LOS LUNAS — A proposed shopping center could bring some big changes and big names to Los Lunas west of Interstate 25 — if developers and the village are able to come to an agreement At a regular Los Lunas Village Council meeting on Thursday Trucor Investments LLC managing owner Jon Trujillo asked for off-site infrastructure improvements near the company’s 18-acre parcel of land at the corner of Huning Ranch Loop SW and Main Street would provide access to the prospective Sunset View Marketplace shopping center it would mitigate the added traffic impacts the development would add to N.M the request would be accomplished through a Development Agreement between Trucor and the village The discussion at the meeting was to inform the council of the request and was for information only who said the project could be an economic boon to the village said Trucor has four to five pad sites planned with plans for three larger tenants on the rear nine acres of the site “It’s been really hard to find a developer who wants to buy the parcel what do we do next?’ Maybe we can just get those pad sites developed senior vice president and principal for Collier’s International told the council his work with Trucor to develop the 18-acre property has garnered interest from national companies Fineberg mentioned Collier’s is currently working with Panera Bread and has spoken to Kroger representatives He indicated they might be looking to relocate the current Smith’s store — at the Valencia Y — to the proposed shopping mall on Main Street across I-25 before emphasizing getting the infrastructure work done was key to developing the shopping center “We actually had a deal with the major retailers,” he said of the property “I can’t say who it is because I think we’re going to try to bring them back when things settle.” “All I’m saying to you is that access is so important,” he continued “You don’t want to make it uncomfortable because retailers won’t go here if their clients or their customers don’t have flow of traffic Trucore requested an 80-20 split for the infrastructure improvements citing the village’s commitment to the I-25 Interchange/Los Lunas Boulevard project Deputy Village Administrator Erin Callahan spoke first to the council about the project saying village staff recommends the project be built within a five-year time frame She said the staff recommends that the property owner put up a bond on the work The $800,000 price tag caused concern amongst council members and Mayor Charles Griego immediately what an opportunity to have new economic development in the area What a great thing,’” said Councilor James Runton “But for us to pay cash when we’re putting off projects … who knows what’s going to come back and what the city will have to pay for the mayor and council recommended that Trucor look into getting local Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) funding stating state funding might not be available Trujillo and Feinberg agreed and said they would return to report their findings before asking for final approval • Unanimously approved a fee proposal for construction phase services for the I-25 Interchange/Los Lunas Blvd Public works Director Michael Jaramillo presented the council with a schematic of the proposed work flow for the project from Albuquerque-based Molzen Corbin The $22.13 million fee covers services for the entire three-year project Molzen Corbin President Kevin Eads mentioned that due to the size of the project a staff of 15 will be overseeing the project He said Molzen Corbin is outsourcing hiring of the supervisors due to the large number of personnel needed Jaramillo said that unlike similar projects the I-25 Corridor project will begin with four job sites — the I-25 Interchange Rio Grande bridge and the intersection at N.M the project time will be reduced from five years to three • Unanimously approved the hiring of Anthony Valdez as the village’s new code enforcement officer and the hiring of five summer recreation college aides 16 summer recreation high schools aides and 30 summer youth program participants Kenn Rodriguez is an award-winning journalist a native norteño and a graduate of the University of New Mexico Email notifications are only sent once a day (Editor’s Note: The following agendas should be considered draft agendas until 72 hours prior to the meetings.) LOS LUNAS — The Los Lunas Library is cooking up an exciting community initiative aiming to celebrate and connect the community through the rich culinary traditions of Valencia County Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account – An investigation is underway into a break-in at a Los Lunas Republican Office.  Senate Republican Spokesperson Brandon Harris says a legislative office shared by a senator and three House members was broken into on Tuesday KOB 4 reached out to the Los Lunas Police Department for more information but we’re still waiting to hear back.  Stay with KOB 4 Eyewitness News and KOB.com for updates Any person with disabilities who needs help accessing the content of the FCC Public File may contact KOB via our online formor call 505-243-4411 A person was killed after a New Mexico Rail Runner Express train hit a vehicle in Los Lunas on Tuesday according to a Valencia County Fire Department Facebook post No injuries were reported on the commuter train Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content Gregory R.C. Hasman covers crime and is the road warrior. You can contact him at ghasman@abqjournal.com Stay informed with the latest top headlines from your trusted local source the Albuquerque Journal—delivered to your inbox every day it provides narrative coverage of local trends going beyond the headlines to keep you informed Stay in the loop with the top stories of the week delivered straight to your inbox every Saturday Sign up to see what’s trending and get the latest on the stories that matter most to our readers Get breaking news and important alerts sent straight to your inbox as they happen Stay up-to-date with the latest sports headlines and highlights from the Albuquerque Journal Get the latest on local happenings delivered straight to your inbox speaks in March during the Republicans’ end-of-session news conference at the Roundhouse A legislative office she share in Los Lunas with three other Republican legislators was broken into and laptops were stolen House Minority Leader Gail Armstrong said the break-in 'speaks to the growing crime crisis that New Mexicans face every single day.' At the end of the 60-day legislative session last month Republican lawmakers bemoaned what they described as a failure by the Democratic-majority Legislature to address crime A legislative office in Los Lunas shared by four Republicans — a senator and three House members including Minority Leader Gail Armstrong of Magdalena — was broken into and burglarized Senate Republican spokesperson Brandon Harris said Tuesday we are aware that several laptop computers provided to staff were stolen,” he said adding the crime was discovered earlier that day The Los Lunas Police Department did not immediately return a message seeking comment late Tuesday who also expressed disappointment with the Legislature’s inaction on her public safety proposals has indicated she plans to call a special session focused on tackling crime Republican leaders sent the governor a letter requesting she call an immediate special session to address New Mexico’s “violent crime crisis” as well as the state’s shortage of health care providers “This [break-in] just speaks to the growing crime crisis that New Mexicans face every single day,” Armstrong said in a statement Republicans came to Santa Fe to work and find solutions that would secure our communities,” she said It’s something the people of our state face every day The legislative office is among a new wave of offices lawmakers are opening in or near their districts to better serve constituents as part of a larger effort to modernize the Legislature The offices are staffed by legislative aides Sanchez expressed disappointment not just in the break-in but what he characterized as a missed opportunity during the session “We can’t even have an office to serve constituents and community members without New Mexico’s out-of-control crime crisis ruining it,” he said in a statement “This last session was an opportunity for us lawmakers to do something about crime but the Democrats opposed all of our tough-on-crime bills,” he continued “Until lawmakers get serious about improving public safety it’s more of the same in our communities: burglaries Follow Daniel J. Chacón on Twitter @danieljchacon Chacón speaks to Morales about his role in the Roundhouse and his thoughts on a possible run for the Democratic nomination for governor A frustrated Lujan Grisham lambasted lawmakers for not doing enough about crime and said she plans to call a special session Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Receive a list of headlines from the latest edition of The New Mexican in your inbox every morning get a preview of The New Mexican's big Sunday stories and review highlights from the week Stay informed of the latest local news by receiving emails as soon as news is posted online Stay up to date with news from the Capitol during the legislative session and follow New Mexico politics throughout the year A guide to outdoors opportunities and profiles on peoples' connections with places Keep up with what's going on in the local business scene Receive the latest episode of "Conversations Different" in your inbox every Tuesday.  Taking the temperature of New Mexico's environmental issues local prep sports and more every Wednesday Contests and special offers from The Santa Fe New Mexican and advertising partners (505) 268-6500 Written by Parnall Law Firm reviewed by Aissa Le LOS LUNAS, NM – According to the Albuquerque Journal a woman died after a train struck her vehicle near New Mexico 314 and Elaine Drive on Tuesday evening A Rail Runner commuter train collided with an SUV driven by Audrey Gonzales but officials have said that only Rail Runner employees were aboard the train The New Mexico State Police is investigating the incident ALBUQUERQUE, NM – A motorcyclist was left injured following a wreck near 1216 Central Avenue Southwest on Tuesday night, according to ABQ Raw The motorcyclist crashed at around 10:10 p.m. prompting a response from the Albuquerque Police Department and Albuquerque Fire Rescue First responders transported the victim to University of New Mexico Hospital with serious injuries a crash was reported at Interstate 40 westbound and Eubank Boulevard Northeast on Wednesday afternoon It is unclear if anyone was hurt in the collision Crash WB I-40 at Eubank blocking the left lane. #KKOBTraffic #NewMexico pic.twitter.com/Vf3tsbTBIN — KKOB Traffic (@KKOBTraffic) April 23, 2025 our new team will return to this blog with updates This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Founding Partner, Bertrand Russell Parnall who has more than 20 years of legal experience as a personal injury attorney Tell us about your accident and your injuries An injury lawyer from our team will call and provide you with a Free Evaluation of your Case (505) 268-6500 Attorney Advertisement: Please note that use of this website or the email links do not create an attorney-client relationship You are not considered a client until you sign a retainer AND Parnall Law Firm The information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing formal legal advice This web site is not intended to solicit clients for matters outside of the state of New Mexico Disclaimer – Privacy – Site Map – A Los Lunas family is hoping to rebuild after a fire destroyed thousands of dollars worth of heirlooms There’s very little left after the fire destroyed a cuartito a room the Sanchez family had in their backyard But the family says it’s not the cuartito they are sad to see gone but the memories and traditions they created inside “When they would be asked what their favorite holiday is they all had the same kindergarten teacher and their favorite holiday was always the matanza,” said Delilah Sanchez Sanchez says her kids grew up helping in their family’s annual matanza It’s a tradition that’s been in her family for nearly half a decade we decided to replicate it here and bring the equipment over to make it easier for our children to have the matanza here in our home,” said Sanchez But that changed when their cuartito caught on fire “The fire got caught from a box of baby chicks and the heat lamp might have shifted and faced the cuartito We lost a lot as a family,” said Mykayla Moody cleaning and scrubbing and a lot of elbow grease to save some of the pans we’ve had,” Moody said.  “It was really hard for me to throw in the trash can here the pans that my mom had for many years,” said Sanchez “Having to throw things like that from my grandmother All the work he has put into making these heirlooms that are supposed to be passed on to our children and grandchildren.”  “Whether it’s under a tent or a skeleton that we are building at the time It’s at four generations now,” said Sanchez.  Sanchez says their goal is to rebuild the cuartito and replace any equipment to continue with the matanza. If you would like to help and donate, click here “I feel like we live in a divided time right now so I felt like the best way to get everyone together is through food because who doesn’t love food?” said Los Lunas Library tech Tommy Madrid III the Valencia County Cookbook Project was born and the library summons you to submit your favorite recipes that have cultural or family significance These recipes will then be published in a cookbook that will be made available at local libraries to preserve culinary traditions for future generations “I feel like food is very important in people’s families so we want to protect that with a cookbook,” said Madrid Rio Communities and Bosque Farms libraries so there will be copies throughout Valencia County and it will be available to purchase as well.” Madrid said any kind of recipes are welcome They can range from older recipes passed down through generations to newer recipes that are family favorites just as long as there is some sort of cultural personal or familial significance attached to the recipe “Or say if you’ve been working on a recipe that your friends and family love every time that you make it for them that’s worth submitting,” said Los Lunas Library tech Manuel Mora Mora said he is thinking about submitting his mom’s tortilla recipe which is a hit in his family and something they all enjoy together it’s meaningful in order to connect individuals but it also helps families teach those recipes,” said Mora “It’s easy to get into the routine of making dinner and not really explaining or going through the process of and this is why we’re using these ingredients The project will culminate in a community potluck from 11 a.m where participants will bring their prepared dishes to share you need to go to the potluck with your dish so that we can taste it and take pictures of it,” said Madrid Anyone interested in participating is encouraged to submit their recipe through the online application which can be found on the library’s website, loslunasnm.gov/Library You can also fill out a physical form which can be found at Los Lunas the library asks that you submit a brief story or explanation about the dish’s cultural or family significance and they aim for the final version to be published by August “It doesn’t hurt to save your family’s heritage and we’re very excited to taste new foods,” Madrid concluded Felina Martinez was born and raised in Valencia County She graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2021 passed peacefully into the arms of her Savior on April 24 and her prayers lifted countless loved ones over the years She was a true prayer warrior and intercessor Viola (Zoni) was the proud and devoted mother of eight children Her home was a haven of warmth and welcome a place where everyone felt known and cherished She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 55 years and two of her children She is survived by six children: Mike Blythe 20 great grandchildren and a host of extended family and dear friends Viola leaves behind a legacy not just in her family but in all who were touched by her kindness steadfast faith and mentorship in the way of Jesus Her favorite scripture:"Be still and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10 the compass by which she lived her life A celebration of Viola's life will be held on Thursday 2025 at 1:00 PM at Grace Fellowship Church in Los Lunas A reception will follow at the home of Mark Blythe Viola requests donations be made to Carenet of Valencia County at 601 Main Street #26 Los Lunas NM 87031 or Grace Fellowship benevolence fund at 3384 Highway 47 or P.O NM 87032 "Her children rise up and call her blessed." Proverbs 31:28 – We all know that what you do in school is critical to your future success a lot of after school programs are in jeopardy  It often takes the work of a very dedicated teacher to make sure they keep going KOB 4 met one of those teachers at Los Lunas Middle School what kid wouldn’t love to play games especially after school?” said Chelsea Curliss The Esports club has really taken off recently but it could have been game over unless Michael Turpen stepped in.  Turpen stepped up and volunteered to keep the club going here at the middle school for the middle school students,” said Curliss.   we mainly do Smash Brothers and Mario Kart a few people holding out on that and Fortnite are our main ones,” said Turpen.  He’s an awesome teacher.  He’s here for the kids,” said Curliss but we were about to surprise him with some cold A rendering from the Los Lunas Corridor Study (MRCOG) showing the anticipated new river bridge crossing LOS LUNAS — The Los Lunas Village Council got an update on phase one of the Los Lunas Boulevard Corridor Project at its regular meeting on Thursday There appears to be a start in sight for the long-awaited project; however there is one more slight detour before construction can begin Los Lunas Public Works Director Michael Jaramillo gave preliminary notice to proceed with the project The council accepted that proposal and unanimously approved an additional step — a plan to convene an escrow review committee to vet the lower of the two bids received for the project That low bid came from Rio Rancho-based El Terrero Construction the much-anticipated project will likely break ground in July with construction commencing in August Jaramillo explained the extra step involving the review was being taken “because of the size of the project,” and heralded the project as the “largest local-lead project in New Mexico history.” we took an extra step in the bid process to require the contractors to submit escrow bid documents,” Kartchner said He gave a description of the committee and its process which includes selecting five items from a review list and “to make sure everything is on the up and up.” Jaramillo said the committee representatives from the bid-winning company and a rep from Molson Corbin The results will then be presented to NMDOT for approval “Everything is done and they’ve already given us a conditional notice of award They (NMDOT) just wanted us to complete (the review) step the council authorized us to give a notice of award to the contractor and that starts everything In comments after the presentation and approval Mayor Charles Griego praised all involved for their hard work in seeing the Los Lunas Boulevard project get to this point “When we started this process we had zero dollars to begin with,” Griego said “So it’s been an ongoing project to get where we’re at now in that neighborhood … It’s important to say that this is a local-lead project It’s been led by the village of Los Lunas.” The corridor will span from Interstate 25 to the east The project includes a new exit and interchange on I-25 a bridge across the Rio Grande and a two-lane highway spanning from I-25 to N.M The Los Lunas Boulevard Project was originally slated to begin in November 2024 but the start date was pushed back to March of this year as bidding for the project was delayed to December 2024 After an unsatisfactory initial bid process the village opened the bidding again and narrowed the prospects to two companies Now the project will take a small sidestep so the village can fully vet El Terrero Construction’s bid of $159,094,001 El Terrero beat out FNF Construction of Albuquerque FNF’s bid was more than $169 million for the complete corridor project Los Lunas’ overall budget for the project is currently $170.3 million with the bulk of the money coming from the Federal Highway Commission and the New Mexico Department of Transportation The village has also collected a total of $18 million through a combination of sources which also assisted in securing state funding To view the plans for the Los Lunas Boulevard Corridor Project, visit loslunasnm.gov/interchange • The council also heard from Jaramillo about the North Los Lentes project which will be suspended due to lack of funding Jaramillo explained the scope and term of the project became a challenge and the village found out on April 9 that the work would cost more than the awarded amount One complicating factor was a rail certification required by NMDOT which was estimated to be completed in June endangering federal funding that would expire before the June date it was recommended that the funding be switched to another public works project 6 on and off ramps rehab and reconstruction project The property the village is seeking to acquire is 286 acres of vacant land owned by the State of New Mexico General Services Department Los Lunas senior economic developer Victoria Archuleta said the property located right in the heart of Los Lunas' growing industrial area holds potential for future economic development The village of Los Lunas is requesting a large property transfer from the state for what is known locally as The Grasslands which holds potential for future economic development LOS LUNAS — The village of Los Lunas is requesting a large property transfer from the state for what is known locally as The Grasslands “The Grasslands is 286 acres of under-utilized and idle land that is owned by the state of New Mexico General Services Department and it is right in the heart of our growing industrial area,” said Los Lunas senior economic developer Victoria Archuleta at the Jan The Grasslands currently resides in an unincorporated area of the county and is bordered by the Los Lunas Meta Data Center on the west end of Los Lunas To the north of the property is the Isleta Pueblo and to the east is I-25 the state does not have any plans for developing the property and now would be a good time for the village to try and take ownership of it “I realized because this is not in the control of the village of Los Lunas we do not qualify for any state funding to actually develop or even attempt to develop this land,” Archuleta said “We have 2,200 acres of available industrial land “We have no control of any other specifically village-owned land near the industrial area So that was kind of upsetting when all of these millions of dollars of state funding were available for locally-owned business parks Archuleta then presented a conceptual plan for a potential business park on The Grasslands The conceptual plan is based on an existing plan created in 2019 for the property but further pursuit of the idea was put on hold due to the pandemic family-friendly amenities and the original conceptual plan does include about 50 to 55 acres for what would be a convention center and mixed-use space,” said Archuleta With the revival of funds from the state for economic development and site readiness and to help municipalities prepare and be proactive in building out utilities to attract new companies I think now is a really opportune moment for us to try and secure The Grasslands into our control so we can move forward in developing our own Los Lunas business park in our industrial zone,” she told the council and mayor at the meeting Archuleta shared how roadway extensions are also built into the conceptual plan as traffic congestion remains a concern within the rapidly-growing community “While we’re working towards breaking ground on the second interchange we already know that there’s a need for a potential third interchange on the north side of Los Lunas along our border with Isleta Pueblo,” said Archuleta but I think the key goal is to get that 286 acres in our control so that we could move forward with extended roadways and improved connections on the north side of Los Lunas.” Archuleta then noted that should the land be secured it could potentially serve as a site for the New Mexico State Fair the governor and folks at the city of Albuquerque did say that the future of the state fair is uncertain While I don’t anticipate it will move in the next five to 10 years they have said that they want to develop affordable housing in Expo New Mexico’s current home,” she said The state fair currently occupies 230 acres at Expo New Mexico allowing for plenty of space should that land be chosen but Archuleta emphasized that is a big “what if” as it currently stands “If we begin to develop our own convention center that could be ours to use and manage and rent all year round and also maybe rent that out to the state fair for two weeks,” she said There are many stakeholders and agencies aware and supportive of the village’s intent to request the land which is why she is seeking the council’s approval of resolution to pursue the transfer “Regardless of what happens to