Questa del Rio News

10/16/2026

SPONSORED: October brings a crisp shift to Northern New Mexico. As autumn settles over Questa, Red River, and surrounding mountain communities, our daily routines naturally move indoors. School is in full swing, local sports and fall activities fill our calendars, and cooler evenings mean more time spent gathered at home.

As a result, the digital demands on local households rise rapidly.

When multiple family members log on at the same time, kids submitting homework while parents finish work or stream a show, a basic connection can start to feel the strain.

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MORE: https://questanews.com/is-your-home-outgrowing-your-internet-powering-up-for-fall-routines/

10/14/2026

Enrollment at the University of New Mexico-Taos has climbed to its highest level since 2017, with the campus reporting a 5% increase in total student enrollment for fall 2026 compared with the previous year.

According to UNM-Taos’ Fall 2026 Census, 1,302 students were enrolled this fall. Enrollment among students from the local area, referred to by the university as home students, increased 8% over fall 2025.

MORE: https://questanews.com/unm-taos-enrollment-reaches-highest-level-since-2017/

10/13/2026

Hands-on Training Keeps Volunteer Fire Departments Strong.

For three intense days each September, recruits from across Northern New Mexico gather in the Enchanted Circle to take on a unique challenge: learning the essential, hands-on skills of firefighting with zero classroom theory.

The annual Enchanted Circle Regional Fire Mini Academy, hosted by the Enchanted Circle Regional Fire Protection Association, offers critical Fire 1 and Fire 2 training designed to turn new recruits into fully functioning firefighters in a single weekend. By eliminating prolonged classroom lectures, the academy allows volunteers to gain practical experience fighting fires, operating water apparatus, and managing emergency scenes without taking extensive time off work.

MORE: https://questanews.com/hands-on-training-keeps-volunteer-fire-departments-strong/

10/09/2026

Are you interested in watching tomorrow’s Questa High School football game?

See below for a free livestream. ⤵️

🏈 QUESTA vs. MENAULThe 2026 New Mexico high school football seaso...

10/08/2026

: Community members are gathering Thursday, October 8 at the Taos County Plaza for the Cultural Treasures Showcase, A Celebration of Place, an event highlighting the people, places, traditions, and stories that define Taos County.

The showcase brought the community together to recognize the county’s rich cultural heritage and celebrate the traditions that continue to shape Northern New Mexico. Attendees enjoyed live local music, a special car show featuring the T.A.C.O. Car Club, and traditional Northern New Mexican food.

The event highlights the importance of preserving local history, honoring community traditions, and recognizing the cultural treasures found throughout Taos County.

The celebration was organized by the Cultural Treasures Project in collaboration with local communities and partners, with support from Taos County, the Town of Taos, the LOR Foundation, the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area, New Mexico True, the American Rescue Plan, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The event goes until 7 p.m. and is free to the public.

10/07/2026

: A federal appeals court has overturned several convictions connected to the Amalia Compound case involving the death of a 3-year-old boy. The finding did not affect the defendants current life sentence and all suspects remain in custody.

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the federal kidnapping convictions were based on an incorrect legal instruction given to the jury.

The case involved 3-year-old Abdul Ghani, who was taken from his mother in Georgia by his father, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, and brought to a remote compound in northern New Mexico.

Abdul Ghani later died at the compound. Evidence presented at trial showed that his anti-seizure medication was withheld and that adults performed exorcism rituals on him. His body was later found hidden in an underground tunnel.

The appeals court said that although taking the boy from his mother was wrong, prosecutors did not prove that it legally qualified as federal kidnapping.

The court noted that Siraj was Abdul Ghani’s biological father and that there was no court order removing his parental rights.

The ruling overturned kidnapping convictions involving Siraj’s sisters, Hujrah Wahhaj and Subhanah Wahhaj, and his brother-in-law, Lucas Morton. The sisters cannot be retried on those kidnapping charges.

The court also overturned several convictions against Siraj and Morton involving allegations that they conspired to provide support for killing federal officers.

Those convictions were overturned because the two men were improperly excluded from discussions between the judge and attorneys about notes sent by jurors during deliberations.

A new trial on those charges is possible.

The ruling does not mean the court found the events at the compound acceptable or that the defendants were declared innocent.

All of the defendants remain in federal custody and are serving life sentences. The appeals court’s decision did not immediately change those sentences.

If/when their sentences are decided upon, we will report an update.



*An earlier version of this story indicated this happened in Costilla. The story has since been corrected to say Amalia. We regret the error.

10/05/2026

Sunday’s Enriquetta Vigil Frito Pie Eating Contest at the Cambalache brought the heat and the challenge for local participants! Congratulations to the winners of the 2026 competition.

KIDS:
#1 Enrique Montoya
#2 Geramiah Archuleta
#3 Emilio Montoya

ADULTS:
#1 Kirea Montoya
#2 Joshua Cardenas
#3 Devine Cisneros

10/04/2026

The annual burning of the Cucuy happened just around 4 p.m. at the Questa Cambalache.

Community members gathered around the burning man, as they watched their worries and anxieties burn up in smoke.

10/04/2026

The Questa Cambalache is in full swing at La Placita, the newly named gathering space in the parking lot of the Questa Visitor Center at 1 Highway 38.

Here are some sights of today’s festivities along with a schedule of today’s events.

-10 AM Michael Rael & Gang
-11 AM The RyeDeer Show
-12 PM Elvis with Dennis Martinez
-1 PM Arellano Brothers
-2 PM Tios Mios, Enriquetta Memorial Frito Pie Eating Contest
-3 PM Questa & San Luis Mariachis
-4 PM Burning of cucuy, Michael Rael hosts music and Questa Stories

10/01/2026

Check out this sleuth of bears seen in Pioneer Canyon in Red River this afternoon, Thursday, October 1.

Video courtesy Michael Brighan, maintenance supervisor at the Red River Ski Area.