New Mexico
State leaders consider expanding Wi-Fi access in New Mexico state parks
When you think of camping essentials, you probably think of a tent, a sleeping bag and cooking supplies. But what about a Wi-Fi connection?
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – When you think of camping essentials, you probably think of a tent, a sleeping bag and cooking supplies. But what about a Wi-Fi connection?
For some, the thought of staying online defeats the purpose of being in the great outdoors. But for others, it’s an amenity they’d rather have while camping.
KOB 4 learned it’s a debate our State Parks Division is following closely.
It’s not hard to escape everyday life in New Mexico. It’s estimated three-quarters of all New Mexicans live within 40 miles of a state park. For example, the Manzano Mountains, where some families spent their Labor Day weekend unplugged.
“We call it dinosaur camping,” said Sterling Williams, who prefers less connectivity while camping. “There’s no Facebook, there’s no social media. It’s really talking and spending time with your family.”
For other families, camping isn’t so much of an escape.
“We can unplug anytime we want to, but we like to be outside. We like to hike, we like the scenery, but we still want to be able to watch Netflix when we’re tired,” said Jan Branham, who prefers more connectivity while camping.
New Mexico state leaders want to make sure both families can have the outdoor experience they want.
“Wi-Fi in parks is definitely something that’s a national discussion,” said Toby Velasquez, director of the New Mexico State Parks Division.
According to the Outdoor Hospitality Industry Trade Group, roughly 82% of U.S. campgrounds already offer Wi-Fi.
Nearly 40% of campers say it affects where they pitch their tents, including in New Mexico.
“We still see, you know, folks who are interested in remaining connected in different ways, and so that’s really going to be the challenge for state parks in New Mexico moving forward,” said Velasquez.
Velasquez says there are discussions about expanding Wi-Fi capabilities to all 35 state parks.
“It’s going to be a balance of different locations. You know what we’re able to provide, for example, at Rio Grande Nature Center State Park in the heart of Albuquerque versus Pecos Canyon or Sugary Canyon State Park up in Colfax County might be a different menu than what we would see in other areas,” Velasquez said.
Velasquez says the State Parks Division just wrapped up a five-year contract with Viasat, providing Wi-Fi service in 10 different state parks. His team is still reviewing the data to answer some important questions.
“How much is too much? How much is needed? What is not needed? And how’s that going to be provided? Is it going to be a user pay, user benefit option? Is it going to be something that’s somehow supplied by the government entity in order to maintain that connectivity?” Velasquez said.
Velasquez says they’ll be relying on input from park users, but it’s clear there’s still a debate out there.
“We do like to have Wi-Fi for her phones and all that stuff,” Branham said.
“To do Wi-Fi for camping. That’s not really camping to me,” said Williams.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico plans to build new gates at four campus entrances along Central that will close nightly.
The gates will replace manual barriers in a project expected to cost about $1.5 million.
The Board of Regents approved the security upgrades for the UNM campus.
University officials said the gates will automatically close nightly from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The gates will go in near Princeton Drive, Stanford Drive, Yale Boulevard and Terrace Street on the south end of campus.
A current rendering shows the gate completely blocking the road. Officials said the change will reduce unauthorized traffic and allow police officers to focus more effectively on prevention and response.
Construction will start in May. University officials hope to finish the project by September.
A 9-year-old boy who begged to be released from an immigration detention center so he could attend his state spelling bee has been freed with his family, their lawyer said Wednesday.
Deiver Henao Jimenez made the plea during a video call this month with children’s entertainer Ms. Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Accurso.
“I don’t want to be here anymore,” Deiver said on the call, which was later shared on Accurso’s social media pages. “Nothing is good here.”
He and his parents, asylum-seekers from Colombia, had been held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in South Texas since early March, when they were detained during a routine immigration check-in in New Mexico, according to their lawyer, Corey Sullivan Martin.
ICE freed the family on humanitarian parole Wednesday, about a week after Martin filed a request for their release and days after NBC News reported on their case.
His elementary school principal wrote a letter in mid-March supporting the family’s release, which was later delivered to immigration officials, describing Deiver as “a dedicated student with excellent attendance and high marks.”
Sullivan Martin said Deiver is eager to return to school, rejoin his gifted and talented classes and get back to practicing his spelling words.
“I don’t see how it was necessary at all to detain a child who was doing exactly what we want children to do,” Sullivan Martin said.
The family planned to return to New Mexico, she said, where they will continue checking in with immigration officials while their case proceeds.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Deiver was released a day after ICE freed another child whose case drew widespread attention following a video call with Accurso. Gael, a 5-year-old boy with developmental disabilities, had experienced worsening medical issues while he was detained at Dilley, his parents said.
The facility has faced growing scrutiny from immigration lawyers and advocates, who say children there have struggled to access adequate medical care and education in an environment where lights remain on around the clock and officers stand guard. Some families have described poor food and long waits for medical attention.
DHS has disputed those accounts, saying families are provided appropriate care in a facility designed for their needs.
After her video meetings with the children, Accurso — known for her signature pink headband and singsong delivery — called for Dilley to be shut down and for families to be returned to their communities.
During their conversation, Deiver told Accurso he missed his friends and said the food at Dilley made his stomach hurt. But he was most worried about getting out in time to compete in New Mexico’s state spelling bee in May after he earned a spot by placing third at a regional competition.
“We’re trying to get a child out of a jail to do a spelling bee,” Accurso said last week. “I just never thought those words would go together.”
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