the state fair we do need to secure this land so we can continue development in our industrial area,” she said “Representative Brian Baca has agreed to carry a house resolution for us during this legislative session but we do need our local resolution first.” The Valencia County Commission and county manager are also supportive of the village working to secure the grasslands and annexing it into the village of Los Lunas “The location is perfect for everything you talked about either a business park or something in the recreation arena so I’m supportive of it,” said Los Lunas Village Councilor Gino Romero amazing things are happening around here,” said Los Lunas Village Councilor James Runyon All councilors then unanimously voted in approval of the resolution “The location and size of the property additionally provides an ideal location for the New Mexico State Fair an opportunity that the village of Los Lunas is highly motivated to pursue considering the significant economic benefits that this development would afford to the village and the larger region.” “the village of Los Lunas further recognizes the significant potential of the property as a publicly-owned industrial park which would create an opportunity to support the State of New Mexico’s site readiness goals and drive economic growth create jobs and enhance the quality of life for residents of the village of Los Lunas Valencia County and the surrounding region.” Company expanding in Albuquerque with ‘next generation’ facilities Social media giant Meta is looking to expand its data center campus in Los Lunas intends to expand its existing data center campus at 4250 Messenger Loop NW The ‘next generation’ facilities are set to be able to support current products and enable future generations of AI hardware and related and similar facilities The News-Bulletin says the new expansion will total two buildings and an investment of around $800 million Construction is expected to take around three years Facebook broke ground on the campus in 2016, beginning with a single $250m facility built by Fortis. The company opened a third data center at Los Lunas in 2020 and announced another two-building expansion in 2021 that are set to go live this year The site reportedly currently totals seven buildings Meta paused development of around a dozen data centers in late 2022 as part of a "rescoping" of its designs to better cater for GPUs and liquid cooling It has since resumed its build-out with the updated design The purpose of an IRB is to provide certain incentives for the company to expand and operate in the area The village intends to issue up to six series of IRBs in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $7.5 billion each This is the third series of IRBs to Greater Kudu LLC; the first two totaled up to $70bn The company has invested in more than 885MW of renewable energy capacity in New Mexico to offset the energy use of its data centers Data Centre Dynamics Ltd (DCD), 32-38 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8FH Email. [email protected]DCD is a subsidiary of InfraXmedia The facility being proposed is a size two plant which requires an area that’s about 100-feet wide and 200-feet long Progress continues to be made on establishing a permanent plant in Los Lunas that turns plastic into gas and other products LOS LUNAS — Progress continues to be made on establishing a permanent plant in Los Lunas that turns plastic into gas and other products and we feel that we’re getting super close,” said Los Lunas Public Works Director Michael Jaramillo but we’re excited because I think this is really a good possibility for us to deal with the plastic issue we have.” In 2022, the village of Los Lunas established a small, proof-of-concept plant off Morris Road in Los Lunas that was able to transform up to 100 pounds of plastic into roughly 15 gallons of fuel per day The demo plant and accompanying technology is the product of PlastikGas PlastikGas plants can use all seven different types of plastic to produce mainly gasoline and diesel the plants use proprietary technology that utilizes a heating and cooling process to turn plastic into the resulting fuels The process produces “high performance gasoline and diesel” and emissions resulting from the processing plants “do not exceed maximum permissible emission levels established by the Environmental Protection Agency,” according to PlastikGas’ website Jaramillo announced the village was offered a significant discount by PlastikGas for the purchase of a permanent size two plant for $1.4 million The size two plant can convert four tons of plastic per shift and every plant is capable of running at least two shifts a day the Los Lunas public works team has been figuring out the logistics and obtaining the appropriate tests and permits to turn the idea into a reality Jaramillo gave an update on the project at a village council meeting “We know that there’s other things that could help like putting in an ordinance to ban plastic bags at the shopping centers but it’s kind of challenging and some of the communities are not willing to move in that direction,” Jaramillo said “The way it looks is plastic is just getting more and more into our society and there’s the possibility of being able to recycle this.” Jaramillo emphasized it will save money in the long-run because currently the village spends about a million dollars a year for fuel said Los Lunas currently receives roughly three tons of discarded plastic per day the village can only recycle a couple kinds of plastic — plastic one and two — so much of the plastic disposed of is discarded into a landfill “Having the opportunity to keep all that out of a landfill and to be able to benefit the village … the idea is amazing the citizens need to hear how we are really leading in technology for this area,” said Councilor James Runyon When asked by Councilor Cruz Muñoz about emissions Suazo said it is a closed loop system so emissions are minimal and they do not come from the plastic itself “The only thing that goes into the air would be a slight bit of smoke from the propane,” said Suzao Mayor Charles Griego said he is eager to see the project progress and that the council is supportive of seeing it completed Jaramillo provided another update and requested additional funds for the refundable deposit We just need to finalize some of the last few little requirements in order for us to say that we can move this project forward,” said Jaramillo The original deposit agreement with PlastikGas expired in October 2024 and the company asked for an additional $300,000 to the deposit agreement The total price for the plant also increased from $1.4 million to $1.8 million due to what the company cited as increased transportation and manufacturing costs “We’re also asking for an extension to that agreement for at least another four months We think that would be enough time for us to finalize this project,” Jaramillo told the council village staff have submitted samples to and have had multiple tests done with the New Mexico Environmental Department to validate that the material is not hazardous Jaramillo said all they are waiting on now is a clean air certificate which they anticipate to have in May All council members then voted in approval of allocating an additional $300,000 toward the refundable deposit “to hopefully deal with our plastic overage that we have in our community and be able to reduce our landfill load and produce diesel and gas.” A Texas visitor infected with measles recently made the rounds in the Los Lunas area — going to a funeral dining out and staying at a motel — leading to concerns of possible spread did not say if the exposure led to any additional cases which stands at 38 infections in Lea and Eddy counties The Associated Press contributed to this report. Matthew Reisen covers criminal justice for the Albuquerque Journal. Follow him on Twitter at @MReisen88, call him at (505) 823-3563 or reach him via email at mreisen@abqjournal.com Aerial rendering of buildings 7 and 8 in relation to the entire campus at the Facebook Data Center in Los Lunas The purple light leads the way as a logistics technician transports racks of servers to be stored in one of the data halls at Meta’s Data Center Campus in Los Lunas the Los Lunas Meta Data Center is seeking to expand its campus through the addition of two new buildings to house next-generation technology LOS LUNAS — With the assistance of local leadership “Meta’s campus is on a (roughly) 750 acre parcel of land ever since they’ve been in Valencia County they have been a great community partner,” said Los Lunas senior economic developer Victoria Archuleta in a phone interview the Los Lunas Village Council approved a resolution declaring the village’s intent to issue a series of taxable industrial revenue bonds (IRBs) pertaining to the proposed expansion of the Los Lunas Meta Data Center An IRB is a tax break for companies that plan to expand by way of construction and equipping of a future project The inducement and notice resolution for an IRB application was submitted by Greater Kudu LLC a subsidiary of Meta (formerly called Facebook) “This resolution declares the intent of the village to issue up to six series of (IRBs) in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $7.5 billion dollars each to induce the Greater Kudu LLC to expand its existing data center facility at its existing site,” said the village’s bond attorney Jill Sweeney at the Dec Sweeney said this would be the third series of IRBs to Greater Kudu LLC According to previous News-Bulletin reporting which were used to create the Los Lunas Data Center in 2016 the Los Lunas councilors approved a little more than $40 billion in IRBs to help with the cost of a second series of buildings at the data center “The purpose of an IRB is to provide certain incentives for the company to expand and operate here and bring new jobs and other benefits to the community so this inducement resolution will allow the company to begin to take advantage of gross receipt and compensating tax abatement because this is an equipment IRB,” Sweeney explained “is give the team the go ahead to proceed with economic analysis including negotiation of payment in lieu of taxes and to negotiate … when we get to the ordinance.” the Los Lunas Data Center is made up of seven large buildings they began construction of three additional buildings the Los Lunas Meta Data Center community development manager said is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2025 they are proposing a third expansion of two new buildings that will house “next generation data center facilities to support current products and enable future generations of AI (artificial intelligence) hardware.” Archuleta said what’s special about this proposed expansion is these facilities would be the first of its kind in Meta’s portfolio dedicated to AI and machine learning applications so anytime someone’s on their app (utilizing AI) that has to be powered and generated somewhere So this is a new model that we’re really excited to support Meta in doing and we’re fortunate that Meta is looking at doing that here to really move this advanced technology forward,” said Archuleta The two new buildings would also use substantially less water as “Meta has a focus on minimizing their water use and also offsetting the amount of electricity and power that they’re using.” She said Meta has also been making upgrades to their existing buildings to help conserve water they had an estimated amount of water that they projected they were going to use,” said Archuleta “Through all the advances in technology and water restoration and their dedication to sustainability they’ve used way less water than I think any of us thought they would.” Archuleta said to her knowledge the Los Lunas Data Center currently employs about 300 full-time Meta-associated employees and around 1,100 construction workers “They’re looking at an $800 million investment in the construction and development costs for the (proposed) two new buildings,” Archuleta said we’re expecting that would add about 30 new Sweeney said the proposed two new buildings would entail about two to three years of construction which is expected to begin promptly in the spring should all go as planned She also told the council that traffic studies monitoring and planning for the future is all in the works been reviewed and all the steps have been taken up to this point in accordance with your economic development policy,” Sweeney said “So this is your opportunity to give your non-binding intent to the team to go forward then we’ll come back to you probably at your January 30 meeting with an ordinance and all the nuts and bolts of the transaction.” “I’m excited about the concept of the high-tech around here I think it’s going to be great for the area,” said councilor