News

A collection of 191 posts

Fire

Fire destroys Estancia commercial building, knocks out power and closes NM-41

A structure fire reported around 8:00 AM on Saturday, April 18, 2026, destroyed a commercial building at 501 Fifth Street (NM-41) in Estancia, prompting a multi-agency response, shutting down the highway, and cutting power to the town. By late morning, crews had largely brought the fire under control, but

Torrance County

Torrance County Commissioners Hear Abuse Allegations at Detention Facility, Weigh Edgewood Fire Request, Accept Financial Audit

The Torrance County Board of County Commissioners convened its regular meeting on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at the county administrative offices in Estancia. The three-member board — Chair Ryan Schwebach of District 2, Vice Chair Kevin McCall of District 1, and Commissioner Linda Jaramillo of District 3 — heard testimony alleging abuse

Torrance County

Torrance County Approves ICE Detention Contract Extension Over Public Objections

ESTANCIA – The Torrance County Commission on Thursday unanimously approved what county officials indicated is likely the final extension of the county's contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for the Torrance County Detention Facility in Estancia. The contract modification extends the intergovernmental service agreement between Torrance

event

Torrance County Commission Postpones Contract Decision

The Monday, March 30, 2026, special meeting of the Torrance County Commissioners was postponed by the commissioners before it got underway. County Attorney Michael Garcia and Torrance County Commission Chair Ryan Schwebach conferred over Zoom regarding the meeting agenda, noting that it described the special meeting as occurring on “Wednesday,

Estancia

Why it matters that Estancia will not have a clean opinion from its auditor for FY2025

As noted in the previous article, Estancia Mayor Runnel Riley remarked that he believes Estancia will not receive a "clean opinion" from its auditor for the FY2025 Audit. One could consider this to be a sign of financial trouble for the town. However, for those not versed in

Estancia

Estancia Trustees Tackle Sheriff's Complaint Against Police Chief And An Upcoming Audit

ESTANCIA — The Estancia Board of Trustees covered a packed agenda Monday night, March 16, 2026, headlined by a lengthy public airing of a dispute between Estancia Police Chief Thomas Carter and Torrance County Sheriff David Frazee over a cross-commission agreement between Estancia and Mountainair police departments. The board also introduced

Mountainair

Mountainair Hires New Police Officer, Addresses Treasurer Vacancy

MOUNTAINAIR — The Mountainair Town Council approved the hiring of a certified police officer and took steps to manage ongoing financial operations following the resignation of the town treasurer at its regular meeting on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. New Officer Approved The council unanimously approved the hiring of Jasmine Jaramillo as

Estancia

Bodycam Footage Contradicts Mayor's Characterization of Fire Chief Termination

Bodycam footage recorded by Estancia Police Chief Tom Carter on February 9, 2026, shows Estancia Mayor Runnel Riley asking Estancia Fire Chief Chris Wolonsky to step down from his position. Riley justified asking Wolonsky to step down by citing liability concerns, including the presence of a baby at the fire

arson

Mountainair Town Council Addresses Arson, Public Safety Concerns

The Mountainair Town Council held its regular meeting on January 6, 2026, with a full quorum present, opening with a moment of silence for longtime community member Sammy Archuleta. Much of the meeting focused on a series of fires that have occurred in and around Mountainair over the past year,

Melanie Stansbury

Stansbury condemns Trump administration actions, supports impeachment efforts

US Representative Melanie Stansbury said Friday that congressional Democrats are using “every congressional and legal tool” available to push back against what she described as unlawful actions and escalating violence by the Trump administration, both domestically and internationally. During a press conference held on Friday, January 16, 2026, at the

NMDOJ

NM Department of Justice Raises Concerns Over Torrance County ICE Extension

Advertise with the Dispatch: If you are considering advertising with the Mountainair Dispatch, please get in touch with me at todd@mountainairdispatch.com or 719-496-1660. I can help with graphics and copywriting. Consider sponsoring free public access to a month's worth of news. It's a cost-effective

Estancia

Estancia Honors Outgoing Officials And First Responders

The Estancia Board of Trustees marked a leadership transition on December 15, 2025, by honoring outgoing Mayor Nathan Dial and Trustee J. Morrow Hall, recognizing police and fire personnel for life-saving actions, and swearing in newly elected officials. Town Clerk Michelle Jones opened the meeting with tributes to Hall and

