Video

Watch: Our First Torrance County Commission Video Recap - July 8, 2026

July 14, 2026 - Mountainair, New Mexico The Mountainair Dispatch is trying something new. Alongside our written coverage of local government, we are testing a video recap of Torrance County Commission meetings, starting with the board's Wednesday, July 8, 2026, regular meeting. In roughly 12 minutes, the video covers

Events

Upcoming Events for July 13, 2026

Do you want to advertise your event in the Mountainair Dispatch? I would love to publish it. Email todd@mountainairdispatch.com with the details to submit your event. There is no cost to publish upcoming events. Federal Government National Park Service Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument Weekly Ranger-Led Guided

Torrance County Commissioners

Torrance County Commission Extends Burn Ban, Backs Grid Upgrade, and Weighs Fix for Neglected Roads

Torrance County Board of County Commissioners regular meeting, Wednesday, July 8, 2026, 205 South Ninth Street, Estancia, New Mexico ESTANCIA, NM - Torrance County commissioners extended the county's burn ban through the rest of the summer, agreed to serve as fiscal agent for a multimillion-dollar electric grid upgrade

Special Weather Statement

Strong Thunderstorm Tracking Into South Central Torrance County; Gusty Winds and Hail Expected Until 6 PM

The National Weather Service in Albuquerque has issued a Special Weather Statement for a strong thunderstorm affecting south central Torrance County and eastern Socorro County, in effect until 6 p.m. MDT this evening (Saturday, July 11, 2026). At 5:30 p.m. MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong

Events

Upcoming Events for July 06, 2026

Do you want to advertise your event in the Mountainair Dispatch? I would love to publish it. Email todd@mountainairdispatch.com with the details to submit your event. There is no cost to publish upcoming events. Federal Government National Park Service Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument Weekly Ranger-Led Guided

Public Notice

Torrance County Notice of Request for Proposals for DWI Program Coordinator

GOVERNMENT LEGALS NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS For Torrance County, New Mexico DWI PROGRAM COORDINATOR The County of Torrance, State of New Mexico, on behalf of the Torrance County Board of County Commissioners, seeks sealed proposals from qualified parties to serve as the DWI Prevention

Public Notice

Torrance County Notice of Request for Proposals for Teen Court Coordinator

GOVERNMENT LEGALS NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS For Torrance County, New Mexico TEEN COURT COORDINATOR The County of Torrance, State of New Mexico, on behalf of the Torrance County Board of County Commissioners, seeks sealed proposals from qualified parties to serve as the Teen Court

Public Notice

Mountainair Public Notice re Discharge Permit Renewal

PUBLIC NOTICE DISCHARGE PERMIT RENEWAL The Town of Mountainair proposes to discharge up to 70,000 gallons per day of domestic wastewater to a treatment and disposal system. Discharge location: Town of Mountainair Wastewater Treatment Plant located at 20665 US Hwy 60, approximately 2 miles east of Mountainair, in Sections

Estancia

Estancia trustees issued no-confidence vote against mayor, tabled budget items, and imposed fireworks restrictions

The Board of Trustees also approved a legal services contract and 2028-2032 infrastructure priority list following public comment on the town's water system and Mayor Runnel Riley's leave of absence. ESTANCIA — The Estancia Board of Trustees held a special meeting on Tuesday, June 30, 2026,

wildfire

Ox Fire contained at half-acre in Manzano Mountain Wilderness as crews continue mop-up

Smoke may remain visible from Manzano, Punta de Agua, Torreon, and the Estancia Valley as firefighters work to fully extinguish a small lightning-caused fire burning in steep, heavily timbered terrain southwest of Manzano Peak. The US Forest Service (USFS) reported no new fire growth as of Sunday, June 28,

Events

Upcoming Events for June 29, 2026

Do you want to advertise your event in the Mountainair Dispatch? I would love to publish it. Email todd@mountainairdispatch.com with the details to submit your event. There is no cost to publish upcoming events. Federal Government National Park Service Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument Weekly Ranger-Led Guided

Estancia

Estancia trustees to vote on no-confidence resolution against absentee mayor

The board will also convene in closed session on Riley's status and vote on a new general counsel contract - moves that together point to litigation between the absentee mayor and the town. ESTANCIA - The Estancia Board of Trustees will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, June 30, 2026,

Estancia

Estancia declares water emergency, but the meeting understated the severity of the town's crisis

