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CYFD says it has dramatically reduced intake times

CYFD Cabinet Secretary Brian Blalock: “The safety and welfare of the children and other victims is and will always be our first priority.” (AP Photo/Russell Contreras)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The state Children, Youth and Families Department on Friday said it has reduced the peak-call wait times at its Statewide Central Intake system from hours to something in the neighborhood of 20 minutes.

Central Intake is the call center where all calls concerning abuse and neglect are routed and assessed before people are sent out to investigate.

“Reducing wait times as we have, even during our busiest hours, will allow our investigators to get into homes more quickly,” CYFD Deputy Secretary Terry Locke said in a news release. “As always, we encourage anyone to report potential abuse or neglect.”

New Mexico residents can call #SAFE (#7233) from their cellphone or 855-333-SAFE

Off-peak wait times are even lower via a new triage system instituted by the department. According to the release, the triage system allows callers to speak to a person more quickly; additionally, the department is instituting schedule changes and using different technology to allow CYFD offices across the state to help carry the burden of new cases.

The maximum wait time for calls is expected to continue to improve as these changes and policies are implemented, CYFD said.

The announcement comes one day after child advocates and representatives of nonprofits gathered at the Albuquerque office of CHI St. Joseph’s Children to call for vigilance and action in intervening to prevent tragedies such as the recent spate of violent deaths of children. The “antidote” for these tragedies, they said, is getting all families with small children involved in home visiting programs.

On Friday, it was learned, the 8-year-old girl who was shot and critically injured in a northeast Albuquerque home on Sunday died in a local hospital.

The other victims included: An 11-month-old girl who died under suspicious circumstances at a Northeast Heights motel on Tuesday, leading to the arrest of her father; a 5-year-old girl who police said was beaten to death on April 5 by her father in a southeast Albuquerque apartment; and a 5-year-old boy who was smothered to death with a pillow on March 31 in Farmington, allegedly by his father, according to police there.

“We grieve the recent deaths,” said CYFD Cabinet Secretary Brian Blalock. “We, as a new leadership team, are constantly looking to learn from the mistakes of the past. The safety and welfare of the children and other victims is and will always be our first priority.”

CYFD in the release also said the Behavioral Healthcare Collaborative, a group of 15 state agencies working to improve the mental health of New Mexico’s children, met Thursday in Santa Fe to discuss recommendations for bettering psychiatric care. The group is focusing on early screening, diagnoses and treatment.

“New Mexico’s kids were dealt a heavy blow when over a dozen health care providers were closed without notice in 2013,” Blalock said. “We are committed to contributing every way we can to rebuilding of the network of available doctors, therapists, and counselors throughout the state.”

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Oversight of NM nuclear facilities needed

The Albuquerque Journal recently published two op-eds – “NM has already done its share for the nuclear age,” March 31 and “Country must use WIPP to its fullest” April 1. The first piece correctly points out New Mexico has received a lot of out-of-state nuclear waste and is a target for much more. The second, by the chairman of the Carlsbad Nuclear Task Force, reiterates the Department of Energy (DOE) point of view on the volume-determination question.

Those arguments were effectively countered during New Mexico Environment Department hearings last year. The Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are gasses contained in the air space of the waste drum. The waste contained in the drum consists of any solid material, any liquid and any waste gases in the headspace of the drum. Thus, the entire volume of the drum contains waste. To argue otherwise may increase the allowable volume of the waste but may also do harm to workers and the environment.

The latest proposed change in volume definition is another example of mission creep. The DOE prefers to incrementally add projects to WIPP that expand it beyond the limits initially agreed by the state.

Both op-eds point to the need for an independent technical review that the state’s decision makers can rely on. When WIPP was being planned in the 1970s, the state demanded and received federal funding for independent oversight of the project. The resulting Environmental Evaluation Group (EEG) conducted the oversight between 1979 and 2004 and published 90 reports and hundreds of professional papers. It was funded by DOE until 1988 and by an act of U.S. Congress from 1989 onward. In 2004, the DOE stopped funding for EEG. During its existence, the public and the state relied on the information provided by EEG in making decisions about the project, but since 2004 the state is without such oversight.

WIPP is a 40-year old facility, maintenance costs are increasing, and the project is still recovering from the 2014 preventable underground fire and the accident due to an exploding drum that exposed workers to radiation and contaminated the facility. DOE has been ignoring the health and safety findings and recommendations of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) and has unilaterally passed internal orders that circumvent the laws governing WIPP.

No compatible source was found for this media.

The DOE has recently submitted a draft to the Environmental Protection Agency for the every-five-years re-certification. These re-certifications, required by law, are comprehensive reports that have not been reviewed by a scientific organization representing the state of New Mexico for 15 years. With all the proposed changes and expansion of the WIPP mission, it is imperative that there be such a scientific review for this cycle of re-certification.

In spite of many operational problems and accidents due to the age of the facility, DOE has announced plans to bury more than 30 metric tons of weapons-grade plutonium at WIPP. Also, not having been successful in establishing a high-level nuclear waste repository, DOE is now supporting the effort of a private company to bring that dangerous high-level waste to southeastern New Mexico for “consolidated interim storage.”

