Ezee Fiber, demanding the fiber optic company immediately halt all construction activities within city limits.
This comes after a surge in resident complaints regarding unsafe and incomplete work associated with fiber internet installations. This marks the second internet provider to face such action in recent months, signaling a heightened effort by the city to enforce standards and ensure companies operate responsibly within neighborhoods.
鈥淲e鈥檙e all for better internet, but it has to be done the right way,鈥� said Mayor Tim Keller. 鈥淚f a company鈥檚 digging in front of your house, they should be knocking on your door, leaving their phone number, and fixing what they break鈥攏o excuses. We鈥檙e listening to folks and making sure these companies do right by our neighborhoods.鈥�
Ezee Fiber, one of three companies licensed to install broadband in Albuquerque, was officially notified last week of its violation of the agreement with the city. The company is now required to stop all work. Key issues leading to the order include:
- Unrepaired property damage and utility hits
- Open holes, potholes, and sidewalks left unrestored
- Work conducted outside of allowed hours
- Subcontractors working without visible identification
- A gas line hit by a subcontractor who failed to follow New Mexico Public Regulation Commission Pipeline Safety Bureau鈥檚 safety requirements
The City鈥檚 Planning Department, Department of Municipal Development, and the Broadband Office are collaborating with the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission鈥檚 Pipeline Safety Bureau and utility companies to ensure responsible and safe fiber installation projects. Ezee Fiber currently has 46 active construction crews in Albuquerque, a number the city now considers excessive given the ongoing problems.
鈥淔iber broadband is essential for our city鈥檚 future. From telehealth, to remote learning, to work-from-home, our residents are living increasingly digitally connected lives, and we need to ensure our infrastructure can support that,鈥� said Broadband Program Manager Catherine Nicolaou. 鈥淲e are taking these steps to be sure the companies in our market are doing quality work so eventually everyone will have more broadband options available.鈥�
In response to the mounting concerns, the city is implementing new regulations for internet service providers, including work area limits to prevent overextension. The city is also increasing enforcement of existing rules:
- Proof of Direct Resident Notification: Providers must send certified mail or provide documented notice before work begins in a neighborhood.
- Vehicle Identification: All contractor vehicles must clearly indicate which internet provider they are working for.
- Fines for Violations: The Department of Municipal Development will issue fines for barricade violations and other failures to follow safety protocols.
Stop-work orders will remain in effect until companies demonstrate full compliance. Vexus Fiber is still under a stop-work order issued in March, while Gigapower had its order lifted after meeting compliance requirements.
鈥淲e鈥檝e seen an increase in the number of citizen complaints, and Ezee Fiber hasn鈥檛 taken enough action to address these despite the City bringing them to their attention,鈥� said Planning Department Director Alan Varela. 鈥淭hese private companies must take better care of our community, and we will not stand for less.鈥�
Residents with issues should report them directly to the providers listed on construction notices or call 311.
鈥淐onstruction in Albuquerque must meet our rigorous standards, and we are committed to ensuring our roadways, sidewalks, and utilities remain accessible and in good repair,鈥� said Department of Municipal Development Director Jennifer Turner.
District 8 City Councilor Dan Champine introduced a resolution at the May 5 Albuquerque City Council meeting in response to the growing concerns surrounding ongoing fiber internet installation throughout Albuquerque. The resolution proposes a temporary moratorium on the acceptance of new fiber internet installation permits and the creation of a working group to thoroughly reevaluate the City鈥檚 current permitting criteria and other required standards.
While Champine acknowledged the importance of upgraded fiber optic infrastructure for Albuquerque鈥檚 residents and businesses, he said that the extensive installation activities taking place in neighborhoods, side streets and major roads have generated significant disruption and numerous complaints from residents. These complaints include concerns regarding inadequate notice of construction, improper marking of work zones, damage to utilities and landscaping, delayed cleanup of excavated materials, untimely pothole repairs and work being conducted outside of permitted hours.
鈥淲hile the City does not perform the installation work itself, it is responsible for ensuring that all projects are properly permitted and adhere to necessary standards,鈥� Champine said. 鈥淭hese installations are carried out by private fiber providers and their contracted crews, who operate under license agreements with the City and must comply with City construction specifications and ordinances, including the Street Excavation Ordinance.鈥�
Arizona governor signs 'Emily's Law' to alert when Native Americans go missing - By Sejal Govindarao and Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press
Arizona's governor on Tuesday signed legislation to create an alert system for Native Americans who have gone missing in the state, a measure that won unanimous approval from lawmakers in the wake of the disappearance and death of a San Carlos Apache teen.
With Gov. Katie Hobbs' signature, Arizona becomes the latest state to join a movement that began in 2022 in Washington state to use alert systems to quickly share information about cases involving Native Americans.
Colorado, California and other states have adopted their own versions of such systems. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham recently signed what is known as "turquoise alert" legislation, and North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong approved a "feather alert." The alerts take their names from items that hold spiritual and cultural significance to Native Americans.
Arizona's "turquoise alert" legislation is also referred to as "Emily's Law" to honor Emily Pike, whose remains were found Feb. 14 more than 100 miles (161 kilometers) from a group home she left in Mesa, Arizona, in late January. Pike's death spurred a resurgence of activism aimed at bringing more awareness to the disproportionate number of disappearances and violent deaths that have gripped Native American communities for decades, and prompted lawmakers to amend the bill to recognize her.
"It breaks my heart that we, the state of Arizona, didn't even go looking for this little girl. No one looked for her," said bill sponsor Rep. Teresa Martinez while on the House floor last week. "We cannot let children go missing without somebody being alerted."
Martinez's great niece is a member of the Gila River Indian Community.
The Federal Communications Commission voted last year to establish a new national alert code for delivering messages to the public via television, radio and wireless phones about missing and endangered persons cases.
The commission reported that in 2023, more than 188,000 people who fall outside of the criteria for Amber Alerts went missing, noting that the new code will be particularly beneficial to Native American, Alaska Native and Black communities. Those groups constitute 40% of missing people in the U.S. despite each making up much smaller percentages of the overall population, according to the commission.
States have various alert programs that cover cases that can include children, specific minorities, people with disabilities and older adults. California in 2024 rolled out "ebony alerts" to inform the public about missing Black youths. Supporters say there have been successful outcomes with that system but that law enforcement could be issuing more alerts for those cases that meet the requirements.
The Arizona legislation creates a rapid response system for issuing and coordinating alerts for people reported missing under the age of 65, including those who are members of federally recognized tribes, if law enforcement finds the individual could be in danger or missing under unexplained or suspicious circumstances.
"Like my sister says, even though she's not here with us, she's still making a difference," Pike's uncle, Allred Pike Jr., said in an interview Friday.
Pike's mother, Steff Dosela, has told reporters that it took a week for her to hear about her daughter's disappearance from the group home. Lawmakers in the Arizona Senate are looking into Arizona Department of Child Services' group home regulations.
The FBI announced last week that it was offering a $75,000 reward for information that would identify the person or people responsible for the disappearance and killing of Pike, whose remains were recovered by Gila County sheriff's deputies on state land near the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. The reward is in addition to the $75,000 already being offered by the San Carlos Apache Tribe.
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Montoya Bryan reported from Albuquerque, New Mexico.