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New Mexico Teams Up with Local Dairies to Fight Toxic PFAS Pollution from Cannon Air Force Base

Juan Oliveros
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New Mexico Teams Up with Local Dairies to Fight Toxic PFAS Pollution from Cannon Air Force Base

The New Mexico Environment Department has inked four agreements with Curry County dairies as part of efforts to investigate and clean up groundwater contaminated by toxic chemicals traced to firefighting foam used at Cannon Air Force Base. Officials said the agreements are part of the way forward to address a four-mile PFAS plume that spread into nearby communities.

NMED took the lead and will initially fund the effort while seeking reimbursement from the United States Air Force. “We have stood in solidarity with our dairy industry since the toxic PFAS contamination was discovered in their water, land, herds, workers, and family members,” Environment Secretary James Kenney said in a statement released on March 12.

PFAS, short for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, are man-made chemicals that do not break down in the environment. They are called “forever chemicals” because they remain in the human body forever.

NMED offered to lead cleanup work outside the base during a public meeting in January 2026. The department asked the Air Force to fund the initiative. It reiterated the proposal in a letter sent to federal officials on January 28.

The Air Force still has to respond. It cited its ongoing lawsuit against the state, signaling that federal authorities do not intend to partner with either the NMED or landowners in the near future.

The contamination has had adverse impacts on local agriculture. Highland Dairy, a family-run operation in Curry County, had to euthanize over 3,600 dairy cows after PFAS poisoning.

The department launched the New Mexico PFAS Blood Testing Program in Fall 2024. It offered free blood testing to adults who either lived or worked near the base. NMED’s final report indicated that 99.7 percent of the 628 participants had PFOS in their blood. PFOS is a form of PFAS commonly used in military and airport firefighting foam.

In October last year, the New Mexico Legislature approved a $12-million appropriation to replace PFAS-tainted water. It allowed those who relied on private wells within the PFAS plume area to access safe water.

NMED also began installing free water filters for private well owners in the contaminated zone in December 2025. As of March 6, the department said 47 filtration systems had been installed.

Several lawsuits are now ongoing seeking to hold the United States Department of Defense responsible for the contamination. New Mexico has already spent more than $12 million in technical and legal costs related to the cases.

More than $10,000 LEGOs Stolen in Albuquerque

Ruben Reyes
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More than $10,000 LEGOs Stolen in Albuquerque

Albuquerque Police Department says three men went into stealing spree at a local Target store, acquiring more than $10,000 worth of Lego.

Three suspects were identified as Alfonso Yribe, Matthew Marquez and Martin Gonzales. Yribe and Marquez were both arrested by the police while Gonzales still remain at large.

According to police, Yribe and Marquez are accused stealing them and reselling them to local businesses. Court documents shows that some Lego sets had GPS trackers that helped officials in tracking them.

Yribe appeared in court Thursday, while Marquez has been moved due to another case. The prosecutors put them jail while in trial.

New Mexico is Racing to Dominate the Trillion-Dollar Quantum Computing Industry. And Why it Matters.

Juan Oliveros
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New Mexico is Racing to Dominate the Trillion-Dollar Quantum Computing Industry. And Why it Matters.

State leaders are positioning New Mexico as a national hub for quantum computing, believing that the emerging technology could transform the local economy and create hundreds of high-tech jobs.

Quantum computing is widely seen as the next frontier in computing. It is attracting interest from states across the United States. But state officials say the state already has a competitive advantage due to its concentration of research institutions and federal laboratories.

“Two years earlier, we would have been too early for quantum. But two years from now, it will be too late,” said Economic Development Department Secretary Rob Black. He underscored the urgency of investing in the sector.

Momentum in quantum computing

The state has the momentum due to the presence of world-class research centers such as Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories. Both institutions are at the forefront of quantum technology development. The University of New Mexico Quantum Institute is another state asset, widely considered as one of the leading academic programs in the field.

