— A New Mexico State Police officer has been arrested and is now on administrative leave for allegedly driving drunk Friday near Highway 528 and 550 in Rio Rancho Sandoval County deputies were called to a crash where the driver took off They found a vehicle with damage at Lincoln and Enchanted Hills Rio Rancho police arrested Hugo Diaz Amaya for reckless driving NMSP Chief Troy Weisler sent KOB 4 the following statement: I was informed one of my officers was arrested for driving while intoxicated (DWI) This news is disappointing and deeply concerning I want to make it clear no one is above the law especially those of us who have sworn to uphold it they are also held to a higher standard because of the trust placed in them by the community Officer Diaz-Amaya was immediately placed on administrative leave Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation I recognize that incidents like this can damage public confidence and I will continue to stay committed to holding all my officers accountable for their actions His conduct does not reflect the values and integrity that define a New Mexico State Police officer Those who tarnish this badge have no place in this agency.” 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 Sign up for our email newsletter to be the first to know about ECHL news The Rio Rancho Governing Body and Mayor Gregg Hull listen to Municipal Judge G RIO RANCHO — The Rio Rancho Governing Body considered Friday a massive budget proposal that includes investments in new projects programs and jobs that city officials warned may need to be adjusted later this year due to economic uncertainties were submitted April 15 by Rio Rancho City Manager Matthew Geisel for Mayor Gregg Hull to review and respond by April 25 The six-member council reviewed the proposal with Hull on Friday but took no action or public comment The council will hold a public hearing on May 8 and 22 before potentially adopting the budget and capital program on May 22 Council consideration and a vote on a final budget Geisel called the budget proposal "a snapshot in time," and gathering more data in the coming weeks and months on new economic activity may necessitate the council's adjustment of the budget Hull stated in his letter to Geisel that the proposed budget was "structurally balanced" and would meet the city’s policy of maintaining a minimum 25% rainy day fund for the next five years to help manage "uncertainties such as economic fluctuations." He did not think general fund taxes would be raised Friday's budget hearing came as councilors could possibly vote next week on whether to extend their terms in office in response to city staff's recommendation to opt in to electing its municipal officers in the regular local election which would do away with elections in March of even-numbered years has drawn heavy criticism from residents online Geisel noted the potential budget adjustment before the city gets "off to the races" in crafting the next budget He praised outgoing Finance Director Carole Jaramillo for her work in crafting a conservative budget that allows the city to "plan for the worst we can still continue with our baseline," Geisel told the Observer wrote in an email distributed to her fellow councilors that she appreciated the city staff’s "conservative approach to budgeting because the global and local markets are highly volatile." City departments crafted budget proposals using last year's budget as a framework and only added items that reflected city's strategic plan These items include several new positions — three police officers a public facilities custodian and an employee and labor relations specialist New capital projects include $12.9 million in road projects including a roundabout at Silent Spring Drive; $9.5 million in wastewater carry and treatment plant improvements; $1.9 million in construction of a new phase of Unser Boulevard; and almost $1 million in building improvements including to City Hall and Loma Colorado and Esther Bone libraries Non-capital projects in the budget proposal include a city-run emergency communications center an after-school youth program and a pilot program for home purchase down payment assistance for city employees Geisel said during the meeting that the down payment program recognizes employees who have lived in the city for a long time and are continuing to see an increase in the cost of housing Programmatic details are yet to be determined District 6 Councilor Nicole List commented on the after-school program which would be funded through city money and not grants stating she is excited about "what we can do for our kids." She encouraged other cities do fund similar programs praised the items in the budget proposal that are new we would never have thought of anything like this," he said Hull applauded outgoing finance director for her work "We don't get here without the whole team," he said holding up a folder of paperwork containing the budget "You guys make it easy on me and the governing body; it's very specific and purposeful spending We've never been here before; it's new territory Email notifications are only sent once a day 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 Have the latest local news delivered every afternoon so you don't miss out on updates Receive our newspaper electronically with the e-Edition email 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 falls into the water after a participant successfully activated the dunk tank during the Cruise for a Cause Community Carnival Saturday Car show participants detail a truck during the Cruise for a Cause Community Carnival Saturday Children enjoy bounce houses as parents look on during the Cruise for a Cause Community Carnival Saturday A community member talks with a representative from the Air National Guard during the Cruise for a Cause Community Carnival Saturday Community members shoot some hoops at the Air National Guard booth during the Cruise for a Cause Community Carnival Saturday RIO RANCHO — The parking lot of Vision City Church was full of games raffles and more Saturday afternoon for the second annual Cruise for a Cause Community Carnival It's an outreach event to bring the community together," said Juan Ayala a member of the church's Men of Liberty group as well as a master sergeant in the New Mexico National Guard "It's an outreach event to bring the community together We want to meet the community and have them come by and meet us," said Graham Mayfield money was being raised during the event from the sales of food raffle tickets and participation in the dunk tank Many attendees took up the opportunity to attempt dunking pastors from the church will be donated to foster families in Sandoval County Independence High School was the beneficiary a few vendors were set up in the parking lot including the Air National Guard and Walmart which donated school supplies to the event which will also be given to the foster families was to show "we're here in the community" while noting that all the members present are New Mexico residents The members on hand were from the Red Horse Combat Engineers checking out the variety of cars and motorcycles participating in the car show portion of the event Ayala said hosting the car show in conjunction with what they like to call "4C" "helps get people out and involved," noting that participants were from a variety of car clubs in Rio Rancho and Albuquerque Mayfield said they estimated 1,000 people came out for last year's event and that they seemed to be close to the same number Saturday And they had perfect weather for the event Book-ended with a Friday that saw athletic events postponed due to weather and a stormy Sunday they saw clear skies and comfortable temperatures "I got a little nervous yesterday," Ayala admitted while observing Saturday's ideal weather conditions Tracy Goldizen is the editor of the Rio Rancho Observer RIO RANCHO — Kassi Romero and Tom Garcia of Rio Rancho combined forces to win annual Easter Doubles Marathon April 20 at Tenpins & More The pair went 7-1 in match play to win over 21 teams Romero started strongly with games above her entering average of 183 necessitating a tie-breaker game with husband and wife team Jonathan and Jolene Sokohl shooting 416 to put high-scoring duo Wendy Christian and Nathaniel Duran into third with 376 Duran had established a career personal best average of more than 235 over eight games and Christian had included six games over her entering average with a high game of 247 led by Espanola's Johanna and Kenneth Friedrich with handicap-adjusted 441 taking fourth place They were followed by Marc Lucero/Martin Neal with 403 Mike and Donielle Waite 375 and a tie on 372 for the teams of Eric Wellman/Dontez Young and Gabriel Gonzales/Brian Bledsoe in seventh place Lucero also enjoyed a career night with seven games of nine bowled above his normal 188 league average A new format tournament attracted 54 bowlers in 18 teams of three at Tenpins & More on April 13 The unique point system coupled with a position round each of the eight games created many close and exciting matches Brian and Adrienne Hare added southpaw Andy Zumwalt and proved the winning combination gaining the maximum six points in three of their matches along with five points in three other matches to secure the $ 2,400 first-place prize father and son Gary and Jacob Gill and Colorado's Dale Coffee a former anchorman for the Cleveland Storm bowling squad Third place went to Rio Ranchoans Tom Garcia and Chris Sanders who brought down the most pins but won only one point in three of their matches Pinge finished with 231 to run down Jacob Gill who closed with 196 for the win — 1,732 to 1,728 — followed by Rio Rancho's JD Nance on 1,713 Others win cash prizes included Scott Wiley 1,691; Adrienne Hare 1,683; Coffee 1,677; Skidmore 1,676; Brian Hare 1,673; and Santa Fe's Dion Romero Summer league sign-ups are coming in for 18 different day, night and weekend slots, catering for youth, adults and senior competitive bowlers. Sign-ups can be done in person at 1416 Deborah Road SE, Rio Rancho, or via email to tenpins@q.com Information in this report was provided by Steve Mackie Brothers Orlando (left) and Martin (right) Mondragon won districts doubles in tennis for the Cleveland Storm Cleveland freshman Lily Walker (middle) poses for a picture with coaches after winning District RIO RANCHO — The City of Vision is home to some tennis district champions won the district championship in individuals won the district championship in doubles May 2 “These players worked really hard all season and truly deserved the success they experienced at district They spent countless hours practicing and working on their physical and mental game,” head coach Daniel Acosta said Martin and Orlando all punched their ticket to the upcoming state tournament The City of Vision had six more players qualify for the state tournament as well Also qualifying from the Storm boys were junior Ethan Hendricks and Tyler Nunn “I couldn’t have asked for a better group of players and I’m excited to see them compete at State,” Acosta said Rio Rancho High School junior Henry Hosteltlier won third place in boys individuals and freshman Ella Jones won third place in the girls individuals Henry Hosteltier did fantastic all season considering