James Runyon The council then unanimously voted in approval of the inducement and notice resolution which includes authorization to publish notice of intent to adopt the IRB ordinance “This is already one of their largest campuses in the United States so if they move forward with this third expansion it would be a really substantial benchmark for Meta and Los Lunas,” said Archuleta “I think it’s really special and is a compliment to the village of Los Lunas and our teams that are able to support this type of growth and development and that we’re business friendly and open to allowing that kind of growth.” The search is underway for a new Los Lunas Schools superintendent and the board put itself on a tight timeline to find the right person to lead the district LOS LUNAS — The search is underway for a new Los Lunas Schools superintendent and the board put itself on a tight timeline to find the right person to lead the district “This important leadership position will play a crucial role in shaping the educational direction and vision of our district,” the district’s website states “We are seeking a dynamic and experienced individual who is committed to fostering student success and community engagement.” The search follows the firing of former LLS superintendent Ryan Kettler, whose employment with the district was terminated in November 2024 following an investigation into allegations of misconduct that the LLS Board of Education has yet to specify Kettler was the superintendent for about a year before being placed on paid administrative leave on a 3-2 vote in July 2024 the board announced the application window for the position would last 10 days board member David Vickers emphasized a preference for a quick superintendent search timeline as he didn’t want it to drag on for months “The EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) states that there needs to be a consistency on job postings and the (LLS) district does it in 10 calendar days.” the board decided to advertise the position statewide instead of nationwide like the last LLS superintendent search in 2023 especially considering the “incredible pool of talent in our own backyard,” said board member Sonya C’Moya would conduct the search and vet the candidates instead of hiring an external entity “Sitting in on the (New Mexico School Boards Association’s) clinic on their search process they mentioned the three opportunities for a (superintendent) search process is a headhunter I didn’t think they were very effective,” said C’Moya for local districts to conduct the process themselves I do believe with the experience that sits on this board we are more than qualified to conduct the search.” Board President Michelle Osowski said the board is hoping to cast a wide net through the search and much of the discussion surrounding qualifications included interest “in being inclusive as opposed to exclusive.” The minimum requirements the board voted in approval of include a valid and current administrative license issued by the New Mexico Public Education Department or the ability to obtain the administrative license on or before the first day of the contract (July 1 at least three consecutive years of successful experience in a senior district leadership position and at least three consecutive years of successful K-12 classroom teaching experience in a public school the board felt it was important that whoever is chosen as the new superintendent must also be willing to reside in Valencia County within 90 calendar days from accepting the position available and visible,” said Osowski during the workshop Other minimum requirements also include being able to pass a comprehensive background check and the successful candidate must be willing to be fingerprinted at their personal expense and provide other documentation required for certified employees within 30 calendar days of accepting the position the board voted they will be responsible for that and that each board member will participate in conducting the background checks The board will also be responsible for rating the candidate based on their qualifications “At the regular board meeting scheduled for Tuesday the board will go into closed executive session to review the applicants for screening purposes,” Osowski said we may decide that we need to extend the opportunities in the screening timeline and we would report that at the appropriate time and then ask for a motion to extend as necessary.” The board will then narrow the pool of applicants down to select finalists which would then be interviewed by the board only An interview committee would also be created which will help form the basis of the interview questions the committee will be composed of one school or staff member who resides in the district and is not employed by the district to advise the board on questions for the finalists All required application materials must be submitted electronically to Osowski by 11:59 p.m. For more information and to view the full application instructions, visit llschools.net Updated 2/27/25 to reflect new information LOS LUNAS — The Los Lunas Schools Board of Education announced at the Feb 18 board meeting that Acting Superintendent Susan Chavez has been selected to lead the district as its new “I am very honored and blessed to serve our district in this capacity,” Chavez wrote in an emailed statement “We have an incredible district with first class staff and extraordinary students Thank you to our school board for having faith in me to lead our district.” The board began a brief search for a new superintendent in early February with the application window lasting 10 days — from Feb The board voted at a special meeting on Feb would conduct the search and vet the candidates They also voted during that meeting to form a superintendent search advisory committee to help form the basis of interview questions for selected finalists The BOE and committee were scheduled to meet Feb but that has since been canceled as no finalists were identified at the Feb the board reviewed the applications in a closed executive session lasting about half an hour the board unanimously voted in approval of offering the position to Chavez effective July 1 They also voted in approval of scheduling an executive session at a later date to discuss contract details “I’m very shocked and I’m very honored,” said Chavez following the vote “I love Los Lunas Schools; it’s a huge part of who I am.” “We are going to put a lot of faith in you,” responded Board President Michelle Osowski has spent her entire career working at Los Lunas Schools she has served in a variety of capacities throughout the district as a general and special education teacher inclusion support coach and educational diagnostician she was named the director of special services overseeing the special education department she also served as assistant superintendent “I am a product of this school district and it is my moral imperative to serve our community,” wrote Chavez in her letter of interest submitted to the board our future demands that we do the best for our children I am committed to perpetuating the educational opportunities for our students and to do the work necessary to ensure positive outcomes so that our students will be able to be successful in their choice of future endeavors.” Chavez has a bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education and a master’s degree in language she also noted she is currently pursuing a PhD in special education “I am well versed on current and seminal research which I will incorporate into practice in this district,” she wrote which is a major reason why I chose to pursue a Doctorate I am a lifelong learner and strive to improve myself each day.” “Chavez plans to prioritize enhancing curriculum and to continue building on the district’s commitment to excellence.” “I am a team player and believe that teamwork is a cornerstone of our district,” Chavez wrote “My varied positions in the district provided me the opportunity to build relationships and earn the respect of many employees across the district I believe this is a strong foundation to support my role as the superintendent I will continue to bring stability to our district to catapult Los Lunas Schools to the next level.” Osowski said in an email that the board received eight applications but only two submitted completed employment applications only one submitted a completed and notarized criminal history affidavit as required per the application instructions According to information received from Osowski through an Inspection of Public Records Act request teacher/ principal at Haaku Community Academy in San Fidel assistant superintendent of human resources at Hazelwood School District in Saint Louis chief academic and federal programs officer in Truth or Consequences Municipal School District founder/consultant of Focus Educational Consultants based in Houston ninth-12th grade founding principal at Duval MYcroSchool Charter High School in Jacksonville who most recently worked with the New Mexico National Guard in recruitment and retention a foundations project lead in the drilling industry — Authorities took a woman into custody as a person of interest in connection with a shooting that left two people dead Wednesday in Los Lunas According to the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office sheriff’s deputies found a 61-year-old man at the intersection of El Cerro Loop and Inspiration Drive around 12:19 p.m He had a reported gunshot to the wound to the chest but was able to tell deputies he had been shot down the block and that there was another victim there deputies arrived at that second scene with Los Lunas police officers After about a half hour of calling out to people in the home That is when they say they found a 64-year-old man dead with a gunshot wound to the head the sheriff’s office said they found a woman hiding in a bathroom They took her into custody as a person of interest The sheriff’s office also hasn’t released any names yet They’re now investigating this case with New Mexico State Police and the Los Lunas Police Department The butterfly box artists — two pairs of mothers and daughters — gather around their work in Los Lunas’ Valley View Park Jackie Farnsworth and Lybi Winzenz and Kelsey Cook and Laura Wegkamp Cook LOS LUNAS—The electrical meter box was rusted and ugly and didn’t seem to belong in the otherwise well-cared-for Valley View Park in Los Lunas Lybi Winzenz kept passing it as she walked her dog every day Somebody should do something about it — and hadn’t she been looking for a beautification project ‘It’s so ugly and it could be so pretty,’” Winzenz recalled She’d been asked to head an arts session as a means of “Blessing Our Community With Our Talents” during a women’s conference for the Los Lunas stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints She thought about it for a few months and then seeing a trio of village employees working at the park and I asked them if they thought it would be possible.” They thought it would be and referred her to the parks department “I was so impressed about how open they were to giving permission,” said Winzenz’s mother who helped with the background of the mural said the work fits right in with the village’s plans for public art — a couple of little library boxes are already decorated and he’s working on plans for a children’s contest to help add art to the recreation center “We haven’t done as much as we’d like to with public art but we’d love to partner with them anytime adding that the village is planning on putting funding for public art in its upcoming budget who were both known for their artistic talents natural and beautiful than that for their painting Winzenz and Wegkamp Cook — a designer of note — began researching which butterflies are native to New Mexico and they chose the most colorful: anise swallowtails in yellow red-spotted purple in (strangely) blue and a viceroy in orange Wegkamp Cook designed a wrap-around mural with some large some smaller butterflies set against a bright blue sky of the sort for which the state is famous “I designed it with scoops and patterns,” she said making it look as if a kaleidoscope of butterflies was erupting against the block wall behind the electrical box medium and smaller (butterflies) — an alignment a harmonizing color palette,” Wegkamp Cook said Her paintings — often portraits and landscapes — have been featured in galleries in New Mexico and Utah One painting of sandhill cranes has been featured on the cover of an art magazine The birds — a common sight in the county — would be the perfect subject of a larger mural They had to wait for non-windy days and times when the temperature was above freezing so that the paint would dry smoothly without flecks of dust in it; the work began in October It also took time for each of the coats of paint to dry Village workers had told her about a rust-covering primer that would allow their painting to be smooth and not flake off they applied lighter and darker shades of blue along with white for the butterfly background “The sky isn’t just one color — to an artist It took five days just to apply the exterior latex paint sky on the box “I was excited to try — it was the first mural I’d painted The home-schooled 15-year-old enjoys all sorts of art projects from graphic cartoon-style elements to designing video games “A couple at church said they’d seen it when out walking and they wondered who’d done it,” Farnsworth said “She and her husband had actually been talking about it.” people walking their dogs would praise and encourage them as they passed making their Butterfly Project that much more fun they were surprised to see that the box had become a stop in the Pokeman on-line game “We play Pokeman and photos of the project have been sent to Australia England — all over the world,” Farnsworth said And it also encouraged the youngest artist to continue thinking in terms of public art “I liked seeing how big Kelsey’s smile was I want to paint the world,’” Winzenz recalled They all hope the brightly-colored butterfly box on the east side of the park is just the start of a blossoming of public art in Los Lunas Winzenz says she has rust-covering primer and some paint left over and hopes people will nominate places they’d like to see painted with murals ‘Yay!’ I want to see more murals; I want to see more art.” And Winzenz has her eye on the back of the large sign that displays the name of the park “I’m thinking a mural of hot-air balloons would look good there,” she said Duran says the sign is due to be replaced — “and now that that’s coming up this would give us a chance to do something This would be a great opportunity to partner with them and do something.” A street in the village of Los Lunas in 1894 All that remains of the original Catholic cemetery in Los Lunas The old Los Lunas depot is now home to the Daniel D It’s remarkable how much Los Lunas has changed Shortly after my family moved to Albuquerque in 1973 we took a Sunday drive south down Old Highway 85 (now N.M 314) and wound up at the intersection of 85 and Main Street There was no traffic and therefore no need for a traffic light we parked our car and so my 3-year-old daughter could pick some flowers along the road we can only image how tiny it was when a reporter from a newspaper called the Albuquerque Citizen visited the village in early January 1894 George Washington Pittock was a 47-year-old veteran newspaper reporter when he traveled south from Albuquerque searching for a story to write for the Citizen Reporters often took such trips across New Mexico especially after the Santa Fe Railroad facilitated travel following its construction in 1880 noting that the area was well-known for its excellent hunting grounds and lakes where “feathered” targets “abound.” Pittock explained to his readers that although “luna” means moon in Spanish the village was named after a founding family rather than a celestial body The name is Los Lunas because it is named after a family It would have been Las Lunas if it were named after moons lived in an “attractive one-story adobe” across from the railroad depot lived in the village’s “only modern dwelling,” a two-story home just northwest of the depot The Catholic church stood “a few steps” from the depot The cemetery beside the church was where “many prominent people” lay buried Some of the monuments in the cemetery “cost fully $1,000.” Pittock reported that Los Lunas “contains some 300 souls of which scarcely two dozen are English speaking.” Three saloons — or one for every 100 residents — provided billiards and cards for “amusement” as well as liquor for their “thirsty” customers Simon Neustadt and Leon Hertzog managed the Los Lunas Mercantile store spent his time making wine and brandies and raising alfalfa Pittock wrote that “the substantially constructed bridge across the Rio Grande” had been “lacking for some time in fulfilling its duty as a bridge.” Travelers were forced to ford the river “for a distance.” The railroad had made a significant impact on the village importing goods for sale at the mercantile store and exporting wine brandies and other agricultural products to markets near and far The railroad also improved transportation for the village’s small middle and upper classes Pittock wrote that some residents commuted by train to Albuquerque for employment Louis Huning had just departed for a trip to Albuquerque Sheriff Solomon Luna had left for Socorro to attend a court hearing relating to the murder of Jose Romero Pittock learned of other serious crimes committed in or near Los Lunas Seventeen-year-old Adelita Jaramillo had been “brutally murdered” while waiting for a northbound train in the Los Lunas depot in 1891 Adelita was among the many buried at the local cemetery Pittock walked under the same cottonwood trees where three prisoners had been lynched the previous May a mob of vigilantes had summarily executed the young men for murdering two women The bodies of the accused hung from the “hanging tree” for hours Pittock ended his short visit to Los Lunas and returned to Albuquerque to write his newspaper column which appeared in the Albuquerque Citizen on Jan Pittock went on to work for other newspapers and magazines Pittock never made a fortune plying his craft he often supplemented his income by selling subscriptions to whatever newspaper he was working for as he traveled gathering news But Pittock’s luck suddenly changed in 1919 when his older brother Pittock got to enjoy his newfound wealth for only six years dying in Los Angeles at the age of 78 in 1925 it is hard to believe it is the same community that I visited in 1973 no less the place George Pittock visited and wrote about in 1894 Simon Neustadt’s mercantile store has been replaced by several big box stores The railroad depot has been moved to Daniel Fernandez Memorial Park and replaced by the Los Lunas Transportation Center The old bridge has been replaced several times including its most recent incarnation named after Daniel Fernandez replaced by healthier establishments like parks and fitness centers Only a central marker remains at the old cemetery the hanging tree was cut down when Main Street was widened at least 60 years ago we now have many traffic jams and at least a dozen traffic lights on Main Street alone the village’s population has skyrocketed from 300 “souls” in 1894 to 17,242 residents Today’s residents would not have recognized Los Lunas of 1894 any more than residents of the late 19th century would recognize their hometown as it is now George Washington Pittock probably never thought that he was performing a valuable service to help link the past to the present when he went looking for a good feature story and some newspaper subscriptions to sell on a winter day 131 years ago (La Historia del Rio Abajo is a regular column about Valencia County history written by members of the Valencia County Historical Society since 1998 Opinions expressed in this and all columns of La Historia del Rio Abajo are the author’s alone and not necessarily those of the Valencia County Historical Society or any other group or individual.) The state’s newest high school sport has attracted more and more participants was a team effort to prepare the school cafeteria for the competition LOS LUNAS — In a matter of several hours Friday the cafeteria at Los Lunas High School went from ladles and hair nets to barbells and singlets Shortly after B-lunch ended at about 12:40 p.m. the rush began to transform the lunchroom into a weight room in time for the Los Lunas Powerlifting Invitational “There is a lot going on — it takes all hands-on deck,” said Nathanial Charley moved from the weight room in a separate building maintenance crews and athletes from many sports teams at the school did the heavy lifting “It was a big community effort from our staff; everyone helped out,” Charley said The effort came from a variety of areas — an LLHS shop class students trained as spotters and teachers and staff received certification by New Mexico Activities Association for various roles Charley sought out the state’s top powerlifting officials “so that our kids are coached up well on the technique,” as judges explain what they may have done incorrectly the contest turned into a dual between the Tigers and Belen Eagles “It’s a cool environment,” said Chris Peralta as students and fans from both schools crowded into the room but other than that we’re good allies,” Peralta said about the two schools and his friendship with Charley “Getting Belen and Los Lunas back together is a good thing,” Charley said The barbell battle was enthusiastic and close In only its second season as a sanctioned high school sport in New Mexico even more so on the girl’s side,” said Peralta this is their first experience in athletics we can’t kick them out of practice,” the Los Lunas coach said Athletes will continue to try to improve their lifts in hopes of qualifying for the New Mexico Powerlifting Championships April 4-5 at the Rio Rancho Events Center the director of safety and security for LLS was placed on paid administrative leave in March LOS LUNAS — A long-time employee of Los Lunas Schools is on administrative leave and the district is staying silent as to why refusing to even verify he has been put on leave did confirm to the News-Bulletin he was placed on administrative leave on Tuesday “She said there was some kind of external party conducting an investigation based on a complaint Chavez said she cannot comment on the matter because it is a personnel matter Asked if she could verify Garcia was put on administrative leave and what his current employment status was Chavez said she could not comment because it is a personnel matter The News-Bulletin asked if Garcia was at work that day Garcia said he’s had no communication with anyone from the district or the superintendent since he was put on leave and has not been contacted by any investigator I’ve been there 18 years and never had a negative evaluation,” he said Dendinger can be reached directly by calling 505-823-7803 LOS LUNAS — A resolution brought before the Los Lunas Village Council regarding mid-year budget adjustments evolved into a broader discussion of concern about budget transparency Los Lunas finance director Cheryl Cates explained at the Feb they evaluate the budget to see where they stand and to make any budget adjustments necessary which is then brought before the council for approval Councilor Gino Romero addressed an overarching concern observed in the budget noting that it appears that they are either overspent or outside of budget by almost $7 million and how is the council just being notified of this today?” Romero asked Cates responded there are no protocols or practices in place within the village to where approval must be obtained to stand over budget on a line item whether it was in recent past history or it’s always been this way but the responsibility for the budget and maintaining the spending per budget line has been divested to the departments instead of being overseen by finance,” Cates responded I find out about this after the fact the same way you guys do.” just from the standpoint that ultimately the public comes to us and says approve the budget,’ and being that we’re not told about changes I really believe that’s something that needs to change saying they should all sit down and discuss how that change should be implemented as it would take a change in procedures and protocols Cates then highlighted the main budget adjustments in her presentation noting the infrastructure fund is over budget by about $5 million saying additional information would have to come from the public works director what he has expressed to me is that most of the problem has been cost increases in material Following the conclusion of her presentation Romero asked Cates what would be needed in order to have better checks and balances and reporting “I never worked anywhere where we did not have some kind of a procurement or division or buyers that were in charge of going out for quotes making sure that everything was priced right when it comes in all of that responsibility lies on our department heads and they have a lot on their plate,” Cates responded adding there is not a checks-and-balance system in place as far as spending limits that she is aware of “I know there’s increases in prices and stuff that’s kind of hard to bite,” said Councilor Chris Ortiz Mayor Charles Griego noted there’s flexibility within the infrastructure budget and that it’s not budgeting every line item to that line item; it’s budgeting to the overall expense within that item Cates responded it is not necessarily