The principles of quantum mechanics underpin the development of quantum computers, performing calculations that would take traditional computers far longer to complete. Quantum computing could revolutionize industries from finance, logistics, bioscience, and communications.

“Quantum computing has the capability of radically transforming our ability to innovate,” said Robert Ledoux. “It could be in finance, communications, logistics, navigation, computing, bioscience.”

$1-trillion industry

Analysts project the quantum computing sector could grow into a $1-trillion global industry by 2035. State officials aim to capture a substantial share of that market; lawmakers approved more than $100 million in incentives to attract quantum technology companies.

One of these companies is Qunnect, which opened the United States’ first open-ended quantum network in Albuquerque. “Other companies and researchers from national labs and universities can all come and use this network as a facility,” said Noel Goddard, CEO of Qunnect.

State officials say the sector has the potential to create thousands of jobs in the near future as the industry expands.

In 2024, New Mexico became the first quantum hub in the United States when it partnered with Colorado. University of New Mexico researchers consider offering an undergraduate degree in quantum science to help build the future workforce.

Why it matters

Quantum computing could transform industries and national economies. New Mexico hopes that investing early will help secure a leading role in what experts believe will be one of the most transformative technologies of the coming decades.

Scientist Uses Sunlight not Just to Power Homes, But to Roast Chile and Protect Crops

Juan Oliveros
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Scientist Uses Sunlight not Just to Power Homes, But to Roast Chile and Protect Crops

He grew up on a chile farm in New Mexico and transformed traditional farming practices by using solar technology.

Kenneth Armijo, a principal R&D systems engineer and scientist at Sandia National Laboratories, first made waves in 2022 with his experiment in roasting chile using concentrated sunlight — an endeavor inspired by his roots in Sabinal, a farming village between Albuquerque and Socorro.

An episode of the New Mexico PBS cultural series “Colores!” will feature his story in “Harvesting the Sunshine, Conserving the Rio Grande.” The episode will be on air at 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, on New Mexico PBS Channel 5.1. It will also be available for streaming on the PBS app.

Producer and director Tara Walch said she came to know of Armijo’s work while researching Lemitar chile peppers and stories on farming traditions in the Rio Grande Valley. “I’m always interested in farming practices and farming stories,” Walch said. “When I found out about Ken’s 2022 project and his new work with local farms, it was a no-brainer.”

The episode brings to the fore on an agrivoltaics research project at the Rio Grande Community Farm in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque. Agrivoltaics, combining solar energy production with agriculture, allows farmers to install solar panels while they grow crops beneath them.

Armijo’s innovation began with a simple observation from his family’s farm: berry bushes growing under tree shade often produced better yields.

That insight led him to test solar panels placed above crops to shield them from intense sunlight. Some panels can be raised or lowered to adjust light levels, while transparent panels allow full sunlight for crops that need it.

“With this innovation, it can even protect crops from hail,” Walch said. “He’s finding ways to innovate farming while preserving the culture he grew up in.”

Walch filmed the segment in August and September in two locations, Medanales and Los Ranchos. She said stories like Armijo’s show how communities can adapt through innovation rooted in tradition as the environment rapidly changes due to climate pressures.

“What fascinates me is people being creative and taking into account their cultural values,” Walch said. “Ken is a perfect example of the old and new worlds coming together to benefit the whole community.”

History in Recordings: Project Brings Hundreds of New Mexico Spanish Archives Online

Grace Tackman
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History in Recordings: Project Brings Hundreds of New Mexico Spanish Archives Online

Think 20th-century New Mexicans have nothing to teach us today? Think again.

The basement of Zimmerman library holds recordings that preserve the stories and wisdom of 20th-century New Mexicans. Voices of community elders and leaders, often speaking Spanish unique to the region, still echo through the tapes.

Samuel Sisneros, archivist at the Center for Southwest Research (CSWR), and María Feliza Monta-Jameson, fellow at the Center for Regional Studies, lead the New Mexico Spanish Language Archival Recovery Project. They work to preserve archival collections of audio and video interviews of native New Mexico Spanish speakers.