we are arguably the most competitive district in the state,” boys tennis head coach Tom Gutierrez said “Ella has had a fantastic tournament as well … I know she is going to be competitive for years to come.” were seniors Emilee Miller and Aurora Espinosa The NMAA Tennis State championships will begin on May 7 and conclude on May 10 Tennis matches will be played at three different locations: Jerry Cline Tennis Center was arrested for aggravated battery against a household member battery against a household member and interference with communications at a redacted address was arrested for battery against a household member negligent use of a deadly weapon and battery at a redacted address was arrested for aggravated battery against a household member at a redacted address was arrested for battery against a household member and deprivation of property of a household member at a redacted address was arrested for disorderly conduct at an unspecified address was arrested for DWI at an unspecified address was arrested for battery against a household member at a redacted address open container and careless driving at NM 528 and Crestview Drive open container and possession of alcoholic beverages by a minor on NM 528 resisting arrest and speeding at an unspecified address open container and speeding on Southern Boulevard at Golf Course Road was arrested for driving while license revoked on NM 528 careless driving and speeding at an unspecified address was arrested for aggravated DWI and speeding on Unser Boulevard at Southern Boulevard was arrested for DWI and failure to maintain traffic lane on Unser Boulevard at Abrazo Road Editor’s note: Defendants are innocent until proven guilty. Anyone named here who has charges dismissed or is acquitted can bring the paperwork documenting that outcome to the Observer office, 2316 Southern Blvd. Suite B, or email copies to editor@rrobserver.com The information will then be printed in this space 3) receives the perfect relay and tags out a Volcano Vista baserunner at home plate April 30 Rio Rancho senior outfielder Olivia Chavez fouled off this fourth-inning pitch the evening of April 30 driving home her team’s only runs in their 12-2 loss to La Cueva RIO RANCHO — Among the myriad sports clichés is this one: You want to finish the season strong That’s not exactly how the regular season ended for the Rio Rancho High School softball team with a 5-3 win over Cleveland at the Shock Yards the evening after a loss to visiting Piedra Vista dropping the Rams from second to third place A 3-2 loss to visiting Cibola on April 25 started the brief losing streak and that knocked the Rams from contention for first place in District 1-5A La Cueva’s only loss to a New Mexico team was to Cibola so two of those late losses were anything but upsets Longtime Rams coach Paul Kohman managed to find some bright spots as the postseason loomed among them his team playing much better defense than in past seasons “We’ve got half the errors we had last year,” he said and the Rams made some fine aggressive throws behind La Cueva runners resulting in outs in the third and fourth innings feeling better about defense gets outweighed when the bats aren’t hitting and the pitchers aren’t finding the strike zone The Rams’ postseason begins with the Class 5A first round “down the hill” at 4 p.m one of the four top seeds to host the opening round The Rams (16-10) are the 11 seed and face No 3 Cibola also hosts a first-round game at 2 p.m. Teams that lose Friday are done for the season the victor goes to the championship round and the loser goes to the consolation round The Rams and Tigers did not meet this season although Alamogordo participated in the annual Kristin Griego Tournament here in late March when it lost the championship game to La Cueva Cleveland did not qualify for the 16-team state tournament for the first time since its inaugural 2010 season there was no way Aleah Alvarado — or anyone else on either team — was “going yard.” and Rams left fielder Olivia Chavez showed there wouldn’t be many long balls when she caught the first batter of the ballgame’s deep fly at the fence the Bears’ patience at the plate paid dividends: Of a dozen La Cueva batters who walked Six walks were issued in the eight-run fourth inning leading to eight runs — making it “the inning from hell.” we’re going to have to get the ball closer to where it’s needed to be to be successful Rams starting pitcher Delysia Valdez walked four Bears in the first inning The Bears strung three singles for another run in the second then put the game out of reach with their big fourth frame Rio Rancho spoiled the shutout in the fourth when La Cueva hurler Liliana Montoya walked Alvarado and Lilyrose Larrabee Olivia Chavez drove them both home with a single to left but Alivia Henderson and Kianna Lambert whiffed Rio Rancho lost a heartbreaker to the visiting Panthers on April 29 the first of three games the Rams had last week “The kids really did a good job compared to two and a half weeks ago (21-5 loss at Piedra Vista on April 11) when we didn’t show up,” Kohman said “We didn’t get that ‘one more’ hit or (have) one more good thing to happen in the first seven (innings).” The Storm kept their hopes for the postseason alive by whitewashing the visiting last-place Hawks on April 30 the Rams (7-3 in district)) ended their streak and gave the Storm (10-16 3-7) their fifth loss in their final six games “I’m gonna guess between 10 and 12,” said Kohman when asked where he expected his team to be seeded for state He knew his team was done playing at home for the season Here’s how the District 1-5A softball standings wound up … Here are other first-round games Friday: at the Field of Dreams in Las Cruces … Former Rams slugger Kendra Levesque has earned another honor in her lone season at Lubbock (Texas) Christian University The two-time Lone Star Conference Player of the Week leads LCU with a .398 average and a D-2 leading 23 doubles leading her to first-team All-Conference and Golden Glove (she plays first base) honors speaks to members of the Rio Rancho Governing Body on Thursday before his site plan for a new hotel in the city was approved RIO RANCHO — A Gallup city councilman plans to extend his development ventures in the Albuquerque area by building a new hotel in the northwestern portion of Rio Rancho near New Mexico Highway 528 went before the Rio Rancho Governing Body on April 10 and received site plan approval for the hotel “I think a new product in Rio Rancho will do some wonders,” Kumar told councilors before the council voted 5-1 in favor of the project with Councilman Bob Tyler as the only “no” vote is envisioned to be three stories and 88 rooms according to documents found on the city’s website The structure would be located near a Quality Inn Kumar told the council that the hotel would operate at a lower cost and not be full-service It would be considered an extended-stay hotel ideal for traveling nurses or first responders who need a form of short-term housing “Something that is fully furnished and more comfortable than a hotel,” Kumar said He said 24/7 staff would be one of the ways his property would control tenants when asked about it by Councilman Jeremy Lenentine “I would say it’s cut down on crime where we had locations in midtown,” Kumar said He noted the hotel in Rio Rancho would add to three other hotels near Albuquerque Sunport Councilwoman Karissa Culbreath thanked Kumar for offering a new hotel But Tyler said he did not think the hotel was “the right product for the right location” in the city that a hotel would be “good” for Rio Rancho — It’s been years since anyone has had a tee time at Club Rio Rancho The golf course closed in 2016 but recent plans to redevelop the area are striking a chord with nearby residents ‘Nobody can build you can never touch this area.’ I just hear them say ‘Do it smart and honor the people that did pay premium for their homes in their day,’” said Paul Joy The Chamisa Hills Master Plan includes 110 lots in addition to three neighborhoods on the old golf course Aside from single-use homes there would also be some trail space and retail shops Residents we spoke with are concerned after a recent Planning and Zoning Meeting where the board approved the plan and the zone amendment without a traffic or drainage study is supposed to be where the city’s sewage and drain system is it’s at capacity so it can’t take anymore,” said Michael Farrell show us what you are going to do to not have it flood our areas.’” so I’ve always known that traffic was a problem here,” Joy said Now that the Planning and Zoning Board recommended approval it heads to the governing body on May 8 I highly doubt there is a singular solution in which everyone will agree,” said Lisa Hardisty District 6 representative during their April 8 meeting Residents said they want to make sure their voice is heard. A petition on change.org is circulating the neighborhood and they are ready to pack the upcoming city council meeting “If they had a town hall to let people voice their opinion I feel like this has been rushed so fast all of a sudden,” Farrell said “You have planning and zoning for one month and then a month later you have the governing body meeting We reached out to the city to see if they were aware of the petition and had any comment A spokesperson for the city replied with this statement: “The Governing Body’s Rules of Procedure states the following: ‘No member of the Governing Body shall initiate permit or consider a communication directly or indirectly with a party or the party’s representative outside of the hearing and outside of the presence of all interested parties concerning the pending matter pursuant to Municipal Code Section 39.23.’” – Residents are flocking to Market Street Friday for their grand opening but the chamber says more is coming down the pipeline for this part of town.  “People were here this morning lined up to get in the store we’ve had constant traffic throughout the store Everybody seems to be having a great time,” said Sidney Hopper Residents in Rio Rancho couldn’t wait to experience the new Market Street for themselves “We have been looking forward to this day for a long time I actually had it on my calendar on my iPhone so we were here early,” said Virginia Gianni “I mean we’ve been twice already this morning Shoppers KOB 4 spoke with say a one-stop shop like this has been needed for a while in this growing part of town near Rust Medical Center they don’t have to travel as far to get their groceries or a quick meal.  “Definitely being a parent that has kids in athletics this is going to be a quick pickup for them to eat and take it to the fields So I am really excited about that,” said Natasha Orona We also caught up with some people filling up after getting their shopping done.  ‘Gosh I’ll gas up here as well.’ It’s a one-stop shop and makes it good for everybody,” said Ruben.  10/10 I would definitely recommend it’s amazing,” said Ashley Wehmeier.  While the opening drummed up a lot of excitement the Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce says more is coming to the area There was a recent proposal for a mixed use building nearby in addition to Sadie’s Furniture Row and some financial services.   