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Valencia County, New Mexico

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About Valencia, NM

Local News
Comprehensive local news coverage for Valencia County, New Mexico. Stay informed about government decisions, community events, business developments, and civic matters affecting residents of Los Lunas, Belen, Bosque Farms, Peralta, Rio Communities, and surrounding Rio Grande Valley communities.
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Los Lunas, Belen, Bosque Farms, Peralta, Rio Communities and 1,068 square miles in central new mexico

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Newsroom monitoring local Valencia, NM developments. Next update cycle in 16 minutes.

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Los Lunas Bosque cleanup leaves river habitat safer, cleaner
Community

Los Lunas Bosque cleanup leaves river habitat safer, cleaner

Contractors cleared debris and problem camps in the Los Lunas Bosque, cutting fire risk and making a key river stretch safer for hikers, workers and flood-control crews.

Sarah Chen2m read
Valencia County senior centers, meal programs offer daily support for older adults
Community

Valencia County senior centers, meal programs offer daily support for older adults

Valencia County senior centers do more than serve lunch. They keep older adults fed, connected, and monitored daily before small problems turn into costly crises.

Sarah Chen5m read
Valencia County highway turns 4.5 billion years of Earth history into a drive
Community

Valencia County highway turns 4.5 billion years of Earth history into a drive

A 4.5-mile stretch of NM 314 turns a routine Belen-to-Los Lunas drive into 4.5 billion years of Earth history, with volcanoes and rift valley geology in plain view.

Marcus Williams4m read
Los Lunas approves $14 million loan for I-25 corridor project
Government

Los Lunas approves $14 million loan for I-25 corridor project

Los Lunas locked in a $14 million loan to keep the I-25 corridor moving, but drivers may not see full relief until phase one wraps in summer 2029.

James Thompson3m read
Ebon Solar abandons Los Lunas factory project, leaving local setback
Business

Ebon Solar abandons Los Lunas factory project, leaving local setback

Ebon Solar’s canceled $942 million factory wiped out more than 900 promised jobs and left Valencia County with one more broken industrial promise.

Sarah Chen2m read
Valencia County wins state approval to bill ambulance transports
Healthcare

Valencia County wins state approval to bill ambulance transports

County ambulances can now bill insurers, a change that could shift emergency transport costs and speed access for patients in Valencia County.

Dr. Elena Rodriguez2m read
Valencia County redistricting concerns grow as state maps reshape voting blocs
Government

Valencia County redistricting concerns grow as state maps reshape voting blocs

Valencia County’s voting power is being split into smaller pieces, and Precinct 39 is the last local holdout still backing the winner in CD2.

Marcus Williams2m read
Valencia County voters get early voting schedule, judge candidate questionnaire
Government

Valencia County voters get early voting schedule, judge candidate questionnaire

Absentee ballots were mailed May 5, and Valencia County voters can cast ballots at any of 15 Election Day sites across 41 precincts. The magistrate race also turns on how judges handle everyday cases.

Marcus Williams2m read
Belen restaurant owner indicted on 39 tax evasion counts, state says
Business

Belen restaurant owner indicted on 39 tax evasion counts, state says

Big Mike’s Burgers and More owner Michael Montano faces 39 criminal counts, including allegations tied to business gross receipts taxes in Belen.

Sarah Chen2m read
Belen Fire Rescue adds new $591,000 fire engine pumper to fleet
Government

Belen Fire Rescue adds new $591,000 fire engine pumper to fleet

Belen Fire Rescue put a 2,000-gallon-a-minute pumper into service, replacing a 13- to 15-year-old engine that was nearing the end of its life.

James Thompson2m read
Greg Cunningham joins NM-02 hopefuls at Belen voter event tonight
Government

Greg Cunningham joins NM-02 hopefuls at Belen voter event tonight

Greg Cunningham and other NM-02 hopefuls used a Belen stop to pitch Valencia County voters in a district that could decide control of one of New Mexico’s most competitive House seats.

Marcus Williams2m read
Belen opens Class 4A baseball playoff series against Hope Christian
Education

Belen opens Class 4A baseball playoff series against Hope Christian

Belen opened its playoff push in Albuquerque, where the Eagles needed to slow Hope Christian after two regular-season losses and keep the series alive for Saturday.

Sarah Chen2m read
Valencia County teams fill state tennis brackets in Albuquerque
Education

Valencia County teams fill state tennis brackets in Albuquerque

Twelve Valencia County players from Belen, Los Lunas and Valencia filled the state tennis brackets in Albuquerque. Belen entered as the No. 2 seed in 4A boys.

Lisa Park2m read
Belen baseball wears Las Aguilas jerseys to honor local heritage
Education

Belen baseball wears Las Aguilas jerseys to honor local heritage

Belen baseball's black Las Aguilas jerseys turned a 17-9 win over Valencia into a public nod to Spanish language, heritage and school pride.

