Susan Montoya Bryan, Author at The Rapid City Post

Agave or bust! Mexican long-nosed bats head farther north in search of sweet nectar

February 3, 2026

Mexican long-nosed bats have a taste for agave nectar, fueling their migration from Mexico to the U.S. each summer. Big Bend National Park in Texas and Hidalgo County in New Mexico are key destinations. Bat Conservation International announced on Tuesday that DNA evidence shows the bats are now traveling farther north than ever before. Researchers say drought in New Mexico’s Bootheel region is pushing them to healthier agave sources. The bats, added to the endangered species list in 1988, are slow breeders. Restoration efforts are crucial to their survival and the genetic diversity of agaves.

Ismael Cortes Estrada poses for a photo holding one of the signs advocates used in the campaign for updating the city's minimum wage law, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan)

Santa Fe tackles rental rates with first-in-US minimum wage approach

November 27, 2025

Santa Fe is the first city in the U.S. to directly link wages to housing affordability, aiming to counter high rents. The ordinance was signed into law earlier this month. It ties minimum wage increases not only to consumer prices but also to fair market rental prices. The mayor says it’s part of a broader city initiative aimed at ensuring that people who work in Santa Fe can also afford to live there. New Mexico’s capital city is not alone. Rising housing costs and rental rates have made affordability a top issue for families and policymakers.

Vangie Randall-Shorty holds up a photograph of her son Zachariah Shorty during a stop in Bernalillo, N.M., Nov. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan)

FBI surge leads to charges in 2020 killing in Native American community

November 25, 2025

Three people have been indicted in connection with a killing on the Navajo Nation that had gone unsolved for more than five years. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the indictments this week in the shooting death of Zachariah Shorty as the agency shared results from Operation Not Forgotten. The six-month surge involved dozens of FBI agents, analysts and others who boosted investigative resources to address violent crime across Indian Country. In all, federal officials say more than 1,120 arrests were made over the last fiscal year. For Shorty’s mom, prayers were answered. Vangie Randall-Shorty says she never gave up hope that she would see justice for her son.

FILE - Cracked, dry mud makes up the riverbed of the Rio Grande in Albuquerque, N.M., on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan, File)

A drying-up Rio Grande basin threatens water security on both sides of the border

November 20, 2025

Researchers have completed a full accounting of water uses and losses in the Rio Grande-Bravo basin as it faces severe shortages throughout its range in the United States and Mexico. The findings released Thursday by the World Wildlife Fund, Sustainable Waters and a team of university researchers show unsustainable use threatens water security for millions of people who rely on the binational basin. They estimate that just 48% of water consumed throughout the basin is replenished by renewable sources like snowmelt and rain. The rest is unsustainable, meaning reservoirs, aquifers and river flows are further depleted. The report says urgent action is needed to avoid damaging consequences for farms, cities and ecosystems.

FILE - Launch Director Kat Brennan signals for a pilot to go ahead and take off Oct. 7, 2023, during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, N.M. (AP Photo/Roberto E. Rosales, File)

By the numbers: International hot air balloon fiesta to lift off in Albuquerque

October 2, 2025

Hundreds of thousands of spectators gather over nine days to watch as pilots from around the world take to the skies in colorful hot air balloons. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta kicks off Saturday with a mass ascension that features waves of hot air balloons soaring from a launch field. The annual event has become quite a production over the last five decades. Fiesta attendees can walk among the inflating balloons and talk to pilots, all while scarfing down breakfast burritos and sipping piñon coffee. The roaring propane burners are not enough to drown out the cheers and whistles as the balloons drift upward.

A centuries-old map is displayed at a ceremony marking its return to Mexico's national archives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan)

A centuries-old map is returned to Mexico after it was recovered in Santa Fe

September 24, 2025

The FBI has handed over a centuries-old map to Mexican officials after it was discovered by a librarian in New Mexico. The “Villa de Santa Fe” map had been part of Mexico’s archives until it was discovered missing in 2011. The map shows the Spanish province of Nuevo Mexico, including locations of rivers, Spanish settlements and Native American pueblos. Historians joined federal investigators and Mexican officials for a ceremony on Tuesday at the consulate in Albuquerque. They talked about the significance of the map, saying it provided key documentation of the Camino Real, a 1,600-mile route that once served as a lifeline between Mexico City and Santa Fe.

FILE - Thirteen year-old Leland Mitsuing, right, of Saskatchewan, Canada competes in the Jr. Boys Traditional competition at the 40th anniversary of the Gathering of Nations Pow Wow in Albuquerque, N.M., April 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Roberto E. Rosales, File)

The last dance? Organizers of North America’s largest powwow say 2026 will be the event’s final year

August 16, 2025

For more than 40 years, tens of thousands of people have descended upon New Mexico for what is billed as North America’s largest powwow. The Gathering of Nations showcases Indigenous dancers, musicians and artisans from around the world. Organizers announced Saturday that 2026 will be the last time the cultural event is held. They did not provide more details about the decision. The New Mexico fairgrounds in Albuquerque have played host since 2017. But the state is considering redeveloping the site, and it’s unclear what amenities and infrastructure would be available.

FILE - Fireworks burst above the National Mall and, from left, the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol building, during Independence Day celebrations in Washington on July 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, File)

Fireworks will light up this Fourth of July. Next year could be different if tariff talks fizzle

June 27, 2025

Fireworks are as American as apple pie. The colorful displays are synonymous with celebrating the country’s independence. But nearly all of those aerial shells, paper rockets and sparkly fountains are imported from China. While big city organizers and backyard revelers are set for this year’s festivities, the trade fight between China and the U.S. has lit a fuse of uncertainty as the price tag for future displays could skyrocket if an agreement isn’t reached. The American Pyrotechnics Association is among those urging officials to exempt fireworks from higher tariffs.

Susan Montoya Bryan.