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2024 Year in Review: April to June
United fans celebrate the third goal of the night during the third-round U.S. Open Cup game against the Lubbock Matadors at Rio Rancho High School In Rio Rancho, N.M., on Tuesday, April 16, 2024.
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April• Pablo Padilla of Ribera is charged with murder in Sandoval County after allegedly pulling the trigger on his wife during an argument in the car. The incident put Sandoval Regional Medical Center into lockdown when he drover her there.
• A judge allows Cindy Nava to stay on the ballot for New Mexico Senate District 9 after her candidacy was challenged due to listing her Bernalillo address as being in Bernalillo County rather than Sandoval County. She would go on to win the general election in November.
• Discussion of the expansion of Paseo del Volcan — and the business opportunities it could provide — were once again brought to the forefront during a presentation at a Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
• AAA opened its first branch in Rio Rancho.
• The Rio Rancho High School girls powerlifting team wins the state title. Arianna Valenzuela, Cecelia Gomez and Alayah Gonzales also won individual titles for the Rams. The Cleveland girls saw Jaylee Gandert and Haylee White take titles, as did Ben Linfoot, Emmanual Shepard and Samuel Madrid for the Storm boys. Jose Onteveros took the lone state title for the Ram boys.
• Deborah Dapson, District 1, and Nicole List, District 6, win in the runoff election for Rio Rancho City Council.
• Gregg Hull marks his 10th anniversary serving as Rio Rancho’s mayor.
• Jenna Sievers is named the coach for Rio Rancho girls soccer.
• Joshua Xavier Mora, 17, of Rio Rancho, is charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of Heather Nichole Lamb, 44, of Albuquerque.
• Business owners in Rio Rancho raise concerns in steep property valuation increases, leading to larger tax bills for their properties.
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• Laguna Burger celebrates the opening of its Rio Rancho location.
• Turtle Mountain marks 25 years in business in Rio Rancho.
• Members of the Savannah Bannanas trick baseball team kick off their weekend in Albuquerque with members making an appearance at the Rio Rancho Dunkin’ location, drawing a large crowd for photos, prizes and a chance to win tickets.
• Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announces a special legislative session to be held in July to address crime. The effort would turn out to be a bust.
• Loma Colorado Main Library hosts the city’s annual Star Wars Fest.
• Chicken Salad Chick holds its grand opening just across the Rio Rancho city limits.
• Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland signs Public Land Order 7940, which protects more than 4,200 acres of Bureau of Land Management-managed lands in the Placitas area from mining and drilling.
• For the second year in a row, New Mexico United host a game at Rio Rancho High School, defeating the Lubbock Matadors 3-1.
• The Rio Rancho Public Schools CTE office gets its name: Rio TECH.
• Cyber Academy student Auburn Eichers takes the regional title during the Civics Bee competition.
• Stacy Pokorski is names the new coach for the Cleveland High School girls basketball program.
• Rebecca Martinez officially closes out her tenure as the Rio Rancho city clerk.
May• Rio Rancho is named as on of the top places to live in the country by Livability.com.
• We Rock the Spectrum Kids Gym opens in Rio Rancho.
• Mulas opens in Corrales.
• Sandoval County purchases a new trash compactor for the landfill.
• The Cleveland boys win the Metro track title.
• The Cleveland High School wind symphony takes the state title.
• Local students Michael Dryga, Graciela Rodriguez and Paige Nitti are names National Merit Scholarship finalists.
• Graduations are held across Rio Rancho — and in Bernalillo — for Rio Rancho High School, Cleveland High School , Rio Rancho Cyber Academy, Independence High School, ASK Academy and Bernalillo High School.
• Comcast begins its expansion into Rio Rancho.
• The Ram girls take the state track and field title, tying with Eldorado, as do the Storm boys.
• Paul Marquez of Rio Rancho is arrested for shooting at a vehicle on Paseo del Norte.
• Sandoval Academy of Bilingual Education (SABE) announces that it’s moving into a new facility in 2025-26.
• A string of fires suspected to be arson close down the bosque in Rio Rancho.
• The R4Creating team of Skylar Gamache and Riley Bishop advance to the anual Cal Ripkin Sr. Foundation STEM Challenge finals.
• David Gonzalez takes the interim off his title as he is officially named the coach of the Rio Rancho High School baseball team.
• The Santa Ana Thunder close out their inaugural season with a victory.
• Gary Herron closes out his 24 years at the Observer as he heads into retirement.
June
•The Special Olympics New Mexico Summer Games torch traveled through Sandoval County on its way to the UNM Track and Field Stadium and UNM Johnson Center.
• Corrales hosted its annual garden tour.
• Phil Sapien of Corrales is tabbed to umpire in the Little League Senior World Series.
• Primaries are held throughout the state of New Mexico, setting the ballot for November’s general election.
• Raising Cane’s opens at Southern and Unser boulevards.
• The Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Brewathalon raises funds for Honor Flight of Northern New Mexico.
• Rio Rancho’s Keith Lee and Auburn Eichers take the top to spots in the state Civics Bee competition. Lee would go on to place at the national competition later in the year.
• First Financial opens a branch in Bernalillo.
• The Rio Rancho Events Center plays host to the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ “Declare the Good News” Convention, bringing more than 4,000 people to the city.
• The Sandoval County Ethics Board dismisses a complaint against County Assessor Linda Gallegos.
• Santa Ana Pueblo reacquires 60,000 acres of ancestral land.
• A GoFundMe is started to help raise funds for former Rio Rancho Police Officer John Francis, who would succumb to his battle with cancer.
• Residents of Rio Rancho collect and distribute goods for victims of the massive wildfires near Ruidoso.
• The city of Rio Rancho hosts a Juneteenth celebration despite rainy weather.
• Ma’s Tea House opens a Rio Rancho location in Enchanted Hills.
• Rio Rancho High School plays host to a national student council conference.
• David Salazar is found guilty of first-degree murder and tampering with evidence in the January 2023 death of Joseph Keleher, a Jemez Valley Schools teacher.