A unanimous vote Thursday gave the town emergency powers to bypass procurement rules and seek state and federal aid. Records obtained after the meeting show the water situation is significantly worse than officials described. Estancia water emergency: what you need to know The current situation * As of 4:30 PM

Special Weather Statement

Strong Thunderstorm Line Tracking Through Southwestern Torrance County; Gusty Winds and Blowing Dust Until 3 PM

The National Weather Service in Albuquerque has issued a Special Weather Statement for a line of strong thunderstorms affecting southwestern Torrance County and south central Socorro County, in effect until 3 p.m. MDT this afternoon (Thursday, June 25, 2026). At 2:15 p.m. MDT, surface observations indicated a

Deer Canyon Wildfire 2026

Deer Canyon fire: Evacuations lifted, structure threat passed

Fire managers declared the Deer Canyon Fire effectively controlled on Tuesday, June 24, 2026, lifting all evacuation orders and announcing the incident has reached 50% containment — enough to eliminate any remaining threat to structures in the area. The fire was discovered at 4:00 PM on Saturday, June 20, in

Weather

Severe Thunderstorm Watch Issued for Torrance County and Northeast New Mexico Until 10 PM

The National Weather Service in Albuquerque has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for Torrance County and a broad region of northeast and east central New Mexico, in effect until 10 p.m. MDT this evening (Wednesday, June 24, 2026). This watch covers 11 counties across three regions of New Mexico

Encino

Encino Village Council adopts five-year capital plan, advances East Side Water Project design contract

ENCINO — The Encino Village Council adopted a five-year infrastructure funding plan, approved a corrected contractor quote for pump house repairs, and advanced the design phase of a major water line extension project at its regular meeting Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at the Encino Government Offices, 527 North Main Street.

Deer Canyon Wildfire 2026

Deer Canyon Fire update: Crews make progress as warmer weather threatens containment efforts

MOUNTAINAIR — Overnight activity on the Deer Canyon Fire subsided enough Sunday to allow ground crews and bulldozers to begin working the perimeter directly, with the most active suppression efforts now focused on the fire's northern edge, according to an update issued Monday morning by the New Mexico State

Events

Upcoming Events for June 22, 2026

Do you want to advertise your event in the Mountainair Dispatch? I would love to publish it. Email todd@mountainairdispatch.com with the details to submit your event. There is no cost to publish upcoming events. Federal Government National Park Service Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument Sunset Photography Workshop with

Deer Canyon Preserve

Deer Canyon Update: Incident Commander Identified, Acting Undersheriff Says Residents May Move Freely

Mike Myrick has been identified as the Type 3 incident commander for the Deer Canyon Fire, according to TCSO acting Undersheriff Ron Saavedra. Saavedra said his department's point of contact within incident command has been the operations section chief, whom Saavedra identified only as "Meister." A

Mountainair

Evacuation Closure Limits Access to Deer Canyon Fire Area, Residents and Press Report Confusion at the Line

The Deer Canyon Fire, burning south of Mountainair since Saturday, June 20, 2026, has prompted an evacuation closure that residents and at least one journalist say has been enforced inconsistently at the perimeter, even as a New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) Forestry Division official confirmed the

Special Weather Statement

Strong Thunderstorm Tracking Into Western Torrance County; Gusty Winds and Hail Expected Through 6 PM

The National Weather Service in Albuquerque has issued a Special Weather Statement for a strong thunderstorm affecting west central Torrance County, in effect until 6 p.m. MDT this evening (Wednesday, June 18, 2026). At 5:23 p.m. MDT, Doppler radar was tracking the strong thunderstorm 6 miles west

Estancia

Estancia Pool Will Stay Closed This Summer After Town Backs Away From Donated-Water Plan

Two June meetings produced new financial policies, confirmed hires, and a fireworks plan — and aired resident complaints about water billing and road construction ESTANCIA — A plan to fill the Estancia town pool with water donated by an anonymous resident collapsed this month, leaving the pool closed for a second consecutive

Events

Upcoming Events for June 15, 2026

Do you want to advertise your event in the Mountainair Dispatch? I would love to publish it. Email todd@mountainairdispatch.com with the details to submit your event. There is no cost to publish upcoming events. Federal Government National Park Service Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument Sunset Photography Workshop with

fire weather watch

Red Flag Warning Issued for Tuesday; Fire Weather Watch Extended Through Wednesday Evening

The National Weather Service in Albuquerque has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Northwest Plateau, in effect Tuesday, June 17, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. MDT. A Fire Weather Watch has also been issued for a broader region including the Sandia and Manzano Mountains, Central Highlands,