Wednesday’s Top Stories
- Broken fire hydrants cause public safety crisis in New Mexico
- PNM named in lawsuit over alleged role in McBride Fire
- Santa Fe inmate accused of tricking guards into releasing him
- Family of man accused in Muslim murders speaks out
- Albuquerque man accused of opening fire inside ART bus
- Bernalillo County employees could be allowed to carry pepper spray
- Five takeaways from the FBI raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate
- A dry river: Albuquerque’s ‘new hydrologic reality’
- Russia targets reporter with raid, probe over war criticism
Wednesday’s Five Facts
[1] Suspect arrested in murders of Albuquerque Muslim men – Police have arrested Muhammad Syed, accused in two recent murders of Muslim men in Albuquerque. Police are still working to determine if he had anything to do with the other killings. After a massive manhunt and national attention, Syed was arrested in Santa Rosa. Police say they showed up to his home near Carlisle and Gibson on Monday when he drove past them in the Volkswagen Jetta that was identified as the suspect’s vehicle. Police searched his home, finding guns they believe match the bullet casings found on scene for two of the murders. Investigators say evidence does show the suspect knew both victims and could have had some type of conflict with them.
[2] Albuquerque Public Schools welcomes students back – Today is the first day back for APS students. The district says they have been working on fences, locks, camera systems and even special trainings for students. APS schools are still experiencing staffing shortages across the board. Right now, they are looking for 82 teachers among elementary, middle and high school levels. As well as 127 special education teachers. With a shortage of bus drivers, that also means new routes for buses and expanded walking boundaries for students.
[3] Heavy rain and flood watch Wednesday – Storms will develop in the mountains and the east plains this afternoon, moving west/southwest off of the high terrain. Flood watches will be in effect again for the northern and southern mountains. There will be a high threat of flooding in the Gila and Sacramento Mountains. The northern mountains may see flash flooding as well, but the area will see less storms than previous days. The Metro may see more heavy thunderstorms during the late afternoon/evening hours. The driest parts of the state will be the Four Corners and the far northeast highlands.
[4] Albuquerque safe outdoor spaces closer to becoming a reality – Supporters of the sanctioned homeless camps are racing against the clock to get location approval of five spots for them here in Albuquerque. The applications awaiting approval will have to be approved before the council’s moratorium vote on Monday. If that Moratorium passes city council, no new applications can be submitted for a year. Mayor Tim Keller is still able to veto the moratorium. There is no work yet if he will or will not do so.
[5] Eisenhower 8th graders welcome incoming 6th graders – Eighth graders at Eisenhower Middle School are making sure some new students feel welcome on the first day of class. 45 eighth graders were trained to help incoming sixth graders acclimate to the school. Principal Jonathan Saiz says this has become a tradition at Eisenhower. The eighth grade mentors will be wearing special shirts Wednesday for the first day of school to answer any questions new students might have.