RIO RANCHO — The Rio Rancho Public Schools Board of Education on Monday unanimously approved the instructional calendars for next school year, including the first for RioTECH a career technical education school that will offer a dual credit program with Central New Mexico Community College starting in August The decision came after district officials had said they needed to wait for the legislative session to end before presenting school board members with a final version of the calendars that they could approve District officials hoped that a bill equalizing the number of professional development days between elementary and secondary schools would become law teachers are left with the same number of professional development days as before Elementary school teachers will get 10 days of professional development while secondary school teachers will get just five elementary and secondary school students will not always have the same professional development days off The 190-day 2025-26 school year calendar has elementary and secondary school students starting instruction on Aug District officials had to remove Presidents’ Day and the vernal holiday as holidays and replace them with a professional development day but those dates will not change the instructional calendar She noted that one major difference for teachers next school year is that they will start on Aug The new start date will commence three days of professional development in the run-up to the Aug the start and end of those professional development days intersected with a weekend RioTECH Principal Kris Johnson told the board it was difficult to balance the calendar of his new school and CNM but school officials wanted to “keep true” to RRPS’s school year calendar so it did not create challenges for families will give the new school “time and flexibility to frontload a lot of the instructional hours for our core classes,” Johnson said The institutions’ winter breaks vary somewhat A big difference between the RRPS and RioTECH calendars is that the latter institution has no spring break “That made it a little bit challenging” to make the district’s and RioTECH’s calendars consistent The last day of instruction will be April 26 a full month before RRPS students are released District 5 school board member and secretary Jessica Tyler noted the “extremely difficult balancing act” district officials have in creating the school year calendar “Especially when there’s drastic differences in secondary and primary calendars as far as the professional development hours,” Tyler said during the meeting “I think there’s probably some people feeling like one person has it better than the other but I would just remind people that you guys definitely do the best that you can.” — We are a month out from the final bell for Rio Rancho Public Schools and city departments are gearing up for a summer of fun If you’re a parent who wants to enroll your children into summer camp One of those programs is the Arts of Success Summer Camp within Rio Rancho Public Schools they get to create,” said Richard Guerrero The summer camp is one weeklong where kids go for half a day and get a chance to explore music Guerrero said spots are going fast but there is still some time to enroll “Families can log on to our district website and look at the fine arts section where they will find a link to all of the information,” Guerrero said “They can fill out a form and we still have a few spots available.” The Parks and Rec department has also started registration for the summer camp sessions held at the five recreation centers in Rio Rancho These sessions are Monday through Friday from June 2 to August 1.  The Rio Rancho Police Department is teaming up with them for their Cop Camp program “We entertain kids from 5-9 years old in some camps and the other kids are 10-13 so we just teach various stuff — stranger danger a RRPD officer and school resource officer it’s their Student Police Academy that draws the most attention where high school age kids go through a mini academy “It might be the K9 unit coming out and one of the officers dressing up in the bite suit then they can actually see the K9 in live action We might set up a crime scene and have them work it and try to solve it,” Beck said Families can find information about all the summer programs on the City website. – As the City of Vision continues to grow there is a need for more of everything to get you through your day Rio Rancho is getting two of those things after Texas grocery chain announced it was coming to the City of Vision but shoppers told KOB 4 they like the variety the store has to offer and I like the foods and the variety that they have The grab-and-go suits me because I’m single I just grab my ready meals and that’s what I find really great about Market Street,” said Jules Moore who shops at the Santa Fe location frequently Gary Bell grew up in Texas with the chain and said “It has a wide variety; it also has a lot of has a lot of West Texas varieties,” when we caught up with him outside of the Santa Fe store The Store Director of the Rio Rancho location said between nearby development and Rust Medical Center across the street “There has kind of been this desperate need whether it was going to be us as a Market Street there is a desperate need for a grocery store out here,” said Dan Szuch Employees at the Rio Rancho location have been busy getting prepared ahead of their grand opening next week “There is just more room to grow with everything west of us continuing to grow here in Rio Rancho Rio Rancho is the fastest growing city in the Southwest I think it is a great place to shop,” said Szuch People can knock out their grocery list and take-home food at their restaurants inside “They carry things that just a normal grocery store doesn’t carry the cool thing about a market street is that all of your everyday grocery needs are still in the same building,” said the store director RIO RANCHO — Hockey is slated to return to the Rio Rancho Events Center announced Friday that the New Mexico Pro Hockey Club will become the league's 31st member for the 2026-27 season playing its home games at the Rio Rancho Events Center “It is with great pleasure that the league welcomes REV Entertainment to the ECHL as our 31st member team as we progress the growth of the league to align with the National Hockey League and American Hockey League REV has a proven track record of managing professional sports teams at the highest level and we are thrilled with their commitment to bring professional hockey back to the state of New Mexico This expansion speaks to the growth of our game throughout the continent and will be an exciting addition to our rivalries in the Mountain Division and a geographic fit for affiliation development," said Ryan Crelin "I couldn't be more excited for a new ECHL hockey team to drop puck in Rio Rancho," Mayor Gregg Hull said "The ECHL is a great feeder league to the NHL and bringing hockey back to the Rio Rancho Events Center has always been a part of the vision for the venue." All team operations will be overseen by REV Entertainment's Sports Management Division with the Dallas Stars serving as hockey operations consultants to REV Entertainment for the launch Jared Johnson has been named as the Rio Rancho squad's general manager joining the franchise from the Huntsville Havoc of the Southern Professional Hockey League "It's an honor a and a privilege to lead the ECHL's newest franchise and to help bring professional hockey back to New Mexico," Johnson said "We're committed to building a team that's a true staple of the community while providing exciting affordable and family-friendly entertainment for everyone to enjoy." “Today marks a significant milestone for REV Entertainment and the ECHL We are incredibly excited to bring professional hockey back to New Mexico and to expand the ECHL’s footprint with the league’s 31st franchise The Rio Rancho community has a rich history with the sport and we look forward to building a team that will be a source of pride for fans across the region,” said Sean Decker This will not be Rio Rancho's first foray into being home to a hockey team The events center played home to the New Mexico Scorpions from 2006-09 and the New Mexico Mustangs from 2010-12 announced by former City Councilor Jae Cordova in 2022 The ECHL will enter its 38th season in 2025-26 with more than 700 NHL players coming from the league All current teams maintain affiliations with NHL teams Though the Stars will serve as liaison through the team's launch an NFL affiliate for the New Mexico Pro Hockey Club will be announced at a later date “The announcement of a New Mexico ECHL team is a testament to the growth of hockey in the southwestern United States," said Brad Alberts "We are excited to be consulting with REV Entertainment to assist with the logistics behind the creation of a new franchise in our neighboring state The Stars will serve as a resource to the team in all operational areas including facility planning and hockey operations staffing as they move toward dropping the puck for the 2026-27 ECHL season.” The Rio Rancho team's official name will be determined through a "Name the Team" contest at NMProHockey.com where more information can also be found on team updates and partnership opportunities Fans can also place a $50 deposit to secure a spot to be first in line for season tickets; additional ticket packages will be available at a later date – The annual Inclusion in Play at A Park Above in Rio Rancho is bringing fun family events.   They’re partnering with Elevate the Spectrum for this event Elevate the Spectrum has fun educational events for New Mexico’s autism community.  