The Gallup Fire Department responded to two dumpster fires the morning of May 28.

First, the fire department was dispatched to the south side of town. When they arrived at the scene, they found a dumpster with an active fire in it. They deployed a hoseline and extinguished the fire.

Whille on the scene of that fire, the crew received another call, this time from the Gallup Police Department. The GPD reported a second dumpster with smoke coming out of it at a nearby business. A crew of firefighters also distinguished that fire.

No injuries were reported and the cause of the fires are under investigation.

SANTA FE — The Bureau of Land Management New Mexico State Office conducted a lease sale on May 25, offering 45 parcels totaling over 10,000 acres within Cheyenne County, Kansas, and Eddy, Lea, and Chaves counties in New Mexico on public lands managed by the Roswell Field Office, Carlsbad Field Office, and Oklahoma Field Office. In total, 37 parcels totaling almost 8,600 acres sold for a total of almost $80,000.

This BLM lease sale included updated fiscal provisions authorized by Congress in the Inflation Reduction Act:

Minimum bids for all offered parcels will be $10 per acre, an increase from the $2 per acre minimum bid set in 1987Royalty rates will be 16.67 percent, up from the...

ALBUQUERQUE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham created the Office of Special Education, the first dedicated office of its kind in New Mexico, through an executive order May 25. The governor also announced that a national search is underway for the director of the new office.

The Office of Special Education will operate within the Public Education Department to make sure school districts are providing the best possible special education services that align with state and federal laws.

“This office creates an opportunity for collaboration between state agencies, districts and families of students that we desperately need, and that the 50,000 New Mexico children in special education...

SANTA FE — Sharing food with friends and family is a highlight for many New Mexicans over Memorial Day weekend. To keep you and your loved ones safe and healthy, the New Mexico Environment Department reminds you to follow these simple food safety tips:

 Make sure that the location of the gathering has enough oven, stovetop, refrigerator, freezer, and workspace needed to keep foods at a safe temperatureEnsure that there is a source of clean water for food preparation and cleaningSeparate raw meats from other foodsKeep hot foods at an internal temperature of 140°F or warmerKeep cold foods at 40°F or colderDiscard any perishables left out at room temperature for more than two hours...