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A collection of 114 posts

Police Chief Candidate Ghosts Mountainair

Police Chief Candidate Ghosts Mountainair

Mayor Peter Nieto revealed during the July 2, 2024, meeting of the Mountainair Town Council that after he had assisted Mountainair Police Chief candidate Jimmy Macon with part of the process of getting certified as a law enforcement officer in New Mexico, Macon had stopped returning Nieto’s calls and

Willard Residents Can Expect An Increase in their Trash Bill

Willard Residents Can Expect An Increase in their Trash Bill

Willard’s village council met on July 8, 2024. The council addressed issues related to the village’s septic system, village audits, solid waste rates increasing, and updates concerning EMW Gas. The updates concerning EMW pertained to how the utility might lease its current headquarters to the Estancia Police Department

Mountainair Fire, EMS, and Public Works Conduct Rescue During Flood

Mountainair Fire, EMS, and Public Works Conduct Rescue During Flood

The call came out from Torrance County Dispatch at approximately 10:30 PM, after monsoon rain and flooding on Saturday, June 29, 2024: two individuals in an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) had gotten stuck in an arroyo on Red Bluff Road west of the Mountainair Cemetary. Soaking wet from the rain,

EMWT meeting canceled

Tonight’s EMWT meeting has been canceled due to lack of a quorum.

Water Line Break Leads to Interruption in Water Service

Water Line Break Leads to Interruption in Water Service

On Wednesday, June 19, 2024, Mountainair's Public Works Department faced a water line break in an older, concrete-and-asbestos water line that left the town without water for hours. The break occurred next to the Shaffer Hotel, off NM-55. Public Works Supervisor Carl Archuleta said that the cause of

A Successor, Not a Replacement

A Successor, Not a Replacement

Mountainair Town Council Selects New Town Clerk and Addresses Public Concerns Regarding Cannabis Processing Operation The air was heavy with humidity at the start of the June 6, 2024, meeting of the Mountainair Town Council. The mugginess was only exacerbated by the roughly fifty people in the town council building.

Estancia Police Chief on Administrative Leave

Estancia Police Chief on Administrative Leave

According to claims by members of Estancia Police, Torrance County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) no longer has the personnel to cover late-night law enforcement matters. Mountainair’s incoming police chief, expected before the end of May 2024, has not yet arrived. Now, Estancia’s police force is down to two

Mile-Long Yard Sale Brings Crowds to Estancia

Mile-Long Yard Sale Brings Crowds to Estancia

Thunderhead clouds assembled in formation on the eastern border of Estancia. While the clouds were an ominous sign, they were not deterrents to those participating in Estancia’s Mile Long Yard Sale on June 1, 2024. Tents and tables lined NM-41 from Joseph Avenue to Highland Avenue. Charles Burson, a

2024 Mountainair Graduation

2024 Mountainair Graduation

2024 Estancia Graduation

2024 Estancia Graduation

Estancia Trustees Take Stock of Baseball Field Project

The Estancia Board of Trustees Meeting on May 20, 2024, involved minor decisions concerning operations at the town hall, training on the Open Meetings Act, and an update on the progress on the Estancia baseball field. Beginning the first of July 2024, the Board decided unanimously, the town hall will

Seven Hours in May: Interim Budget Brings No Salary Increase for County Employees

Seven Hours in May: Interim Budget Brings No Salary Increase for County Employees

This time last year, the Torrance County Commission held an eleven-and-a-half hour session addressing the county’s interim budget and the use of ARPA funding before a feared clawback of federal funds. This year’s interim budget session was much shorter: just seven hours long. Torrance County Clerk and 3rd

A Shortage of Law Enforcement and Care for Arthur Park Addressed by Estancia Trustees

A Shortage of Law Enforcement and Care for Arthur Park Addressed by Estancia Trustees

Perhaps it was a sign of spring fever, but the audience, mostly municipal employees, were jovial at the start of the May 6, 2024, meeting of the Estancia Board of Trustees. Jokes were shared amongst members of the town's maintenance staff, town clerk, and board members. As the