Loving Thunder helps people with mental and physical challenges Ronald Neldon gives a pair of glasses to a boy who has colorblindness on Monday at the Rio Rancho Public Schools district office Neldon was commended by the district during a school board meeting later that evening for donating over 50 pairs of special glasses over the past four years director of communications for Rio Rancho Public Schools on Monday Neldon was commended by the district during a school board meeting for donating over 50 pairs of special glasses over the past four years RIO RANCHO — "Vibrant" was the word Rio Rancho High School student Aiden Allalunis used to describe his surroundings at the district office building April 28 when he was given his first pair of glasses used to correct his colorblindness Allalunis, a freshman, received one of nine glasses donated that day by Ronald Neldon, a retired U.S. Air Force veteran, who has given away spectacles to Rio Rancho Public School students for four years "I'm excited to have color back in my life," Allalunis said in an interview adding that he plans to use the glasses on a summer trip to California before heading back to school in the fall who announced he was going to end his practice of donating colorblind glasses ahead of his move to Tennessee to be closer to family who purchased the glasses using court settlement money he received as a survivor of the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia was commended by RRPS on April 28 during a Board of Education meeting but we just want to offer our sincere thanks," RRPS spokesperson Wyndham Kemsley told board members during the meeting Neldon has given away more than 50 pairs of EnChroma brand glasses during a period when the district cannot readily provide them Kemsley said during the meeting and in an interview A teary-eye Neldon complimented Kemsley during the meeting for his coordination in reaching out to families who needed colorblind glasses every student that needed a pair was able to get one What stood out to Neldon at Monday's gathering All of them came up and thanked me for it," Neldon said "They can see how their child's life has been enhanced; it's beautiful." She told the Observer that she was excited that her son would receive the glasses which she didn't even know existed until a friend's son received them Neldon said his mindset behind donating the glasses is to show something positive can come out of tragedy like the one he faced almost 30 years ago I'm hoping I'm redefining the lives of the students," Neldon said adding he may "sneak in" and donate more glasses if he does not move before the start of next school year I smile — just knowing I made a big impact on these students' lives." — It was a day of celebration Wednesday for Rio Rancho Public Schools after more than five years and countless partnerships Rio TECH is finally open “Today not only marks celebration of progress and partnership but a powerful step forward for our community students and future of education and workforce development here in New Mexico,” said Dr The 70,000 square foot campus will allow students to earn their high school diploma and CNM certification in a trade skill Central New Mexico Community College President Tracy Hartzler said the $55 million investment is one of a kind “We are really proud of our Rio Rancho campus here with CNM but this is a tremendous opportunity to do something different,” she said Welding students we spoke with said the opportunity to jump straight into the job force after high school is a dream “It’s just very hands-on and I think it’s good to get into your career and college early,” said Jesse Baca “It’s very good to start dual credit early because if you want you can get out of high school and start a job immediately “This is something fascinating and I’ve always been fond of blue-collar workers and I’ve always wanted to do something with my hands,” said Donn Palmer “Seeing welding as an option I just looked into it more and was like this is something I think I would like to do.’” Students said they also like the non-traditional setting where your day is split between high school classes and CNM trade classes.  “I’m excited about having one core class every semester so it’s not like all core at once back-to-back,” said student ambassador Kyree “I can take time focusing on one thing rather than worry about all these different core subjects at the same time.” – The 2026 race for governor just got more heated with the first Republican announcing his campaign — Mayor of Rio Rancho Hull has been rumored to be considering a run for some time but Tuesday he made it official with the launch of his campaign website Hull has been the mayor of Rio Rancho since 2014, and has been re-elected twice since then. From the looks of his launch video he’s betting on Rio Rancho’s reputation for safety and growth “Mayor Hull appreciates the outpouring of support and encouragement he has received to run for governor Mayor Hull will continue to meet with New Mexicans His spokesperson says his campaign is planning an official kick-off event in June Hull is the only Republican to announce his run you can cross Nella Domenici off the potentials list She tried running for senate in 2024 against Martin Heinrich and lost she said she received some support and encouragement to run for governor I have determined that the best way to help the state that I love is to dedicate my efforts outside of government.”  Democrats are already reacting to Hull’s campaign In a statement from the Democratic Governor’s Association “Republicans can expect an uphill battle as Gregg Hull and anyone else who jumps in this race will have to answer for their party’s extreme attacks on Americans’ livelihood and efforts to strip away their rights one thing is certain: New Mexicans don’t want a governor who will bring national Republicans’ chaos to their state.” There are already two democratic candidates for governor. Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman launched his campaign last week he called out both the extreme right and the extreme left.  Bregman is running for the democratic nomination against former Congresswoman and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland Haaland says she is focusing her campaign on the economy the 2026 election is going to be different unaffiliated and independent voters will be able to vote in New Mexico’s primaries But you can only choose to vote one party’s ballot Rio Rancho resident Michael Farrell speaks to the Observer on Friday on the site of the former golf course where developers want to build housing and retail Farrell and a group of residents created a petition to urge the Rio Rancho Governing Body to reject the developers’ proposal at a May 8 meeting A copy of the Chamisa Hills Master Plan and a petition against it are seen on Rio Rancho resident Michael Farrell's dining room table on Friday Farrell hopes enough residents will sign the petition to convince the Rio Rancho Governing Body not to approve the development at a May 8 meeting Rio Rancho resident Michael Farrell reviews a copy of the Chamisa Hills Master Plan and a petition against it that he is circulating on Friday Farrell hopes enough signatures on the petition will convince the Rio Rancho Governing Body not to approve the development at a May 8 meeting RIO RANCHO — Hundreds of residents have signed a petition urging the Rio Rancho Governing Board to reject a developer’s plan for housing and retail development on the site of a former golf course which awaits a vote from the governing body May 8 our streets and our families,” stated the petition The petition was referring to residents who live on both sides of the former Rio Rancho Golf Course and Clubhouse which closed in 2016 before the clubhouse burned down due to arson three years later Following a developer’s failed attempt to redevelop the property Albuquerque-based entrepreneur Steve Chavez purchased the former golf course and clubhouse and created the Chamisa Hills Master Plan a 281-acre development that includes single-family and town home subdivisions the “La Joya de Rio” (Jewel of Rio Rancho) town center and a business park Albuquerque-based Consensus Planning assisted in drafting the plan and a representative from the firm spoke at the April 8 public hearing The Planning and Zoning Board’s recommendation to the council and two members’ recusal during the meeting is what inspired to Farrell create the petition with a group of residents ‘Should we get a petition?’ and (the group) goes Farrell told the Observer that residents who signed the petition aren’t necessarily against the plan They want what he described as “smart growth.” “Growth is very important; we know it’s needed,” Farrell said “But (let’s have) a little more transparency He and other residents encourage the city to engage in studies regarding the plan’s impact prior to approval “(District 4 Councilor) Paul Wymer is an (architect) (District 5 Councilor) Karissa Culbreath is a scientist I think that if they really heard all the information A spokesperson for the city wrote in an email to the Observer that members of the governing body cannot discuss the plan or the petition in advance of the May 8 meeting because those items fall under public hearings The governing body’s rules of procedure state permit or consider a communication directly or indirectly with a party or the party’s representative outside of the hearing.” issued a written statement to the Observer Monday stating that the Chamisa Hills Master Plan came together after consulting with city officials and residents it is very challenging for anyone to take a chance on a risky project like this The old saying of ‘You will never please everyone’ really does apply here,” Chavez wrote “Everyone has ideas on what they want to see on this privately held property but no one wants to participate financially to help us get there Today’s world of social media provides an easy accessible and unvetted platform for criticism and negativity to those who do not understand the complex components of balance to make a development like this work.” Chavez added that the plan is “something special” and if the governing body does not approve it he knows other developers who will take on the project Farrell said in an interview he is hopeful the council will read the petition and act on residents’ wishes “But when I put money on it — no,” Farrell said with a laugh — Neighbors in one part of Rio Rancho are dealing with a deadly problem – danger along Highway 528 and Honduras Road NE across from River’s Edge KOB 4 has covered multiple crashes outside their neighborhood A spokesperson for Rio Rancho Police Department said someone was thrown from a vehicle and is in the hospital in critical condition Neighbors said they’ve been pushing for something to be done for years “We heard the big accident here,” Susan Leyba said “It’s honestly heartbreaking living here because every day I hear the screeching tires The two live on the west side of the highway There is a stop sign where they exit their neighborhood but they said that doesn’t offer protection for drivers Leyba and Sloan said people driving north and south on the highway push the 55 miles per hour speed limit and there’s no turning lane into the neighborhood southbound they said a hill to the north creates a blind spot “I have watched my husband pull people from the wreckage of a vehicle that flew through this stop sign on a clear They died after getting T-boned just up the hill from Friday’s crash “Just to put it in a nutshell I think this is the most dangerous intersection in Rio Rancho,” Sloan said Neighbors then told us they wanted a stoplight or speed cameras along that stretch of highway We reached out to NMDOT after that deadly crash A spokesperson said a 2017 study of that stretch of 528 indicated no additional safety measures were necessary they confirmed they are now studying that same area to see if something needs to be done Leyba said she’s taken her concerns to the city “They tell me it’s a state issue; it’s not a city issue,” Leyba said “I don’t know why the city can’t get with the state and come up with a solution for our neighborhood.” The spokesperson for NMDOT said they are working with the city and Rio Rancho police regarding speed mitigation along the corridor and they’ll work closely with local partners to evaluate potential safety improvements – Homeowners in a northeast Rio Rancho neighborhood have hit a wall They say a nearby construction site is blowing sand into their community playground and homes The issues have been going on at Entrada at High Range since July 2024 and homeowners say the local park is covered in a layer of dust City code enforcement has actually come out to the park KOB 4 spoke to one homeowner who says they just want some kind of accountability.  “We started with the issues with the water runoff and then that continued onto the dust running onto the streets It’s been almost about a year,” said Jacob Nieto Nieto says the problems have only gotten worse It’s almost unusable,” said Nieto.  Aside from messing up landscaping in front yards dust is also getting into homes.   They reached out to their Homeowners Association who says they will have to use their reserved funds to fix the park “We have been told that we would be responsible to pay for the landscaping to fix our own yards,” Nieto said.  We reached out to the City of Rio Rancho about the issue a spokesperson sent us the following statement: “The City of Rio Rancho has responded to a resident concern regarding dust originating from the ongoing construction in the area the City issued notice to the builder and their contractors providing 15 days to address dust control issues LGI Homes and their contractors have already begun or indicated they will begin restoring blown down construction fencing spraying dust suppressant in applicable area Regarding dust at the park and in front yards The builder has indicated that they are looking into these concerns Should the reinspection determine that adequate progress has not been made the next course of action by the City is to issue a citation for Municipal Court.” Nieto said development is nothing new in Rio Rancho and they just want to know who to go to before the dust has the chance to settle “This isn’t going to be the last time this happens So us as homeowners need to know what our rights are and who we need to contact when something like this happens,” said Nieto The City of Rio Rancho also says LGI Homes plans to fix their blown down construction fencing and start spraying dust suppressant in problem areas A member of the Rio Rancho High School junior varsity baseball team is facing 15 counts of battery RIO RANCHO — A member of the Rio Rancho High School junior varsity baseball team who allegedly urinated into the water cooler of the La Cueva High School baseball team is facing 15 counts of battery the Rio Rancho Police Department announced Friday who was not named in a news release issued by the police department is facing the charges in connection to an RRHS home game against La Cueva High School March 25 The charges will be forwarded to Juvenile Probation and Parole The police department added that it could not release further details citing an active investigation involving a minor Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content 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 public information officer with the Rio Rancho Police Department stated in a news release that Rio Rancho Public Schools "takes this matter very seriously and is fully cooperating with law enforcement." "The district remains committed to upholding the highest standards of conduct among our student-athletes and will take appropriate action in accordance with district policies and legal guidelines," the release said though school district officials told the Observer it was not involved in the police department's statement Albuquerque Public Schools spokesperson Martin Salazar said in a statement that the district is glad authorities recommended charges "Outrageous behavior like this must be met with swift consequences to send the message that it's unacceptable and will not be tolerated," Salazar said coaches and parents at schools in Albuquerque Rio Rancho and throughout New Mexico abide by good sportsmanship We're confident this unfortunate incident is an aberration." The police department launched the investigation after La Cueva officials heard allegations about the student’s conduct at the game and reached out to RRPS The announcement of charges come after Rio Rancho Public Schools announced that the entire team had been suspended from the program pending investigations from both the police department and the school district Though the police department did not provide more information about the case earlier in the week the player in question admitted to urinating in the jug La Cueva Principal David Garcia told families in a letter on Monday Garcia also apologized to La Cueva families for the student’s behavior and urged them to consult a physician if they think their child drank from the jug RRPS interim executive director of communications said Friday that the school district's investigation remains ongoing and referred back to his previous statement that if the allegations were found to be true “discipline for all those involved will be severe." The district also informed the New Mexico Activities Association of the incident said his organization is "aware of the situation and is working with RRPS as they finalize the investigation." RIO RANCHO — The entire Rio Rancho High School junior varsity baseball team has been suspend… Scottish Isle offers impressive ranch and two-story homes with open layouts  Scottish Isle is located at 2605 Seaforth Circle NE in Rio Rancho. For more information, call 505.510.7504 or visit RichmondAmerican.com M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1972. 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Real Estate Residential Real Estate Construction & Building Banking & Financial Services Do not sell or share my personal information: staffing and more alongside his mom Francesca Screaming Coyote has plenty of seating at the bar A bar tender is available to take orders and have a chat A painted Zia Symbol indicates the Screaming Coyote is truly local to the area which can be seen from inside the restaurant and its patio RIO RANCHO — Rumors about a new restaurant in Mariposa one of Rio Rancho’s up and coming communities started well over a year ago with many speculating what kind of restaurant it would be a small bar and restaurant near the Mariposa Community Center has hushed all rumors and is finally open after Rio Rancho owners Kellen and his mom Francesca Wilson publicized their potential opening in November 2023 They had a few soft openings in March to test it out “The liquor license took a bit,” Francesca said in reference to the slow opening Kellen explained that the liquor license can impact other certifications and inspections required to open But he said this was fairly typical for anyone and the Wilsons just didn’t expect it because it was their first time opening a business that required a liquor license There were some other challenges with the opening which is why we’re expanding our hours next week to 12-9,” he said Francesca said the location somewhat hinders people’s ability to go in at certain times being in the far reaches of northern Rio Rancho But she said people who live in Rio Rancho might not have to commute as far saying deliveries can also be a challenge that far out “We’re always the last delivery or they get lost,” he said There were also some changes with the menu in that year and a half interval as the Wilsons realized their capabilities with the space in Mariposa We brought all our equipment and realized that the kitchen’s not big enough for our pizza oven,” Francesca said it would have involved a lot of renovation The menu is not meant to be anything more than fast-casual “We’re in between a local place and a sports place and a kind of elevated place because of where we are The Screaming Coyote is meant to be a place where community members can go “hang out,” according to Francesca “The biggest thing that we wanted was to cater to everyone,” Kellen said The expansive menu includes alcohol products for any palate And for people who can’t or don’t want to leave the kids at home “Which is about how big we want to be,” Francesca said we’d have to do an expansion in the kitchen as well and construction was one of the biggest things that took so long for us,” Kellen said People were very anxious for us to open,” Francesca said The Wilsons mainly heard relief from the northern Rio Rancho community members that there is something close by “We’re the only thing within a 10-mile radius and that’s what everyone says when they walk in here ‘It’s so nice not having to drive 15 minutes into town to grab something,’” Kellen said Francesca added that most people just want a place to gather and hang out but they’re very happy with just a place to go,” she said Their goal is to provide a space for meetings sports teams and community members to gather She said while the restaurant is available mainly to Mariposa residents she gladly invites all northwest Rio Rancho communities to try it out “You can feel that this part of northern Rio Rancho is just dying for things like us but from City Center to the whole rest of the area there people are just waiting for something,” she said Screaming Coyote is currently open from 2-8 p.m Thursday to Sunday with plans to extend from noon to 9 p.m The open space next to the Mariposa Community Center has had two restaurants in it so far has a new location tentatively opening in late April at Unser Boulevard across from Rust Presbyterian Medical Center Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part series on the March 6 Rio Rancho NAIOP Roundtable This story focuses on the Rio Rancho Market Street about to open near Westside and Unser boulevards and the second will focus on the area’s overall development RIO RANCHO — The Market Street won’t just be a new shopping experience for Rio Rancho; it’s making history in the state “We are super thrilled to be able to introduce you guys to this platform,” said Dan Szuch during the March 6 Rio Rancho NAIOP meeting “I think a grocery store out here has been a long time coming This will be the first ground-up Market Street in the state.” will be more than 80,000 square feet and bring 350 jobs to Rio Rancho It is one of the businesses slated for The Village business park along Unser Boulevard between Wellspring Avenue and Westside Boulevard the company was looking at the area of McMahon and Unser boulevards “I was really happy that that one fell through because I’m really happy about being in Rio Rancho,” Szuch “I want to see that GRT come into Rio Rancho I want to bleed Albuquerque a little bit.” He then went into details about what the Market Street will have to offer a drive-thru option and made-to-order barista drinks they actually will take it out to your car it’s actually been made in Market Street,” Szuch said The express is also making state history for the business “That’s actually only our second gas station in the state,” he said with the other being in a converted building in Roswell “This will be our first one that we’ve actually built.” which Szuch says will be very large with a lot of offerings “That’s not something grocery stores have done in a long time I was really excited about bringing that back to the program,” he said “They can take care of any kind of floral needs,” Szuch noted and health and supplement area with expanded holistic Market Street will have an expanded offering of what Szuch calls “TV dinners on steroids.” • Full-service deli with an expanded cheese section with fresh cheese with a cheese specialist on staff These eateries will be part of the cafeteria area with seating for more than 200 people “This store has a purpose-built room designed just for e-commerce,” Szuch said “It’s build to help you guys with all of your shopping needs.” which can help customers plan events such as weddings “They’ll connect all your orders (from the different parts of the store) to