Monta-Jameson works to digitize interviews recorded on old technology and upload them to the University of New Mexico’s digital repository. 

“We’re linking the previous way of doing things to modern technology and making it more accessible. A lot of these collections have been sitting in boxes, and we’re losing ways to play them because the technology isn’t trustworthy anymore,” said Sisneros through UNM News.

Archival Recovery Efforts

This project gathers the earliest and most extensive collection of recorded New Mexico spoken Spanish. Regional community elders shared their knowledge in interviews aimed at documenting local population knowledge. 

“Our hope is that people can find this footage easily,” Monta-Jameson said. “Oftentimes the descendants of those who participated in the interviews find the archive. We want to keep collective memory of Nuevo Mexicano culture alive.” 

The variation in technology limits access to the media. They must reprocess the files into electronic formats to make them widely available. They also remove long pauses and fix technical problems. Finally, they write abstracts to explain each clip’s context. So far, they have digitized around 800 interviews.

Monta-Jameson said that her first language, Spanish, and her background in the educational linguistics program helped them. This knowledge, combined with Sisneros’s expertise, has allowed them to quickly digitize hundreds of interviews since the project began in 2025. 

Inspiration Behind the Project

Sisneros said a famous show produced in New Mexico inspired this project. The Val De La O Show became one of the first nationally syndicated Spanish-language television programs. It was on air from the 1960s until 1985. De La O was considered the “Spanish equivalent of Johnny Carson.” 

“It enriches the knowledge in terms of linguistic features because I now understand better why the varieties of Spanish spoken in different areas encapsulate the culture and the people who speak that language,” Monta-Jameson said. 

Santa Teresa Residents: Free Workshop Can Help You Land $27/hr Tech Jobs

Juan Oliveros
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Santa Teresa Residents: Free Workshop Can Help You Land $27/hr Tech Jobs

Doña Ana Community College (DACC) is hosting a free workshop to help interested individuals in critical operations technician apprentice positions.

No experience? It is not a problem. The training will help applicants strengthen their chances by guiding them through the application process and job interview. The state will pay $27.33 per hour for these paid training roles.

Why you should care

Santa Teresa’s economy is growing rapidly due to manufacturing, logistics, and other expanding industries. This workshop gives residents the opportunity to take advantage of a direct path to in-demand, high-paying technical jobs.

The roles are part of Project Jupiter, a major investment to bring an innovative data center campus to Doña Ana County. Technicians help maintain and oversee essential infrastructure and systems. A high school diploma and mechanical aptitude are all that each applicant needs.

Place and date

The workshop will be held at DACC Workforce Center in Sta. Teresa on Thursday, March 12, from 5 to 7 p.m. This is a chance for people who want to start a technical career in their community without prior expeience.

For School Nurse of the Year: APS Accepts Nominations Until April 13

Grace Tackman
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For School Nurse of the Year: APS Accepts Nominations Until April 13

Know a school nurse with a true heart for service? They could be the next School Nurse of the Year at Albuquerque Public Schools (APS). 

APS has officially opened nominations for the annual School Nurse of the Year award. The district invites the community to recognize healthcare professionals who provide exceptional care and support to students, families, and schools.

APS will accept nominations until April 13. 

The award aims to honor dedicated individuals who go above and beyond in their roles. Any member of the public can submit a nomination.

Nominees must currently serve as school nurses at APS with at least three years of experience. A diverse selection committee of APS employees from district-level departments, including counseling, family engagement, and communications, will review the submissions.

APS says all nominees and the eventual awardee will be celebrated at a special end-of-year ceremony.

In 2025, APS named Kristin Grenemeyer of Desert Ridge Middle School its School Nurse of the Year. She received the award on National School Nurse Day on May 7. 

APS highlights how Grenemeyer shows dedication to student well-being in every corner of the school.

“Whether administering daily medications, maintaining confidentiality or providing personalized care for students with complex medical needs, Grenemeyer ensures no detail is overlooked. Her deep knowledge of school health, special education requirements and IEPs allows her to provide tailored support for students—and critical training for the staff who work with them,” says APS in a report. 

