New Mexico

'They were doing God's work': Families remember N.M. first responders killed in helicopter crash

Published

2 years ago

July 20, 2024

'They were doing God's work': Families remember N.M. first responders killed in helicopter crash

By Gregory Hasman
Albuquerque Journal

TIJERAS, N.M. — Honor guards from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and Bernalillo County Fire Rescue stood watch at the East Mountain Memorial Wall on Tuesday evening to honor four men who died in a 2022 helicopter crash in northern New Mexico.

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As they stood, dozens of people walked up to the wall. Some kissed their fingers, then placed them over the name of a loved one on the wall, while others kneeled in front of the name.

“We can never forget those guys for what they did for us,” said Tim Sheahan, who came to remember the first responders.

On July 16, 2022, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office Undersheriff Larry Koren, 55; Lt. Fred Beers, 51; Deputy Michael Levison, 30; and Bernalillo County Fire Rescue Specialist Matthew King, 44, were returning to Albuquerque after conducting firefighting operations near Chapelle, south of Las Vegas, when BCSO’s Metro 2 helicopter crashed.

Andrew Levison, brother of Michael Levison, told the Journal that, earlier in the day, he went to the crash site. As he walked to a memorial consisting of an American flag and pieces of the helicopter honoring the men, Andrew said he thought about their sacrifices.

“I’m proud of them for what they were doing that day,” Andrew said. “They were doing God’s work, in my opinion.”

While some time has passed since the incident, the memories remain fresh for many family members and friends.

“For the longest time, I thought it was just a bad dream,” said Noëlle Ashoo, Michael Levison’s partner. “Even after the first year, I thought this was a messed-up drama.”

‘A true brother’

While some people walked to the memorial, others intermingled with other relatives or members of the sheriff’s office and fire rescue.

Retired BCSO Sgt. Nathan Lerner was talking to some of King’s family when he said Beers was the “perfect mensch,” which is Yiddish for a person with integrity and honor.

Beers was not only a smart man, he said, but “he would never have anything bad to say about anybody.”

“He was a true brother,” Lerner said.

Sheahan said he remembered Beers and Koren as being “very dedicated at their jobs and dedicated to the people of Bernalillo County .”

King was known for his passion for his job, his desire to serve others, and his sense of humor.

“He would make you laugh until you couldn’t stand it,” his father, James King, said.

James said he had a tough time talking about his son’s death, but two years later, he is able to “talk about Matt a lot.”

“Every day is tough, and I imagine it’s going to be tough for quite a while,” James said.

‘We have more questions’

Tuesday’s remembrance took place just weeks after the National Transportation Safety Board issued its final report on the crash investigation. In it, federal investigators said engine failure due to poor maintenance caused the crash.

Andrew said the report made his parents “angry, disappointed and frustrated” because the incident could have been prevented.

“Why did this happen?” Andrew asked. “Why did we lose our family member?

“This didn’t get our family closure to any degree. We have more questions.”

Ashoo said she hasn’t brought herself to read the report. “It won’t bring him back,” she said, “so it changes nothing for me.”

While the report may not change things or bring closure, Andrew said the next step is “to prevent this from happening to anybody else.”

—

(c)2024 the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.)
Visit the Albuquerque Journal (Albuquerque, N.M.) at www.abqjournal.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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New Mexico

New Mexico spoils Nevada’s Senior Day as Lobos leave Reno with 63-56 win

Published

2 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

New Mexico spoils Nevada’s Senior Day as Lobos leave Reno with 63-56 win

The Nevada women’s basketball team dropped its final home contest of the 2025-26 season on Saturday with New Mexico spoiling Senior Day and pushing past the Wolf Pack for a 63-56 win.

The Wolf Pack led 36-34 at halftime behind a hot-shooting start. Skylar Durley, Imbie Jones and Ahrray Young each had six points as Nevada shot 14-of-25 from the field (56%). But things cooled off in the second half, with the Lobos outscoring the Wolf Pack 19-13 in the third quarter to take a four-point lead into the fourth. Nevada’s shooting woes only worsened in the final period when it made just three field goals, including none in the final four minutes.

Durley led Nevada with 16 points and six rebounds. Young finished with 10 points, three rebounds and three assists. The Wolf Pack made just one three-pointer out of its nine attempts.

The loss drops Nevada to 9-20 overall, 5-14 within the Mountain West Conference. The Wolf Pack now heads to Utah State for Tuesday’s regular-season finale before opening the Mountain West Tournament play next Saturday in Las Vegas.

Watch our coverage of the game below.

Highlights and reaction from Nevada’s loss to New Mexico.

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New Mexico

San Diego State vs New Mexico Prediction, Picks & Odds for Today’s College Basketball Game

Published

14 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

San Diego State vs New Mexico Prediction, Picks & Odds for Today’s College Basketball Game

Expect the offenses to shine when SDSU visits New Mexico in The Pit today, per our college basketball betting picks.

Feb 28, 2026 • 10:23 ET

• 4 min read

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New Mexico

Public Service Company of New Mexico Declares Preferred Dividend

Published

1 day ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Feb. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Board of Directors of Public Service Company of New Mexico, a subsidiary of TXNM Energy (NYSE: TXNM), declared the regular quarterly dividend of $1.145 per share on the 4.58 percent series of cumulative preferred stock. The preferred stock dividend is payable April 15, 2026, to shareholders of record at the close of business March 31, 2026.

Background:
TXNM Energy (NYSE: TXNM), an energy holding company based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, delivers energy to more than 800,000 homes and businesses across Texas and New Mexico through its regulated utilities, TNMP and PNM. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.TXNMEnergy.com.

CONTACTS:
Analysts
Lisa Goodman
(505) 241-2160

Media
Corporate Communications
(505) 241-2743

SOURCE TXNM Energy, Inc.

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