New Mexico News Insiders

The New Court Program Judge Says ’Everyone Has A Stake In’

Opioids and Fentanyl are impacting people in ways like we’ve never seen before. In a new initiative to stop overdoses “upon first contact with the criminal justice system,” Bernalillo County’s Metropolitan Court just announced the Overdose Prevention Treatment and Intervention - or “OPT-in” court. Chris and Gabby host Judge Claire McDaniel and Behavioral Health Division Director, Stacey Boone, who say this is a community problem that we all have a stake in.

How will the program work? Who is eligible? When may we see the impacts of it? Listen to our previous episode on the Fentanyl crisis with the DEA for a primer on the subject. 

We appreciate our listeners! Send your feedback or story ideas to hosts chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts.

 

Back To School: Free Meals, New Schedule, Longer Days

This year’s back-to-school looks a lot different for many New Mexico families. Some of this school year’s changes include free meals for all due to new state law, a new bell schedule for Albuquerque Public Schools, an extended school year calendar, and more time in the classroom. Chris and Gabby sit down with APS Superintendent Scott Elder to break down some of the key changes and how the state’s biggest district is handling them. In the second half of the episode, hear from a local parent and school bus driver, Julie Sprunk, about her experience and perspective on the upcoming school year. 

What's the biggest challenge? How will the free meal program work? Why are bus drivers crucial to start times? 

We like to hear from our listeners! Send your feedback or story ideas to hosts chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts.

New Sheriff Pushes Pause On Reality TV To ‘Focus’ Deputies

There’s a new Sheriff in New Mexico’s biggest county. Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen won the election with 54% of the vote. Halfway into his first year, the Democratic Sheriff gets candid with Chris and Gabby about what it’s been like “leading the ship” so far.

It’s a role he says he doesn’t take lightly, given the crime and drug problems plaguing the area. And he's already making changes to the department, including pausing BCSO’s role in a reality television series, creating a Behavioral Health Unit, and revamping the helicopter program after a devastating crash that killed four first responders.  Are his efforts paying off so far? What is BCSO’s biggest challenge? 

We appreciate our listeners! Send your feedback or story ideas to hosts chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts.

 

New Mexico Cannabis Industry: Who Will Survive?

Lots of people quit their day jobs to go all in with New Mexico’s recreational cannabis industry. More than a year into legalization, cannabis shops already outnumber liquor stores in Albuquerque. Is the grass greener for all these new businesses?  

Chris and Gabby sit down with Pat Davis, Co-Founder of Weeds Cannabis Consulting firm and Albuquerque City Councilor for District 6. Davis explains some of the challenges the industry is facing, how businesses are getting creative, as well as the state’s limited resources to provide checks and balances on the budding industry. Will the market sustain all these new businesses? Who will survive, and who is benefitting?

KRQE Investigative Reporter Ann Pierret recently reported on the potential 'over-saturation' of the market - watch her full report here.

Also, find more of KRQE's coverage on the cannabis industry here. 

We like to hear from our listeners! Send your feedback or story ideas to hosts chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts.

 

Near Record Heat Scorches New Mexico

We are close to breaking a record for the longest-running heatwave in New Mexico. Depending on where you live in the state, there have been some dangerously hot conditions to keep an eye on. This week, Chris and Gabby host an expert from the National Weather Service to discuss the significance of this summer’s temperatures, and when people can expect some relief. 

Should people re-think swamp coolers for their homes next summer? Which areas are considered at 'high risk' for long heatwaves? 

We appreciate our listeners! Send your feedback or story ideas to hosts chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts.

The ’Tragic’ Season For NMSU Men’s Basketball

New Mexico State University’s men’s basketball team is coming off of what some would call a tragic season. Between the end of 2022 and early 2023, two different stories garnered national attention. First, a deadly November shooting in Albuquerque that left one teammate injured and a University of New Mexico student dead. Then in February, allegations of hazing and sexual assault lead to the suspension of the team's season. More recently, the school reached a multimillion-dollar lawsuit settlement related to the allegations.

This week, Chris and Gabby sit down with a fellow journalist in the southwest region. Sports Director at KTSM in El Paso, Texas, Colin Deaver joins the conversation. Deaver shares his perspective covering the stories that have thrust the Aggie men's basketball team into the national spotlight. A veteran of Aggie sports coverage, Deaver has extensively covered the school's various teams for the last five years. 

