Good morning, Albuquerque.

Gen Z shoppers are driving a local thrift store boom by buying and selling secondhand clothes, a trend that has boosted transactions by 22% since 2025 — drawing both young and older customers to stores like In The Middle on Menaul NE.

The 102nd Burning of Zozobra (America 250) will feature a colonial theme at Fort Marcy Park.

Organizers say locals can join the celebration by creating costumes from simple, upcycled materials.

Local musician Chris Martinez hosted his Drum Unity event at Fusion Theater on Aug.

9 to promote peace + well being, and he will hold his next drum circle on Sept. 20.

State legislators and childcare advocates met on Aug.

5 (at the El Zócalo Event Center in Bernalillo) to address barriers in early childhood education. Growing Up New Mexico and local leaders stressed increased support for quality, culturally responsive care as future events promise broader community engagement.

Today, Albuquerque Public Schools installed 97 vape detectors in 13 high schools to deter vaping in bathrooms during class + the funding came from a $500K opioid settlement, and district officials say middle schools will receive detectors next.

Marisa Page is the new president of UNM’s Graduate and Professional Student Association for the 2026-27 school year and plans to make campus support more accessible by offering a scholarship board, job board, and events calendar in early August.

Oracle has partnered with Arable to conserve 21 million gallons of water a year near Project Jupiter in Santa Teresa, with technology set to roll out next month and funding in place for 10 years (some locals remain concerned about environmental impacts).

Earlier this week, the state bought an 11,000-acre ranch in the Mimbres Valley near the Gila National Forest for nearly $23 million to create a wildlife management area that will eventually offer outdoor recreation & protect native species.

Monsoon storms may bring rain to Albuquerque on Sunday afternoon with gusty canyon winds, while next week a heat dome will push highs into the mid-90s to upper-90s as wildfire smoke reduces air quality.

Residents should avoid flooded areas and stay prepared for weather changes.

Officials in New Mexico are still in dispute with LANL and DOE over how to treat chromium-contaminated water from the local aquifer.

The disagreement (following a Feb. $6 million fine for noncompliance) continues as state officials push for alternative methods to injection amid assurances of no immediate public health risk.

A state behavioral health committee on Friday approved over $40 million in rural health funding.

The five plans cover regions near Roswell, Socorro, Farmington, Silver City & Clovis and set aside 9.5% for tribal groups as officials plan to approve additional proposals by year’s end.