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Albuquerque Local Pulse: Winter Storm, Rental Protections, and a Drier January Campaign
Published 3 months, 2 weeks ago
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Good morning, this is Albuquerque Local Pulse for Thursday, January 8, 2026.
We wake up today with our eyes on the sky. KOAT and the National Weather Service tell us that a winter storm system that soaked us overnight is still bringing spotty rain across the metro, especially along I 25 near the Big I and up toward Alameda. Roads around Central, Coors, and Paseo del Norte are wet, so we give ourselves extra braking room. We stay weather aware through the afternoon with clouds, cool 40s and 50s, and a chance of another round of showers before things slowly dry out into tomorrow.
At City Hall, our rental market is back in the spotlight. Citydesk.org reports that the Albuquerque City Council has delayed a vote on a new rental protections ordinance that would crack down on hidden fees and tighten enforcement for landlords. For those of us renting near UNM, in Nob Hill, or along Tramway, that means our rights are on paper but enforcement is still a work in progress, as councilors look for a better way to police bad actors without overwhelming city staff.
On housing more broadly, local real estate agents say we are holding around the mid three hundreds for the median home price in the metro, with slightly more than a thousand homes on the market. That keeps buyers cautious but hopeful, especially in the Westside and Far Northeast Heights, while renters wait to see whether the council’s next move brings real relief.
On the job front, healthcare at Presbyterian and UNM Hospital, tech and film production around Mesa del Sol, and logistics jobs near the Sunport and along Jefferson remain some of our steadiest hiring spots, with local recruiters saying we are looking at a few thousand open positions across the metro, many in entry level service and warehouse roles.
In education, a new statewide poll highlighted by the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce shows strong support for expanding public charter schools and for big pushes on reading and math. Voters say they want more high quality options for our kids, and they want schools to focus on literacy and career skills. That conversation is front and center for families from the South Valley to the Heights as the Legislature gets ready to meet.
Turning to crime, ABQ RAW reports that prosecutors are moving ahead in the case of Sylvan Alcachupas, the man accused in the killing of longtime Giovanni’s owner Rosario Zito near San Mateo and Kathryn. It is a painful reminder of how violence affects the businesses we rely on and the people we know by name. APD also notes scattered thefts and property crimes across the Northeast Heights and Westside, and reminds us to lock vehicles and keep valuables out of sight.
Our culture calendar is still busy despite the clouds. Downtown, the KiMo Theatre and venues along Central are hosting live music and comedy through the weekend, and small galleries near Old Town and on Fourth Street are opening new shows by local artists.
For families, high school basketball is heating up, with Metro teams playing district games tonight and tomorrow across gyms from West Mesa to Eldorado. Coaches say student attendance and spirit are high coming out of winter break.
We close with a feel good story. New Mexico health officials, working with researchers at UNM, are encouraging us to try Dry January through the new Drink Less, Live More campaign, reminding us that even a Drier January can mean better sleep, mood, and energy. It is one more way our community is trying to take care of each other as we start the year.
Thank you for tuning in, and please remember to subscribe so you never miss our local update. This has been Albuquerque Local Pulse. We’ll see you tomorrow with more local updates. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
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We wake up today with our eyes on the sky. KOAT and the National Weather Service tell us that a winter storm system that soaked us overnight is still bringing spotty rain across the metro, especially along I 25 near the Big I and up toward Alameda. Roads around Central, Coors, and Paseo del Norte are wet, so we give ourselves extra braking room. We stay weather aware through the afternoon with clouds, cool 40s and 50s, and a chance of another round of showers before things slowly dry out into tomorrow.
At City Hall, our rental market is back in the spotlight. Citydesk.org reports that the Albuquerque City Council has delayed a vote on a new rental protections ordinance that would crack down on hidden fees and tighten enforcement for landlords. For those of us renting near UNM, in Nob Hill, or along Tramway, that means our rights are on paper but enforcement is still a work in progress, as councilors look for a better way to police bad actors without overwhelming city staff.
On housing more broadly, local real estate agents say we are holding around the mid three hundreds for the median home price in the metro, with slightly more than a thousand homes on the market. That keeps buyers cautious but hopeful, especially in the Westside and Far Northeast Heights, while renters wait to see whether the council’s next move brings real relief.
On the job front, healthcare at Presbyterian and UNM Hospital, tech and film production around Mesa del Sol, and logistics jobs near the Sunport and along Jefferson remain some of our steadiest hiring spots, with local recruiters saying we are looking at a few thousand open positions across the metro, many in entry level service and warehouse roles.
In education, a new statewide poll highlighted by the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce shows strong support for expanding public charter schools and for big pushes on reading and math. Voters say they want more high quality options for our kids, and they want schools to focus on literacy and career skills. That conversation is front and center for families from the South Valley to the Heights as the Legislature gets ready to meet.
Turning to crime, ABQ RAW reports that prosecutors are moving ahead in the case of Sylvan Alcachupas, the man accused in the killing of longtime Giovanni’s owner Rosario Zito near San Mateo and Kathryn. It is a painful reminder of how violence affects the businesses we rely on and the people we know by name. APD also notes scattered thefts and property crimes across the Northeast Heights and Westside, and reminds us to lock vehicles and keep valuables out of sight.
Our culture calendar is still busy despite the clouds. Downtown, the KiMo Theatre and venues along Central are hosting live music and comedy through the weekend, and small galleries near Old Town and on Fourth Street are opening new shows by local artists.
For families, high school basketball is heating up, with Metro teams playing district games tonight and tomorrow across gyms from West Mesa to Eldorado. Coaches say student attendance and spirit are high coming out of winter break.
We close with a feel good story. New Mexico health officials, working with researchers at UNM, are encouraging us to try Dry January through the new Drink Less, Live More campaign, reminding us that even a Drier January can mean better sleep, mood, and energy. It is one more way our community is trying to take care of each other as we start the year.
Thank you for tuning in, and please remember to subscribe so you never miss our local update. This has been Albuquerque Local Pulse. We’ll see you tomorrow with more local updates. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
For more
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