Obituary: Barbara Jane Winkelman June 18,1927 – April 26, 2026
BARBARA JANE WINKELMAN June 18,1927 – April 26, 2026
Our beloved “Pepsi Queen,” Barbara Jane Winkelman (Wright), 98, died Sunday, April 26, 2026, at Accura Healthcare in Lake City, IA.
Barbara was born June 18, 1927, in Jefferson, IA, to Leo Roscoe and Clella Viola Wright. During high school, Barbara worked at Springer’s grocery store.
Barbara married a farmer, Dale Winkelman on March 17, 1947, at The Christian Church in Jefferson. As a preview of becoming a farmer’s wife, Dale couldn’t get ‘hitched’ until after 7 p.m. and his chores were done. Being part of a close-knit farming community in Adaza, Read More
Law Day Celebrates Rule Of Law & Role In American Dream
Chief Justice Julie J. Vargas. Courtesy/NMSC
COURT News:
SANTA FE – In a proclamation celebrating Law Day on Friday, Supreme Court Chief Justice Julie J. Vargas encourages New Mexicans “to reflect on the essential role the rule of law plays in securing the promise of the American Dream.”
“As proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, all individuals are endowed with certain unalienable rights and chief among them are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The rule of law gives these ideals practical meaning by ensuring that laws are fair, publicized, and evenly enforced, and that Read More
Final Updates On Sparks And Crow Creek Fires
NMFD News:
The New Mexico Forestry Division (NMFD) would like to update you on two fires that are requiring the attention and state, county and local resources in New Mexico. This will be the final notification on these fires unless significant changes occur
Sparks Fire, Quay County: April 30, 2026
Update: April 29, fire activity picked up as temperatures warmed, producing wind-driven runs and active torching. Crews continued to extinguish heat and establish fireline around the fire’s perimeter. A Type 1 helicopter provided water and retardant drops to slow fire progression.
April 30, Read More
New Mexico’s Next Generation Radio-Astronomy: A New Era Of Discovery In A Crowded Sky
Figure 1. Twenty seven huge antennae are mounted on rails, and a network of remote radiotelescopes is woven together to probe the skies. Courtesy/NRAO
By Mark A. MacInnes
Los Alamos Daily Post
World-Class Radio-Astronomy
For more than four decades, the radiotelescope dishes of the New Mexico Very Large Array (VLA) have stood on the plains of San Agustin, as New Mexico’s most recognizable and world-class scientific landmark. At an evening town hall on April 15 at the Bradbury Science Museum, this was the introductory pitch, according to the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) Director Read More
Atomic Fiber Ushers County Into Better Internet Service
County Broadband Manger Jerry Smith
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
Slow internet speeds, service disruptions and total outages are about to be things of the past. Atomic Fiber, Los Alamos County’s community broadband network, will officially start construction with a groundbreaking ceremony at 4 p.m. May 12 near the White Rock Visitor Center.
County Broadband Manager Jerry Smith said the ceremony will kick off phase one construction of the eight-phase project. Phase one will include the construction of the three network hubs. These hubs will be located Read More
An Open Book: I, Robot, Vacuum
By DAVID IZRAELEVITZ
Los Alamos
While finishing graduate school in the 1980s, I knew a few people involved in robotic vision, or how to build robots that recognize objects to pick up or avoid. Instead of a humanoid robot, think of a single eyeball mounted near a disembodied arm to find and manipulate simple objects. If your robot could pick up a torus (i.e. a donut), and dunk it in a container (i.e., a coffee cup), you’d have a prize-winning doctoral thesis. It is not far from the truth to say that one could see a graduate student dunking a donut in a coffee cup while programming a robot to do the same. Kind Read More
Community Invited To LAHS Military Enlistee Recognition
LAHS News:
The community is invited to attend the Los Alamos High School (LAHS) Military Enlistee Recognition Ceremony 5-6 p.m., Wednesday, May 6, in the Lower Commons at LAHS.
