New Documents Added To Los Alamos Legacy Cleanup Contract Reading Room
LANL News:
New documents have been added to the Los Alamos Legacy Cleanup Contract Electronic Public Reading Room.
All legacy cleanup documents required to be posted after April 30, 2018, are available on the site linked above.
For legacy cleanup documents that were posted prior to April 30, 2018, please visit the LANL electronic public reading room.
- Monitoring Storm Water Runoff from Los Alamos National Laboratory under the Individual Permit Hybrid Public Meeting
https://ext.em-la.doe.gov/GovFTPFiles/api/GetFiles/GetFile?fileName=EMID-704209_IP_Mtg_Notice_022326.pdf
Kiwanis Speaker Cindy Padilla Discusses United Way
United Way Northern New Mexico Executive Director Cindy Padilla. Courtesy photo
KIWANIS News:
At their Feb. 17 meeting, the Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos welcomed United Way Northern New Mexico Executive Director Cindy Padilla and Corporate and Community Engagement Director Donna Milanovich.
Padilla gave a short history of the United Way in Los Alamos and how it evolved. It all began with an organizational meeting in April, 1953 and was incorporated and held its first campaign as the Los Alamos United Fund in 1954. In 2006, the name was changed to United Way Northern New Mexico, now serving Los Read More
DOE’s Office Of Environmental Management Awards $20M Financial Assistance Cooperative Agreement To FIU To Advance Nuclear Cleanup, Innovation
DOE News:
CINCINNATI, OH — The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) announced today that it has awarded a noncompetitive cooperative agreement, valued at $20 million, to Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, Florida. The five-year agreement, effective March 1, 2026, supports FIU’s Applied Research Center (ARC) in advancing environmental research, development, and innovative testing and evaluation programs.
Through this award, ARC will focus on four critical areas of Cold War nuclear legacy cleanup:
- Radioactive waste processing
Howard Dittmer Sworn In As SFCC Governing Board Member
From left, SFCC Governing Board Secretary Lina Germann, Ph.D., new member Howard Dittmer, Ph.D., SFCC President Becky Rowley, Ph.D. and SFCC Governing Board Chair Linda Siegle. Courtesy/SFCC
SFCC News:
SANTA FE — Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) welcomed a new member to its Governing Board on Feb. 25, when Howard Roy Dittmer, Ph.D., was officially sworn into office. The oath was administered by retired municipal judge Angela “Spence” Pacheco.
Dittmer joins the five-member board and will serve in Board Position #5. At its Jan. 14 meeting, the board elected the following officers: Chair Read More
FBI: Federal Charges Filed In Eddy County Deputy Shooting
FBI News:
ALBUQUERQUE — A Carlsbad man is facing federal charges after allegedly firing a rifle at an Eddy County Sheriff’s Office deputy responding to a call.
According to court records, Oct. 19, 2025, an Eddy County Sheriff’s Office deputy was dispatched to the area of McKittrick and Hidalgo Road in Carlsbad, New Mexico, after a witness reported that Dustin Alan Henley, 35, was standing outside a truck holding a firearm. As the deputy arrived in a clearly marked patrol vehicle, Henley fired a rifle at the deputy, striking the vehicle in the engine compartment. The deputy returned fire, striking Read More
Santa Fe National Forest Postpones Blanco Prescribed Fire; No Projects Planned This Spring
Borrego Campground jackpot prescribed fire on the Espanola Ranger District. Courtesy photo
SFNF News:
Santa Fe National Forest fire managers have postponed the Blanco prescribed fire, a 718-acre broadcast burn planned this week on the Española Ranger District. The decision was based on several factors, including unpredictable winds from incoming cold fronts that created a narrow burn window, red flag warnings on the east side of the state, and varying fuel conditions—dry south facing slopes and wet north facing slopes—that could leave unburned pockets likely to ignite as conditions Read More
New Mexico Arts Announces 2026 Poetry Out Loud State Finals At National Hispanic Cultural Center In Albuquerque
NMA News:
SANTA FE, NM — New Mexico Arts announces the state finals for the 21st anniversary of Poetry Out Loud. 1 p.m., Sunday, March 8, eleven high school students from across New Mexico will participate in the Poetry Out Loud state finals. Held for the first time ever in Albuquerque at the Albuquerque Journal Theater in the National Hispanic Cultural Center, 1701 4th St SW, Albuquerque, NM. The event is free and open to all ages to watch the performances.
The following high school students will be representing their school at the Poetry Out Loud New Mexico Final:
- Vinny Valenzuela – Cottonwood
Daily Postcard: Another Spectacular View Of Sunset
Daily Postcard: Another view of Saturday’s spectacular sunset over White Rock. Photo by Jim GourdouxNew Mexico Public Schools Achieve Highest Graduation Rates In Over A Decade
PED News:
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) today announced that the statewide graduation rate has risen 2.4 percentage points to 80.6%, the highest rate in more than a decade.
Eight schools have exited school improvement status, including seven that successfully exited More Rigorous Intervention (MRI) status, the state’s highest level of support for chronically struggling schools.
The eight schools are:
- Albuquerque Public Schools:
- Mark Armijo Academy
- Highland High School
- Rio Grande High School
- Siembra Leadership High School
- Technology Leadership High
‘LIFELINE: 2026 Youth Summit’ Friday At Mesa Library
COUNTY News:
“LIFELINE: 2026 Youth Summit” is a free, high-energy event for high school students focused on connection, resilience, and real-world life skills.
