ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Metropolitan Detention Center will soon have a new warden. Bernalillo County has tasked Steven Kai Smith to oversee the jail. APD chaplain unit expands services He has 24 years of corrections experience in Florida and is currently working at a facility with 1,300 inmates and 400 staff. His first day at MDC is June 17 ..read more

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Albuquerque Public Libraries could be short hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding. According to a local organization, city leaders left out a necessary amount of money needed to keep libraries afloat. The Library Advisory Board is a group appointed by city and county leaders to advocate for libraries in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County. They are worried about the proposed budget for fiscal year 2025 which starts July 1 ..read more

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Former UNM men's basketball player Ruben Douglas has passed away. He was 44. According to his brother, Ramon, he has a sudden health problem that arose in Costa Rica. It proved to be fatal. Douglas spent three seasons at the University of New Mexico in the early 2000s and became one greatest scorers in Lobos history. The three-time All-Mountain West selection set a program record for most points over a three-year span (1,782) and was the NCAA scoring leader for the 2022-2023 season with a 28-point-per-game average. Story continues below News: Albuquerque grand ..read more

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Albuquerque Police Department says its chaplain unit is growing and expanding its services. The unit has grown from eight members to 17 thanks to a recruiting push last year. Albuquerque Police Department: Fatal crash under investigation Historically, they have joined officers when dispatched to unattended death calls, but they have started going with officers to homicide and crash scenes, and they check in on police cadets during their training. "We are available all the time, and we call for other things other than going out with someone who just died as w ..read more

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – It's day two of the Gathering of Nations Pow Wow at Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque. The grand entry of dancers begins at 7 p.m. with the Miss Indian World Dance Competition happening right after. Starting at 8 p.m., the Competition PowWow Signing & Dance will happen. Albuquerque will collect grass clippings, green waste for free The festivities wrap up on Saturday with a Pre-powwow performance inside Tingley Coliseum from 10 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. The Grand Entry of Dancers starts at noon with the final Grand Entry Dances starting at 6 p.m. The Crowning of Miss ..read more

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KRQE) – New Mexico State University (NMSU) is teaming up with an Oklahoma police department to encourage students to consider a career in law enforcement. Tulsa Police will offer paid internships for NMSU students, giving them hands-on experience while earning the last 15 credit hours of their degree. KRQE asked the head of NMSU's Criminal Justice Department why they partnered with an out-of-state department when so many New Mexico agencies are trying to fill their ranks. They have a formal agreement with Tulsa because it is one of the last remaining cities in the countr ..read more

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The U.S. Department of Education has announced that Polk Middle School is a "Green Ribbon School." The award highlights efforts to go green. "It's just definitely a super exciting day," Polk Middle School Principal Ben Bustos told KRQE. "It has been a work in progress since 2019 . . . it's been quite a journey." Last year, Polk Middle School was on the verge of being consolidated as part of a district-wide effort to "right-size." Several other schools were also on the consolidation list. "I told my staff, 'You know, we love this school, we love our community, we ..read more

HATCH, N.M. (KRQE) – A new food pantry in southern New Mexico is working to help fight food insecurity in an area in need of support. In February, Casa de Peregrinos, along with Hatch Valley Public Schools, teamed up to help Hatch residents have access to food. Crews address wildfire in Santa Fe National Forest This is a vast improvement from the old mobile food pantry that only stopped by once a week. "We've got to meet our kids' most basic needs if we want them to be successful academically. So it's hard to be in school, you know if you have food insecurities you know at home, and ..read more

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) says a 51-year-old man is the "prime suspect in a series of crimes targeting Native American men in Gallup, Zuni, and Albuquerque." A federal grand jury has indicted the suspect, Labar Tsethlikai, in the murder of one Navajo man. Tsethlikai is accused of murdering the unnamed victim in January of 2024, after the man was found dead on a remote part of the Zuni Reservation in New Mexico ..read more

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The suspected street racer charged with crashing into an Albuquerque school bus is expected to go to trial this summer. Mario Perez is facing several counts of child abuse after investigators say he slammed into an Albuquerque Public Schools bus filled with students near Gibson and 98th Street in May 2022. Atrisco Heritage High School employees placed on leave after prom controversy Two students were left with broken bones. Judge Bruce Fox is looking to schedule the trial for August, though a specific date will be set later. It could take up to three weeks ..read more