Chama Valley & Abiquiú Daily Digest Friday, May 15, 2026
Ty's Take
You don't have to live here long to know that money moves slow in the high country—court settlements take years, school budgets get trimmed to the bone, and when two kids from up north land scholarships, the whole corridor notices. The four-day school week is coming because that's what the math demands, not because anyone thinks it's ideal, and our baseball and track teams are still grinding hard on fields that have seen a hundred seasons of the same hopeful sweat. What strikes you, reading through a week like this, is how much the valley's kids keep pushing, how the adults keep fighting in letters to the editor about what matters, and how a place this remote still manages to compete statewide and set records while the rest of us are just trying to keep the water running and the roads passable come winter.
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Rio Grande SUN
The Española Public Library is hosting a Silent Book Club sign-up event on May 18 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with free watercolor classes also available. Community members interested in submitting items for the Northern Briefs column can email jgarcia@riograndesun.com with a noon Monday deadline...
2 Northern Students Receive Scholarships
Two Northern New Mexico College students, Maxine Chacon and Mariah Vasquez, have each received $5,000 scholarships from Longenecker & Associates for pursuing careers supporting Los Alamos and Sandia National laboratories. The 2026 awards recognize students entering fields aligned with the company's...
An Española-area resident with 38 years of work experience shared a positive community story in a letter to the editor, pushing back against negative stereotypes about the city. The contributor expressed pride in the area and highlighted a recent good deed witnessed in the community.
The City of Española has settled a 2023 whistleblower lawsuit filed by former city manager Jordan Yutzy for $299,000. The case alleged that former mayor John Ramon Vigil pressured Yutzy into improper hiring decisions and other misconduct.
All five school districts in Rio Arriba County will transition to a four-day school week beginning the 2026–2027 school year, representing a significant operational change across the region. The shift includes districts such as Chama Valley Schools, Mesa Vista Consolidated Schools, and Jemez...
Tennis Team Pushes Lady Chargers to Limit
Española Valley's girls tennis team came close to upsetting undefeated Albuquerque Academy in the Class 1A-4A state championship, leading 2-1 after doubles play before ultimately falling short. The Lady Sundevils' strong showing pushed the heavily favored Lady Chargers harder than expected in...
McCurdy's baseball team faced a dominant pitcher in the Class 2A state tournament opener, nearly suffering a perfect game in their loss. The Bobcats managed only a walk drawn by Patrick Lovato to avoid being shutout completely.
Campbell Has Plans Pojoaque’s Future
Pojoaque Valley High School's new track and field coach Troy Campbell is building the program from the ground up with limited athletes in his first year. Despite current roster challenges, Campbell has developed a strategic plan to make the program competitive.
Coach Still Has High Hopes for Small Group
Española Valley's track and field team will travel to the Class 4A state meet this week in Albuquerque with a small but talented group. Coach Loren Martinez expects his squad to bring home significant medal performances despite their limited numbers.
MV Relay Team Sets Another State Record
Mesa Vista's boys 4×800 meter relay team set another state record in what will be the Trojans' final year competing in Class 2A. The quartet of Andres Valdez, Santiago Martinez, Jonathan Martinez, and Ezequiel Nevarez delivered an electrifying performance in the grueling event.
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