Torrance County extends ICE Contract and Addresses Broadband with CNMEC

Torrance County extends ICE Contract and Addresses Broadband with CNMEC

The April 24, 2024, meeting of the Torrance County Commissioners focused on the renewal of the county's contract with ICE and CoreCivic for the Torrance County Detention Facility (TCDF). It introduced statements from Central New Mexico Electric Cooperative (CNMEC) CEO Alena Brandenberger regarding a broadband grant it was

Peaceful Protest of TCDF at Torrance County Commission Meeting

Peaceful Protest of TCDF at Torrance County Commission Meeting

Please consider subscribing to the Mountainair Dispatch. Your support helps cover the costs of reporting like this.Subscribe Now The April 10, 2024, meeting of the Torrance County Commissioners was a standing-room-only affair. Individuals with multiple immigration rights organizations were in the audience to protest against renewing the contract with

Fire Ravages Estancia Home

Fire Ravages Estancia Home

A structure fire engulfed a home on the corner of Sixth Street and NM-55 in Estancia this morning. Smoke could be seen venting from the eaves of the manufactured home, located at 701 6th Street, at 9:45 AM. Members of the Torrance County Fire Department could be seen responding

Town Council Addresses Speeding and Special Funding, Mayor Seeks to Dispel Rumors Regarding Police Chief

Town Council Addresses Speeding and Special Funding, Mayor Seeks to Dispel Rumors Regarding Police Chief

The March 19, 2024, Mountainair Town Council meeting began with a discussion of a change to how the town will be doing department reports (moving from a bi-monthly to monthly basis) and the recent flooding by the Mountainair Assembly Of God Church (this will be addressed in detail in a

Mountainair Public Schools

Mountainair Public Schools Says Goodbye to Key Leader

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 cheap

Anti-Detention Facility Organizations Clash with Torrance County Commissioners

Anti-Detention Facility Organizations Clash with Torrance County Commissioners

At the March 13, 2024, meeting of the Torrance County Commissioners, business was as usual until public comment began. During public comment, representatives from the Immigration Law Lab and the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center discussed alleged conditions at the Torrance County Detention Facility. Aurora Arreola, the Policy Program Manager

Mountainair Mourns Gabriel Padilla

Gabriel Padilla, 23 years old, passed away on February 28, 2024. He is survived by his parents, his wife, and his two children. Gabriel was described by those who knew him as a hard worker who did all he could to care for his family. He worked at Vulcan Materials

Legislative Session brings Funding to Torrance County

Legislative Session brings Funding to Torrance County

Please consider subscribing to the Mountainair Dispatch. Your support helps cover the costs of reporting like this.Subscribe Now When the New Mexico Legislature closed its session in February 2024, it introduced a new Government Results and Opportunity Project Fund intended to cover the costs of local earmarks and pilot

Torrance County Government Offices - a seventies-era Brutalist government building beneath ominous clouds

Torrance County Commissioner Schropp Responds to EMWT’s Legal Concerns

In a recent statement, Torrance County Commissioner Sam Schropp discussed his decision not to endorse financial support for the Estancia Moriarty Willard Torrance County Regional Water Association (EMWT) during the current legislative session. Schropp said that EMWT board member Michael Anaya approached him seeking a letter to Governor Michelle Lujan-Grisham,

Mountainair Town Council Votes to Hire a New Police Chief

Mountainair Town Council Votes to Hire a New Police Chief

In a unanimous vote on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, the Mountainair Town Council decided to approve the hiring of Jimmy Macon, a law enforcement officer from Florida, as the new police chief in Mountainair. Macon is the first law enforcement employee of the town of Mountainair since the departure of

a bulldog in a cage in an animal shelter

Town Council Meeting Focused on Education and Animal Control

My apologies for the delay in posting this piece. I was unavailable last week due to the passing of a family friend in the recent storms that affected California. La'Sha Chavez, the secretary and librarian at Mountainair Elementary School, started off the discussion regarding the town's

Initial Details in Officer-Involved Shooting on Lexco Road

Initial Details in Officer-Involved Shooting on Lexco Road

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