CYFD, New Mexico’s $400 Million Windfall, and John McCain Visit Featured in “New Mexico in Focus”

This week, “New Mexico in Focus” looks at New Mexico’s Children, Youth and Family Services Department, presidential candidate John McCain’s recent town hall meeting in Albuquerque, and debate over what Governor Bill Richardson will do with New Mexico’s $400 million windfall. “New Mexico in Focus” airs on KNME-TV, channel 5, on Friday, July 18 at 7 p.m. and repeats at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 20.

Co-Hosted by David Alire Garcia, Managing Editor of the New Mexico Independent, and Albuquerque Journal columnist Gene Grant, “New Mexico in Focus” takes a multi-layered look at social, political, economic, health, education and arts issues and explores them in-depth, with a critical eye to give them context beyond the "news of the moment."

National Probation and Parole Officers’ Week is July 13-19 of this year. Each year Children, Youth and Families Department’s Juvenile Probation and Parole Officers provide services for over 15,000 children in communities throughout New Mexico. David Alire Garcia sits down with Ted Lovato, deputy director of Field Services for CYFD, Deborah Martinez, public relations manager for CYFD, Jeanne Masterson, chief juvenile probation and parole officer for Bernalillo County and Roberta Muro, supervisor of the Bernalillo County Juvenile Probation and Parole Officer Girls Unit.

Co-host Gene Grant attended Senator John McCain’s town hall meeting this week at the Hotel Albuquerque. While at the event, he had the chance to interview attendees for “New Mexico in Focus.”

Then, Grant and regular panelists Jim Scarantino, columnist with the Weekly Alibi, Scott Darnell, communications director for the Republican Party of New Mexico, and Margaret Montoya with the University of New Mexico School of Law and School of Medicine are joined by guest panelist Terry Bruner, state director for Senator Jeff Bingaman to discuss the New Mexico perspective on the presidential campaign and debate what Governor Richardson will do with New Mexico’s $400 million windfall.

The producers of “New Mexico in Focus” are Kevin McDonald and Kathy Wimmer. Closed Captioning of “New Mexico in Focus” has been made possible by a gift from Mrs. Elspeth G. Bobbs.