KRQE Newsfeed: Child abuse sentence, CYFD group home, Hot and stormier, Downtown ABQ bike lanes, Home energy rules

Tuesday’s Top Stories

• Trailer stolen from Rio Rancho woman’s front yard filled with kid party toys
• Albuquerque City Council approves United stadium plans
• Police investigating fatal shooting at gas station in southwest Albuquerque
• Albuquerque City Councilors face controversy over tipped minimum wage law
• Residents in eastern and southeastern New Mexico asked to reduce power usage
• Five takeaways from Day One of the Democratic National Convention
• Spanish woman believed to be the oldest person in the world has died at age 117

Tuesday’s Five Facts

[1] Carlsbad woman found guilty in grandchild’s fatal overdose – A New Mexico woman is facing more than two-decades in prison after being convicted of child abuse resulting in death, following her grandson’s overdose. Kelli Smith’s 12-year-old grandson died as a result of a fentanyl overdose in 2021. Kelli along with her daughter Alexis Smith, the boy’s mom, were both arrested and charged. Kelli was found guilty of intentional child abuse resulting in death and child abuse not resulting in great bodily harm or death, for exposing her infant granddaughter to the same environment. Kelli is facing up to 21 years behind bars, her sentencing date has not yet been set. Alexis Smith, was found guilty on two counts of child abuse last year and sentenced to 14 years in prison.

[2] CYFD says federal government won’t help pay for teen transitional housing facility – CYFD is opening a group home to deal with an ongoing issue of foster children sleeping in an office building. The news comes despite the fact that the feds have said they will not provide any financial support for the home. According to CYFD, the feds oppose the group homes, saying they put foster teens at greater risk of being homeless, in jail or addicted to drugs. CYFD has set aside $17 million to pay for what they call the multi-service foster home. As of now, about six children live at the facility with an average stay of three to four weeks. So far CYFD has used less than half of the $17 million on hand for the group home.

[3] Hotter temperatures & mostly rain-free around New Mexico – As temperatures across the region rise from the morning school commute into the upper 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, and above 100 degrees for some areas by the afternoon, lingering moisture in the air in northern areas moving east, along with plenty of daytime heating, will lead to slightly more areas receiving rainfall. The northern third of the region has the best chance of rain for today

[4] Bike lanes coming to Central corridor in downtown Albuquerque – Downtown Albuquerque will soon be getting more bike lanes, but some business owners are concerned about how that will impact the area. Those bike lanes could be five feet wide on each side of the street, with a two foot buffer from traffic. The changes will impact Central from 1st St. to 8th St., with the middle lane planned to be taken away. Some business owners are concerned about losing the lane, which is often used by delivery drivers. The city says they are looking to add more loading zones and use more alley’s for deliveries. They say they are hoping to start work on the lanes by November.

[5] New electric codes in effect for new housing developments in NM – All new developments must follow the state’s updated energy efficiency codes, which includes new rules for electric vehicles. The updated codes require that new homes be equipped with a circuit breaker capable of supporting an EV charger. Single-family homes are not required to have EV chargers, new apartment buildings and certain commercial developments must install chargers in a percentage of their parking spaces. Developers can apply for rebates to help cover the costs associated with these installations.

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