the case as when they finished working on the infrastructure fund most of the money was allocated within that fund to specific projects and she expressed concern in moving money from bucket to bucket and that’s a discussion that I’ve had with several unhappy people over the last couple years,” she said “If we’re going to be over budget on a line item simply because then we can go back and reference it.” The mayor responded that there needs to be more transparency and communication to the council about the budget “If we’re getting over budget in a project and projects or priorities are being changed Cates questioned how she can do that effectively if she also is only finding out after the fact “Then it’s a cultural change,” Griego responded “We’re having (an upcoming) meeting on objectives The not knowing and why things aren’t getting done bothers me and it comes to be x plus x and another half.” “I understand that there’s things that happen,” said Romero but the fact that nobody’s signing off on these Griego suggested that Cates can come before the council more often to keep the council informed to which she agreed Councilor James Runyon said the infrastructure being over budget in that amount isn’t a big surprise to him considering how much infrastructure and construction prices have gone up in recent years saying his main concern is more so transparency “I have no doubt our people are being honest and spending every dollar the best they can,” said Runyon “I don’t think that’s a discussion that we need to worry about having but I think we need to make sure that if it’s going over we have a good answer as to why it went over and exactly what happened.” Village Administrator Greg Martin said they will improve information sharing with the council and aim to complete projects as quickly as they can because that affects the overall cost as well “The vast majority of our funds in this resolution at mid-year are in very good shape,” said Martin “It’s just the infrastructure that basically went crazy this year but we luckily had multi million dollars of fund balance to be able to absorb that and that’s what we’re here explaining and trying to get approval after the fact knowing that the direction of the council was to do these projects and that was really the only way to move forward Romero also said they should also take a closer look at day-to-day expenses and consider hiring procurement staff because there is a lot of spending going on and there are likely several areas where spending can be done more efficiently I brought up the thing about the janitorial supplies There’s an open checkbook for that; we haven’t done RFP (request for proposals) for that for a long time,” Romero said “I asked why and was told we don’t have the ability to send it out for RFP so how do we even know if we’re paying the best price?” then voted in approval of the mid-year budget adjustments LOS LUNAS — A nursing home or similar medical facility could be making its way to Los Lunas following the approval of a special use amendment by the Los Lunas Village Council created a new land use designation to allow for a nursing care facility adjacent to the Jubilee active adult community The property is on a vacant parcel west of Huning Ranch West Loop SW and south of Sundance Street SW Los Lunas Community Development Director Alex Ochoa noted there are currently a couple assisted living facilities within the village but they’re looking at nine acres out of that 29-acre parcel,” said Ochoa at the Feb which allows for a variety of residential structures such as townhouses This proposal is asking to create a brand new zone which is the mixed density nursing care facility.” Ochoa said the proposal is already permitted within the commercial districts but the need for a new zone will facilitate the development of that particular use in a more residential area Ochoa explained an assisted living facility is essentially an apartment complex where individuals live independently but there is some assistant staff on site to help with daily living a nursing care facility is defined as a skilled nursing facility with semi-private rooms that has doctors and nurses on site “The comment was made that this (type of) facility doesn’t exist in Los Lunas I think it’s a great facility and that the village needs it,” said applicant Sheldon Greer “It’d be nice if (residents) could stay closer to home and their loved ones could visit them in an easier manner.” During the public comment portion of the meeting several residents spoke in support of the proposed project emphasizing the need for it in the community especially considering the senior population throughout the country is growing and there are a limited number of nursing care facilities in New Mexico I have no family around,” said Jubilee resident Patti Tanis “I had hoped when we first moved into our home in Jubilee that there would eventually be a place for me to go as I aged I relish the thought of having this facility and I truly hope you consider it because we’re all getting old.” some residents voiced their opposition to the endeavor mainly citing concerns over the ambiguity of the project and traffic Another resident also expressed concern about the scenic impact for the homes adjacent to the property “The Huning Ranch area is inherently scenic and because of the zoning allowable heights for having a 50-foot structure it would impact residents in the area with views from their houses,” said Monica Kemsley I’d like to request that it be contingent on the highest limit being changed to 26 feet.” who is also the owner and developer of Jubilee shared a letter he sent out to Jubilee residents at the meeting “It’s been my desire since 2012 to provide an assisted living facility that will serve our 55-plus Jubilee community and the surrounding area,” said Blea “Please understand that the land next to Jubilee will be developed in the future but normal development will create substantially more traffic than an assisted living facility would.” Greer then addressed some concerns raised by residents seeking more clarity on the type of facility that will be there if built “We’re asking for a conditional use,” said Greer “I made it a conditional use on purpose because whoever the user is So everybody will get another notice and that would be the time to talk (about specifics) and we’re asking for permission to use it for everything from assisted living to nursing care.” Greer added that should the council make a motion for approval they would be willing to limit the height to 26 feet in response to concerns regarding the impact to views he said another entrance would be added for the facility and would work with Sundance Elementary Councilor James Runyon made a motion for approval with the condition that the development height be limited to 26 feet “I know if the village of Los Lunas is going to be a strong we should be good with taking care of our citizens from the birth to the grave,” said Runyon The council unanimously approved the motion for approval of the special use amendment Easter Egg Hunts were held in Los Lunas and Rio Communities last week sponsored by the Rio Communities Optimist Club Moose Riders and the La Merced Women of the Moose April 19 at Tierra del Sol Golf Club in the city of Rio Communities but the kids showed up and still had a lot of fun originally planned for the village's Sports Complex was moved to the Daniel Fernandez Recreation Center due to windy Well over 150 adults and children were on hand at the rec center to celebrate To comply with New Mexico Solid Waste Bureau requirement to have a certified operator or representative present while the facility is in operation the village of Los Lunas is establishing operating hours at its recycling center at 315 Don Pasqual Road The center will be closed on holidays and hours may change due to unforeseen circumstances the center only accepts #1 and #2 plastics so customers need to be prepared to separate their plastics contact the village of Los Lunas solid waste division at 505-839-5658 or the New Mexico Solid Waste Bureau at 505-827-2855 The FBI and Los Lunas Police Department are asking for the public’s help to identify a man who robbed US Bank LOS LUNAS — The FBI and Los Lunas Police Department are asking for the public’s help to identify a man who robbed US Bank The suspect entered the bank and passed a demand note to the teller then verbally demanded more money from a second teller He was observed leaving northbound from the bank The FBI is offering a reward of up to $2,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of this suspect Anyone with information about this robbery is asked to contact the FBI at 505-889-1300 Information about other bank/credit union robbers wanted by the FBI can be found at bankrobbers.fbi.gov — The Los Lunas Police Department is asking for your help in finding a young woman who they say went missing on New Year’s Eve Someone later spotted her car at the Albertsons grocery store in Los Lunas — A water emergency in an area of Los Lunas prompted Los Lunas High School to dismiss students early Wednesday the district dismissed students at the high school at 11:45 a.m the school provided lunch for students and offered bus service to everyone who usually rides the bus “The safety and well-being of our students is our top priority and are taking the necessary steps to address this issue promptly We appreciate your understanding and cooperation during this time,” a letter to parents read KOB 4 learned a contractor was doing work near Sun Ranch Village and Main Street when they hit the water line Neighborhoods around the school experienced low water levels before crews repaired the water main break around 8 p.m The Village of Los Lunas reported a water emergency disrupting or impacting service in the Huning Ranch Desert Sky and Fiesta Subdivisions and from the area of Los Cerritos Road to Sundance Road they sent crews to the scene to assess the situation and come up with a solution Police say the intersection of Sun Ranch Village Road and north Sun Ranch Village Loop was closed due to the water emergency the village asks you to call Water Division Supervisor Ray Vigil Jr mumps and rubella vaccine is on display at the Lubbock Health Department Wednesday A Texas traveler passed through the area about a week ago while infected with measles A measles outbreak that has been sweeping through West Texas and southeastern New Mexico just got closer to Northern New Mexico with the state Department of Health warning of possible exposure in the Santa Rosa and Los Lunas areas It warned of possible exposure to workers and customers at businesses at the following times: The Health Department urged people who are unvaccinated or unsure of their vaccination status who visited any of these sites to check their vaccination status get caught up on missing doses and monitor themselves for symptoms People who develop systems are urged to isolate and arrange for testing either through their health care provider or the state helpline at 833-SWNURSE the virus can spread to unprotected communities — particularly during high-travel periods like spring break,” Dr the Health Department’s chief medical officer “Vaccination is our strongest defense: one dose of vaccine is 93% effective As of Tuesday there were 279 cases across 11 counties and 36 people in Texas had been hospitalized Oklahoma’s health department reported two probable cases of measles last week saying they are associated with the West Texas and New Mexico outbreaks At least two deaths have been associated with the outbreak There were 38 cases in New Mexico as of Tuesday mostly in Lea County with a few in Eddy County The state Department of Health said residents of those areas “should prepare for continued exposure to measles as long as the virus circulates within their communities.” Visit measles.doh.nm.gov for more information The Associated Press contributed to this report The official cause of the death is still under investigation but the state Health Department has confirmed the virus' presence New Mexico hasn't sounded alarm bells yet on the Lea County measles outbreak which has presented no new cases since Feb The death was a “school-aged child who was not vaccinated” and had been hospitalized last week — Students at Sundance Elementary School in Los Lunas will get out of school early Thursday due to a water outage You can also pick up your student at that time The school stated lunch was already provided to all students The mother-son dance scheduled for Thursday night at the school will take place in the Los Lunas High School cafeteria Los Lunas Schools district will provide more info on Friday classes soon They are waiting on updates from the Village of Los Lunas LOS LUNAS — The Los Lunas Village Council recently approved an ordinance authorizing the sale of