New Mexico
Heart of New Mexico: Second chance kitchen
There is something about food that brings people together. If you ask Ralph Martinez how he met Fernando Ruiz, he’ll say it wasn’t an accident.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – There is something about food that brings people together. If you ask Ralph Martinez how he met Fernando Ruiz, he’ll say it wasn’t an accident.
Martinez grew up in Española, a place where he nearly died. He was hopelessly addicted to heroin, and he did whatever it took to get high.
Until one day a Good Samaritan – and a bunch of narcan – saved his life.
“I came to the acceptance that life isn’t a race,” said Martinez.
In Arizona, Ruiz was coming to his own realizations.
“My hardest part was not to stop doing drugs. My hardest part was to stop selling drugs,” said Ruiz.
But he found his own way and quit pushing drugs. That’s when he started cranking up the heat in a kitchen.
“The job you want when you’re locked up is in the kitchen – in any jail, and or prison, for the simple fact that you get to eat good,” said Ruiz.
Ruiz took his talent to win three Food Network cooking contests. Now, the two sinners think they’ve crafted a recipe for redemption in Santa Fe.
At Escondido, the pair cooked up an idea to staff the kitchen – that’s set to open up July 1 – at their new taco joint with people like them.
Watch the video above for more.
SANTA FE, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) – The New Mexico Department of Health says it will continue to recommend the full schedule of childhood vaccines.
State officials announced the move Tuesday, directly defying a new federal policy that scaled back routine immunization guidance.
The announcement comes after U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS), under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., reduced the number of vaccines it recommends for all children.
The New Mexico Department of Health stated the federal changes were “not based on new scientific evidence or safety data.”
“New Mexico will not follow the federal government in walking away from decades of proven public health practice,” said Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. “Our recommendations remain unchanged.”
State health officials sought to reassure parents, emphasizing that vaccines remain widely available and covered by insurance.
“We know this is confusing for parents, but the science is clear: vaccines are safe, effective, and save children’s lives,” said Dr. Miranda Durham, chief medical officer for NMDOH.
All childhood vaccinations will continue to be covered under programs like Medicaid and the federal Vaccines for Children Program.
The state encourages parents to consult their healthcare providers using the American Academy of Pediatrics’ immunization schedule.
RECOMMENDED: CDC cuts childhood vaccine list, sparking healthcare professionals’ concerns
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SANTA FE, N.M. — Former New Mexico Public Regulation Commissioner Jim Ellison is running for governor as a Republican, he announced on social media Tuesday.
Ellison is running on affordability, opportunity and trust in government as the key points of his campaign. His experience includes serving on the NMPRC in 2023 and 2024.
“New Mexico deserves leadership that listens, acts, and delivers results. Our state has enormous potential, but too often that potential is held back by policies that don’t serve everyday New Mexicans,” he said on his website. “I’m running to bring practical solutions, honest accountability, and a renewed focus on the public interest.”
A Georgia native, Ellison has lived in New Mexico for 20 years and currently lives in the Albuquerque area with his wife and two children.
Ellison is aiming to get 5,000 signatures by Feb. 2, to appear on the primary ballot with at least three other Republicans who have announced their candidacy.
Ultra Health CEO Duke Rodriguez announced his campaign in December and recently confirmed to KOB 4 that he received enough signatures to appear on the primary ballot. Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull and New Mexico State Sen. Steve Lanier are also running.
Three Democrats are running – Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Former Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima.
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