New Mexico

Patrick Allen steps down as Secretary of Health – Gina DeBlassie will serve as interim cabinet secretary – Office of the Governor – Michelle Lujan Grisham

Published

1 year ago

November 20, 2024

Patrick Allen steps down as Secretary of Health – Gina DeBlassie will serve as interim cabinet secretary – Office of the Governor – Michelle Lujan Grisham

SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced today that Patrick M. Allen, secretary of the New Mexico Department of Health will step down from his position at the end of the day. Allen has served in the administration for approximately two years.

“Pat has been a dedicated public servant, and I’m grateful for his contributions as secretary for the Department of Health. I wish him well in his next endeavor,” said Lujan Grisham.

Gina DeBlassie, the governor’s health policy advisor, will serve as interim cabinet secretary of the New Mexico Department of Health.

DeBlassie brings more than 30 years of healthcare expertise. Throughout her career, she has been a driving force behind legislation to improve healthcare access across New Mexico. Her leadership efforts have been instrumental in establishing the Health Care Authority and the Rural Health Care Delivery Fund.

Prior to joining Gov. Lujan Grisham’s administration, DeBlassie served as chief operating officer for a national All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly provider program. There, she managed multi-state operations spearheading the expansion of programs aimed at bettering the lives of seniors.

DeBlassie holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix and has contributed her expertise to multiple non-profit boards.

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New Mexico

Federal court orders New Mexico prison officials to allow magazine’s delivery

Published

8 hours ago

March 11, 2026

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Federal court orders New Mexico prison officials to allow magazine’s delivery

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New Mexico

Tanya Tucker to perform at New Mexico State Fair

Published

20 hours ago

March 10, 2026

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Tanya Tucker to perform at New Mexico State Fair

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Tanya Tucker will perform at the 2026 New Mexico State Fair, officials announced Tuesday.

Tucker will take to the stage Friday, Sept. 18, after the Chevron PRCA rodeo. The Grammy Award-winning icon has racked up 10 No. 1 country hits since her first hit, “Delta Dawn,” at age 13.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to bring the legendary Tanya Tucker to the New Mexico State Fair,” said Dan Mourning, general manager of the New Mexico State Fair. “Tanya is one of the greatest icons in country music history and is the perfect fit for the Fair.”

Tucker has 23 Top-40 albums and 56 Top 40 singles on the Billboard country music charts. She has won two Country Music Association awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, three CMT Awards and two Grammys for Best Country Album and Best Country Song.

Tickets are set to go on sale on Friday at 10 a.m.

Here is the full 2026 New Mexico State Fair rodeo-concert lineup:

Friday, Sept. 11

Turnpike Troubadours with Chevron PRCA Xtreme Bulls

Saturday, Sept. 12

Ian Munsick with Chevron PRCA Xtreme Bulls

Wednesday, Sept. 16

Chevron PRCA Standalone Rodeo

Thursday, Sept. 17

Everclear with Chevron PRCA Rodeo

Friday, Sept. 18

Tanya Tucker with Chevron PRCA Rodeo

Saturday, Sept. 19

The Warning with Chevron PRCA Rodeo

Sunday, Sept. 20

Chevron PRCA Rodeo – Matinee

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New Mexico

New Mexico prosecutors launch search of Jeffrey Epstein’s secluded former Zorro Ranch

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

New Mexico prosecutors launch search of Jeffrey Epstein’s secluded former Zorro Ranch

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — State investigators began searching a secluded ranch in New Mexico on Monday where financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein once entertained guests amid allegations that the property may have been used for sexual abuse and sex trafficking of young women.

The office of state Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced that the search was being done with the cooperation of the current ranch owners.

Torrez last month reopened an investigation of the ranch. New Mexico’s initial case was closed in 2019 at the request of federal prosecutors in New York, and state prosecutors say now that “revelations outlined in the previously sealed FBI files warrant further examination.”

Epstein purchased the sprawling Zorro Ranch in Stanley, New Mexico, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Santa Fe, in 1993 from former Democratic Gov. Bruce King and built a hilltop mansion with a private runway.

The property was sold by Epstein’s estate in 2023 — with proceeds going toward creditors — to the family of Don Huffines, a candidate in Texas for state comptroller who won the Republican primary last week.

“The New Mexico Department of Justice appreciates the cooperation of the current property owners,” the agency said in a statement. Prosecutors “will continue to keep the public appropriately informed, support the survivors, and follow the facts wherever they lead.”

Additionally, New Mexico state legislators have established a new commission to look into past activities at the ranch.

Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial in 2019 on charges that he sexually abused and trafficked dozens of underage girls.

Epstein never faced charges in New Mexico, but the state attorney general’s office in 2019 confirmed that it had interviewed possible victims who visited Epstein’s ranch.

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