What we as individuals, families, a nation and a world have lived through these last four months is unlike anything most of us have experienced. Read more

I recall an event from about 17 years ago when I was in the Army stationed in the Pentagon and living in Northern Virginia. Our son, John II, was in scouting and one of the requirements for a rank advancement was that he complete a 5-mile hike. The boys planned the event to include the date … Read more

In light of what is happening across the country, I have recently been asked many questions regarding Los Lunas Police Department procedures. I feel there are four important areas in which a department must focus to ensure a healthy and transparent relationship with its community. Read more

A few weeks after we all went into restricted movement, I noticed I started to paint abstracts rather than more realistic pieces. Read more

If you’ve followed my column for the past 20-plus years, you’ve gotten to know my family — especially my daughter, Caitlin.  Read more

Last month, Albuquerque was full of appreciation parades. But on Sunday night, May 31, the tide turned. In the “parade” that passed up and down Central Avenue, half a block behind my apartment, for 3 1/2 hours, no one was chanting “thank you.” Read more

Trying to keep my dog, Goose, busy is quite the task. Read more

Home gardens have become increasingly popular. Not only does gardening serve as a great way to spend time outdoors, it can provide a bountiful harvest you, your family and neighbors can enjoy throughout the summer. Read more

I am happy to fill this space this month. As for me, I am the domestic violence commissioner for Valencia County. If you should file for a domestic violence protection order, that case would go to me. Read more

The Belen Art League had to close its doors in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more

In the past two weeks, I’ve been accidentally co-opted into two “appreciation parades” driving past hospitals here in Albuquerque. Read more

Learning a new way of life due to COVID-19 when the energy of spring has just begun has not been the easiest. This change of lifestyle has been hard! Perhaps you can attest to this. Read more

What an interesting period of time. Normally, I can tell when the ditches are stocked, but now not only are they fished on the weekend but with the layoffs, men and women are both are enjoying the outdoors by fishing during the week. Read more

Like so many of our institutions, the judicial system has undergone changes to day-to-day business in the wake of the global pandemic. Read more

Question: Something is wrong with our apricots. The tree looks good, but the fruit are severely damaged. This is all over the tree. Leaves seem to be fine. Ideas? — Question submitted via Bernalillo County Extension Agent Sara Moran Read more

As an endeavoring artist, I have had many disappointing moments when my work didn’t turn out as well as I’d hoped. I’ve had to learn a number of coping tools to get over my feelings of failure and keep going. Read more

Weeks before corona virus hit the U.S., I listened to an interview with the author of a book called “Spillover,” published in 2012. Read more

Wow, how our lives can change so quickly! Most of us in New Mexico are on week No. 4 of being home with our kids. Read more

He was supposed to be Col. Mustard. A tall, lanky, awkward Col. Mustard but I’m pretty sure the man-child sideburns would have lent a certain credibility to the role. Read more

What are the chances that I would find out about the 1918 pandemic years ago through a conversation about food? Read more

I grew up in Peralta long before any type of ordinance existed. Peralta was and still is a rural community. Read more

As I sit here at my desk, waiting for the other shoe to drop, I’m contemplating what the next hour, day, week and months will bring as the news cycle of COVID-19 continues to rapidly evolve. Read more

An enormous box arrives at our house. It is filled with food and cleaning supplies and, yes, toilet paper. I feel guilty. But the truth is, these supplies were ordered months ago. My husband, Peter, was a hoarder long before hoarding was in fashion. Read more

Question: Is there a systemic insecticide that can be used to control ash flowergall mites? — Question submitted by a Bernalillo County Extension Agent Read more

One Saturday a couple of weeks ago, I awoke to the sound of chain saws … never a good thing in my book because it means a tree somewhere is coming down. Read more

In our Bethlehem community, we have a lot going for us! Read more

Hello, Valencia County! My name is Sierra Cain, and I am pleased to announce I will be serving as the Valencia County 4-H/Youth Development Agent with New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Office. I am very excited to be part of this community. Read more

We all benefit when New Mexico’s classrooms have the resources they need to educate our children. After all, today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders, entrepreneurs, and workforce. But our educational outcomes are not what they should be, and part of the reason is that we’ve underfunded our s… Read more

I’ve been trying to write to my grandparents more lately. Read more

As the probate judge of Valencia County, I preside in an informal setting, a personal representative for an estate of a decedent, conduct marriages, allow for burial arraignments, allow access for heirs to obtain medical records — just to name a few. Read more

This weekend I was reminded of friends and fellow students at The University of New Mexico who are gearing up to begin production on their senior thesis projects. This got me thinking of this time last year when my classmates and I were in the same spot graduating seniors are now. Read more

Last year, Belen MainStreet Partnership carried out a visionary and prophetic event called Belen Blooms. Read more

About 17 years ago, I stopped eating animals. A client at the veterinary clinic where I worked had put it that way — “eating animals.” Read more

In the world of media, outlets are often in competition for readers’ eyes and advertiser’s dollars. The world of New Mexico journalism is relatively small, so you get to know one another. Read more

One thing I enjoy most about my job is that I am constantly learning. Every day brings a new challenge, whether it is identifying a weed or insect or trying to determine the cause of a declining tree or homeowner’s lawn, each situation is an opportunity to learn something new and share my ne… Read more

As a clean romance author, I believe in and write about happily ever after stories. My own prince charming and I live out a “divine romance.” I am often asked if the dream is possible for everyone. My answer is two-fold: a resounding yes, and … are you willing to pay the cost involved? Read more

I have heard more than 1,000 landlord tenant cases since I became a judge, and I have learned a few things I believe will be useful to both landlords and tenants. Read more

For the past 20 years, I’ve probably attended at least 17 matanzas sponsored by the Hispano Chamber of Valencia County held on the last Saturday of January. Read more

Earlier this month, yet another case of suspected child abuse made headlines when two emaciated children were removed from their home in Cedar Crest. The children were found by Bernalillo County sheriff’s deputies standing at attention and wearing diapers. Read more

“If you build it, he will come,” is a line from the 1989 Kevin Costner movie “Field of Dreams.” Read more

A few months ago, my roommate and I took the plunge and adopted a dog. He is an Australian Kelpie mix we named Goose, and he is somewhere between a year and 2-years-old, according to the shelter. Read more

Imagine a little girl is taking ballet lessons. To make her jump higher and leap farther, her teacher fills her shoes with nails that poke every time she takes a step, and burns her ankles with chemicals so the ribbons on her shoes rub against her raw, blistered skin. Read more

The mission of the New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service is to “provide the people of New Mexico with practical, research-based knowledge and programs to improve their quality of life.” Read more

The Dallas Cowboys were not always America’s team. When they first played in the early 1960s, they had few fans in Dallas or anywhere else in the United States, including New Mexico. Read more

Jonny is a fourth-grader in a small, rural school in New Mexico. His teacher, Mr. R., lacks any form of teacher’s license. It’s common for long-term substitutes to teach for an entire year or more in this school. Jonny’s is one of the classes reported in a statewide report that shows 644 tea… Read more

I mentioned in previous columns that I am a photographer, and have been for more than six years now. Read more

So, I was sitting here, thinking. I know — probably a bad idea, but I persisted. Read more

With Thanksgiving behind us and Christmas just a few short weeks ahead, I have been busy making lists of cards I need to send, and gifts I need to find for family and friends. Read more