Lisa Park2m read
Belen sharpshooter Danilynn Bob commits to Hartnell College basketball
Education

Belen sharpshooter Danilynn Bob commits to Hartnell College basketball

Danilynn Bob turned five years on Belen’s varsity into a college spot at Hartnell, after leading the Eagles with 278 points and 36 blocks.

Sarah Chen2m read
Los Lunas council agenda includes DECA recognition, zoning hearing, NMDOT funding
Government

Los Lunas council agenda includes DECA recognition, zoning hearing, NMDOT funding

Los Lunas council will weigh a zoning change for 976 Los Lentes Road NE, NMDOT capital outlay, and a salute to the high school DECA chapter.

James Thompson2m read
State Police plan May checkpoints statewide, Belen offers youth arts programs
Community

State Police plan May checkpoints statewide, Belen offers youth arts programs

State Police are running checkpoints in all 33 counties, while Belen families face a May 30 poster deadline and June arts program signups.

Marcus Williams2m read
Los Lunas man charged in undercover machine-gun trafficking probe
Community

Los Lunas man charged in undercover machine-gun trafficking probe

An undercover probe tied to Facebook posts led to a Los Lunas arrest in a machine-gun conversion case. Prosecutors said the trade in “switches” and machine guns was a sustained operation.

Marcus Williams2m read
Valencia County boosts traffic enforcement, seeks public input on safety plan
Government

Valencia County boosts traffic enforcement, seeks public input on safety plan

Saturation patrols are coming to Los Lunas and Isleta, and Valencia County wants residents to weigh in before June 16 on flood, wildfire and storm planning.

Marcus Williams2m read
Luna Mansion’s history anchors Los Lunas and Valencia County identity
Community

Luna Mansion’s history anchors Los Lunas and Valencia County identity

A railroad bargain, a 14-room adobe and a 2026 reopening plan keep Luna Mansion at the center of Los Lunas pride and preservation.

Sarah Chen5m read
Rio Communities Women’s Golf Association keeps busy with April tournaments
Community

Rio Communities Women’s Golf Association keeps busy with April tournaments

A scramble, a Partner’s Tournament and a Pro-Am kept Rio Communities women on the course nearly every week in April, with May playdays already set for Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Lisa Park2m read
Valencia County primary opens to more voters under new state system
Government

Valencia County primary opens to more voters under new state system

Nearly 13,000 Valencia County voters can now choose a Democratic or Republican primary ballot without changing registration. The deadline for online, mail and agent registration is May 5.

Marcus Williams2m read
New Dennis Chavez Elementary Construction Advances Toward 2026 Completion
Education

New Dennis Chavez Elementary Construction Advances Toward 2026 Completion

Groundbreaking for the rebuilt Dennis Chavez Elementary in Los Chavez took place in February 2025, initiating construction of a roughly 45,245 square-foot elementary designed to replace aging facilities and improve security, accessibility, and learning spaces. The project, led by Jaynes Corporation with Huitt-Zollars as architect, aims to open for the 2026–2027 school year and will affect traffic patterns, campus operations, and long-term district facility needs in Valencia County.

Marcus Williams2m read
Belen's Restored Harvey House Museum Is New Mexico's Official Railroad Museum
Community

Belen's Restored Harvey House Museum Is New Mexico's Official Railroad Museum

Belen's restored Harvey House at 104 North First Street serves as New Mexico's official railroad museum, anchoring downtown heritage, education, and tourism.

Sarah Chen2m read
Valencia County sheriff candidate Joseph Rowland shares law-enforcement background, voting dates
Government

Valencia County sheriff candidate Joseph Rowland shares law-enforcement background, voting dates

Rowland’s sheriff profile pairs decades of police training with a packed primary calendar that gives Valencia County voters little time to sort a crowded race.

Marcus Williams5m read
Rio Communities council clash erupts over bakery lease, bias claims
Business

Rio Communities council clash erupts over bakery lease, bias claims

A 639-square-foot bakery lease at Rio Communities City Hall turned into a fight over bias claims, permit records and whether officials damaged a small business.

Sarah Chen2m read
Los Lunas wastewater plant washout spills foam, biosolids into tributary
Government

Los Lunas wastewater plant washout spills foam, biosolids into tributary

Foam and biosolids slipped into a Rio Grande tributary after a washout at Los Lunas’ wastewater plant, but officials say tap water was never at risk.

James Thompson2m read
Valencia County Resource Center Offers Food, Housing Aid to All Residents
Community

Valencia County Resource Center Offers Food, Housing Aid to All Residents

Anyone can walk into the Valencia County Resource Center in Belen for free food, clothing, and a case manager — no eligibility requirements, no paperwork barrier.

Ellie Harper2m read
Valencia County unanimously approves leasing new hospital to Brazos Health Partners
Government

Valencia County unanimously approves leasing new hospital to Brazos Health Partners

Valencia County commission unanimously approved leasing county-owned land, building and equipment for a 15-bed hospital at NM-6 and Sandsage to Brazos Health Partners.

James Thompson3m read