Several laws passed in the last two New Mexico legislative sessions went into effect Monday, July 1. They range from establishing a new state agency to shoring up election funding and the public safety workforce.

The South Fork fire is 79% contained and the Salt fire is 84% contained, with the blazes burning nearly 40 square miles combined. Plus, a court ruling on Friday put an involuntary manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin on track for trial in early July as a judge denied a request to dismiss the case on complaints that key evidence was damaged by the FBI during forensic testing.

The danger from the South Fork and Salt fires has declined across the region thanks to scattered storms and fire suppression. But the impacts will continue for some time. At the Mescalero Apache reservation there are two evacuation shelters, one at the Inn of the Mountain of the Gods resort and the other at their local community center.

KUNM is working with Source New Mexico and other news outlets to help connect people affected by the South Fork and Salt fires. We set up a Google Voice number and Speak Pipe for you to record messages for people you are searching for or to let friends and family know you are safe.

Statistics show New Mexico is getting safer when it comes to road rage confrontations, however it might not feel like that to drivers. Forbes last year found the state was the third most dangerous for fatal crashes. On the next Let’s Talk New Mexico we’ll discuss dangerous and distracted driving. Have you seen more reckless or aggressive drivers lately? Has your phone taken your attention from the road? What measures could curb dangers and distractions?

The KUNM News team has once again received multiple awards from multiple organizations for our work. These contests covered stories produced in 2023.