News

Torrance County Extends ICE Contract for another Three Months

In a meeting that lasted less than two minutes (one minute, fifty-eight seconds, to be precise), the Torrance County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a contract modification extending the county’s agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for use of the Torrance County Detention Facility during a

News

County $5.7M Over Budget on Building and Operating at a Deficit

The Torrance County Commission met on Tuesday, December 10, 2025, to address several critical issues, including escalating costs for the planned new administrative building and concerning cash flow trends showing the county is spending far more than it is taking in. Administrative Building Project Faces $5.7M Gap Wilson and

News

Alarm Raised Regarding Property Crimes

As is standard practice at Mountainair Town Council meetings, the December 2, 2025, meeting, being the first meeting of the month, began with briefings from the town's department heads. Mountainair Police Chief Paul Lucero began his briefing by explaining that there was good news. "So, we went

News

Mountainair Council Approves Backlogged Expense Reports, Prepares to Use Rodeo and Community Center Funding

The Mountainair Town Council met for a regular session on November 18, 2025, at the Council Chambers, opening with a moment of silence requested by Mayor Peter Nieto in memory of community member Isabel Marquez, who recently passed away. A significant portion of the brief meeting focused on catching up

News

Bethel Community Storehouse Prepares Holiday Food Boxes as Demand Rises

November 7, 2025 - Volunteers at the Bethel Community Storehouse have been hard at work assembling grocery boxes for both the nonprofit’s regular food distributions and its annual turkey donations. With the federal government shutdown continuing, staff say the need for baby formula has sharply increased, adding new pressure

News

Prescribed Burns Planned in the Manzano Mountains as Early as Nov. 8

The Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands plans to begin prescribed burning on the Mountainair Ranger District as early as Saturday, November 8, with work expected to continue into mid-November as weather allows. Officials say the goal is to reduce hazardous fuels and lower the risk of severe wildfires near

2025 Elections

2025 Election Results

Voter Turnout The 2025 elections had low voter turnout, with just 2,233 participants out of 10,894 eligible voters. This represented just 20.49% of Torrance County voters. In 2024, the Mountainair Dispatch reported that 7,199 ballots were cast in Torrance County out of 10,478 eligible voters,

News

Town Council Reviews Projects, Payroll Changes, and Fire Department Grant Funding

The Mountainair Town Council met on November 4, 2025, at Town Hall, with Mayor Peter Nieto presiding and all members present. The meeting was focused on the town's first responders. Public Works Director Carl Archuleta reported that the department had installed the new “Welcome to Mountainair” sign and

News

Commissioners Authorize County Manager to Enter into Contract Extension with ICE

In a special meeting of the Torrance County Commissioners on October 29, 2025, the Commissioners authorized County Manager Jordan Barela to enter into a contract extension with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE). County Manager Barela explained that he believed the authorization was necessary because the county's

News

Following Attack by Teachers Union, Torrance County Commissioners Defend McCall's Pumpkin Patch

The rumors surrounding McCall's Pumpkin Patch began circulating via social media on Monday, October 6, 2025. Numerous individuals messaged the Mountainair Dispatch, stating that County Commissioner Kevin McCall was bringing ICE agents to McCall's Pumpkin Patch. One called and advised that "Albuquerque's teachers&

News

Mountainair EMS Temporarily Suspends Service for Training; Backup Coverage in Place

MOUNTAINAIR, N.M. — Mountainair EMS will be temporarily out of service from 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, until 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 12, 2025, according to a statement shared with regional emergency service providers by EMS Chief Josh Lewis. During this time, emergency

News

Mountainair Council Hires New Officer, Secures Gas Rates, and Initiates Emergency Services Land Deal

The Mountainair Town Council meeting began with Mayor Peter Nieto's remarks on the recent killings of Charlie Kirk this month and Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband in June 2025. During the meeting's opening, Nieto said, "... Let us reflect on America's

News

Registered Candidates for 2025 Elections

County Clerk Sylvia Chavez was kind enough to pass along the candidate registration list after the deadline to register today, August 26, 2025. The following is the list of candidates running for office in Torrance County during the 2025 election season. City of Moriarty City Council (2 positions) * Robert "