New Mexico is Going All-In on Fusion Energy, With a $1 Billion Research Hub Set to Rise in the Desert Outside Albuquerque

Juan Oliveros
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New Mexico is Going All-In on Fusion Energy, With a $1 Billion Research Hub Set to Rise in the Desert Outside Albuquerque

A desert outside Albuquerque could soon become ground zero for one of the world’s most ambitious energy experiments. Pacific Fusion plans to build a $1-billion research facility in the vast desert to recreate nuclear fusion.

The New Mexico State Investment Council, the body that manages revenues from oil and gas, supported the project. State officials encouraged the nuclear startup to pursue the research project.

The project has gained strong backing from the New Mexico State Investment Council, the state body that manages billions of dollars from oil and gas revenues. Officials encouraged the startup to pursue its large-scale plans and signaled that financing could be mobilized if private capital proved insufficient.

To support the emerging fusion industry, mimicking the process that powers the sun and stars, the state’s sovereign wealth fund has already committed hundreds of millions of dollars to venture capital firms developing fusion technologies and related innovations.

Revamping an expensive program

The push is part of a broader strategy to revive returns from the state’s private equity investments. Officials recently overhauled a long-running economic development initiative and replaced it with a venture capital program aimed at backing companies that can grow within New Mexico.

The investment council is now ramping up funding for venture firms searching for breakthroughs in defense technology, advanced manufacturing, and clean energy, while encouraging them to invest locally.

Although the program represents only a small portion of the state’s roughly $70-billion investment pool, its impact could be significant. Earnings from the fund help finance more than 20% of New Mexico’s government spending, including public education and universal childcare programs.

State-level investment programs often produced mixed results elsewhere. In 2023, the Alaska Permanent Fund began phasing out its own in-state investment strategy after officials concluded it was not delivering the best returns.

But the approach is different in New Mexico, officials said. “Programs tend not to work when they’re not set up to make money,” Chris Cassidy, the council’s director of private equity and venture capital, said in a Bloomberg report. “We want financial returns as well as economic impact.”

Billions flowing into venture funds

The New Mexico State Investment Council has invested about $1.8 billion in dozens of venture capital funds. Since 2022, nearly one in every five dollars (20 percent) the fund allocates to private equity has gone to supporting companies in the state.

The state is inclined toward industries where it believes it has a competitive edge. That includes aerospace and defense technology.

New Mexico hosts two major US Department of Energy laboratories, the Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories. It is also home to Spaceport America, near the U.S. Army White Sands Missile Range in southern New Mexico,

Defense industry expansion

One such company is Castelion, a defense startup founded by former SpaceX engineers. It recently started a massive manufacturing site in Sandoval County to produce hypersonic missiles. The project could create at least 300 jobs and generate more than $650 million in economic output for the state over the next decade, according to the company.

But the fusion energy could be New Mexico’s most ambitious gamble. Although researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California demonstrated fusion ignition in 2022, the practical application of that brief laboratory breakthrough is still a major challenge.

The three-year-old Pacific Fusion is among many startups trying to commercialize the technology. Experts, however, remain cautious. “Nobody really knows what it’s going to cost,” said Steve Koonin, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. “You have to be patient and risk-tolerant to invest in this.”

State officials, however, believe the potential rewards could be transformative. “This is unimaginably good in terms of an opportunity for New Mexico,” Bruce Brown, who leads strategic climate initiatives for the state investment fund, said.

“It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen,” Brown, who leads strategic climate initiatives for the nation’s second-largest sovereign wealth fund, added.

Preparing Your Child for School? APS Hosts Kindergarten Roundup

Grace Tackman
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Preparing Your Child for School? APS Hosts Kindergarten Roundup

What’s in store for children entering kindergarten next school year? Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) outlines its plans for incoming young students.

APS invites parents and guardians of incoming kindergarten students to attend the Kindergarten Roundup on Friday, March 20, 2026. The event runs from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Berna Facio Professional Development Center, 3315 Louisiana Blvd. NE.

