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Today's News

  • Citizen group forms to address county code grievences

    The newly formed  Los Alamos County Citizens in Action Group held its first meeting Monday to figure out what they will do about nuisance code enforcement in Los Alamos County.

    Made up of ordinary citizens, the group was formed out of frustration with what many in the group say are unfair practices by county code enforcers.

    The group decided its first step was to put out a survey to the public about what it thought of code enforcement. From there, it will present its findings at a Nov. 7 County Council meeting, where it hopes further action will be taken.

    The group is formulating questions for the survey that will show that there is genuine concern over what many see as overzealous code enforcement. They also said they aren’t expecting results to be overwhelming one way or the other.

    “I don’t expect this to overwhelmingly be against the yard ordinance. I expect it to be fairly down the middle, because this is a pretty divisive issue,” group co-founder Heather Ortega said.

    Though Nov. 7 is a work session, group co-founder Helen Milenski wants to at least see a suspension of the ordinance while council considers modifying it.

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  • LA residents donate blood to Las Vegas victims

    Even in a parking lot 700 miles away, the mass shooting in Las Vegas hit close for some Los Alamos residents.

    As people gathered at the United Blood Services Bloodmobile Tuesday morning in the Smith’s Marketplace, they talked of the horrific shooting or knowing someone who survived it.

    “Most of my friends are still there, my sister is there and they all know somebody who’s been injured,” Los Alamos resident Lani Seaman said, fighting back tears. “She has friends that work at the trauma center at UMC (University Medical Center) and we need blood badly. That’s why I’m here.”

    Originally from Las Vegas, Seaman knew the area of the shooting well, and knew people who were at the concert.

    She said a husband of one of her friends carried a girl out who had been shot. Moments before, she had been standing next to him enjoying the concert.

    Deborah Lee and Lisa Marie Rodriguez were at a Depeche Mode concert in Las Vegas Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena.

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  • Forecasters warn of heavy rain, flash flooding in New Mexico

    ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — Forecasters with the National Weather Service are warning that the northern two-thirds of New Mexico will likely see heavy rain and flash flooding over the next couple days.

    The forecast calls for anywhere between an inch and 3 inches of rain across eastern New Mexico through Friday along with a flash flood threat Wednesday east of the central mountains. Severe thunderstorms also will be possible east of the Continental Divide on Wednesday and Thursday.

    Many rivers are already running above normal due to recent storms, and forecasters say the heavy rainfall expected through Friday could result in rapid increases.

    According to the weather service, September ended up being wetter than normal for much of New Mexico. Several communities received more than 4 inches of rain over a 10-day period.
     

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  • Vegas gunman set up cameras inside his room and outside

    By KEN RITTER and MIKE BALSAMO, Associated Press

    LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Las Vegas gunman planned his massacre so meticulously that he even set up cameras inside his high-rise hotel room and on a service cart outside his door, apparently to spot anyone coming for him, the sheriff said Tuesday.

    Meanwhile, Sheriff Joseph Lombardo named the gunman's girlfriend as a "person of interest" and said the FBI is bringing her back to the U.S. for questioning as investigators try to determine why Stephen Paddock killed 59 people in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

    Investigators have been speaking with Marilou Danley, who is traveling in the Philippines, and "we anticipate some information from her shortly," Lombardo said.

    Lombardo said he is "absolutely" confident authorities will find out what set off Paddock, a 64-year-old high-stakes gambler and retired accountant who killed himself before police stormed his 32nd-floor room.

    The cameras Paddock set up at the Mandalay Bay hotel casino were part of the extensive preparations that included stockpiling nearly two dozen guns before opening fire from his perch on the closing night of a three-day country music festival below.

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  • New Mexico land commissioner cancels run for Congress

    SANTA FE (AP) — A spokeswoman for New Mexico State Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn says he has canceled his campaign for Congress.

    State Land Office Spokeswoman Kristin Haase said Monday that Dunn has changed his mind and will not seek the GOP nomination, without providing a reason.

    Dunn, a Republican, had been a prominent contender to succeed U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, who is running for governor.

    Dunn was elected in 2014 to lead an agency that oversees state trust lands and leases that help fund schools, universities and hospitals.

    It was unclear whether Dunn would seek re-election as land commissioner next year.

    The governor's race has set off a game of musical chairs in New Mexico politics as Pearce and Democratic U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham of Albuquerque decline to seek re-election to Congress.
     

