This is the second entry in "Women of Distinction," a series of profiles being published weekly this summer about women who make a difference in Northern New Mexico communities.

The Española School District took on 11 additional distribution sites for the Summer Food Service Program this year after Rio Arriba County stopped participating due to fiscal issues.

When Lacey Romero takes the stage, she feels like nothing else matters.

Española Police Department Deputy Chief Roger Jimenez was none too happy about Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan speaking publicly in opposition to him being promoted to chief of police.

The Española Planning Commission denied a permit to one of its members that would have allowed him to operate a business out of a shop next to his home.

The City of Española will pay over $40,000 for failing to provide public records to Charles Arasim, First Judicial District Court Judge Jason Lidyard ruled during a May 9 hearing.

The Española City Council refused to promote Deputy Police Chief Roger Jimenez as the leader of the city government’s Department of Public Safety.

Maribel Conde, 39, is a cook at Socorro’s Restaurant in Hernandez. She has been in the service industry for nine years since she started as a cook at Northern New Mexico College.

After about three-and-a-half years of planning, bidding and public presentations, the city of Española and nonprofit Chicanos Por La Causa have withdrawn from a $1.4 million federal grant that was meant to fund the Food Hub project.

Expanding public transportation always requires a way for bus drivers to stay in touch with the dispatchers back home.

By hiring the Blue Bus, officials from the Village of Angel Fire hope to expand public transportation and tourism throughout the ski resorts and recreational parks in the Enchanted Circle.

The pilgrimage to El Santuario de Chimayó is an annual tradition in the Española Valley, and this year was no exception. Throughout the day, young and old made the trek to the Santuario. Some were walking as a symbol of faith, and others were walking in memory of loved ones they had lost in …

Española Police Department interim chief David Osuna was officially sworn in for a two-month tenure at the April 9 city council meeting. He began work April 1 in the Department, following Louis Carlos’ abrupt retirement.

As people prepare for the annual pilgrimage to El Santuario de Chimayó, law enforcement and emergency services are ready to put months of planning into action.

The Española City Council approved unanimously City Clerk Melissa Velasquez’s request to purchase software to expedite and simplify city hall’s process for processing records.

The Española Police Department has a new directive concerning the use of cellphones and social media. In a directive issued April 3 by interim chief David Osuna, all department employees were advised to use social media and technology wisely.

The Jemez Mountains Electric Cooperative Board of Trustees unanimously voted to approve a contract March 22 to hire a consulting firm to conduct a system-wide meter study.

A series of public records requests made this year beginning in January revealed now-former Española police chief Louis Carlos, along with other members of the Department were not only sending non-work related messages on their city-issued cellphones, but that in an effort to hide these priv…

The Española City Council, during its March 29 meeting, unanimously ratified Mayor Javier Sanchez’s choice for city manager. David Valdez, of Colorado City, Colo., moved into the position Monday.

Tests of Española’s drinking water taken every four months show the concentration of dangerous nitrates steadily increased between 2015 and 2018.

New Mexico House District 41 Rep. Susan Herrera, D-Embudo, said she foresees a “Rio Arriba Renaissance” following the 2019 legislative session, which saw a $1 billion budget surplus and a Democratic-controlled House of Representatives that made it relatively easy for her to achieve her goals.

Española officials say they did not notify the public until March 6 that the city’s drinking water contained high amounts of a dangerous chemical in November 2018 because they did not receive the test results in the mail.

Officials in charge of Española’s drinking water system learned in November 2018 that the city’s drinking water was unsafe for infants and pregnant women, but failed to notify the public until more than three months later, which is a violation of federal environmental regulation.

The Rio Arriba County Commission unanimously passed a resolution to make the County a gun sanctuary.

The Rio Arriba County Commission passed a resolution in support of a Senate bill that would allow the state’s Oil Conservation Division and Commission to penalize companies that break the Oil and Gas Act.

While a new federal rule requiring all hospitals to post prices online is a step toward transparency, a representative from a New Mexico hospital association and a national patient advocate organization agree it is not particularly helpful to patients.

Española police have brought no panhandling cases before Municipal Judge Stephen Salazar for at least three months, and the Española City Council in December voted to decriminalize panhandling.

Film has become commonplace in New Mexico, especially in the past 12 years.

Española City Manager Kelly Duran resigned Monday, just over eight months into his second time as the city’s top administrator.

Chris Roybal was losing weight in 2005. A lot of weight. Fast.

Mark Basham will no longer be handling the city of Española’s prosecutions after he was charged with direct criminal contempt of court for allegedly showing up in the courtroom drunk.

City of Española officials during the previous administration wrote off more than $10,000 in unpaid water bills sent to the Cuatro Villas Mutual Domestic Water Association, and the Association still owes more than $11,000 on a second water account, city utility records show.

    Española officials typically pay between $22,000 and $30,000 a year to haul away the city’s solid sewer waste.