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Sugar sticks to everything. Chris Kent knows this, explains this as he runs a rag in and out of the candy-dispensing chute of his second-most profitable vending machine. It’s one of 76 he recently bought. “I think I’m going to have to bring an SOS pad next time,” says the 34-year-old Kent, kneeling before the … Read more

If you thought Hurricane Katrina was bad, consider this scenario described at a conference on Albuquerque’s energy future: As greenhouse gases from fossil fuels cause the earth’s temperature to rise in the future, oceans deepen – possibly by dozens of feet – with glacial melt-off. People in cities on the oceans’ edges, such as New … Read more

Kedar Bhasker, a student at the University of New Mexico, has always wanted to be part of the next big thing. A recent meeting with another UNM student has him thinking he might have discovered it. The find? A video game that teaches people foreign languages. “Video games – and just technology – are the … Read more

In the fight against grime, homeowners might have a new weapon using technology an Albuquerque company recently sold to the U.S. military. With salt, water and electricity, MIOX Corp.’s technology creates a cleansing solution strong enough to make filthy water drinkable and to neutralize biological weapons. In cooperation with a Seattle company, MIOX used the … Read more

Sometimes holiday gifts just won’t fit into the budget. Just ask Anne Desiderio about the families she works with as executive director of the nonprofit agency New Mexico Parent and Child Resources. “Almost 95 percent of our families are under the poverty level,” Desiderio says. Nice gifts for them, she says, are an extravagance. Her … Read more

This is an essay I wrote about the murder of my brother, Tim Tumolillo, in February 2002. If you know who shot him and why, please let me know so my family and I can have some peace. He was our son, our brother, and our friend. This is his gravestone. You can reach me … Read more

From 1980 to 1998, Robert Fraser kept tabs on refrigeration units – long as a UPS truck and half as tall – that were kept inside Intel’s Rio Rancho facility at just the right temperature. Upon retirement, his title was supervisor of the company’s energy center, but he had another one: the guy who came … Read more

Frank Smith, a deacon at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, still feels amazed about the first meeting with his new pastor. About 90 people had gathered in a church member’s backyard. On their way in, they introduced themselves to the Rev. Monsignor Douglas Raun. After the meal, Raun went from table to table, getting to know … Read more

Peter Espinosa, principal of Kirtland Elementary School, knows what having the best facilities possible means to students. “What it says to kids is we really value you, we value your education and we have high expectations for you,” he says. “We’re inviting you to this wonderful environment because we care about you. It gives teachers … Read more

For $2,000 you can get a lot of things: a used car, a computer or, if you head to the new hotel at the Sandia Resort & Casino, the equivalent of a small house for a night. The hotel’s three, $2,000-a-night, 1,800-square-foot “super suites” – the largest of 228 rooms opening Thursday – are bigger … Read more