It is long past the time for the state of New Mexico to re-establish an independent, technically qualified state oversight organization with a dedicated group of scientists and engineers from various relevant fields of knowledge to ensure full understanding of the short and long-term risks of such nuclear projects in the Land of Enchantment.

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Dolphins eyeing defensive ends in the 2019 NFL Draft?

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The Dolphins have moved on from Robert Quinn, Cameron Wake and Andre Branch this offseason, so the team is predictably in the market for defensive ends. It sounds like the organization may try to fill those holes via the draft, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes that the Dolphins have scheduled workouts with a number of prospects.

Jackson writes that Dolphins defensive line coach Marion Hobby recently gave a private workout to Louisiana Tech lineman Jaylon Ferguson, who has been graded as a second-round pick. The Dolphins have also scheduled visits with TCU’s L.J. Collier and Old Dominion’s Oshane Ximines, a pair of players who are also expected to be selected in the second or third round. Miami is currently armed with one second-rounder and one third-rounder: the 48th overall pick and 78th overall pick, respectively.

It sounds like the Dolphins may even consider opting for a defensive end in the first round, where they’re currently holding the 13th pick. Jackson notes that the team has also shown interest in Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell, FSU’s Brian Burns and Mississippi State defensive end Montez Sweat. If the Dolphins want Sweat, it might require a trade, as the lineman is currently projected to go in the top 10.

The Dolphins are currently only rostering four defensive ends with any NFL experience. That grouping includes Charles Harris, Tank Carradine, Jonathan Woodard and Jeremiah Valoaga.

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Tornado destroy 10 homes in New Mexico, 5 people injured

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A tornado that ripped roofs from buildings and injured five people in a tiny New Mexico town has left a trail of debris that authorities said Wednesday they would wait to clear because of high winds still sweeping through the region.

The tornado touched down outside of Dexter on Tuesday evening before quickly barreling into the town about 18 miles (or 29 kilometers) south of Roswell, where the injured were taken to a hospital. They had suffered non-life threatening injuries, authorities said.

Chaves County Sheriff Mike Herrington said the tornado “took out” about 10 homes on one street in the town of about 5,000 people. A dairy was forced to put down about 150 cows that were injured, he added.

Schools are expected to be closed for the remainder of the week, and all entries into the town have been closed as 60 to 70 mph winds continue to stir scrap and other tornado wreckage.

“It’s flying around like shrapnel,” Herrington said in a phone interview. “It’s blowing in a circle … It’s just not a good, safe environment.”

The strength of the tornado has not yet been determined by a team the National Weather Service sent to the area, meteorologist Chuck Jones said.

In the Wednesday, March 13, 2019, photo released by the New Mexico State Police shows shipping containers strewn across the river bed, with a jumbled pile of containers on the slope above one bank of the Canadian River near Logan, N.M., about 184 miles (296 kilometers) east of Albuquerque. Union Pacific spokeswoman Raquel Espinoza said the derailed cars were the tail end of a mixed-freight train consisting of two locomotives and 73 rail cars. Authorities blamed high winds for a train derailment in eastern New Mexico where approximately 25 freight cars went off a trestle over a mostly dry river bed. (New Mexico State Police via AP) (Associated Press)

The tornado came amid a strong storm system that was not expected to relent as it moved toward the northeast, Jones said. “It’s deepening and strengthening very quickly,” he said.

About 200 miles (or 322 kilometers) northeast of Dexter, authorities said high winds had derailed a train on the high desert plains near Logan, a town of about 1,000 residents. New Mexico State Police photos of the derailment showed shattered train cars scattered across a mostly dry riverbed.

There were no reported injuries in the derailment, state police said.

In total, about 40,000 Xcel Energy customers in the region that spans much of eastern New Mexico and the Texas panhandle were without electricity, the company said.

In Dexter, Herrington said he believed there would have been more tornado injuries had more people been home when it touched down. But luckily, it occurred at a time when many people were at work or returning home from work, he said.

A severe weather warning was issued earlier in the afternoon for hail, lightning, high winds and multiple tornadoes, with authorities urging residents to stay off roads and shelter animals.

Another tornado also touched down in nearby Hagerman on Tuesday, destroying the city’s water system, the Roswell Daily Record reported .

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Tribal tradition: Albuquerque’s the Gathering of Nations coming soon, a flight away from Raleigh

Photo: iStock

If your ideal getaway includes taking in the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of a one-of-a-kind cultural event, then Albuquerque in late April is the destination for you.

New Mexico’s largest city is home to the annual Gathering of Nations Powwow, the largest celebration of Native American culture on the continent. The event draws participants from nearly 800 tribes in the U.S. and Canada for two days of dancing, contests, music, food and crafts.

Now in its 36th year, the powwow welcomes Native and non-Native people alike, and the stages, booths and events are open rain or shine.

