New Mexico

How A Remote Outpost Of The Navajo Nation In New Mexico Provided The Backdrop For Something Unique

Published

3 years ago

July 9, 2022

How A Remote Outpost Of The Navajo Nation In New Mexico Provided The Backdrop For Something Unique

Rob Tepper as Pete Samuels in “Darkish Winds.”

There’s a philosophy amongst actors in Hollywood that the components actually meant for you by no means go you by. And in a approach, you possibly can say that was the case for Rob Tepper within the new psychological buddy-cop thriller Darkish Winds on AMC.

An adaptation of Tony Hillerman’s bestselling novels, and govt produced by George R.R. Martin and Robert Redford—who in truth optioned the books greater than 35 years in the past—it has been a longtime within the making. Add to that, written, directed, and acted largely by Native People, the collection has been praised for its nuance and grit.

“I had auditioned for Darkish Winds again in Los Angeles, and first I learn for a job that was not so becoming for me,” explains Tepper from his now house in Brooklyn, New York. “So I had thrown my tape in as soon as.” The casting brokers known as once more, this time asking Tepper to sort out a paper-pushing cop named Pete Samuels.

Individually, Tepper had a longstanding friendship with the present’s soon-to-be a lot lauded star, Zahn McClarnon. “I can wax about Zahn for over an hour,” says Tepper with a smile.

The pair met over a decade in the past in a Los Feliz performing class. “At that time I used to be devoted. I used to be in school most likely three days each week,” says Tepper. “Zahn would bop out and in every now and then.” And it was on these events that the 2 would discuss, evaluate notes, giggle about auditions gone improper, and have a good time the roles they did in the end e-book.

Zahn McClarnon as Joe Leaphorn and Kiowa Gordon as Jim Chee.

“That simply began to construct and construct and construct, in order that when Zahn would have a job or an audition, oftentimes we might get collectively beforehand or previous to the taping,” Tepper explains. “It was this work relationship that then allowed us to get to know one another higher. And it developed into an excellent friendship, filled with belief and admiration.”

Quick ahead to 2020, when McClarnon was handed a script for a brand new mainstream crime drama set within the Navajo Nation, and on monitor to be filmed amidst the rust-coloured rocks and swaying juniper timber of New Mexico. The position was so coveted that for weeks McClarnon couldn’t say a phrase.

“Then, as soon as issues began to warmth up with AMC, Zahn approached me and requested if I’d be open to approaching board the challenge—and doing what I normally do with him earlier than an audition. (Or breaking down a script for a job he is already gotten.),” says Tepper. “However doing it on daily basis for 3 months and on set.”

It was a straightforward sure and felt in a approach like destiny. Positive, Tepper hadn’t heard any extra about his personal audition, however on this totally different however equally attractive approach, Tepper had nonetheless discovered his strategy to the set.

Noah Emmerich as Particular Agent Whitover.

“I used to be there earlier than principal images began taking pictures,” says Tepper. “And Zane and I’d go round and soak every little thing up. We drove to set collectively each single day at about 4.00am. However the great thing about the panorama, the great thing about Santa Fe—this huge sky, these sunsets—it is not like some other place I would ever been.”

Watch the present or learn any evaluation and it’s clear that McClarnon—along with his expressive options and limitless charisma—anchors the drama. It’s a incontrovertible fact that has additionally been confirmed by the latest announcement that the gauzy Nineteen Seventies detective thriller has been green-lit for a second collection.

Gordon as Jim Chee and Jessica Matten as Sgt. Bernadette Manuelito.

As for Tepper, his personal audition for the leaden police officer Samuels nonetheless hung within the air. Throughout unique the casting, Tepper had landed on the concept this character had an unironic, well-groomed handlebar moustache. It wasn’t written within the script, but it surely felt proper and Tepper went so far as to attempt it out in the course of the preliminary Los Angeles audition.

Then, out of nowhere, a few week and a half into Tepper’s on-set teaching with McClarnon, his cellular rang. It was Tepper’s agent. “‘ you’ve booked the position, proper,’” got here the voice on the opposite finish of the cellphone. And, regarding the retro Kaiser Wilhelm II-style facial hair, it had been written into the script.

