New Mexico
EPA Brownfields Funding Secured for New Mexico
Federal, state, and local officials were in Santa Fe on July 19 to announce $1 million of funding for Northern New Mexico through the EPA Brownfields program. Brownfields are former industrial or commercial sites where contamination stands in the way of productive re-use of the land.
Five hundred thousand dollars will go to the City of Raton to assess several sites where environmental cleanup is necessary.
The other $500,000 goes to a tuition-free education and certification program that Santa Fe Community College has offered over the past 15 years.
SFCC’s EPA jobs program has trained about 200 students and led to 74 percent landing jobs relating to environmental cleanup.
New Mexico Environment Department cabinet secretary James Kenney spoke at the announcement event, praising the educational program that bolsters the state’s environmental work force.
“When folks are being trained right here through this money, and have an understanding of how to clean up Brownfields, they inherently have an understanding how to then address uranium mining; how to clean up those Superfund sites; how to clean up those non-Superfund sites that just haven’t made the list, but are just—let’s call them ‘economic opportunities’ to really revitalize New Mexico,” said Kenney.
One of the graduates of the program attended the event, held at SFCC’s biowall. Isaiah Calabaza, who was born and raised on Santo Domingo Pueblo, completed the EPA Brownfields training program in 2023.
Calabaza, said that when he was younger, he got involved as an environmental activist, protesting projects such as the Dakota Access Pipeline.
He said that the New Mexico Environmental Job Training Program transformed the way he looked at having an impact on our environmental future.
“Laws, regulations, policies—there’s actually things that you can do besides yelling and raising a flag,” said Calabaza. “You can actually go to school and get education and be in these meetings, in these rooms, where people are actually talking about what is going on, and you can use your voice to actually make a change.”
Shortly after completing the program, Calabaza landed a job on an environmental mediation team working at Los Alamos National Laboratory on a nine-month contract. Now he’s in the running for an apprenticeship position involving nuclear waste cleanup.
SFCC is currently accepting applications for the next run of its program, in September.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A successful University of New Mexico Lobo athletics season and the athletics director’s departure has culminated in players and coaches making moves.
The moves follow a successful 2025 season and the departure of athletics director Fernando Lovo.
Running back coach John Johnson, special teams coordinator Daniel Da Prato and wide receiver coach Colin Lockett are all leaving the Lobos after just one season. Johnson is headed to Iowa State while Da Prato is expected to join Minnesota and Lockett is headed to UCLA, all for the same jobs.
Johnson’s Lobo running backs ran for more than 1,400 yards. Da Prato’s special teams finished top-five nationally in kickoff returns.
Running back D.J. McKinney entered the portal, he confirmed on social media the day the portal officially opened. McKinney rushed for 464 yards and seven touchdowns with the Lobos.
Two players who received all-Mountain West Conference recognition also made moves. All-Mountain West tight-end Dorian Thomas, who caught for touchdowns for the Lobos, entered the portal. Meanwhile, all-Mountain West honorable mention punter Daniel Hughes is set to leave.
Others set to leave include:
- Cole Welliver, backup quarterback who played in one game
- Landon Williams, defensive end who graduated from La Cueva High School
- Randolph Kpai, senior linebacker who is at the end of his college football career without a waiver
After Lance St. Louis served as the starting long snapper for the Texas Longhorns for four seasons, special teams coordinator Jeff Banks landed an experienced replacement when New Mexico Lobos transfer Trey Dubuc pledged while on a visit to the Forty Acres.
The pledge from Dubuc ensures that Texas has experienced replacements for three specialists despite signing high school prospects at each position — with the SEC expanding to 105 scholarships in 2026, Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian can afford to develop high school recruits at those positions behind experienced transfers like Dubuc.
The Fort Lauderdale product started his career at USF after playing on two state championship teams at Cardinal Gibbons. A 6’1, 209-pounder, Dubuc redshirted during his freshman season in 2023 before appearing in one game as the backup long snapper the following year.
After transferring to New Mexico, Dubuc served as the starting long snapper while making two tackles for the Lobos.
SALT LAKE CITY — A missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from Utah has passed away in his sleep unexpectedly Saturday in New Mexico, according to a news release from The Church.
Elder Caleb Gene Martin, 21, died from a medical cause that has not been determined, Church spokesman Sam Penrod said in a statement.
According to The Church, Martin had been serving in the New Mexico Farmington Mission since May 2024. He was from Salem, Utah.
Elder Caleb Gene Martin, 21, died in his sleep on Jan. 3 from a medical cause that has yet to be determined. He was serving in the New Mexico Farmington Mission. (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and fellow missionaries. We pray they will find comfort and strength through their faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ and feel the Savior’s love as they honor Elder Martin’s life and devoted missionary service,” the statement said.
According to the release, an autopsy is planned.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
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