The powwow opens April 25 with the Miss Indian World cultural pageant, and continues through April 27 at the powwow grounds in Albuquerque. While you’re there, you can take advantage of the other attractions in and around the Duke City, from New Mexico’s unique fusion of Native, Hispanic and Anglo cuisine to the inspiring vistas on a hike in the high desert.

Using travel site Skyscanner, we’ve sifted through the cheapest flights between Raleigh and Albuquerque, including some popular hotel options and other beloved local attractions.

(Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in the articles may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. Prices and availability are subject to change.)

Cheapest Albuquerque flights

Currently, the cheapest flights between Raleigh and Albuquerque are if you leave on April 25 and return from New Mexico on April 28. Frontier Airlines currently has roundtrip, nonstop tickets for $383.

Top Albuquerque hotels

To plan your stay, here are two of Albuquerque’s top-rated hotels, that we selected from Skyscanner’s listings based on price and customer satisfaction.

The Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town (800 Rio Grande Blvd. NW)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

If you’re looking for an inexpensive place to stay, consider The Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town. The hotel has a 4.8-star rating on Skyscanner, and rooms are currently available for $99.

This Albuquerque spa hotel is located in the historical district, near the Albuquerque Museum, Old Town Plaza and the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. Additional attractions include the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center.

The Hotel Parq Central (806 Central Ave.)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

There’s also the 4.2-star rated The Hotel Parq Central. Rooms are currently set at $120/night.

Situated near the airport, this Albuquerque hotel is also close to the University of New Mexico and Rio Grande Zoo, as well as the National Hispanic Cultural Center.

Local restaurant picks

If you’re looking for a popular spot to grab a bite, Albuquerque has plenty of excellent eateries to choose from. Here are a few from Skyscanner’s listings to help you get started.

The Frontier Restaurant (2400 Central Ave. SE)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

One of Albuquerque’s most popular restaurants is The Frontier Restaurant, which has an average of 4.7 stars out of 28 reviews on Skyscanner.

"The five-star rating is for more than just the food. Between its extended hours of operation and kitschy decor, which leans heavily on John Wayne art, this place is a delight," wrote visitor Susan.

Antiquity Restaurant (112 Romero St. NW)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Another popular dining destination is Antiquity Restaurant, with five stars from seven reviews.

Located close to the Old Town Plaza, the restaurant features fresh seafood, lobster, steaks, veal, chicken and pork.

"The food is great and it’s more eclectic than just New Mexican. The service is impeccable, too," wrote reviewer Susan.

The Grove Cafe & Market (600 Central Ave. SE, A)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Finally, there’s The Grove Cafe & Market.

"This place uses local and organic ingredients in their food and puts a gourmet spin on some of the classic breakfast items," wrote Christy.

Top Albuquerque attractions

Albuquerque is also full of sites to visit and explore. Here are two popular attractions to round out your trip, again from Skyscanner’s listings.

The Sandia Peak Tramway (30 Tramway Road NE)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

First up is The Sandia Peak Tramway, which stretches from the northeast part of the city to the crestline of the Sandia Mountains, giving it its name.

The tramway contains the world’s third longest single cable car span. It first entered service in 1966 and makes over 10,000 trips every year.

"No visit to Albuquerque is complete without a trip on the tram!" wrote Alyce. "Travel a distance of 2.7 miles over 15 minutes’ time via the tram to an altitude of 10,378 feet. Soak up the 11,000-square-mile panoramic view."

The Albuquerque Biological Park (903 10th St. SW)

Photo: Trip by Skyscanner

Lastly, consider checking out The Albuquerque Biological Park, an environmental museum housing a large aquarium, a botanical garden, a zoo and a beach. There is a small railroad that connects these facilities. —

This story was created automatically using flight, hotel, and local attractions data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we’re doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.

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VIDEO: Volunteers restore historic Montco cemetery

POTTSTOWN, Pa. (WPVI) —

Volunteers are busy at work to restore a cemetery in Montgomery County dating back 120 years that serves as the final resting ground for hundreds of veterans.

Action News photojournalist Dan Sheridan captured the effort to bring back the beauty at Edgewood Cemetery in Pottstown.

—— Send a News Tip to Action News Learn More About 6abc Apps

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TRU Air Experts give advice on keeping homes cool

TRU Air is a HVAC company committed to servicing Albuquerque and surrounding areas. It focuses on converting or replacing refrigerated air units. The company’s experts appeared on New Mexico Living.

TRU Air uses high quality, energy efficient products by Trane, the industry leader in innovation and reliability. Their vastly knowledgeable sales team is available to answer questions, educate, and help clients make informed decisions that meet each and every HVAC need.

TRU Air serves Albuquerque and its surrounding areas with quality products that provide the ultimate comfort and are installed and maintained for lasting performance. TRU Air promises TRU Quality, TRU Comfort, & TRU Performance 100% guaranteed!