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  • Pet Talk: Potty training pets is important

    Getting a new puppy, kitten, or older cat or dog is an exciting experience, but having pets comes with certain responsibilities, including potty training. It may be a time-consuming process to potty train your pet, but Dr. Mark Stickney, clinical associate professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, said it is necessary to develop a long-lasting, positive relationship with your pet.
    “Inappropriate eliminations are one of the biggest reasons pets are surrendered,” Stickney said. “Developing good bathroom habits early is key to having a pet you will enjoy for a long time.”
    Potty training should begin as soon as you bring your pet home. If you’re training an adult dog or a puppy, be sure to give them plenty of time to use the bathroom and stay with them until they go. Then, reward the animal with a treat or positive praise so they understand that eliminating outside is good behavior.
    If you’re training a kitten or cat, Stickney said finding a litter box that your pet is comfortable getting in and out of is key. Additionally, if your kitten was using a litter box before it came to live with you, it could be helpful to start potty training your pet with that specific litter.

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  • Senior captains lead the way for LAHS boy's soccer

    Being a captain for a team is no easy task, especially in high school sports. It adds another layer of responsibility on top of an already hectic schedule that includes excelling in the classroom and on the playing field. 

    Instead of just worrying about their own performance, captains are the players who are relied upon to be the leaders on the field and make sure everyone is doing what is necessary to succeed.

    Having strong leadership is often the difference between an excellent team and an average team, and the impact of that leadership never appears on the box score or in the headlines.

    Perhaps no team at Los Alamos High School has benefitted more this year from strong leadership than the boy’s soccer team, which has three captains.

    The three players, Ben Rees, Andreas Runde and Tristan Semelsberger, have proven to be a great trio on the field, leading the team to a 10-4 record in their non-district schedule, but they could not be more different off the field.

    All three of them look at the game of soccer in a different way, and find enjoyment in different aspects of their experience.

    Put simply, Semelsberger is the ultimate soccer fanatic.

    It consumes nearly every aspect of his life, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

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  • Family Night at Nature Center set for Oct. 10

    The next Family Night at the Los Alamos Nature Center is Oct. 10.

    Enjoy an evening of games and hands-on activities with Mesa Public Library’s Melissa Mackey from 6-7 p.m. The Nature Center will be open for exploring the exhibits until 8 p.m.

    This October’s Family Night will be the last of the season to have a campfire and make s’mores, one of the most popular features of warm-weather Family Nights.

    And mark your calendars – the second Tuesday of each month is Family Night at the nature center.

    Thanks to a generous sponsorship from the Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos, this program is free for all. Next month’s Family Night will take place on Nov. 14.

    For more information about this and other programs offered by the Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC), visit peecnature.org, email programs@peecnature.org, or call 662-0460.

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  • Los Alamos Family YMCA to host discussion on nonprofits Oct. 19

    The public is invited to join the Los Alamos Family YMCA for a panel discussion on “Attracting and Nurturing Volunteers: A Conversation,” from 5-6 p.m. Oct. 19 at the University of New Mexico-Los Alamos in the Lecture Hall, building 2.

    The discussion will be led by Diana Martinez, of the Los Alamos Family YMCA, and Todd Nickols, of the Los Alamos Historical Society.

    These are leaders of two local organizations with robust volunteer programs. The speakers will discuss the joys (and pains) of engaging the community in nonprofit efforts. Among the topics will be:

    • How to recruit and retain volunteers for your organization

    • Different ways to recognize the work of your volunteers

    • Identify resources for developing or strengthening your own volunteer program

    • How to engage youth volunteers

    • Recruiting volunteers to help with programming

    • Preparing for group volunteer activities.

    Martinez and Nickols will begin the discussion with their experiences and insights, but they hope to engage the audience with their questions and comments.

    Bring ideas and questions regarding this lifeblood of any nonprofit organization.

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  • Pet of the Week

    No doubt about it, Whiskers likes to be top dog, even though he’s a cat. This is according to volunteers at the Los Alamos Animal Shelter, where Whiskers currently resides.  
    Whiskers, who is about 4-years-old, doesn’t like to be around other cats. Adult cats maybe, but he tends to bully kittens. He loves humans, though, and he is on the hunt for his forever home.
    His previous owner had to give him up, as Whiskers couldn’t live in an assisted living facility. Whiskers is an American Shorthair with orange-and-white markings. If adopted, Whiskers is guaranteed to shower his new owner with all the attention they give him back.
     He’s neutered and chipped.
    Whiskers has had all his shots, and is negative for the FeLV-FIV virus. He does have one awesome medical anomaly though, he has a bent tail. It doesn’t seem to bother him, and he seems to be rather proud of it. For more information, call the shelter at 505-662-8179 or email the shelter at police-psa@lacnm.us.
    Photo By Paulina Gwaltney Photography, (910) 333-6362, Gwaltney’s studio is located at 3500 Trinity Drive.

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