industrial revenue bonds (IRBs) for the benefit of battery energy storage company esVolta Founded in 2018, the California-based company develops, owns and operates battery energy storage projects across North America. esVolta recently submitted an IRB application to the village regarding their proposed project in Los Lunas on a 22-acre parcel west of the Los Lunas Meta Data Center and adjacent to PNM’s substation “The purpose of the industrial revenue bond process is to grant gross receipts tax; in this case mostly compensating tax and real and personal property tax abatements to encourage companies to locate in or expand in the village,” said the village’s bond attorney Jill Sweeney The attorney emphasized that the village is not lending money or credit to the company as this would just be giving the company an opportunity for tax relief and the village would not be responsible for the payment of any debt associated with the project the bonds “are not to exceed $600 million providing that the bonds will be issued for the purpose of inducing (the company) to design equip and operate an up to 500 MW/2,000 MWh battery energy storage facility.” esVolta project developer Collin Ramsey shared information about the project to the council He explained their battery energy storage technology is a grid connected resource the batteries would be connected to PNM’s grid to store excess energy for future use Ramsey said the company currently has seven operating projects throughout the United States “It uses lithium ion rechargeable batteries very similar to the batteries you would have in your mobile phones just a whole lot more of them,” said Ramsey but maybe not all of it is being used because there’s not as high of demand at that moment,” he said along with other similar projects throughout the state is we take that excess energy off the grid It stores it in these rechargeable batteries Ramsey said this battery energy storage system increases not only the reliability of the grid but the efficiency of the grid because excess energy is being stored rather than going to waste or being curtailed “It helps to integrate more of the energy that PNM is already paying for and generating through solar and is able to make better use of it and make it more efficient for the ratepayer there will be a few on-site employees throughout the week that will come and go but the facilities are similar to a substation a constituent voiced concern about what money the village would be losing out on through the IRB tax abatement process for companies Los Lunas Mayor Charles Griego said the village does their research into the feasibility and reliability of the companies and what they bring in and that it is not a “willy-nilly” operation but the stability of our local electrical grid is important and I think it’s important that we have that backup source.” It was noted that the project is contingent on an award from PNM Ramsey said the company will be submitting bids to PNM around May and having the IRBs will make their proposal more competitive “We really like the location,” Ramsey told the council “There’s a brand new substation and there’s already energy infrastructure there with the transmission line so based on that I really do like our chances.” Ramsey said he anticipates they will know if they have secured an award from PNM likely by the end of the year The council then unanimously voted in favor of approving the IRB ordinance The FBI and Los Lunas Police Department are asking for the public’s help to identify a man who robbed US Bank at approximately 5 p.m. Anyone with information about this robbery is asked to contact the FBI at 505.889.1300 Information about other bank/credit union robbers wanted by the FBI can be found at bankrobbers.fbi.gov Bank robbery carries a possible prison term of up to 20 years or hoax bomb device during the commission of a bank robbery can be punishable by a prison term of up to 25 years Copyright © 2012-2025 The Los Alamos Daily Post is the Official Newspaper of Record in Los Alamos County This Site and all information contained here including graphs and graphics is the property of the Los Alamos Daily Post Permission to reprint in whole or in part is hereby granted provided that the Los Alamos Daily Post and author/photographer are properly cited columnists and other contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the Los Alamos Daily Post The Los Alamos Daily Post newspaper was founded Feb – High schoolers across New Mexico face challenges every day but some in Los Lunas carry burdens heavier than most “We had kids walking to school with shoes that had no sole and no shoelaces kids with no winter jackets,” said Clair Toledo Toledo says some of her students are experiencing homelessness they know someone is always in their corner Just ask the students in her service learning class.  “I think she’s like the most kindest person I’ve ever met and the most caring,” said Dominic Jojala “She helps us inspires us to be a better person every day,” said Andre Wasson Toledo challenged the class to create something to help their school they went above and beyond by transforming a room full of junk into a place where students can shop their worries away.  “They don’t have to worry about do they have a meal at home on the weekend Do they need to like use gas money to get to school or do they need a sweatshirt and they can use that same money to get to school,” said Toledo.  Toledo says eliminating that stress means more of them are showing up “Our attendance is increasing because students have access to free clothes hygiene products they need and that’s a motivator to come to school,” said Toledo.  Construction on the new Fairfield by Marriott has begun on Sun Ranch Village Loop in Los Lunas The hotel will house around 80-85 rooms and will feature other amenities Construction on the new Allsup’s on the corner of Main Street and N.M Construction on a new commercial strip mall is underway in Los Lunas located on Main Street at the Valencia Y next to Super Suds laundromat A new building being constructed near Pizza Hut in Los Lunas will soon house a Dunkin’ Donuts There are now two Human Bean coffee houses in Los Lunas LOS LUNAS—Recognized as one of the fastest growing communities in the state Los Lunas continues to attract new businesses of all sizes Several new ventures are currently in various stages of completion within the village Los Lunas senior economic developer Victoria Archuleta said she is excited to announce Fairfield by Marriott broke ground in the village The company is starting to lay the foundations of the upcoming hotel on an empty lot on Sun Ranch Village Loop on the westside of Los Lunas near Mitchell Starlight Cinema 8 Theater “I think it’s going to be a really great opportunity and will definitely generate a lot of new revenue,” Archuleta said “I also think it’s going to be a great asset for the community to have because we’re a growing community and we have a limited amount of lodging.” Archuleta believes the hotel will house around 80-85 rooms and will feature other amenities A grand opening was held recently for the Amazon in-bound fulfillment center in the village’s Huning Business and Tech Park on the west-end of Los Lunas that has been in the works since 2021 Archuleta said the center provides “a tremendous economic opportunity” and it now employs about 1,200 people and is still hiring A new commercial strip is also underway in Los Lunas located on Main Street at the Valencia Y next to Super Suds laundromat though Archuleta does not yet know who will be leasing those spots Also on the east end of Main Street in Los Lunas is an Allsup’s that is currently being constructed at the intersection of Main Street and N.M The facility looks to be nearing completion I know they’re also building another one in Belen as well,” said Archuleta of Allsup’s “I think we’re seeing that a little bit more from our newer incoming gas stations because of all of the logistics activity that’s going on within Los Lunas.” On Main Street near the Valencia Y in Los Lunas there is also a new building being constructed near Pizza Hut that will soon house a Dunkin’ Donuts Archuleta said the company is moving fast and currently working on putting infrastructure in the ground but she is not yet sure when an estimated opening date would be Archuleta also noted a Homestead RV Park is in the works for an empty lot on N.M but not much else is currently known about the project Coming soon to the west end of Los Lunas is a new warehouse and Copper State Nuts & Bolts does not yet have an end user identified for it and it is currently undergoing construction “(Copper State Nuts & Bolts) is a company out of Arizona and they have just laid their foundation,” she said “I don’t have an opening date timeline for them just yet but I know they’re about to go vertical pretty soon.” Archuleta emphasized there are a lot of entities involved in attracting businesses and while the village offers incentives for certain types of businesses the village government generally doesn’t have a lot of authority over what businesses come in so long as they meet zoning Archuleta said companies do their own internal analysis of a market and make its own determination for new locations we can’t really say who can or can’t come to the village,” she said “What I hope the community understands is that rooftops bring retail; these companies want to see the population growth.” Archuleta said there are more incentives offered to attract them and the majority of these incentives are facilitated through the state’s economic development department “A lot of those (incentives) are targeted towards manufacturing renewable energy and technology,” she said “There’s not really a whole lot of incentives for retail at the state or local level “We do have our local (Local Economic Development Act) which is kind of loosely defined So it just depends on what they’re asking for.” Archuleta said the industrial park in Los Lunas have been getting a lot of interest from technology-related companies lately and she anticipates Los Lunas growing as a center for innovation and technology in the future we tout that we are a center for logistics so we do very much focus on certain industries for our industrial park and that we can have a little bit more say over,” she said Archuleta is excited to note that since the beginning of this year Los Lunas has more than 2,600 businesses registered to operate in the village including everything from companies with an established storefront to contractors and vendors Archuleta encourages business owners of any sort to continue to register their businesses within the village or get a vendor permit if doing something temporary because the village is looking to “tighten up enforcement” of this which Archuleta said has always been standard operation all vendors need to be either registered as a business or have the temporary 14-day vendor permit if they are looking to do business within the village “It’s only $25 to register and the form is really easy to find and fill out,” she said “If you’re not sure of your business registration status call or stop by village hall and check to see if we have all the right information.” Village hall can be reached by calling 505-839-3840 and the business registration forms can be found on their website, loslunasnm.gov To keep up to date with economic development in Los Lunas and learn about small business resources, Archuleta recommends following the department’s Facebook page ‘Los Lunas is a Community That Works’ and the website, acommunitythatworks.com (Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series about economic development the VCNB will be exploring business growth in the different communities in Valencia County.) volunteering isn’t something they do every once in a while it’s something they choose to do every single day.  That describes a woman who volunteers each day at a senior center in Los Lunas it’s not about the number of hours or days that she dedicates but the numbers she calls out during bingo.  