Green chile cheeseburger champ is crowned
Fuego 505 is the winner of the 18th annual New Mexico State Fair Green Chile Cheeseburger Challenge. The Albuquerque restaurant won the Blind Judging Championship while Badlands Burgers and Brew of Aztec was crowned People's Choice Champion.
La Villa Burgers and Boba of Santa Rosa was second in the blind judging championship while Fat Sats of Belen came in third.
Fuego 505 beat out seven other competitors, including two-time champion Sparky's from Hatch. Winners are not allowed to compete the following year. Isleta Grill won both the blind judging and people's choice award in 2025.]
Bad news, bears
This has been a particularly bad year for New Mexico's black bear population. The Department of Wildlife keeps statistics on how many bears are killed after run ins with humans from April through the following March. That means that the current season isn't even halfway over.
But New Mexico In-Depth reports that a record number of bears have already been killed- over 250. That includes bears that have killed livestock or broken into homes and were later killed by landowners or game officers. About a quarter of the killings were concentrated in the high country between Santa Fe and Mora.
Another 250 black bears have been killed since hunting season opened in August.
While bear deaths at human hands are on the rise, so is the overall population. The Department of Wildlife says the population has been growing for a decade and is currently around 9,000 black bears.
Haaland continues fundraising dominance
Another campaign finance report is in, and Democrat Deb Haaland has continued to outraise opponents. Haaland dominated fundraising in the primary against Sam Bregman and is doing the same against Republican Greg Hull.
Haaland reported raising $3.4 million between late June and early September. Hull reported around $940,000 for the same period, leaving him with about half a million on hand. Haaland reported a closing balance that matched what she raised, $3.4 million.
In total, Haaland has raised over $17 million from almost half a million individual contributions.
Haaland is a former congresswoman and U.S. interior secretary, while Greg Hull is the former mayor of Rio Rancho. The two will face off in the November 3 general election. A debate is scheduled for October 8.
Indigenous water supplies threatened by abandoned mines
Indigenous researchers in Arizona are educating Navajo tribal members about the potential dangers in their water. In many rural villages, Native Americans rely on wells for drinking water, and the quality of that water can vary. Mark Moran reports