Just how unique is this situation in college athletics? Deaver helps recap the narrative behind what happened and the results of allegations levied against NMSU. What will a complete reboot of the team look like going forward? Those questions and more answered in this week's episode.

Let us know what you think about this podcast and other episodes. Send your feedback or story ideas to hosts chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts.

How Albuquerque’s Gateway Center Is Shaping Up

It's been nearly four years since voters approved a $14-million bond for Albuquerque's long-promised "Gateway Center" homeless shelter, a project with the goal of creating a facility offering comprehensive, wrap-around services for the homeless.

By late 2020, the city entered into negotiations to purchase the former Lovelace Hospital on Gibson Boulevard. At the time, Mayor Tim Keller envisioned the building as possibly being operational "in months, not years."

But the build-up to the Gateway Center has taken longer than expected. This week, Chris and Gabby are checking in with a couple of top Albuquerque city officials on the status of the project. Family and Community Services Department Director Carol Pierce and Deputy Director Gilbert Ramirez join the conversation for an extended discussion of how the Gateway Center is shaping up.

What services are open at the Gateway Center right now? How many people can the facility house overnight? What's the goal? Will it be the silver bullet to eliminate or alleviate issues surrounding homelessness in Albuquerque? Those questions and much more are tackled in this week's episode, which includes a breakdown of some of the key services that the Gateway Center is expected to offer.

We mentioned our prior interview with Mayor Tim Keller about homelessness at the top of the episode. If you haven't listened to that episode yet, you still can on KRQE.com

Got something to share? Let us know. Send your feedback or story ideas to hosts chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts.

The 180° Shift In New Mexico’s 2023 Wildfire Season

Remember 2022’s historic wildfire season in New Mexico? Concern can quickly shift from wildfire to flooding, depending on where you live in New Mexico. This week, Chris and Gabby host experts from the U.S. Forest Service to talk about what the changing weather pattern this year has meant for fresh burn scars, and the summer efforts crews are making to protect people and properties. 

How are controlled burn operations working? Who’s at the highest risk for flooding? This week's guests are Rich Naden, the U.S. Forest Service Predictive Services Meteorologist, along with Micah Kiesow, a Soil and Watershed Program Manager for the Santa Fe National Forest and Burned Area Emergency Response Coordinator - also known as (BAER). 

We love hearing from you! Send your feedback or story ideas to hosts chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts.

The History Of Tent Rocks National Monument

A little more than two decades ago, most people didn't know what "Tent Rocks" were in New Mexico. But after the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument was put on the map in 2001, the site became one of the most popular hiking and outdoor recreation spots in the state - a major tourism draw.

Three years after the COVID-19 pandemic started, the Tent Rocks monument still remains closed. The BLM has in part cited continuing concerns related to resource protection, staffing, and visitation levels.

This week, we're getting into the historical significance, and the recent problems with over-visitation in an extended conversation with someone who helped document the significance of the monument. Geologist and UNM Professor Dr. Gary Smith joins the conversation, recounting his first trips to study the area and the eventual designation of the National Monument. When might it reopen? How problematic has over-visitation been at the site? 

Let us know what you think about this podcast and other episodes. Send your feedback or story ideas to hosts chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts.

$3.95 Billion. How The Feds Are Repaying New Mexicans For Wildfire Losses

This time last year, New Mexico's Hermits Peak Calf Canyon wildfire was dominating local headlines. The wildfire eventually became the state's largest in recorded history, sparked by two different government operations that eventually merged.

One year after the fire charred more than 342-thousand acres, the federal government is attempting to make good on its promise to help New Mexicans recover from massive losses. $3.95 billion has been earmarked to pay for a wide range of costs, all of which being handled by a specific new FEMA office: The Hermit's Peak-Calf Canyon Claims Office.

How is that money being spent? How can someone make a claim for FEMA assistance? 

This week, Chris and Gabby and joined by the Director of the HPCC Claims Office, Angela Gladwell. She breaks down how the unique effort is working. The office is already processing hundreds of claims and expects to deal with thousands more. How long will people have to wait to receive reimbursement for losses? Those questions and more are answered in this week's episode.

We want to hear from our listeners! Send your feedback or story ideas to hosts chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts.