News

County Commissioners Pass Interim Budget But Take No Action on PERA Contributions

Summary In a special meeting of the Board of Torrance County Commissioners on May 22, 2025, the commissioners addressed two of the three matters on their agenda. Specifically, they addressed the approval of the interim budget for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY2026) and Public Employees’ Retirement Association (PERA) contributions. Nonetheless, the

News

USFS Seeks To Reduce Fire Risk near Torreon and Tajique

MOUNTAINAIR, N.M. — On Tuesday, May 20, 2025, the U.S. Forest Service issued a press release stating that the federal agency is seeking public comment on a proposed forest management project in the Manzano Mountains. According to USFS Ranger Shawn Martin, the project would utilize tree thinning, prescribed burns,

News

Mountainair Town Council Approves Cemetery Board and Interim Budget

Summary The primary focus of the regular meeting of the Mountainair Town Council on May 20, 2025, was the appointment of five members to the town’s newly created cemetery board, the approval of the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY2026) Interim Budget, and starting the design process for the Mountainair Department

Events

Upcoming Events for May 19, 2025

Do you want to advertise your Torrance County event in the Mountainair Dispatch? I’d love to publish it. Email todd@mountainairdispatch.com with the details. There is no cost to publish upcoming events. Federal Government Department of Veterans Affairs No events scheduled at this time. Pecos National Historical Park

Public Notice

Torrance County Summer Internship Program open to Applications

Torrance County has announced its 2025 summer internship program, which offers students from the ages of 14 through 18 the opportunity to work for employers throughout the county. For this internship, Interns will work 20 hours per week at $13.00 an hour. Interns must be enrolled at one of

Weather

Wildfire Smoke from Arizona Prompts Air Quality Alert for Torrance County

The New Mexico Department of Health and the National Weather Service have issued an Air Quality Alert in effect through 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 14, for Torrance County, including Mountainair and surrounding areas. The alert is due to unhealthy air quality levels for sensitive groups, as wildfire smoke from

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MMAC Wants You To Have A Voice Regarding Upcoming Art Shows

Sponsored content: Manzano Mountain Art Council (MMAC) has three great art shows coming up in which artists can participate: * August 2025: Reflections of New Mexico (Artistic works representing unique perspectives of the Land of Enchantment) * December 2025: Dwellings (Architecture and images of structures that provide shelter made of earth, straw,

Events

Upcoming Events for May 12, 2025

Do you want to advertise your Torrance County event in the Mountainair Dispatch? I’d love to publish it. Email todd@mountainairdispatch.com with the details. There is no cost to publish upcoming events. Federal Government Department of Veterans Affairs Free Food Drive-Thru and Walk-Up Event * Every 4th Wednesday of

Weather

Fire Weather Conditions Expected to Intensify Across Torrance County Through Midweek

The National Weather Service in Albuquerque has issued a Fire Weather Watch for Tuesday and Wednesday across much of central New Mexico, including Torrance County and the Mountainair area, as strong winds and critically low humidity levels create dangerous conditions for wildfire ignition and rapid spread. While the most immediate

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Important Update Regarding Bark in the Park

SPONSORED CONTENT: If you’re a dog owner or a dog lover looking for a rewarding experience in a beautiful location, you really can’t do better than the monthly BARK in the Park walks in Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument. The location for this month’s BARK in the

Events

Upcoming Events for May 5, 2025

Title: Upcoming Events for May 5, 2025 Do you want to advertise your Torrance County event in the Mountainair Dispatch? I’d love to publish it. Email todd@mountainairdispatch.com with the details. There is no cost to publish upcoming events. Federal Government Department of Veterans Affairs Free Food Drive-Thru

Weather

Severe Thunderstorm Warning Issued for Northwestern Torrance County

The National Weather Service in Albuquerque has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning in effect until 9:15 p.m. MDT on Sunday, May 4, 2025, for portions of northwestern Torrance County, along with Bernalillo County and southwestern Santa Fe County. As of 8:29 p.m., radar indicated a severe

Weather

Severe Thunderstorm and Flash Flood Warning in Effect

The National Weather Service in Albuquerque has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for east-central Torrance County until 5:45 p.m. MDT Sunday, May 4, 2025. Similarly, a flash flooding alert for arroyos in the Albuquerque area has been issued. Nonetheless, it is likely that there will be flooding impact

