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Sports

Football: Keys to success for the Lobos in Week 2

Angel Martinez | September 12

Following an impressive performance in Week 1, the New Mexico Lobos look to bring their momentum into a Week 2 matchup versus their only FCS opponent on this season’s schedule, the Mercyhurst Lakers. Despite a dominant 38-7 victory over Central Michigan, Head Coach Jason Eck shared this week that he believes there are still improvements that can be made going into Saturday’s matchup.

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Sports

Isotopes fall short versus Rainiers as season winds down

Alex Joe | September 10

After a rollercoaster of a series in Round Rock, the Albuquerque Isotopes returned home to host the Tacoma Rainiers. The late-game woes continued for the Isotopes as they lost four games but managed to cap off the series well, winning two of the last three games.

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Sports

Volleyball: Lobos protect The Pit in Labor Day matchup vs Aggies

Xavier Apodaca | September 9

The New Mexico Lobos volleyball team notched their second win of the season against longtime rival New Mexico State this week.  New Mexico returned home after going 1-1 during a  two-game road trip in Colorado, and on Monday, Sept. 7, the Lobos took on the Aggies at The Pit.  The Lobos looked to improve on their 1-3 record, but it did not appear to be an easy task as the Aggies came in with momentum, having won three straight before the Labor Day visit to Albuquerque. Despite the challenge on paper, the Lobos emerged victorious against their rival, beating the Aggies 3 sets to 1. 

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News

Campus dorm shooter sentenced to 12 years in prison

Jacob Kagan | September 7

The shooter that claimed the life of 14-year-old Michael Lamotte and injured another at a University of New Mexico dormitory last year was officially sentenced last week.  John Fuentes, now 19 years old, was sentenced to 12 years behind bars after taking a plea deal on Aug. 25 in court, during which he pleaded no contest to second degree murder and aggravated battery. The plea agreement includes five years probation when Fuentes is released from prison. Prosecutors said that on July 25, 2025, Fuentes and Lamotte were with two other friends, Daniel Archuelta and Zion Miera — who is Lamotte’s half brother — inside a Casas del Rio dorm room. Fuentes was the first person involved in the case to be sentenced, according to KOAT. 

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News

Several NM residents, organizations call for state investment in PNM

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | September 7

Over 50 local organizations and 1400 New Mexico residents are calling on New Mexico’s state leadership and gubernatorial candidates to invest $400 million of state funds in TXNM Energy — the parent company of the Public Service Company of New Mexico, the state’s largest electricity provider. Organizers launched a petition and an open letter — the petition signed by state residents, and the letter by organizations — calling on state leadership to replace Blackstone Infrastructure by instead investing in TXNM.  TXNM recently borrowed $400 million from Wells Fargo to resolve its stock sale to Blackstone subsidiary Troy ParentCo, which the Public Regulation Commission determined had violated state law in 2025 for being completed without required PRC approval, according to non-profit New Energy Economy’s President Mariel Nanasi. 

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Sports

Football: Lobos show up and show out in season opener

Rodney Prunty | September 7

The New Mexico Lobos have started off the season with a bang.  The Lobos hosted the Central Michigan Chippewas in the season opener on Sept. 5 and dominated, blowing out the Chippewas 38-7. The Lobo defense was on full display as they put on a clinic all night long.  The defense — which showed how dominant they can be throughout fall camp — also had some bulletin board material to work with coming into the game. 

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News

Students time travel for ‘AI Futures’ exercise during UNM AI Steering Committee event

Leila Chapa | September 7

Students, faculty and community members were guided to envision an “AI future” through participating in a number of questions and exercises to prompt thought and discussion during an event hosted by the University of New Mexico’s AI Steering Committee on Thursday.  UNM Professor of Information and Learning Science Vanessa Svihla moderated the time travel, guiding attendees to a future where AI is heavily present.  “You also notice other time tourists who seem displeased by this future. You hear them mumble something about missed profits, generative AI, and ‘we can change this easily if we just…’” Svihla told the audience, urging them to instead complete the sentence themselves. 

