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Fire threatens more than wilderness

The Thompson Ridge fire in the Jemez Mountains is threatening much more than valuable real estate and precious wilderness. For the people of Jemez Pueblo an entire way of life is in danger of going up in smoke.

To the Jemez people, the mountains are life itself. Their history and their religion is all entwined together in the steep canyons and high mesas and rugged peaks.

That's according to Paul Tosa, an elder and former governor of the tribe. He’s also a historian. Tosa said he fears that the fire may destroy hundreds of sacred sites throughout the mountain range.

“It is our burial grounds, it is our churches,” Tosa said, gazing toward Redondo Peak, the mountain the Jemez call Wavema. “The ancestral people are buried there, and yet at the same time, because of those people, we are still existing. We are still surviving.”

Bieber headed to space from N.M.

Bieber headed to space from N.M.

The LA Times reports that Justin Bieber is the next big celebrity to visit space via New Mexico.

Richard Branson, billionaire, and creator of Virgin Galactic tweeted on Wednesday that the superstar and his manager signed up for a Virgin spacecraft flight. Not too long after, Bieber himself retweeted the message to his 40 million plus followers.

Bieber now resides on the list of fellow celebrity travelers like Ashton Kutcher and Leo DiCaprio.

Firefighters use lake to quench fire

Fenton Lake State Park is closed due to safety issues related to helicopters accessing the lake for water to fight the Thompson Ridge Fire in the Santa Fe National Forest. 

The park will remain closed through June 20, 2013.  This closure may be extended due to continued fire suppression activities. 

Ordinance could put fee on grocery bags

The question 'paper or plastic' might be followed by another one in Durango soon: Are you willing to pay for it?

A proposed ordinance is up for a vote tonight. It would put a fee on paper and plastic bags at grocery stores.

The Durango Bag It campaign has been trying to get an ordinance like this in place for two years.

"It takes a lot of energy to produce plastic bags...there are some toxicity issues around plastic," said organizer of Durango Bag It Erich Bussian.

Promoters of the ordinance said putting fees on plastic bags would promote the use of reusable bags and keep plastic out of landfills.

Durango City Councilor, Keith Brant will vote 'no' because only the five biggest grocery stores in Durango will be forced to charge for bags. He thinks it penalizes them.

Program aims to feed kids, keep them active

Free summer meal programs kicked off across New Mexico today.

Any child can get a free lunch and some places are even offering breakfast. No registration is required. They’re served on a first come first serve basis. Today we checked out day one for Bernalillo County.

There are 55D different locations around Bernalillo County, that doesn't include the 180 sites where the City of Albuquerque is also serving. Parents like Leila Bergman appreciate it.

Gov, fire officials to hold public meeting in Pecos

Gov. Susana Martinez will join fire officials in a public meeting for residents of the Pecos area Friday evening regarding the Tres Lagunas wildfire.

The meeting, which starts at 6 p.m., will cover evacuations and fire suppression efforts. Residents will also get the chance to ask questions about the fire.

The meeting will be at the following location:

Pecos High School Auditorium

State Road 63 at St. Anthony's Loop

Pecos, NM 87552

Homeless vets proud of service

As we pause to honor those who’ve died while serving our country, we don’t want to forget about those who are still living.

The number of homeless veterans in Albuquerque varies. Some organizations report 200; others estimate there are 750 homeless veterans in Albuquerque on any given day.

William Roper spent Memorial Day outside with his family, but amid the laughter, he reflects on the meaning of this holiday.

“It's real hard especially when you got to look back and you see friends, comrades in arms, you see them fall every day," said Roper wiping away tears.

Roper is an Army veteran. He says he was deployed several times, including to Iraq in 2003. He then came home and got a job.

"Being new on the roster, I was one of the ones who got cut and it's been impossible to find a job since," he said.

And that has led him, his wife and their four kids to Joy Junction.