make sure that everything actually comes to fruition,” Szuch said president and CEO of the Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce noted on the frequent requests he and Mayor Gregg Hull get for stores such as Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods One thing it currently doesn’t have is an in-store bar “The goal for us is to execute at a high level and then see if we can get space there for it,” he said which would likely take about 30 seats from the cafeteria area “We’re hoping that we open up really well and that our leadership will want to brave New Mexico’s liquor issues so that we can serve some beer while you shop for groceries.” “It’s where ordinary meets gourmet,” he added And while that may create some concerns about pricing Szuch noted that prices will remain the same as traditional Albertsons Markets There are a lot of offerings in the store that will cater to people that potentially might be more affluent,” he said we offer the exact same groceries that our traditional Albertsons Market has at the same price The only things that are going to be more expensive in that building would be the things that the normal Albertsons Market doesn’t carry that you have to go to a specialty store to get.” Rio Rancho’s new Market Street is expected to generate a lot of revenue “The current store that I run in Enchanted Hills is the busiest store that we have in the city,” Szuch said He said getting the pharmacy up and building its customer base will only add to that we know the pharmacy guests spend more with us and they’re loyal to us “It’s an outstanding opportunity for all of New Mexico but particularly Rio Rancho,” Schalow said so the areas that are growing higher income so that blows the rest of the state away in income growth “It’s really going to make sure that Rio Rancho is on the map and it being the first truly built flagship store in the state of New Mexico is just outstanding.” Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part series on the March 6 Rio Rancho NAIOP Roundtable This story focuses on the Unser Gateway’s d… RIO RANCHO — Construction has taken over the Unser Boulevard corridor and it might be difficult for residents to know which construction is wh… the grand opening of Rio Rancho’s Market Street April 25 Nathaniel Roybal of Retina Consultants of NM talks about retinal diseases at one of his informative talks during the 2024 Senior Living Expo at the Rio Rancho Events Center RIO RANCHO — The Senior Living Expo Event is returning to the Rio Rancho Events Center from 8 a.m a partner event between the Rio Rancho Observer and the Albuquerque Journal covers all areas of 55-plus citizen needs from medical hearing and vision to automobiles and insurance “Seniors can get all the information they need for different stages of life senior advertising consultant for the Albuquerque Journal and Rio Rancho Observer The first expo was held in 2019 at the Albuquerque Journal Center The expo last year was the first to occur since the pandemic and the first that took place in Rio Rancho People will see some familiar brands and faces throughout the day Perfection Honda and Presbyterian Health Services Presbyterian will also be a featured speaker at the event City of Albuquerque Senior Affairs and more will also speak as well as care for seniors reaching the end of their life which is a growing issue in the United States “The 2025 Senior Expo is all about bringing our community together to celebrate and support our senior population,” said Wayne Barnard advertising director for the Albuquerque Journal and Rio Rancho Observer said “With more than 32 vendors offering goods and services tailored to seniors it’s a great opportunity for attendees to connect with helpful resources enjoy some fun and spend quality time with family and friends.” both the Rio Rancho Observer and Albuquerque Journal will have tables where attendees can learn about subscription services and other hosts look forward to the popular event “We enjoy meeting the seniors and providing information while having a great day out,” she said The events center is located at 3001 Civic Center Circle NE in Rio Rancho near Sandoval Regional Medical Center and Rio Rancho City Hall “We invite everyone to join us at the Rio Rancho Events Center on Wednesday beware because Rio Rancho police are increasing patrols around school zones.  This comes after several complaints about speeders and other dangerous drivers in those zones Not only have police put up a notice on their social media but they’ve also sent out a PSA to parents at Rio Rancho Public Schools Jacqueline Reedy tells KOB 4 she hopes these increased patrols help slow drivers down The Rio Rancho Police Department wants drivers to obey the speed limit in school zones.  They’re also asking parents and guardians to be patient during school pickup and drop-off because there are so many children walking to and from school Not only are people speeding but police are also seeing more distracted drivers Parents and guardians can expect to see more police officers during pickup and drop-off for a while people are just getting a little bit lax in the school zones and we just want to raise awareness to slow people down and to ensure that people are not talking on their cell phones Reedy told KOB 4 she hopes education and increasing patrols will do the trick listens to (left to right) educators Briana Sison Lauren Smith Katharine Michel and Billie Helean Rio Rancho Schools Employee Union president during a roundtable discussion at RioTECH on Wednesday Martin Heinrich speaks to members of the media as Billie Helean president of the Rio Rancho Schools Employee Union Heinrich and Helean joined local educators for a discussion at RioTECH on Wednesday Martin Heinrich spoke with local educators at RioTECH High School April 16 to gauge their thoughts on education as President Donald Trump’s administration attempts to roll back initiatives Rio Rancho Public School students rely on who this year entered his third term as the state’s senior U.S visited the school — anticipating a grand opening April 23 — as part of his swing through the Albuquerque area “I just never experienced a moment when the level of hostility of an administration to not only the U.S has looked like what we’re going through right now,” Heinrich said during the roundtable discussion “I really wanted to have this conversation with all of you so I can take those stories back to .. Joining Heinrich were Rio Rancho Schools Employee Union President Billie Helean Cleveland High School world history and advanced placement teacher Katharine Mitchel Rio Rancho Middle School sixth-grade world history teacher Bill Blanchard Ernest Stapleton second-grade teacher Briana Sison Stapleton special education teacher Lauren Smith and Lincoln Middle School robotics teacher Paula Blagrave Their conversation came as Heinrich spars with Trump over his efforts to dismantle the U.S which is a campaign promise from the president that is being challenged in court and the senior senator has publicly opposed Heinrich has introduced resolutions and legislation in Congress to counter Trump’s education agenda but it has a long way to go before it gets to the president’s desk A few educators present at the roundtable brought up the uncertainty they feel as teachers during Trump’s administration “When you have a president that’s taking delight in eliminating that (department) as if it was just some evil edifice Heinrich responded that he worries about what message will be sent to prospective teachers when they read about the dismantling of the education department “People are going to internalize that and say ‘I don’t want to be a teacher; teachers aren’t respected,’” the senator said Sison said one of her biggest concerns had to do with Title I funds which is federal money aimed at supporting low-income students She noticed an increase in the number of students eating free breakfast the kids were just coming off of COVID-19; they’re tired That’s heartbreaking to think we could take funding (in areas where) they can digress.” Though he did not mention it in response to Sison’s comment, Heinrich has sponsored the Keep Our Promise to America’s Children and Teachers (PACT) Act to ensure Title I funding. The legislation was referred to committee, where it stands today, according to Congress’s bill tracking website Blagrave told the senator that her family moved to Rio Rancho for the services the public schools provide She teaches students that need a range of support Blagrave worried that if federal funding is pulled “That equity piece is right there with my elective; I can’t give them that experience if they don’t have the help they need I can’t be with them the entire time,” Blagrave said who did her student teaching with Blanchard said in an interview following the roundtable that while she believes Heinrich is sincere in his support of education she thought the senator could have been more assertive and less reserved in his comments on the subject “I think it does give us a little trepidation,” Blagrave said But she believes Heinrich is “on the right track” by talking to educators in the community The senator said in an interview following the roundtable that he schedules a number of events like the one at RioTECH to hear from people who are “in the trenches” and impacted by decisions made in the nation’s capital it’s a disservice to the kids in public education that it is as chaotic and frustrating as what we’re experiencing right now,” Blagrave said Helean has been leading protests against the order to close the DOE on a bi-weekly basis and intends to keep holding them on the corner of Southern Boulevard and NM 528 in Rio Rancho RRPS and Bernalillo Public Schools reacted to the order last month RIO RANCHO — “Don’t let Donald Trump steal from our kids Representatives with Rio Rancho and Bernalillo public schools are unsure what repercussions … Details emerge in recently released police report RIO RANCHO — The Rio Rancho High School junior varsity baseball player facing 15 counts of battery for allegedly urinating in an opposing team's water jug during a home game last month told investigators he did it “to be funny” and had “no intention” to seek revenge from any previous incidents or games obtained by the Observer Tuesday afternoon through a public records request made the admission to Rio Rancho police following the game against La Cueva High School March 25 board member of the North Nine Neighborhood Association holds up a sign he said his neighbors purchased to keep speeding cars in the area from creating dust Pichon was one of numerous Rio Rancho community members who spoke Tuesday during a city planning and zoning board meeting presented the Chamisa Hills Master Plan to the Rio Rancho Planning and Zoning Board on Tuesday He told the board and members of the public that such a plan establishes a framework for a project and is an “aspirational” document inspired by the city’s comprehensive plan Rio Rancho Planning and Zoning Board member Kevin Kofchur confer with one another inside City Hall on Tuesday before a public hearing to discuss the Chamisa Hills Master Plan RIO RANCHO — Following a public hearing Tuesday the Rio Rancho Planning and Zoning Board recommended the city council approve an entrepreneur’s zoning request and plan to turn land that was a golf course into a sprawling development of homes and a town center brought the Chamisa Hills Master Plan to the board which reviewed the plan Tuesday before sending it to the Rio Rancho Governing Body (city council) for a public hearing on May 8 The board also recommended a rezone of several parcels — with few amendments — of the former golf course to make it possible for the developers to implement aspects of their plan both recusing themselves due to property they owned where the development could be The recommendation marked the second time in four years that a developer tried to build on the former golf course which closed in 2016 with its clubhouse destroyed by arson three years later Albuquerque entrepreneur Steven Chavez acquired the land and hired Consensus Planning and others to help him develop the master plan Board member Lisa Hardisty noted during Tuesday’s meeting that regardless of how she and her fellow members voted the plan and rezone still needed approval from the city council before going into effect in order to help them decide on whether to make a recommendation to the council board members poured over numerous written comments from community members giving feedback on the proposed master plan ‘We’re tired of seeing the dirt (from the former golf course).’ We’re also hearing the side too: ‘Please do something with this — but not that,’” Hardisty said “I just want to recognize we hear everyone; this is a challenge would be located at 500 Country Club Drive SE the site of the Rio Rancho Golf Course and Clubhouse according to a copy of the master plan found on the city’s website The plan includes single-family and townhome subdivisions walking trails and “The La Joya de Rio” (Jewel of Rio Rancho) town center It also includes “Chamisa Hills Business Park,” providing retail and office space along High Resort Boulevard presented the master plan during Tuesday’s meeting He said such a plan establishes a framework for a project and is an “aspirational” document inspired by the city’s comprehensive plan prepare subdivision plans or site plans that are required in order to actually do any development within the master plan area “We’re very excited to this project before you There has been a lot of work that has gone into getting it to this point,” Strozier told commissioners following his presentation “I’m somewhat sorry it has taken this long to get to this point but we feel good that we have a master plan and a document that sets the right tone for what could and should happen with these projects.” Stozier then yielded the floor to the commissioners and members of the public who had signed up to speak out on the master plan There were no comments in favor of it; only those opposed Some residents claimed they were never notified of the public hearing despite city officials Tuesday outlining how they followed public meeting law including placing legal notices in the newspaper and placing signs throughout the community The residents who spoke brought up numerous concerns ranging from how the proposed development would impact traffic and Rio Rancho overall said Chavez failed to keep the area free of speeding cars When residents requested Chavez place “no trespassing” signs But in Pichon’s opinion the signs were about the size of “postage stamps.” if this is the way someone is going to maintain property how can you possibly trust this person?” Pichon said after holding one of the signs up to show meeting attendees how ineffective they were who also spoke during the public comment period said in an interview following the meeting that the master plan will only go forward if there is a true commitment from Chavez whom Wagner chided for not attending Tuesday’s meeting “All these guys — I hate to use the expression — but they’re all just pissing in the wind,” Wagner said He does not believe the former golf course will be developed because any plan will face complaints from residents “Some of which I agree — multi-story (buildings) takes away from what this once was,” Wagner said we have the mountains that have been the main visual attraction Anything that takes away from that is just ridiculous.” Strozier declined request for comment following the meeting and referred inquiries to Chavez who was not immediately available for comment RIO RANCHO — Tickets for 311's summer stop in Rio Rancho are now on sale The rock band formed in the late 1990s is bringing its Unit tour to the Rio Rancho Events Center July 15 with special guests Badflower and Sitting on Saturn Tickets are available at ticketmaster.com RIO RANCHO — Rio Rancho voted to elect Gregg Hull as mayor three times but his financial disclosure show most of his monetary support for his gubernatorial bid is coming from outside the city who teased his announcement for the state’s highest elected office in a news release April 15 raked in $87,334 from contributors in Albuquerque — $52,719 more than contributors from Rio Rancho according to his first bi-annual report of expenditures and contributions filed with New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver In cities excluding Albuquerque and Rio Rancho a sum that also far exceeds money provided from his hometown Texas and California) and 17 cities gave money to Hull’s campaign A breakdown of Hull’s campaign contributions by state and city shows Roswell came in third The other city contributors gave four figures or less Two different contributors in Albuquerque gave just $1 and $2 Hull has $34,000 more in contributions from his hometown than Democrat Deb Haaland Interior secretary and Sandoval County native who is considered the frontrunner in the race the timeframe covered in the first bi-annual report Hull’s campaign branded the amount of contributions as “impressive” as he continues to meet with constituents before making an official announcement about his candidacy on June 2 exactly a year away from the gubernatorial primary A Republican challenger has yet to enter the race Hull also has not announced whether he intends to run for a fourth term as mayor A look at Hull’s top campaign contributors shows retired business owner Nancy Nunnally gave the biggest contribution included Roswell auto dealership owner Tom Krumland and his wife; Royal Jones Trucking and Young Guns Construction Hull’s contributors thus far include public officials including Torrance County Sheriff David Frazee and Elephant Butte Mayor Phillip Mortensen Mortensen said he had no comment in an email to the Observer Frazee did not immediately respond to a request for comment said in an interview he and his employees chipped in funds to contribute to the campaign He said the housing units in Rio Rancho that Young Guns built pushed the Albuquerque-based business off to a good start credited Hull for the city’s economic growth and its education system (Hull) has New Mexico’s best interests at heart,” Trujillo said called Hull an “upstanding mayor” that she would miss if he won the race for governor She called Hull a man of integrity who has done “a lot” for the city and also credited him for his business acumen they’re kind of going in blind and relying on other people,” Nunnally said She laughed when asked about the notion of other Republicans challenging Hull in the primary “There’s no one else I could even imagine,” Nunnally said adding she is not happy with the Republican Party of New Mexico In a prepared statement responding the Observer’s questions about Hull’s candidacy communications director for the Republican Party of New Mexico said the party “proudly supports all Republican candidates in the upcoming election,” adding it is impartial during the primary “We expect additional Republican candidates to announce for governor in the near future but we will not get ahead of any announcements,” Soular wrote in an email Trujillo said he would keep an open mind about any other Republicans who might enter the race for governor “I do plan at looking at all sides and all points of view,” he said It’s always what’s best for you and the ones you love.” A Rio Rancho Public Schools bus picks students up on Terraza Boulevard Tuesday morning RIO RANCHO — Rio Rancho Public Schools said Monday it will ask the New Mexico Public Education Department for more school buses after a study the agency ordered found that the district is transporting thousands of its students efficiently despite a relatively small fleet of buses and a national driver shortage conducted by Massachusetts-based AlphaRoute examined the impact of the district's transportation service should it switch from a four-tier to a three-tier bell schedule which impacts student pickup and drop-off times leaves the majority of the district's elementary schools starting instruction later than their peers which school officials believe is problematic does not allow students to take full advantage of the district's opportunities concluded that switching to a three-tier solution would result in the district needing an increase in buses and operating resources the district would need either 95 buses or 86 compared to the 63 currently serving more than 12,000 students RRPS Superintendent Sue Cleveland said during Monday's district school board meeting that she had prepared a letter to the state asking it to fund more school buses "I think we have an argument under the Yazzie(-Martinez case)," said Cleveland referencing a case involving public school parents throughout the state who argued to a judge that the New Mexico Constitution failed to provide their children an equal education "I think we now have some pretty good evidence." quoted the AlphaRoute's conclusion that the RRPS team is "taking full advantage of its current four-tier structure particularly in light of the national driver shortage." That comment refutes PED's reported claim that the district runs an inefficient system Cleveland told the board it was unfortunate "a lot of careless comments were made" about "the efficiency and effectiveness" of the district's transportation system that are false PED spokesperson Janelle Garcia did not respond directly to the comments by district administrators in a prepared statement to the Observer She confirmed that her agency recommended that RRPS conduct a study of its buses and routes following data collection and site visits by PED transportation staff "PED has provided feedback and additional recommendations to RRPS and will continue collaborating with the district on this issue," Garcia said Cleveland called the study important for the district's transportation needs "but what it really impacts is learning in the schools everyday." "I wish we had done this study earlier," Cleveland said "This study has implications far beyond when we start and end school." She told the board that the four-tier system has caused the district to lose some of its students have expressed concerns to her about the impact of a later start time on students range from late breakfast for students to no chance of them participating in extracurricular activities "So we've eliminated them from some of the things that make the very best part of childhood," Cleveland said She said the district spoke to Mariana Padilla secretary for the New Mexico Public Education Department who told school officials she