ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – While tomorrow is all about the turkey, Wednesday night has become a holiday all in itself. Some people refer to it as Drinksgiving, or worse, Blackout Wednesday. 

Local law enforcement know it well, and they’re making sure those celebrating are not hitting the roads.

“So this is our B.A.T. it actually stands for our Breath Alcohol Testing mobile,” said Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office DWI Supervisior, St. Michael Flavin. 

This BAT mobile isn’t prowling the streets of Gotham City, but it is used in the fight against crime across Bernalillo County. 

“This is out here, one as a deterrent. Hopefully, people see us out here and say, ‘Oh, OK so the DWI unit’s out, they’re looking for drunks, impaired or intoxicated drivers,’” said Flavin. 

On the night before Thanksgiving, Flavin says they’re ready to put it to good use.

“If we do find somebody and make the arrest we bring them here, we test their breath and hold them until we take them to the jail,” said Flavin. 

The most wonderful time of the year for so many is the busiest time of year for deputies because as celebrations ramp up, so do DWI patrols. 

“We will pick an area of town, and we concentrate on that area,” Flavin said. 

That’s what they did leading up to Thanksgiving. 

On Tuesday they parked the bat in the South Valley, and it was all hands on deck with their deputies in their DWI unit. 

It was the same story for Wednesday, but the bat and deputies headed north. 

“We’re definitely on high alert around holidays or known drinking times, we see it every year, it hasn’t changed,” said Flavin. 

Flavin says this is not where you want to spend your Thanksgiving. But it could be the best case scenario if you choose to drink and drive. 

“One bad decision, drinking and driving and not planning accordingly, can change your life can change a whole family’s life,” Flavin said. 

To make sure flashing red and white lights aren’t part of your holiday package, plan ahead. 

“If you’re going to pay $20 to $40 for an Uber or Lyft, I think that’s worth it in the short term versus having to hire a lawyer and or get sued by somebody you might hit and or harm,” said Flavin.  

Albuquerque police are also upping their patrols this week and will stage a DWI checkpoint this weekend. 

To help plan ahead, Bernalillo County has an Uber code you can use. That’s going to be “NMTURKEY24,” just put that in your Uber app for up to $10 off two rides. 

NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – The New Mexico Game and Fish Department (NMGAFD) could soon be going by a new name, and that’s not the only change lawmakers are proposing. They’re also looking to hike hunting and fishing fees.

“This is an evolution of past efforts. This is the second discussion draft we’ve worked on during the interim; this won’t be the final bill,” said Rep. Matthew McQueen (D-Santa Fe). The draft bill could mean a shakeup for New Mexico’s Department of Game and Fish, with three key parts.

“The first is an update and modernization of the department and the commission’s mission to be a broader wildlife agency,” McQueen explained. He said his goal is to give the department and the game commission the authority to handle any wildlife in New Mexico, not just game and fish, and this includes a name change to better reflect that mission.

“It [the bill] takes the current game commission and changes it to a wildlife commission; it changes the name of the department to the department of wildlife,” McQueen says.

The second part of the bill is reforming that commission, which governs hunting and fishing regulations and oversees the department. The bill overhauls how its members are nominated, who selects them, and how long they stay. It will still consist of seven members, but the bill clarifies who should hold the positions.

“It remains three at large positions; there are geographic and political party diversity requirements; and then it has four sort of position seats. Those include a rancher or farmer, a conservationist, a hunter or angler, and a scientist,” McQueen said

The third part has to do with financing, including figuring out state funding sources and raising the prices of hunting and fishing licenses; some by a few dollars, others by much more.

“I should note that they [the fees] haven’t been updated in 20 years. They’re set in statute, so they immediately, with inflation, they sort of get whittled away,” McQueen explained. The proposal also adds a provision for the fees to be adjusted with inflation going forward based on a calculation with the consumer price index (CPI).

The New Mexico Game and Fish Department says they’ve been working with the sponsors on the bill as it evolves. “There will be meetings and discussions between us and the sponsors of that bill as this process goes forward,” said Darren Vaughan, communications director for NMGAFD.

If the bill makes it through the Roundhouse, it could go into full effect by the end of 2026.

NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Very windy weather is the big weather story this morning in the Land of Enchantment, but the Four Corners communities, accompanied with some fast-moving passing clouds with the less pesky westerly winds than the Northeast Highlands, are still experiencing some snow, as with the westerly winds mixing the air around before two fronts move completely through, morning low temperatures are much higher compared to yesterday morning, mostly above freezing for most, starting off in the 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and even 60s from northwest to southeast in lower elevation.

Afternoon temperatures will be mostly higher than yesterday in southern areas, except for the northern two-thirds of the region because of chilly rain activity moving southeast with mountain snow following suit while piling up. Cold front number one, the Pacific Front from the Northwest that’s responsible for the damaging down-sloping westerly winds causing power outages along the eastern slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, will pick up to the southeast, with the movement of the first front dropping afternoon temperatures with strong-enough winds for more-widespread blowing dust and some blowing snow in the higher terrain with the elevated fire risk, also because of the still low humidity south of the precipitation field. Then, cold front number two, a backdoor front from the northeast, the tail-end of the departing storm system moving eastward, will bring in a reinforcing shot of colder air, pushing the precipitation field even farther to the southeast in the south-central higher elevations especially.

As the Jet Stream to the north moves southward in the northern tier of the region, more clouds with chilly rain showers in the valley floors, as well as some heavier mountain snow, will ensue today before Thanksgiving, as colder air with even lower humidity will return will much lighter winds.