TRU Air is a locally owned family business, operating in Albuquerque, New Mexico and surrounding areas. TRU Air specializes in updating existing HVAC systems with high quality, energy efficient Trane products. With rising temperatures, increased pollution and worsening respiratory allergies, it has never been more important to convert. Their sales team is happy to help you customize a system that provides you with the quality, comfort, and performance you deserve.

To visit TRU Air’s website, click here.

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Downtown’s Innovate ABQ location bustling with activity

Design work is underway on the old First Baptist Church, at the northwest corner of Central and Broadway, to convert it into a modern facility as part of Innovate ABQ. (Marla Brose/Albuquerque Journal)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Innovate ABQ’s new president and executive director, John Freisinger, is snuggled into a small working space on the far east end of Albuquerque’s new innovation hub Downtown.

It’s cramped and devoid of office amenities, save for a table, some chairs and internet access.

But it’s brightly lit, with sunshine streaming in from full-wall windows that overlook the corner of Central and Broadway, now the heart and soul of Albuquerque’s emerging innovation district.

It’s temporary digs for Freisinger, who will soon move into a spacious, second-floor office at the entrance to the old First Baptist Church sanctuary and office tower, which rests smack on the southeast corner of the seven-acre church property, which the University of New Mexico purchased in 2014. Design work is just beginning on that 71,000-square-foot structure, marking the second phase of development for the high-tech research and development site UNM is building with public and private partners into a hub for entrepreneurship and startup innovation.

The first phase concluded last summer, when UNM opened its $35 million, six-story Lobo Rainforest building. That now houses UNM’s Innovation Academy, startup companies, and tech-transfer teams from UNM and three of the state’s national laboratories.

The inauguration of Central New Mexico Community College’s FUSE Makerspace followed in October, after CNM remodeled the old 13,000-square-foot Noonday Ministries soup kitchen into a modern community facility. That sits kitty-corner to the Lobo Rainforest building on the southwest side.

Now, the Innovate ABQ board has its sights set squarely on the old church sanctuary and office complex, across a small courtyard separating it from the Lobo Rainforest building. That structure is actually three buildings connected by walkways and built in phases over 70 years, Freisinger said.

That includes the sanctuary’s two-story chapel and office areas, a five-story tower behind it that’s filled with offices on every floor plus an old elevator, and a two-story west wing that housed the church’s parochial school.

“We’re entering the design phase now for the tower and church,” Freisinger said, while sipping coffee from the Lobo Rainforest’s newly opened “Press Room” cafe, just north of the church building. “We’re looking at how to bring it all into code, calculating the true cost of remediation, and how to upgrade everything into a modern facility while paying respect to the historic nature of the building.”

Remediation and remodeling will begin first in the sanctuary and office tower, which may cost between $7 and $9 million, Freisinger said.

“It will take 60 to 70 days to finish the design phase on those two sections, and then we’ll proceed to remediation work, such as removing asbestos ceiling tiles and lead paint,” Freisinger said. “It’s nothing too hazardous, but we have to address those issues first.”

The sanctuary will become the main community gateway into Innovate ABQ. Its front doors are on Central, leading visitors into a huge welcoming area with balconies that look down from the upper floor. Immediately to the right is the two-story chapel, also lined with balconies that overlook an open seating area and raised pulpit below.

“The church sanctuary will make a fantastic community gathering space,” Freisinger said. “It’s very reconfigurable and can accommodate all kinds of events. It’s probably a 400-person space, something between a high school gym and a hotel ballroom.”

The entire tower building will be converted into offices for economic development organizations, entrepreneurial support programs, community groups and incubator spaces for startups. The elevator will be repaired and put back into service, Freisinger said.

Many prospective tenants are lining up to occupy that building, which will likely open simultaneously with the church sanctuary late next year.

“We see those two buildings opening up by fall 2019,” Freisinger said. “We’ve identified about 95 percent of the capital needed for renovation. We’re paying for the design phase now out of Innovate ABQ’s operational budget while we wait for final notification on other funding for money to start flowing in.”

That includes a $1 million federal grant approved last fall by the U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration, plus matching funds from private sources. Grants and loans are also in the pipeline from a variety of other public and private sources, Freisinger said.

West-wing development will take more time to begin, because the Innovate ABQ board is still working with prospective tenants to fully define how the space will be used. It will likely include wet and dry research labs for biomedical and other technology development, with offices for startup companies and some type of food court or restaurant.

Plans are also underway to develop the northwest corner of the Innovate ABQ site. The board is considering a two- or four-story building there to house information technology businesses focused on things like artificial intelligence, augmented reality, cybersecurity and more, Freisinger said.

Meanwhile, the Lobo Rainforest building is buzzing with activity as investors and entrepreneurs constantly shuffle through to meet and mingle with researchers, scientists and tech-transfer professionals, said Lisa Kuuttila, head of the Science and Technology Corp., UNM’s tech transfer office.

About 900 students are enrolled in UNM’s Innovation Academy, which holds classes on the ground floor and works with students seeking to market new products and services.

“We have 36 student companies up and running and generating revenue,” said Academy Director Rob DelCampo. “Many more are in different stages of development.”

