New Mexico
What to know about moving scams in New Mexico
Last year, the Better Business Bureau reported 6,000 complaints against shading moving companies. Victims lost an average of $350.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — We know what you’re thinking, moving in and out of a house or an apartment in the heat doesn’t sound too appealing.
But, it’s that time of year. And it’s not just the heat you should be worried about while moving.
Last year, the Better Business Bureau reported 6,000 complaints against shading moving companies. Victims lost an average of $350.
Local movers Joseph Keith and Elijah Robertson, with Two Men and a Truck moving company, say there’s a greater chance of these scams happening with more people moving.
So what should be on your checklist before giving money to the wrong people?
“What you want to look out for is, like any company that would want to ask for, like, the full amount up front,” Keith said.
Keith says a pair of codes can give you clues.
“You want to look out for a company with a nice truck with a good logo, one that has a DOT number and a PRC number,” Keith said.
The DOT and PRC numbers basically confirm the company is licensed and insured. That information should be available on the company’s website. They should give it to you if you request it.
Scammers are quick to ask for money and never deliver.
“It’s a busy season. Sometimes they’re going with companies that ain’t really well known,” Keith said.
Licensed movers always have background checks and drug screenings for their employees available so it’s always OK to ask for it.
Finally, you should always get moving estimates from several companies. If a quote seems too good to be true, it probably is.
“Most estimates should range around the same price, you know? I mean, some will vary just based on companies,” Robertson said.
New Mexico
New Mexico Environment Department to hold hearings on Project Jupiter air quality
New Mexico
UNM plans to build new gates along Central
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.
New Mexico
9-year-old who pleaded to go to spelling bee is released from ICE detention
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.”
-
Detroit, MI1 week agoDrummer Brian Pastoria, longtime Detroit music advocate, dies at 68
-
Science1 week agoHow a Melting Glacier in Antarctica Could Affect Tens of Millions Around the Globe
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago‘Youth’ Twitter review: Ken Karunaas impresses audiences; Suraj Venjaramoodu adds charm; music wins praise | – The Times of India
-
Science1 week agoI had to man up and get a mammogram
-
Sports6 days agoIOC addresses execution of 19-year-old Iranian wrestler Saleh Mohammadi
-
New Mexico4 days agoClovis shooting leaves one dead, four injured
-
Texas7 days agoHow to buy Houston vs. Texas A&M 2026 March Madness tickets
-
Tennessee3 days agoTennessee Police Investigating Alleged Assault Involving ‘Reacher’ Star Alan Ritchson