Good morning, Albuquerque.

A report from New Mexico Voices for Children shows the state added 10,000 child care slots over the past year but families still struggle to access child care and other essential services (especially in rural areas).

Heavy rains washed away a dirt road in Santa Fe County, stranding eight homes — residents are finding makeshift detours for appointments and errands while planning a meeting to discuss road repairs.

The Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum is hosting festivities for Balloon Fiesta, with virtual reality balloon rides, a new exhibit called Experimental, film screenings including the U.S. premiere of The Balloonists, plus family events starting Friday; residents get free admission on Monday.

UNM Grounds Supervisor Franklin Wittkofsky leads a team that maintains campus landscapes with sustainable practices.

Starting at 4 a.m., his crew is adding new watering systems (including stream-based nozzle heads) to conserve water and support native plantings.

Flash flooding along the Rio Grande forced evacuations in Hatch, Rincon & Garfield on Wednesday as heavy rains overtopped dams, with officials warning of a potential breach near McLeod Dam; residents saw crops submerged and streets quickly rising.

Emergency teams helped clear debris and assist affected locals.

Albuquerque officials say a recent storm made mud conditions on the Cerro Colorado Landfill dirt road, delaying trash pickups for several days.

Crews expect to clear the delay within a week before Balloon Fiesta, and residents should have carts ready by 7 a.m.

Heavy rain flooded the Cerro Colorado Landfill, causing long wait times and one-to-two day trash pickup delays for Albuquerque and Bernalillo County residents.

Mayor Keller said crews will steadily clear the mud so operations improve within a week.

On Tuesday, public health advocates pitched proposals to lawmakers to track the health impact of record-high heat — including 1,086 ER visits — and wildfire smoke and to fund community responses with a revived $1.1M Public Health and Climate Program and a $13M Extreme Weather Resilience Fund.

The city announced $31.2 million in financing for the Uptown Connect project at the Uptown transit hub — now scaled down to 198 apartments — and construction will begin in the first quarter of 2027.

At 7200 Central Ave SE, a long-vacant property is now home to 70 mixed-income apartments in the International District.

The development offers income-restricted and market-rate units with Universal Design for older residents and ground-floor commercial space (supported by city land, a redevelopment tax abatement, and federal funding) near Talin Market.