News

Audit Reveals Persistent Accounting Oversight Failures in Torrance County Financial Operations

On April 23, 2025, during the meeting of the Torrance County Board of County Commissioners, Torrance County’s accounting auditor released its audit findings regarding how the county handled its assets and liabilities, revealing a mixture of accounting deficiencies and successes in a report by Jose Ortiz, CPA, an accountant

Events

Upcoming Events for April 28, 2025

Do you want to advertise your event in the Mountainair Dispatch? I’d love to publish it. Email todd@mountainairdispatch.com with the details. There is no cost to publish upcoming events. Federal Government Department of Veterans Affairs Free Food Drive-Thru and Walk-Up Event * Every 4th Wednesday of the month

Weather

High Wind Watch and Red Flag Warnings Issued for Torrance County and the Mountainair Area

The National Weather Service in Albuquerque has issued multiple weather alerts for Torrance County and the surrounding region, warning of dangerous conditions through the weekend into Sunday evening. A High Wind Watch is in effect for Sunday, April 27, 2025, with southwest winds of 30 to 40 mph and gusts

Estancia

The History of a Town in a Building

The former chamber of the Estancia Board of Trustees was empty — not just devoid of people but also of tables, chairs, pictures, and even the carpet that covered the floor. Trustee Morrow Hall explained that the carpet was the source of one of the problems with the Estancia Town Hall.

Events

Upcoming Events for April 21, 2025

Do you want to advertise your Torrance County event in the Mountainair Dispatch? I’d love to publish it. Email todd@mountainairdispatch.com with the details. There is no cost to publish upcoming events. Federal Government Department of Veterans Affairs Free Food Drive-Thru and Walk-Up Event * Every 4th Wednesday of

Weather

Winter Weather Advisory in Effect for Sandia and Manzano Mountains Through Saturday Night

A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued by the National Weather Service in Albuquerque at 7:31 PM on Friday, April 18, 2025, for the Sandia and Manzano Mountains, including Edgewood and parts of Torrance County, remaining in effect until 11:59 PM MDT on Saturday, April 19, 2025. Forecasters

Weather

Red Flag Warnings Issued for Torrance County Through Thursday Due to Fire Weather Conditions

The National Weather Service in Albuquerque has issued consecutive Red Flag Warnings for central and northern New Mexico, including Torrance County and the Mountainair area, due to increasingly dangerous fire weather conditions. The first warning is in effect from 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM MDT on Wednesday, April

Events

Upcoming Events for April 14, 2025

Do you want to advertise your Torrance County event in the Mountainair Dispatch? I’d love to publish it. Email todd@mountainairdispatch.com with the details. There is no cost to publish upcoming events. Federal Government Department of Veterans Affairs Free Food Drive-Thru and Walk-Up Event * Every 4th Wednesday of

Arts and Culture

30 Years of Cibola Arts

Scenes from today’s 30th anniversary celebration at Cibola Arts Gallery, hosted by gallery owners Ray and Elaine Darnell, and attended by artists - and art aficionados - from throughout New Mexico. Update April 28, 2025: Anne Ravenstone advised that Cibola Arts Gallery is a co-op owned by member artists,

Weather

Red Flag Warning in Effect Sunday for Torrance County and Surrounding Areas

The National Weather Service in Albuquerque has issued a Red Flag Warning for Sunday, April 13, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. MDT, as critical fire weather conditions are expected to impact much of central and eastern New Mexico, including Torrance County and the Sandia and Manzano Mountains.

Events

Rattlesnake Aversion Training

The Friends of Mountainair Animal Shelter (FOMAS) is hosting a training event to help keep our dogs safe by encouraging their aversion to snakes. Natural Solutions will conduct the training with live (muzzled) snakes at the Deer Canyon Preserve Center, 43 Deer Canyon Trail, Mountainair, NM 87036. The cost of

Events

Upcoming Events for April 7, 2025

Do you want to advertise your Torrance County event in the Mountainair Dispatch? I’d love to publish it. Email todd@mountainairdispatch.com with the details. There is no cost to publish upcoming events. Federal Government Department of Veterans Affairs Free Food Drive-Thru and Walk-Up Event * Every 4th Wednesday of