About 200 students live in dorms on the building’s five upper floors. All 155 two-bedroom apartments are expected to fill to capacity when the fall semester starts in August.

Community interest and support are building, Freisinger said.

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N.M aids families with housing, but pilot program ends

The $30-a-night motel, on a seedy stretch of Albuquerque’s East Central Avenue, was what her parents could afford. The Preeces were struggling with drug and alcohol abuse when, in 2015, a caseworker from the Children, Youth and Families Department knocked on their door to investigate an allegation of neglect.

“I was really mad,” recalls C.J.’s mother, Carlotta Preece. “I mean, CYFD came to the motel room, and I snapped at them. They asked me, ‘What do you want?’ I said, ‘I need a home.’ ”

They got one, thanks to Keeping Families Together, a pilot project that addresses the intersecting problems of homelessness and child abuse and neglect. It is the first time New Mexico has turned to housing as a tool to reduce the state’s long-standing epidemic of child abuse.

The idea comes by way of New Mexico Appleseed, an Albuquerque think tank that estimates 16,000 homeless children reside in New Mexico, placing the state among the 10 worst in the nation. That figure, combined with statistics showing 72 percent of mothers and 47 percent of fathers who lose their children to foster care are either homeless or on the verge of homelessness, convinced state officials the program had merit.

When New Mexico decided to invest $2.9 million of federal funding in KFT, child advocates and policymakers asked the following questions: Could a roof over their heads, and ancillary services such as drug treatment and therapy, help keep families together? More importantly, could a home be enough to keep a child safe from abuse and neglect?

Three years later, the answer is a tentative yes.

KFT has provided stable housing for 86 families and 267 children in Bernalillo, Valencia and Doña Ana counties. It has prevented dozens of kids from ending up in foster care. It also has reduced the incidence of repeat abuse and neglect by two-thirds among those families who participated in the program for at least a year, according to Albuquerque Heading Home, the nonprofit that CYFD contracted to run the pilot program.

“It’s the first initiative that I have found in New Mexico that truly addresses housing instability as a root cause of child maltreatment,” says Jenny Ramo, Appleseed’s executive director. “When you do not have adequate housing — whether you are in a motel, your car or a house with too many families — you are significantly more likely to abuse or neglect your child.”

But when the KFT pilot program ends in June, some 44 families will be dropped — including the Preeces. And while CYFD plans to continue the program under a new contract, the agency is now grappling with how to learn from the problems evident in the pilot.

Among them: Far too many families were placed in housing they will never be able to afford on their own; overwhelmed caseworkers were unable to provide the attention required by needy clients; the “permanent” housing recommended by Appleseed turned out to be merely temporary, potentially destabilizing fragile families.

What’s more, Appleseed, CYFD and Heading Home — in other words, the think tank that promoted the idea, the state agency that administered the contract and the nonprofit that ran the program — still don’t agree on either the mission or its methods.

Ramo argues that misses the point: “If there is a pie chart of these families, some percentage are never going to support themselves. They will go back to where they came from and start again with the problems and the expenses.”

When the Preece family moved out of Tewa Lodge and into a three-story townhouse in a gated community in the Jackson neighborhood of Albuquerque, the first thing C.J. did was number the bedrooms 1, 2, 3: one for her parents, one for her teenage sister and one just for her.

Now, 2½ years of life-changing stability are about to come to a halt.

Carlotta has medical issues that keep her from working. Her husband, Jeremy, sober for eight months, brings home $600 every two weeks as night manager at a busy Mexican restaurant. At $1,210 a month, their three-bedroom townhouse is way beyond their means.

Sitting on her couch in a tidy, carpeted living room with a big-screen TV, Carlotta proudly nods at the family portrait on the fireplace mantel.

Blocking the path to foster care

Traumatic for children and expensive for the state, foster care is almost always a decision of last resort. A single placement costs about $21,000 a year, while a case of maltreatment that ends in adoption costs an estimated $107,000, according to CYFD. Altogether, the state spends $145 million a year in state and federal money on the problem of child abuse and neglect.

The KFT program is comparatively cost-effective: Including the price of rent, utilities and a caseworker, housing a family runs the state between $14,000 and $19,000 a year, according to Heading Home.

“If we can keep the family together safely, we want to keep the family together,” says Martin.

In 2014, the Legislative Finance Committee reported that New Mexico spends less than most states per capita to prevent children from ending up in foster care. The report recommended that CYFD recalibrate its focus to prevention. But since then, some preventive services that have shown results have been abandoned; others, like KFT, haven’t been scientifically tested.

Meanwhile, the number of kids in foster care has risen 44 percent over the past five years to about 2,600 from about 1,800.

Families that participate in KFT have access to a wealth of resources: workforce training, help applying for public housing vouchers, gas and grocery assistance, mental health counseling and drug rehabilitation.

A crushing reality

Valenzuela’s rent is $1,200. She recently lost her minimum-wage job as a maid for a national hotel chain. Her children are now 12, 11, 9, 6 and 5. She doesn’t have a car.