This special event honors graduating seniors who have committed to military service. The evening will include recognition of enlistees, support from military recruiters, and remarks from guest speaker Mark Davis, a 30-year Navy veteran.
This ceremony is designed to appropriately recognize the commitment these young men and women are making, surrounded by their families, school staff, and community.
Families Read More
LAPD Warns Of More Phone Scams
LAPD News:
The Los Alamos Police Department (LAPD) is warning residents about a recent phone scam in which callers impersonate officers from the Los Alamos Police Department and Deputies from the Los Alamos Sheriff’s Department, falsely claiming that individuals must pay money to clear arrest warrants.
LAPD reminds the community that no law enforcement agency or court will ever contact individuals demanding payment to resolve fines or warrants. If you receive such a call, it is fraudulent.
These types of scams have been increasing in Los Alamos this year, with criminals using various Read More
Wildlife Department Urges Public To Leave Baby Birds Alone
Public urged to leave baby birds alone. Courtesy/NMDW
New Mexico Department of Wildlife News:
- Fledglings usually aren’t abandoned, as parents are typically close by
SANTA FE – Spring brings warmer weather across New Mexico, and along with it comes an increase in baby wildlife — and well-meaning members of the public who attempt to help them.
However, it is rare for these young animals to be abandoned, so the New Mexico Department of Wildlife reminds the public to leave them where they are found. Baby birds represent some of the most common young wildlife encounters during the spring, and it is Read More
Obituary: Margaret Summa Oct. 12, 1934 – April 27, 2026
MARGARET SUMMA Oct. 12, 1934 – April 27, 2026
On Monday, April 27, 2026, Dr. Margaret Mones Summa, beloved sister, mother, and grandmother, passed away at the age of 91 after a short but fierce battle with cancer.
Margaret was born on October 12, 1934 (Columbus Day) in Queens, New York, to German immigrant parents Luise and Johann Mones, the seventh of 9 siblings. She grew up in rural Long Island where she and her family raised chickens, goats, and rabbits. At the age of 16, she entered St. John’s University in New York, where she earned her B.S. in biology and chemistry in 1955; she also met her future Read More
Reminder: Property Taxes For Second Half Of 2025 Due By May 11
COUNTY News:
The 2025 second half property taxes are due by 5 p.m. on May 11.
Property owners can make payments in the following ways:
- In person at the Customer Care Center;
- In person at Enterprise Bank & Trust;
- By mail to Los Alamos County, P.O. Box 99, Los Alamos, NM 87544;
- By dropbox at the Municipal Building; or
- Online though eNoticesOnline.com, by 3 p.m. on May 11.
Catch Of The Week: Prove You’re Human (While Getting Hacked)
By REBECCA RUTHERFORD
Los Alamos
For the Los Alamos Daily Post
You know that annoying “I’m not a robot” checkbox you click seventeen times a day without thinking? Turns out, that automatic, muscle memory click is exactly what cybercriminals are counting on. Yikes!
A nasty scam called FakeCaptcha has been making the rounds, and it is disturbingly simple.
You land on a compromised website, a CAPTCHA pops up, you click “I’m not a robot” and without knowing it, a PowerShell script gets copied to your clipboard. The fake verification then walks you through three steps: press Win + R to open the Run dialog, Read More
Wildfire Notification: Crow Creek Fire, Colfax County
Crow Creek Fire, Wednesday, April 29. Courtesy/NMFD
NMFD News:
Update: The Crow Creek Fire was discovered at 1:45 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29 near HWY 445 north of Maxwell in Colfax County. Resources are on scene and are implementing a full suppression strategy. The fire is active and making wind-driven runs north through grass fuels toward HWY 64. Structures are threatened, and resources are providing point protection. Air resources have been ordered to assist suppression efforts. Currently, the fire is estimated at 50-100 acres.
Acres: 50-100 estimated.
