Fronteras: People effected by the Arizona wildfire that killed 19 firefighters now wonder what kind of home they'll be returning to. A new report alleges that agricultural producers in New Mexico may be saving money by engaging in unethical and illegal pay practices. A look at workers compensation practices in the state’s dairy industry. County commissioners in Mora, New Mexico, have passed the nation's first county-wide ban on hydraulic natural gas fracking, citing water safety concerns.
Future Uncertain For Devastated Arizona Town
The deadly Yarnell Hill Fire managed to take 19 lives and destroy at least 129 homes in just a few days. As Fronteras Desk Correspondent Michel Marizco finds, the people who evacuated from the devastated town of Yarnell are growing anxious to go home.
Prescott Community Pays Tribute To Fallen Firefighters
The number nineteen will remain a special number to the community of Prescott, Arizona where 19 highly-trained firefighters called home -- the men died fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire last Sunday. Nineteen crosses, shovels, flags and cut-out paper hearts line the fence outside the Prescott Fire Department. From the Changing America Desk in Prescott, Laurel Morales has this snapshot of a community paying tribute.
New Mexico Farmworkers May Be Victims Of Illegal Pay Practices
The worst drought in decades and mounting costs have driven New Mexico's agriculture industry to search for ways to stay profitable. However, as Tristan Ahtone reports in the first of a two part series, the state’s agriculture producers may be cutting costs through questionable pay practices.
New Mexico Workers Compensation Laws May Exploit Dairy Workers
Dairy workers endure long hours. They operate heavy machinery and tend to huge animals, but when workers are injured in New Mexico, they’re not entitled to workers compensation. In the second part of this two-part series, Tristan Ahtone reports that advocates say New Mexico workers comp practices in the dairy industry exploit a politically powerless workforce.
Rural New Mexico Community First To Pass County-Wide Fracking Ban
Mora County, New Mexico, told the oil and gas industry "no thanks" this spring when commissioners passed the nation's first county-wide ban on hydraulic natural gas fracking. Due to water safety concerns, much of the rural ranching community supports the ordinance, but as KUNM’s Carrie Jung reports, some people are worried the county is losing a chance to boost its struggling economy.