The summit is 5-8 p.m., Friday, March 6, at Mesa Public Library, 2400 Central Ave.
Students will enjoy free food trucks, door prizes, and a prevention toolkit for every participant.
The Summit features interactive workshops and short talks on topics like mental health support, suicide prevention, and how to safely administer NARCAN, alongside hands-on activities and creative experiences hosted by the YMCA, JJAB, Los Alamos Read More
Dannemann: The New Malpractice Law
By MERILEE DANNEMANN
Triple Spaced Again
© 2026 by Merilee Dannemann
Like most New Mexicans, I am deeply relieved that our medical malpractice law has been changed to get rid of unlimited punitive damages, the part of the law that has been scaring the heck out of our doctors and leading too many of them to leave the state.
I have already seen the first attack on the new version of the law – an article by a trial lawyer implying that injured patients won’t receive the compensation they deserve and greedy corporations will have no incentive for safety. Let’s clear this up.
The news coverage has focused Read More
Posts From The Road: Desert Views & Colorful Blooms
Bighorn Sheep: Four bighorn sheep casually traverse a rocky hillside near Yaqui Pass in Anza-Borrego State Park in California. The sheep moved across the sloped hillside before disappearing behind large boulders down the hill. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Desert Sand-verbena: The Desert Sand-verbena was one of the wildflowers that was in full bloom in and around Borrego Springs, Calif., during a recent visit. The tiny blooms covered the desert floor in some areas, creating a colorful landscape. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Read More
Fr. Glenn: Déjà Vu All Over Again
By Fr. Glenn Jones:
Hmph. War again. In the Middle East. Again.
It’s doubtful that the world will ever be free of war, and war is certainly tragic, regardless of the reasons for it or how “surgical” it is. I can’t help but think of the opening scene of the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey” when the prehistoric proto-human picks up the bone and realizes he can use it as a weapon to kill … and we’ve been killing one another with weapons ever since. It’s that seemingly primordial desire to dominate for mates, territory, resources; we see it everywhere in nature. But you’d think we could lament the historical carnage Read More
Los Alamos Laboratory Ensures National Security
National Security Research Center at LANL. Courtesy/LANL
From Los Alamos National Laboratory:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) ensures our national security. Achieving that mission starts with the National Security Research Center (NSRC). The NSRC is the classified library at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Watch video here: https://nsrc.lanl.gov/.
The NSRC traces its lineage to the technical library formed by J. Robert Oppenheimer in 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project. We are part of the Lab’s fascinating history. Today, the NSRC is one of the largest scientific/technical Read More
County Library Board To Meet Monday March 2
COUNTY News:
The next Los Alamos County Library Board meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 2, in Room 110 at the Municipal Building at 1000 Central Ave.
The meeting is open to the public and available to view on Zoom:
Robins Out In Force At Birdbath On Estante Way
Robins are out in force on Saturday at a birdbath on Estante Way in White Rock. Photo by Joyce Wolff Read More
Tales Of Our Times: ‘Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Twain!’ – Zesty Messaging, Then & Now
Tales of our Times
By JOHN BARTLIT
New Mexico Citizens
for Clean Air & Water
‘Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Twain!’ – Zesty Messaging, Then & Now
1867: Mark Twain
Mark Twain’s famed spoofery crystallized many of America’s durable truths. In 1867, Twain published a dodgy little piece titled “My Late Senatorial Secretaryship”. Twain recollects his imagined stint as secretary to a U.S. senator. In Twain’s mind, the senator asks him to answer a letter from constituents dealing with the rural post route to Tomahawk … but, “to leave them a little in the dark.”
Twain revels in the task:
Gentlemen: Read More
Los Alamos Arts Council Unveils Upcoming Events
Courtesy/LAAC
LAAC News:
The Los Alamos Arts Council (LAAC) unveils upcoming events. Kite Festival is drawing closer, afterschool art is thriving, and soon the gallery will have more weekend hours.
Here’s a snapshot of what the Arts Council has coming up:
- Volunteer Get Together Friday, March 13: To prepare for the year of cultural programming, the Arts Council invites the community to the first volunteer get together! Learn about how to help sustain arts and culture programming in the community even beyond helping with Kite Festival and Pumpkin Glow. From 10 a.m. to noon, drop-in at the Fuller
Obituary: James Hodgdon Dec. 21, 1970 – Feb. 25, 2026
JAMES HODGDON Dec. 21, 1970 – Feb. 25, 2026
James Hodgdon passed away at his home in Rio Rancho on Feb. 25, 2026. He was born into a loving family on Dec. 21, 1970, in Billings, Montana. As a child growing up in Montana, his family made sure that he had the ability to play every sport he wanted, and he played them all, and he was great!
It was a big change for him to move all the way down to Los Alamos, New Mexico when he was 15, but it turned into a great opportunity. In New Mexico is where he made his lifelong friends and grew into the man we all came to know and love for the rest of his life. He excelled and loved football, Read More
Daily Postcard: Spectacular Sunrise Fills Sky
Daily Postcard: A spectacular sunrise fills the sky on Saturday as viewed in White Rock. Photo by Shari Mills Read More