Containment: 0% contained. Read More
Kiwanis Guest Speaker: County Clerk Michael Redondo
Los Alamos County Clerk Michael Redondo speaking at the April 28 Kiwanis Club meeting. Courtesy/Kiwanis
By BROOKE DAVIS
Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos
The Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos heard an interesting and informative presentation by Los Alamos County Clerk Michael Redondo at its April 28 meeting. He covered the changes made in the primary elections, elements of the County Clerk’s responsibilities, and voting timelines.
For the first time, New Mexico will be holding semi-open primaries.
The voter requirements for this type of primary are:
- Registered Democrats and Republicans must vote their
Statewide Car Seat Clinics For Heatstroke Prevention Day ‘Stop. Look. Lock.’
NMDOT News:
SANTA FE – Free statewide car seat clinics will be held on Friday, May 1 as part of National Heatstroke Prevention Day to raise awareness about preventing child hot-car deaths, check for proper car seat installation, and provide practical tips to help prevent heat-related incidents.
In New Mexico, 12 children have died from pediatric vehicular heatstroke since 1998, including a death in May 2025. Vehicular heatstroke remains the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths for children 14 and younger nationwide with 1,043 deaths since 1998.
The New Mexico Department Read More
Obituary: Dolores ‘Dee’ Jean Rightley Oct. 7, 1932 − April 5, 2026
DOLORES ‘DEE’ JEAN RIGHTLEY Oct. 7, 1932 − April 5, 2026
Dolores “Dee” Jean Rightley (nee Martin), age 93, passed away on April 5, 2026 in Albuquerque, NM. She is survived by eight children, Jean, Susan, Lisa, David, Todd, Jim, Michael, and Paul, numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and her sister Paula Martin. She was preceded in death by her loving husband Ed Rightley, infant child John, parents Herschel and Madeline Martin and her brother Bob Martin.
Dee was born in Denver, Colorado on October 7, 1932. She was a self-reliant young girl who would often ride the Denver trolley to the Read More
Luján Statement On Supreme Court Decision Weakening Landmark Voting Rights Law
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement after the Supreme Court ruled to weaken the landmark Voting Rights Act in Louisiana v. Callais:
“Just over 61 years ago, Bloody Sunday helped spur the passage of the landmark Voting Rights Act to root out racial discrimination in our elections. Americans marched, protested, and put their lives on the line to secure the promise of our democracy.
“Today’s decision is an attack on equal representation, with devastating and far-reaching consequences that extend well beyond congressional maps. Read More
YMCA Launches New NFL Flag Football League For Youth This Summer, Registration Open Through May 24
YMCA News:
The YMCA is excited to announce the launch of its all-new NFL Flag Football League, offering young athletes an engaging and inclusive way to stay active this summer.
The league will feature two age divisions: a coed division for ages 10–12 and a dedicated girls’ division for ages 12–17, creating opportunities for skill development, teamwork, and confidence-building in a fun, non-contact environment. The girls’ division will practice on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30–6:30 p.m. at either Urban or Rover, while the 10–12 coed division will practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays from Read More
PEEC Partners With Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area To Support Los Luceros Day Camp, June 1–5
PEEC News:
The Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area (NRGNHA) to support this year’s Los Luceros Day Camp, taking place June 1 to 5, 2026 at Los Luceros Historic Site in Alcalde, NM.
Following recent staff changes at Los Luceros Historic Site, PEEC worked quickly to ensure that this beloved program could continue as planned. Eric Vasquez, Director of NRGNHA, and Gabriela Silva, NRGNHA’s Art Program Director, have enthusiastically stepped in to collaborate with PEEC for the 2026 session. Read More
Espinoza: Leadership Means Showing Up, Not Hiding Behind Spokespeople
By VALERIE ESPINOZA
Former Santa Fe County Clerk
Imagine a CEO of a publicly traded company delivering polished remarks on an earnings call and then refusing to take a single question. Investors would not call that discipline—they would call it a red flag. They would wonder what was being hidden and whether leadership could withstand real scrutiny.
Now imagine a nominee for the United States Supreme Court submitting a flawless résumé and polished written statements, then refusing to appear for a confirmation hearing. No questions. No real-time examination. Just a request to be approved based Read More