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News

Albuquerque experiences hottest August and summer on record

Paloma Chapa | September 7

August 2026 was the hottest on record for Albuquerque, along with the cumulative months of June, July and August, making it also the hottest summer on record for the city, according to a statement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Meteorologist Brian Guyer.  August saw an average temperature of 82.5 degrees — the average of the high and low temperature each day from the Sunport — breaking the previous record warmest August from 2011, which had an average temperature of 81.1 degrees. The 30-year normal (1991-2020) for August is 76.9 degrees, according to Guyer.  The average temperature for the summer was 81.0 degrees, also breaking the previous 2011 record of 80.4 degrees.  

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News

‘Adults’ Season 2 is Bigger, Funnier and Furrier

Maria Fernandez | September 7

Warning: This review contains spoilers  The second season of FX’s “Adults” dropped on Aug. 27, bringing back the modern version of Friends, with raunchier jokes and hilariously funny dialogue that usually sounds insane out of context – just queue any sentence from Season 2, Episode 3 — if you know, you know.  “Adults” follows Samir, Issa, Billie, Paul Baker and Anton, five mid-twenties best friends living together in Queens, New York and trying to make the best of their early adult years.  The show explores many of the typical highs and lows of being in your twenties, including living with your best friends, losing your job, dating struggles and much more. 

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News

REVIEW: Albuquerque production ‘Coyote vs Acme’ blasts into theaters

Max Ulz | September 7

The long-awaited Looney Toons feature “Coyote vs. Acme” released in theatres nationwide on Aug. 28, after being filmed for HBO Max in 2022 then later shelved by its distributor, Warner Bros. Pictures, as a tax write-off in November 2023. Online backlash led to the film being picked up by indie distributor Ketchup Entertainment and eventually released as a feature film. The film earned $15.5 million dollars in its opening weekend, making it the best opening weekend in its distributor’s history. The film has now earned $33 million dollars in the U.S. and is awaiting a full international release.

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Sports

Soccer: Lobos suffer 3-0 defeat against No. 24-ranked Colorado

Xavier Apodaca | September 7

Following an offensive win versus Cal State Northridge, the New Mexico Lobos looked to continue their hot streak in a game against the No. 24-ranked Colorado Buffaloes on Thursday, Sept. 3. This game marked the first true road game of the season for the Lobos, and proved to be too much, as the team would go on to lose to the Buffaloes 3-0.  The Lobos began the game with goalkeeper Alyson Campbell blocking a goal in the early minutes. The Buffaloes continued their early offensive start, with forward Ruby Hayward also taking a shot on goal which missed wide left. Hayward redeemed herself in the 8th minute, scoring the first goal of the game for the home team. In the 9th minute, Buffaloes forward Micheala McGowan sent a shot straight to the goal, but Campbell jumped up and made a one-handed save to keep the score at 1-0.

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Opinion

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Is homelessness illegal?

September 7

In May of this year, the Albuquerque City Council passed the Enhanced Service and Safety Zone Ordinance, which aims to criminalize camping on the sidewalk. The law was sponsored by the City Councilor who represents our downtown, District 2’s Joaquin Baca. Councilor Baca recently joined Nash Jones on PBS’ New Mexico In Focus to debate the merits of this legislation with Dr. Lisa Christopherson. Baca told me the same story he told PBS, that one day he woke up and the medical examiner was removing the body of an unhoused woman who had passed away a week earlier and went unnoticed. I imagine it was these kinds of victims of life on the streets that Baca was thinking about when he also told me that many within the unhoused community do not know how to help themselves, motivating him to write this law. 

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Sports

Volleyball: Lobos earn first win of the season after defeating Northern Colorado

Austin Bishop | September 6

On Friday, Sept. 4, the New Mexico Lobos volleyball team hit the road, heading north looking to earn their first win of the season after facing a difficult stretch of matches to open the year. The Lobos entered their matchup against the Northern Colorado Bears determined to turn their early-season struggles around and put a win in the column.