Kindergarten Roundup showcases district kindergarten programs and services for the 2026-2027 school year. During the event, families will have the opportunity to connect with elementary school representatives, curriculum partners, and APS department staff.

The initiative also helps parents and guardians learn about kindergarten programs and available support. Additionally, they will be informed of the complete registration process for their child.

Incoming kindergarteners will receive a free book and an additional learning resource to support their early education, APS says. Families will also have access to multilingual support and comprehensive resources.

Phil Casaus, then-Executive Director of Communications and Engagement, said the program introduces families to kindergarten in a previous report by KRQE News. He said it will ease the transition a little bit.

The Kindergarten Roundup helps families of incoming kindergarteners feel confident and informed. It prepares them to join the APS community for their child’s first formal educational experience.

‘They Didn’t Deserve This’: Community Grieves After 3 Young Adults Die in Fire

Juan Oliveros
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‘They Didn’t Deserve This’: Community Grieves After 3 Young Adults Die in Fire

A house fire has left three young adults dead. The incident has prompted an outpouring of grief in the community as family and friends gather at a memorial outside the burned home.

Flowers, candles, balloons, and stuffed animals lined the porch and yard of a fire-damaged house on Pecos Street in Las Vegas, where Austin Apodaca, 22, Geno Gonzales, 21, and Desiree Trujillo, 21, died due to the fire. Gonzales had been living in the house that belonged to his grandmother.

The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, authorities said. A joint statement by the police and fire departments does not consider foul play as one of the causes.

Friends and relatives described the three victims, who were cousins and close friends, as kind, spirited young people. Their deaths, they said, have shaken the small northern New Mexico community.

“They didn’t deserve what happened at all,” said Evan Pino, a friend who visited the memorial Monday. He can still hear their voices. “It breaks me.”

Fire response

The police and firefighters responded to reports of a house fire in the 1300 block of Pecos Street at around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday. There was already heavy smoke and flames when they arrived.

Initial search of the blazing home found two of the victims. Emergency personnel attempted to revive them, but to no avail. They were later pronounced dead at the scene.

The responders discovered the third victim inside the house after the State Fire Marshal’s Office conducted the investigation. Local police and fire officials are also conducting parallel investigations.

“These incidents are devastating to our community and impact a large portion of our residents,” officials said in the statement.

“We ask that the community respect the families during their grieving process and provide support in any way possible,” the statement added.

Remembering the victims

The community knew both Apodaca and Gonzales as talented bull riders who traveled across the state competing in rodeos. Apodaca worked with the New Mexico Department of Transportation as a road maintenance crew.

His mother, Antonette Apodaca, described her son as outgoing. “Austin was very outgoing. He was a people person. He always had a smile on his face,” she said.

Apodaca’s brother, Aaron, remembered him as they often worked together on road projects. “We always did everything together. We lived together on the road; I saw him every day,” he said, adding that “we always looked out for each other.”

Gonzales’ mother, Andrea Leyba, said her son was loyal to his friends. He deeply valued family, she said. The mother described her son as “the type of friend that we all wish we had. He loved with his whole heart.”

The two young men frequently travel across New Mexico’s rodeo circuit together. In a social media post, the rodeo company TA Rodeo said the deaths were deeply felt in the rodeo community. “Their loss is deeply felt by our rodeo family and everyone who knew them,” the group said.

Meanwhile, Trujillo’s friends described her as cheerful and full of life. She is fun to be with, Pino said.

Trujillo had finished the cosmetology program at Luna Community College. She previously attended Robertson High School. Her father, Patrick Trujillo, said the family had been looking forward to seeing what path she would take in life.

Fire risks in the area

The incident happens as officials warn of increased fire risks in the region. A day before the fire, Las Vegas Fire Chief Steven Spann warned the public of several grass fires that had ignited within 48 hours.

A small spark could become a dangerous fire under the present weather conditions, the fire chief said.

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