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New Mexico

Laguna Wildfire Daily Update July 4, 2025

Published

6 minutes ago

July 5, 2025

Press Room

Santa Fe National Forest

Laguna Wildfire Daily Update

Brandon Hess – Incident Commander

July 4, 2025

Acres: 1,300

Start Date: 6/25/2025

Completion: 12 %

Location: Located in the Coyote Ranger District, 8 miles north of New Mexico State Road 96 and west of the Chama River Canyon Wilderness.

Personnel: 120

Fuels: Oak brush, ponderosa pine, pinyon-juniper

Resources: 2 hotshot crews, 1 Type 2 Initial Attack crew, 1 suppression module, 1 helicopter, 6 engines, 2 water tenders

Highlights: Fire crews focused their efforts on reinforcing containment lines across the wildfire area. With the drier conditions following yesterday’s rain, firing operations were able to continue across the fire perimeter. To conduct a firing operation, firefighters cut away vegetation to make a line of bare soil ahead of a fire and then using aerial and hand ignitions burn the vegetation between that line and the actively burning fire front. Aerial ignitions produced light smoke, as vegetation burned and smoldered at low intensity. To prepare for operations tomorrow, fire crews used both aerial and hand ignitions to burn fuels on the east side of the wildfire.

Weather: Winds will taper off Friday evening with cool temperatures and good humidity recoveries overnight. Saturday will be even drier than today with warmer temperatures but lighter winds, limiting precipitation chances and raising temperatures to near normal. Moisture begins to increase Sunday into next week, where afternoon thunderstorms become likely each day through the middle of next week. These storms are likely to be slow and erratic, increasing the flash flooding risk.

Smoke: Smoke is expected to increase significantly tomorrow and Sunday as firing operations pick up. Light northwest winds will push smoke southeast of the fire tomorrow afternoon. Smoke may impact Canones, Los Alamos and Santa Fe but conditions are expect to remain at MODERATE levels overall. Heavy smoke is expected to settle in the Rio Chama valley Saturday night and Sunday morning, along with potential impacts along the NM State Road 96corridor. Smoke will lift as the morning heats up on Sunday but light winds will be slow to clear smoke.

Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the highest priority. Please avoid the area while crews manage the Laguna Wildfire. Drones and firefighting aircraft are a dangerous mix and could lead to accidents or slow down wildfire operations. If you fly, we can’t.   

Closures: : Closure Order 03-10-01-25-08 is in place and includes all National Forest System lands, roads, and trails within Township 24N Range 1E Sections 1,2,11,12,13,14,23,24,25,26 and Township 24N Range 2E Sections 4-9 and Sections14-32 and Township 25N Range 1E Sections 25,35,36 and Township 25N Range 2E Sections 30-32 of the New Mexico Principal Meridian within the Coyote Ranger District. The purpose of this Order is to protect the public’s health and safety during firefighting operations for the Laguna Wildfire. See attached map for the closure area.

About the Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.

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New Mexico

‘Frustrating’ lack of CYFD reforms turns criticism toward governor

Published

1 day ago

July 3, 2025

Press Room

‘Frustrating’ lack of CYFD reforms turns criticism toward governor

The Kevin S. Settlement was a resolution to a class-action lawsuit meant to improve deficiencies within New Mexico’s Children Youth and Families Department.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The Kevin S. Settlement was a resolution to a class action lawsuit meant to improve deficiencies within New Mexico’s Children Youth and Families Department.

Five years after the settlement, a lack of progress is weighing on those monitoring progress.

“This has been kind of a frustrating five years. We would have hoped by this point the system would be in a better place than it is right now,” said Judith Meltzer one of the two ‘co-neutrals’ appointed to oversee the court settlement.

During a three hour hearing, an arbitrator heard from CYFD officials, Health Care Authority officials and attorneys for both sides of the lawsuit.

The other co-neutral monitoring the case, Kevin Ryan, highlighted how other states have been able to turn around troubled child protective services departments.

“There was a very committed governor, in all of these instances. There was an executive who was very focused on implementation and making sure the executive branch was working full throttle,” Ryan said.

The plaintiffs asked for Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to attend the next settlement hearing.

KOB 4 reached out to the Lujan Grisham’s office and did not receive a response before our deadline.

“Where there’s a will there’s a way. So when the executive branch makes a decision that it’s a priority to achieve its commitment… then all the other barriers fall,” Ryan said. “Of course, CYFD can’t do this on its own. It really requires other agencies, come to the table and say, ‘Yea, we’re going to prioritize this.’ And it is just very unclear to me that, that has happened here.”

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