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Sports

OPINION: Bobbleheads of the Week

Austin Bishop and Jacob Kagan | September 6

Where there’s a victor, there’s a loser, and sometimes, certain athletes contribute to their team’s shortcomings. These athletes are favorably called bobbleheads. Green Bay Packers - Running Back Josh Jacobs Los Angeles Clippers - Front Office & Ownership  Boston Red Sox Eric Lauer and the Los Angeles Dodgers

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Sports

FOOTBALL: UNM’s path to victory in Saturday night season opener

Edge Garcia | September 5

New Mexico won’t be the only team playing “multiple quarterbacks” Saturday night. Central Michigan’s Angel Flores and Jadyn Glasser are both expected to take snaps at quarterback for the Chippewas according to Head Coach Matt Drinkall, meaning five total quarterbacks seeing the field between both teams isn’t out of the realm of possibilities. What does UNM need to accomplish in order to walk out of University Stadium 1-0?

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News

NM Supreme Court pauses key elements of Project Jupiter development

Penelope Loyd Sment | September 2

On Sunday, Aug. 23, the New Mexico Supreme Court paused two key elements of Project Jupiter — the hyperscale AI datacenter being constructed in Doña Ana County — after non-profit New Energy Economy and the Center for Biological Diversity filed emergency petitions, challenging the constitutionality of the project’s air permit hearing and the approval of well drilling, respectively.  The court decided to stay emergency drilling of a well intended to supply the data center, as well as the air quality permit proceedings that have evoked public discontent for allegedly being unfairly expedited. The court has set a response date of Sept. 2 for the agencies involved to present evidence and legal arguments.

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Sports

Carson Walch brings NFL experience to deep Lobos WR corps

Edge Garcia | September 2

Whether it was coaching Brandon Marshall in Chicago, Alshon Jeffery in Philadelphia or working alongside some of the NFL’s best offensive minds, New Mexico’s new wide receivers coach Carson Walch has spent more than two decades learning what it takes to play the position. “It was an invaluable experience in the Bears, Browns and Eagles organizations,” Walch said. Walch arrived as the University of New Mexico’s wide receivers coach in February, after spending five seasons with the Cleveland Browns as the player development coordinator from 2021-2022, before being promoted in 2023 to director of offensive skill development.  

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Sports

Local golf tournament to benefit children affected by workplace tragedy

Jacob Kagan | September 1

Any Albuquerque golfer eager to get out onto the green could soon have a good opportunity to do so, and for a good cause. The 32nd Annual Toby Wright Memorial Golf Tournament of Kids’ Chance of New Mexico is coming to Sandia Golf Club on Sept. 10. The purpose of the tournament is to raise funds for Kids’ Chance of New Mexico, the state chapter of a national organization that seeks to provide higher education scholarships for the children of workers who have experienced permanent injuries or death due to work-related incidents, according to the organization’s website. 

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News

Dry conditions leave bears hungry, vulnerable to euthanasia

Leila Chapa and Paloma Chapa | August 31

As the state’s drought conditions become increasingly severe, bears have turned towards humans to find sustenance, with this decision often resulting in their death, experts say. Due to low availability of food, bear activity has increased in areas where people reside, Natasha Montoya, a spokesperson for New Mexico Department of Wildlife wrote in a statement to the Daily Lobo.   “Once a bear becomes accustomed to humans providing an easy food source, they can become habituated and may return to the same areas,” Montoya wrote. “When they become habituated in this way, humans and pets are put in danger and bears are put in a situation where they must either be relocated or euthanized.”  

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News

Flood control authority accused of burying wildlife during drainage operation

Max Ulz | August 31

Employees from the Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority were accused of burying animals alive at a site along the Rio Grande this week in a Facebook post by a page belonging to the Volunteers of the Valencia County Animal Shelter.  Witnesses Angela Shomin and Brittany Walters say they encountered AMAFCA workers pumping the La Orilla Outlet Water Quality Structure dry and filling it with dirt on Tuesday, suffocating the animals that called the basin home, according to the post. On Wednesday morning, volunteers came to the site with nets and buckets to catch any wildlife left in the basin.