was concerned about the 9:20 a.m instruction start time for the city's elementary schools "Concerned about the loss of the some of the best instructional time who has served the district since its founding in 1994 called it "frustrating" to make decisions about the school district based on transportation of buses "That has driven every instructional decision we make," she said "We shouldn't be making decisions based on schedules." The study affirms the hard work of the district's transportation staff who "take just an almost impossible situation and make it work," Cleveland said said the district awaits a response from PED regarding the study He said the district hopes the agency appropriates emergency funding for its school buses and when they're getting home at 4:30 p.m. it doesn't give them much time to do anything else," Baker said RIO RANCHO — The Rio Rancho High School junior varsity baseball player facing 15 counts of battery for allegedly urinating in an opposing team’s water jug during a home game last month told investigators he did it “to be funny” and had “no intention” to seek revenge from any previous incidents or games obtained by the Observer the afternoon of April 8 through a public records request The report’s release comes as the entire RRHS JV team remains suspended pending the outcome of investigations from the police department and Rio Rancho Public Schools which has promised discipline to be “severe” depending on what officials find The player told investigators that one of his jobs before each game was to get the water jugs filled from a hose and three of his friends assisted him on March 25 The player made a comment to them that he had to “use the restroom” and made a joke about peeing in the water jug he and the other three students returned the water jugs to the baseball dugouts including the one where La Cueva players sit After placing the water jug into the La Cueva dugout the player lifted the top from the jug and “peed in it,” adding that he believed “five drops” of urine came out The player denied to investigators that a March 1 tournament against La Cueva in which he was punched by an opposing player was a motive for urinating in the water jugs the player’s father told the police that his son’s conduct during the March 25 game might have been avoided if the first incident with La Cueva “had been handled differently,” the report said He also told the police he felt he should have contacted them after the March 1 game but “RRHS wanted to handle it a different way,” the report said The father told police that his son is “not vengeful and made a mistake.” He also told them he hoped his son’s life isn’t “ruined” by the incident a feeling echoed by other parents interviewed in the report Another parent disclosed to investigators that it is common for players to arrive at games with their own water in their own bottles they often replenish or refill their bottles with water from the jug that the home team supplies in the dugouts The report lists the names of 15 JV baseball players who drank from the jug and one parent police are unsure whether four other JV baseball players drank from the water jug because they did not get confirmation from their families as of April 4 found that the player “demonstrated a clear disregard for the well-being” of the La Cueva High School baseball team and his conduct met the criteria for charges of battery The case was forwarded by police to Juvenile Probation and Parole Rio Rancho Governing Body councilor for District 6 speaks about a proposed increase in water rates during a council meeting Thursday deputy mayor of Rio Rancho and councilor for District 2 prepares for a vote following a discussion about water rates on Thursday RIO RANCHO — Rio Rancho residents will see an increase in their water bills for the next five years The city’s governing body voted 5-1 on Thursday to approve a 3% annual increase in water as well as an annual 5% increase to the bulk fill water station fee He did not immediately respond to a request for comment which city officials say is necessary to fund water operation systems came after the board heard a plan for new rates during a February meeting The new rates override the 2019-24 rate schedule which included a 1.75% water rate increase and a 0% wastewater increase the new water and wastewater rates mean the average residential monthly water/wastewater bill will be adjusted by $2.92 in Fiscal Year 2026 the total rate adjustment would add $15.54 per month to the average bill The water rights acquisition fee will adjust the average residential monthly bill 30 cents in Fiscal Year 2026 the fee adjustment will add $1.66 per month to the average bill The bulk fill water station fee will adjust the cost by $0.50 per 1,000 gallons in Fiscal Year 2026 the adjustment will add $2.76 to the cost per 1,000 gallons Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull called the annual rate increase “nominal,” noting that for water rates the net increase in payment for residents will only be 1.75% was one of the few governing body members who spoke about the rate increases before the vote “I also know there is a very true reality ... that a lot of people will be better suited to have the opportunity to plan for small increments over time than at some point be hit with a much bigger balloon of what they’ll need to be paying.” Seniors with a fixed income and families that “are struggling” will “do better” under these new water rates Parents with kids in day care can “plan better,” she said “I think this is a much gentler way to get to where we have no choice but to go,” List said Council Paul Wymer echoed List’s comments and added “we didn’t take this decision lightly.” but I think it is in the best interests of all of us,” he said your house is not going to be worth much.” Deputy Mayor Jeremy Lenentine said following the meeting that with changes in the economy it’s important the city conduct “smart work” about making minor rate adjustments so it does not have a profound impact on residents “I think we all know and feel certain things are rising so it’s incumbent upon us as elected officials to be really precise and as minimal as we possibly can — and I think that’s what we did with this,” Lenentine said According to a post by Rio Rancho Police Department March 24- The water main break repair work has been completed Cherry Rd will remain closed in both directions between Penasco Road and Unser Frontage Road until permanent roadway repair work can be performed RIO RANCHO — The Rio Rancho Police Department is recommending people seek alternative routes in the area of Cherry Road Sunday "Westbound Cherry from Unser Boulevard is currently shut down due to a sinkhole Please seek alternate routes," an alert from RRPD states A social media post by RRPD adds there was a water main break that caused the disruption in traffic The city of Rio Rancho posted that the break happened at around 6 a.m and crews are working to resolve the issue It states the estimated repair time is about 16-20 hours It added that water pressure may be low to none for a "limited number of customers in the area" The recommended alternate route is Pine Road Information will be provided as it becomes available RIO RANCHO — Cherry Road re-opened March 28 after a sinkhole closed it March 23 Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull and Councilwoman Nicole List take pictures of members of Leadership Sandoval as the Excellence in Rio Rancho Day memorial is read on the New Mexico House floor Thursday A member of the current Leadership Sandoval class holds up an "I (heart) Rio Rancho" T-shirt as the Excellence in Rio Rancho Day memorial is read on the New Mexico House floor Thursday Kathleen Cates comments on the memorial marking Rio Rancho Day on the New Mexico House floor Thursday Rio Rancho Regional Chamber President Jerry Schalow speaks during the Rio Rancho Day reception at Hervé Wine Bar in Santa Fe Thursday evening Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull speaks during the Rio Rancho Day reception at Hervé Wine Bar in Santa Fe Thursday evening Rio Rancho Regional Chamber President Jerry Schalow looks on as Rio Rancho Public Schools Superintendent Dr Sue Cleveland speaks during the Rio Rancho Day reception at Hervé Wine Bar in Santa Fe Thursday evening Thursday was Rio Rancho Day on the House floor at the Roundhouse both in population and economics; public safety record; the “top-rated public school district” in Rio Rancho Public Schools; high livability rankings and family-friendly environment; and “a growing business community that includes innovators in many industries.” On hand to hear the memorial read by the House clerk were Mayor Gregg Hull; Councilwomen Nichole List and Deborah Dapson; Rio Rancho Public Schools board president Amanda Galbraith and member Beth Miller; Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Jerry Schalow; and RRCCC board member Erin Dominguez several members of Leadership Sandoval were lined up along one wall holding up T-shirts that proclaimed “I (heart) Rio Rancho.” “It’s a wonderful community to raise your family in,” Cullen said The two-term former school board member noted the “absolutely terrific schools.” “They are really just a testament to what we can do with education in New Mexico,” she said Cynthia Borrego of Bernalillo County got up to recognize the memorial She noted the collaboration between they cities of Rio Rancho and Albuquerque saying that when she was a member of the Albuquerque City Council she challenged Hull to create a new Nob Hill “The area around McMahon and Unser has developed really nicely on both sides She also noted how entities in Rio Rancho and Albuquerque worked together to rebuild and expand Westside Boulevard before the memorial was passed by the House unanimously on a 69-0 vote at a reception celebrating Rio Rancho Day in Santa Fe with Schalow saying the city of Rio Rancho and Sandoval county are different than the rest of the state and community leaders echoed that when they talked about what “Not one person is responsible for the accolades Rio Rancho is getting It’s all of us working together that have really driven the city forward,” Hull said noting $6 billion worth of investment in the city over the last 11 years That total includes investment in businesses the most recent census saw a 2.5-3% growth rate for the state while Rio Rancho saw 18% “We’re seeing people flocking to Rio Rancho It’s all that investment that’s fueling the things that you’re seeing,” he said Schalow noted the growth of Rio Rancho’s population when he spoke saying former Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima conceded that Rio Rancho is the second-largest city in the state in a recent conversation Schalow also paid tribute to Rio Rancho Public Schools “Rio Rancho is a great city that was incorporated in 198 .. but what really made us a city was 30 years ago when we go our own school district,” he said “I don’t think we say it enough how grateful we are for this school district.” Sue Cleveland attributed that success to teamwork “It’s the ability for the community to come together and pull together and make something special,” she said whether it’s the city and the school district and the county or whether it’s the team within our district