Searchlight New Mexico is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization dedicated to investigative journalism. Read more of the organization’s stories on Raising New Mexico at projects.searchlightnm.com.

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Dozens displaced after blaze breaks out at Clovis apartments

CLOVIS, N.M. (KRQE) – Dozens of New Mexicans are without homes after a fire tore through their apartment complex.

"We didn’t really know what was going on until we saw smoke coming out the window, so everybody just took off running," said Dontrail Foster.

He says he was visiting a friend when the fire erupted.

"At the same time, my little cousin was sitting right there in the smoke, so I had to pull him out and we all just got out of the building,” said Foster.

In total, 46 people from 12 apartments were forced from their homes.

Firefighters said four of the apartments suffered extensive damage.

Officials say the fire began in a downstairs unit before going up and spreading throughout the building, taking firefighters about 10 minutes to put out.

“The proximity to that fire station and crews at that fire station even off-duty, they were able to have things ready and knocked down quickly,” said Clovis Fire Chief Mike Nolan.

The cause of the fire: a cat knocking over a candle.

Officials say the cat, which was a therapy pet for an autistic boy, didn’t make it out alive.

"We’re going to be working with the family to find some resources to help the child," said Curry County Emergency Management Director Dan Heerding.

No one was injured.

"I’m just glad no one was hurt and it’s really sad because people really lost their homes,” said La’Porcha Burks, who lived at the apartments.

The Red Cross is helping the families out with a place to stay, food and clothes.

Eight families should be able to return home Tuesday night.

"I was telling my grandma when I was helping her take her stuff out, ‘Today might be a mystery, but tomorrow is a blessing,’” said Foster.

The United Way has a fund set up to help out the families.

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CCU board of trustees approves tuition increase; housing fees won’t change

Source: CCU Facebook page

CONWAY, SC (WMBF) – Coastal Carolina University students will pay a bit more to attend class next fall.

At Friday’s meeting, the CCU board of trustees approved a tuition increase of 3 percent for in-state and out-of-state undergraduate and graduate students, effective for the 2018-2019 academic year, according to a press release.

Housing fees will not increase for the next fiscal year or in the foreseeable future as a result of the property refinance plan initiated in 2014, the release stated.

Some meal plan rates will increase from 1.3 to 1.7 percent per semester, depending on the plan, in order to cover increased food and labor costs and to provide additional services. According to the press release, one plan option will remain at the same price as last year.

“Since our housing fees remain the same, the net increase is 1.62 percent for in-state students and a 2.9 percent increase for out-of-state students who live on campus and who choose the meal plan option that remains constant,” said Ralph Byington, provost and executive vice president, in a statement.

According to information on CCU’s website, the current estimated cost of in-state tuition for the 2017-2018 academic year is $11,200 for undergraduate students. Out-of-state tuition fees are $25,872.

On-campus room and board fees for both in-state and out-of-state students are an estimated $9,414 for the current academic year.

Copyright 2018 WMBF News. All rights reserved.

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Cosby has ruined a lot of fond memories

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — I’ve said many times, to whomever would listen, that the highlight of my 2011 was being called a big dummy by Bill Cosby.

Given what I’ve learned about the man since, how do you think I feel now?

That year, Temple University’s football team was selected to play Wyoming in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl. Temple was Cosby’s alma mater in his hometown of Philadelphia, so the school arranged to have me interview its most famous alumnus by phone a couple of days before the game.

At the appointed time on Thursday, Dec. 15, I called Cosby at his apartment in New York. I was nervous, realizing I was about to interview a man I’d revered for years.

I’d never been a huge fan of his landmark TV series, “The Cosby Show,” which had aired from 1984-92. I was more of a “Cheers” guy. I was aware of, though, and respected, the powerful statement “The Cosby Show” had made for family values, for African Americans especially.

Really, it had always been Cosby’s stand-up routines that I loved so. Growing up as a black kid in Philly, it turned out, wasn’t all that different from growing up as a white kid in Albuquerque. Bit after bit, it all just rang so true.

Cosby had appeared several times in Albuquerque over the years. I hadn’t seen him in person, but a Journal colleague of mine attended a Cosby performance at the Sandia Casino Amphitheater in 2001.

He’d laughed so hard that night, he told me, that at one point he literally fell off his seat onto the floor.

So, then, I wiped off my sweaty palms and dialed the number. He picked up immediately, and we spoke, as I recall, for 10 minutes.

Given his fame, I wasn’t sure how engaged the famed comedian would be in an interview with some sports writer in Albuquerque.

He was great.

Cosby told tales from his brief athletic career at Temple, which ended when he left school after two years to launch a comedy career. He later “earned” a degree and, at the time of our interview, was serving on the Temple Board of Trustees.

He wasn’t planning to come to Albuquerque for the New Mexico Bowl because the Temple men’s basketball team was playing Texas in Austin at the same time. He’d be toggling back and forth with his TV remote, he said, keeping a close watch on both.