That’s why Janet Chavez was the recipient of $400 in this Pay It 4ward episode LOS LUNAS — Seeking to balance enrollment and more efficiently allocate resources the Los Lunas Schools Board of Education recently approved an updated district attendance boundary zone to be implemented in the 2025-26 school year “We have to make sure we have right-sized our schools because our schools are built for a certain number of students so we have to make sure we are meeting the capacity,” said LLS Superintendent Susan Chavez “We are also preparing for future growth in our community and it’s time that we start to look at those boundaries.” Although many of the schools experienced some form of a boundary change especially the attendance boundary of Ann Parish Elementary which has been part of the Tiger Nation since its opening in 1987 has served as a feeder school into Los Lunas Middle School and Los Lunas High School the new attendance zones will now see APE become part of the Jaguar Nation and feed into Valencia Middle School and Valencia High School There are also attendance boundary ‘slivers’ for Raymond Gabaldon Elementary and Valencia Elementary in the APE zone that will be removed in the new boundaries which will result in those students attending school closer to home at APE “These boundaries have been in place for many years,” said Chavez at the Feb “We’ve had many discussions regarding school boundaries over the past five years and we’ve been led through the discussions by Colleen Martinez from Visions In Planning She has worked very closely with the district to look at the growth in Los Lunas inclusive of all communities that we serve.” Removing the RGE slivers especially helps in improving transportation efficiency and enhancing traffic flow as these students would no longer have to be bussed across the river “We have limited accessibility across the river to move people and do it in an efficient manner and one of the things that came back is looking at where students currently reside and trying to eliminate some of that traffic crossing back and forth,” Martinez said APE principal Lisa Begay said during the workshop that students in these slivers would be welcome at APE and she believes the shorter commute for these students already residing in Meadow Lake would be beneficial to them and their families Tome Elementary also has an attendance boundary sliver that has students within it attend Desert View Elementary This was removed in the updated attendance zone boundaries along with another sliver in Valencia Elementary’s zone that has students in it attend RGE Removing the attendance zone pockets that sent students to other schools further from home also lends itself to be more community school-oriented which was another goal board members wanted to implement through the update boundaries “A community school philosophy is where you stay within your community and research shows that community schools have a tendency to have higher involvement and higher attachment,” said board president Michelle Osowski during the workshop Projected growth of the district and disproportionate facility use was another driving factor behind the decision Martinez said Los Lunas High School is using about 90 percent of its available capacity while Valencia High School is only utilizing about 69 percent of its available capacity Los Lunas Middle School is operating at about 87 percent of its available capacity while Valencia Middle School is only operating at about 57 percent “We’ve got quite a few new and updated housing developments within the district The majority of them are in the Sundance area and we have some north of (Katherine Gallegos Elementary),” said Martinez "So we’re looking at how we can re-balance the numbers for both the district’s two middle schools and the two high schools knowing that we do have a large number of housing developments that are going to primarily affect both Los Lunas Middle School and Los Lunas High School.” There is currently an extended “boot heel” portion of the elementary school’s boundary that extends a ways south that has now been removed in the updated boundaries Multiple parents who reside within this area voiced their opposition to this change at the Feb “We bought our house specifically because it was in the KGE boundary It is a fantastic school and they have been incredibly happy at that school,” said KGE parent Andy Taylor during public comment “I don’t feel like there was enough transparency with this particular issue I found out about this redistricting yesterday when I got a survey emailed to me not knowing the board would be voting today on this exact matter I am opposed to doing something with such a lack of transparency I feel like our voices haven’t been considered by trying to ram this district change through.” Chavez said during the meeting a survey was sent out to families that would be most impacted The majority of APE parents who completed the survey were in favor Chavez said they are more than willing and happy their students will now be attending Valencia middle and high schools Chavez noted the amount of time the survey was made available to families from different schools varied which had the survey available for them for about a week and a half “There are 55 students that currently attend KGE that are in that boot heel (area) and that’s who was surveyed,” said Chavez and it was overwhelming from both the surveys .. Though transportation would not be provided, Chavez said it is important to note that parents can submit out of boundary transfer requests “There are many parents that do it in our district and most of those requests are granted based on school enrollment and capacity,” she said Osowski made a motion to accept the attendance boundary change for the 2025-26 school year with the caveat of ninth through 11th grade students remaining in their current boundaries “We know change is often challenging but the changes are essential to the district’s and community’s future growth and we appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate through the changes,” the statement read in part not two but three chair turns is what one 17-year-old from Los Lunas received during blind auditions Monday on “The Voice.” is moving forward on the show after the auditions Snoop Dogg and Michael Bublé all asked Kamila to join their teams Kamila chose Michael Bublé to be her coach but she gave all of them a little piece of New Mexico — handmade bolo ties for the gentlemen and rings for the ladies as they sing a few songs and talk about her experience 6 intersection and on-and-off ramps will soon be undergoing some significant improvements including construction of a second right-turn lane onto N.M a new additional left turn lane to the 1-25 on-ramp heading north and new roadway signal improvements The reconstruction and rehabilitation project is intended to reduce traffic congestion on the west side of 1-25 in Los Lunas 6 intersection and on-and-off ramps will soon be undergoing some significant improvements to reduce traffic backups on Main Street in Los Lunas the councilors unanimously approved the low bid put forth by Desert Fox Inc 6 On & Off Ramps Rehab and Reconstruction Project Los Lunas Public Works Director Michael Jaramillo said it was originally planned to be a New Mexico Department of Transportation-led project “but through our partnership with them and trying to make this work we came to an understanding that we could probably make this happen and it originally started with the southbound off-ramp to come up into Los Lunas,” said Molzen Corbin engineer Jonah Ruybalid at the meeting “It was to add an additional lane for the southbound to westbound movement and then over the years this project has morphed into a lot more than that.” Ruybalid explained the plan is to add another right turn lane on the 1-25 southbound off-ramp The project also includes the addition of another left turn lane on N.M 6 to get on the 1-25 northbound on-ramp for a total of two left turn lanes there are five lanes on the bridge between the 1-25 and N.M but to accomplish the addition of another left turn lane Ruybalid said a sixth lane will need to be added is there really enough room for a sixth lane Jaramillo said this sixth lane will be created by shrinking down the existing lane sizes on the bridge from the standard 12- to 14-foot wide size to 11-feet wide to allow for the secondary turn lane He said the bridge will also be repaved and restriped to accommodate for the additional lane there is a single “free right” lane for the westbound to northbound movement onto the 1-25 northbound on-ramp that allows people to just merge in but that will be removed as part of the project to improve pedestrian safety “In order to remove that lane while still maintaining capacity the project includes (the addition of) two right turn lanes for the westbound to northbound movement to get on to 1-25,” he said Jaramillo said a traffic signal where the free right lane is at will be relocated to accommodate the new lanes The plan is to have a stop light for the two new right turn lanes and a turn signal will now direct you to turn right onto the northbound 1-25 on-ramp Ruybalid said the addition of these two new lanes and the new left turn lane on the bridge require widening of the acceleration lane for the 1-25 northbound on-ramp He said the widening of the acceleration lane would go on for about 3,500 feet Traffic signal improvements will also be done at the 1-25 southbound off-ramp to move the traffic light further west to accommodate widening of the off-ramp due to the new secondary right turn lane “We’re also going to reprogram the lighting system,” said Jaramillo “Now that we’re going to add these additional lanes we have to add some time to the clocks and change some things.” Jaramillo said there will also be sidewalk and pedestrian improvements in the area as some sidewalks will be removed to allow for the roadway improvements There will also be new sidewalks in some areas “mostly on the north side of the bridge that connect to the bridge We’ll be fixing those and the crosswalks there as well.” Ruybalid said at the meeting the pedestrian walkways on the bridge would remain as is 6 there is currently pedestrian crossing by the southbound on-ramp to get to the north side of N.M you have to stay on the south side to make your way through the two intersections Same thing with the north side; you’d have to stay on the north,” said Ruybalid we’ve been trying to find ways to reduce the traffic backups that we have,” said Jaramillo “We’ve done quite a bit already with the help of Meta where we’ve gone and re-signaled all the lights but this one here is one that we think is going to be successful in helping us move people and not having the backups that are there in front of Walmart.” Jaramillo said construction is estimated to begin in mid- to late-February and he anticipates construction to last six to eight months max for full completion of the project they’re going to be working during the day but we did provide some constraints for night work for certain activities,” said Ruybalid “The goal of it is to hopefully keep the majority of the bridge open during this time,” said Jaramillo “There will be a reduction in lanes for specific things but the goal is to hopefully keep traffic moving but I think that the outcome of the project is going to see a huge difference in some of the tie ups that we have.” The project is funded through the Federal Highway Administration through the (NMDOT) and local village funds The amount of $3.7 million is funded by the Federal Highway Administration while the village match is $625,00 The state LEDA (Local Economic Development Act) match is $1.3 million for the project-funding total of $5.7 million Albuquerque High’s Zaiyah Hawley saves the ball from going out of bounds passing to a teammate during Friday’s game against Los Lunas at Albuquerque High School Albuquerque High’s Abby Pavia hits a jumper over Los Lunas’ Vayda Campos during Friday’s game at Albuquerque High School Pavia scored 21 points in the Bulldogs’ victory Albuquerque High School players Maliyah Lee (left) and Abby Pavia (right) celebrate their team making a basket during the game against Los Lunas at Albuquerque High School on Friday Los Lunas player Sienna Flores (left) tries to stop Albuquerque High School player Layla Gonzales (right) from heading down the court with the ball at Albuquerque High School on Friday Los Lunas fans react to a call made against Los Lunas during the game against Albuquerque High School at Albuquerque High School on Friday Los Lunas player Kayla Finley (left) and Albuquerque High School Lailah Bouldin (right) try to grab the ball during the game at Albuquerque High School on Friday Los Lunas High School’s Head Coach Manny Vigil talks to his team during the game against Albuquerque High School at Albuquerque High School on Friday Albuquerque High School’s Abby Pavia jumps up to try and make a basket during the game against Los Lunas at Albuquerque High School on Friday Albuquerque High School’s Kaelynn Ashley (left) jumps up to grab the ball before Los Lunas player Tessa Jaramillo (right) at Albuquerque High School on Friday Albuquerque High School’s Zaiyah Hawley heads down the court with the ball during the game against Los Lunas at Albuquerque High School on Friday Albuquerque High School’s Kaelynn Ashley (24) jumps up to catch the ball the rebounded during the game against Los Lunas at Albuquerque High School on Friday Albuquerque High School head coach Teri Morrison talks to her team during a time out at Albuquerque High School on Friday