Saturday, Dec. 17, would be a mixed bag for “The Coz” and his Owls. In Albuquerque, Temple routed Wyoming 37-15. In Austin, the Owls fell to Texas 77-65.

At one point during the interview, I misinterpreted something he said. “No, ya big dummy,” he replied, correcting me, but not unkindly. A thrill.

I wrote the story for the following day, leading with a line from one of his many sports-related comedy routines – this depicting a pickup football game: “Cosby, you go down to Third Street. Catch the J Bus. Have them open the doors at 19th Street. I’ll fake it to ya.”

I wasn’t sure how good the story was, and, having re-read it this week, I’m still not. But I had interviewed a living legend, and I was happy.

Now, I’d been aware for a while that Bill Cosby was not a perfect human being.

Once, I had read, he’d sucker-punched fellow comedian Tom Smothers at the Los Angeles Playboy Club. In 1997, the daughter of a former Cosby mistress, claiming to be his daughter, threatened to go to the tabloids with her claim and demanded $40 million. The woman was convicted on an extortion charge.

Even so, nothing prepared me for what was to come. Since 2014, dozens of women have alleged that Cosby drugged and sexually molested them. They described how they were betrayed by this man whom the public revered, and how the assaults traumatized and impacted their lives for years to come.

Thursday, in Norristown, Pa., a Philadelphia suburb, came the coup de grace. Cosby, 80, was convicted of three counts of aggravated indecent assault and faces years of prison time.

On Friday, Temple University rescinded the honorary degree it had bestowed on Cosby in 1991. He had resigned from the Board of Trustees in 2014.

So, this man, this warm comedian and devout champion of family values, has been revealed as a fraud. And so much worse.

Meanwhile, my fondest memory of 2011 lies in ruins.

Forever.

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U.S. allows ZTE to submit more evidence

The U.S. Commerce Department has granted ZTE’s (OTCPK:ZTCOF) request to submit more evidence after the agency barred American companies from selling to the Chinese firm.

The Bureau of Industry and Security had slapped a seven-year ban on the telecom equipment maker for breaking terms of an agreement reached last year after it was found to be illegally shipping goods to Iran.

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Albuquerque real estate market performing well

Joy Wang

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The real estate market in Albuquerque is doing pretty well. In fact, the numbers are looking better than ever.

Experts tell KOB Albuquerque tends to be on the tail end of things when it comes to things like real estate and the recession, which means while some other states may be doing better, New Mexico was still climbing up.

Now the state has finally caught up.

“When the inventory shrinks and the demand is there, then that’s when you start seeing some good increase in values," said Linda DeVlieg, an associate broker. "And it’s a more robust real estate market than I’ve seen in a long time."

Right now about 2,900 homes are on the market in Albuquerque. This time last year, there were 3,600.

"What we’re seeing in Albuquerque is we’re definitely balancing out," realtor Cheryl Marlow said. "For a long time, we’ve seen in a very strong buyer’s market, which is more inventory than demand. What we’re seeing now is inventory is down significantly. And especially in the $250,000 and below, we are in a sellers’ market."

The increase in crime has also led to a bigger demand for gated communities.

"Millennials are our biggest market right now for buying homes because they want the investment," DeVlieg said. "They don’t’ want to rent. You know renting here is more expensive than purchasing."

Even though the demand for homes is going up, the confidence to build them is going down.

"Predominantly that’s due to lack of inventory of lots, lack of labor, lack of lumber that’s happening, and of course interest rates impact that as well," Marlow said.

The City Council passed the integrated development ordinance in November, which would affect homes with multiple garages.

“Eighty feet is what they’re looking for is a three-car garage. The average lot in Albuquerque that’s being developed and built upon right now is 45-50 feet," Marlow said.

The change will more difficult for builders, which Marlow said can have a ripple effect.

"This will affect the entire real estate market based on what buyers are seeking out in a home," she said.

The home builders association says they’re working with the city council on a bill to make it easier for builders in Albuquerque.

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New Chapter Started in Albuquerque, NM

The Gift Of A Helping Hand Charitable Trust Cathy P Russell (313) 282-9476 helpinghand2002@hotmail.com https://www.tgoahhct.org

The Gift Of A Helping Hand Charitable Trust set up additional New Chapter in partnership with Prosper and Be In Health Inc., Albuquerque, New Mexico to help assist the less fortunate and be a voice. Our vision is to set cup Chapters all around the globe.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Detroit. Michigan, March 30, 2018{City, – The Gift Of A Helping Hand Charitable Trust vision is to set up Chapters under the umbrella of the organization all across the United States and all around the world to unite in peace, unity and spread kindness worldwide.

Since 2002, The Gift Of A Hand Charitable Trust provides safe and affordable housing for Veterans, Domestic Violence Survivors and their children and homeless women and their children. We Foster technology, health education, career and financial educational training computer classes for economically disadvantaged youth’s, girls, women, Veterans, domestic violence survivors and underprivileged individuals in helping them to become self-sufficiency and learn the skills for career advancement. In addition, we provide basic needs and care packages to thousands of families and individuals all around the world requesting our assistance during these challenging times. The Chapter Foster awareness and empowering women, and girls all around the world.

Cathy P Russell said, "Let us unite by spreading kindness, compassion and empathy all around the world. Starting a Chapter is rewarding , a voice and a blessing to the less fortunate. She is proud to be able to form Chapters under the umbrella of The Gift Of A Helping Hand Charitable Trust in the U.S. and other countries."

Cathy P Russell is proud to be working in partnership with Frederick Esters, CEO and Founder of Prosper and Be In Health Inc. in changing and inspiring the life’s of the less fortunate in Albuquerque, New Mexico and all around the world.

The Gift Of A Helping Hand Charitable Trust welcome all States and countries to come on board and Start A Chapter under our agency in your State or country to help assist the less fortunate. To Start A Chapter in your State or country go to www.tgoahhct.org and click on the link Chapter and apply online. Help changing the life of others is the greatest gift you can give. Being a Voice for those who can not be a Voice for themselves. Start A Chapter in your State or country and help bring unity and peace back into the world.

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Large Nat’l Guard operation could affect NM law enforcement

Caleb James

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — President Donald Trump’s order to send National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border could have a lot of implications for New Mexicans.

So far, the impact to New Mexico National Guards members will likely be relatively small. A high-ranking official tells KOB the Guard expects 20 to 30 New Mexico volunteers to travel to the border.

If this operation expands, it could potentially draw resources from local policing efforts. Agencies across the state are grappling with short-staffed forces and many individual officers are currently enlisted in the guard.

Las Cruces police employ six currently enlisted Guardsmen. In Eddy County, the sheriff’s office says a couple deputies take short deployments regularly. New Mexico State Police Chief Pete Kassetas said there are currently 64 officers in the Guard across all branches.

The largest concern could happen at New Mexico’s largest municipal police agency — the Albuquerque Police Department. With just under 800 patrol officers total, the Albuquerque Police Officers Association says more than 100 serve across all branches of the New Mexico National Guard.

A union spokeswoman said: "We understand the importance of border security and agree a federal activation always takes precedence. Unfortunately, Albuquerque’s current reality is that our police department can’t afford to lose five officers, let alone over 100. It would further devastate our ability to combat crime in our community."

The National Guard members who the president is sending to the border will likely not be armed and will not be allowed to intervene in apprehension or arrests of anyone. Their role is in support of Border Patrol agents and local law enforcement.

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New Mexico Community College, University Architecture School Team Up to Build Modular, Sustainable, Affordable Homes – Albuquerque Business First

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., March 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — CNM Ingenuity, the enterprise arm of Central New Mexico Community College (CNM), is launching a program to provide paid internships for CNM students to build "ecoMOD" homes – energy efficient, high-performing and cost-effective modular homes that will be placed in Albuquerque as affordable housing options.

CNM Ingenuity is partnering on the effort with the University of New Mexico (UNM) School of Architecture, including professor John Quale, the founder and director of the award-winning ecoMOD Project.

The first prefabricated ecoMOD home as part of the CNM-UNM partnership is currently being built and will be provided to Habitat for Humanity for placement in a low-income neighborhood near downtown Albuquerque. Then, one home per year over the next two years will be built by paid interns. These homes will be placed in the vicinity of CNM’s Main Campus as affordable housing options for community members, with plans to scale up the model across the state.

The UNM School of Architecture will provide construction drawings and documents for the ecoMOD homes and CNM’s trades programs will oversee the construction of the homes and the paid student internships. Quale’s ecoMOD Project won the Research and Development Award in 2013 from Architect Magazine, published by the American Institute of Architects, and was a finalist for the World Habitat Award.

"Our focus is on creating sustainable, affordable and prefabricated homes," Quale said. "This generation of students is enthusiastic about this mission, and in particular its relevance in New Mexico. I’m looking forward to a long-term partnership."

The long-term goal for this collaborative effort is to make it sustainable for the future by establishing a network of partners across the state, including homebuilders, contractors, state organizations and non-profit housing organizations, that can work with CNM Ingenuity and ecoMOD to build and distribute units while incorporating paid student internships. In addition to providing affordable housing options in New Mexico, the internships would bolster the pipeline for a highly skilled construction workforce with experience using cutting edge, sustainable construction materials and technologies.

"This model has tremendous potential to grow and have positive impacts in so many ways," said Kyle Lee, executive director of CNM Ingenuity. "It would provide more opportunities for students and boost the quality of our construction workforce while helping more New Mexicans live in high-quality, affordable homes."

CNM students majoring in carpentry, construction management, electrical, plumbing and HVAC are eligible for the internships.

PNM, New Mexico’s largest energy provider, awarded a $200,000 grant to support this effort. The two-year grant will fund 15 CNM internships and five internships for community members seeking work in the construction industry.

View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-mexico-community-college-university-architecture-school-team-up-to-build-modular-sustainable-affordable-homes-300621759.html

SOURCE Central New Mexico Community College (CNM)

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