🪿 ICYMI — Boomtown stories from May 2026
A state law ignored, a crash investigation, and dogs with a lifesaving mission.
How did Los Alamos Public Schools go more than two years without complying with a state law on period products? What happened in the crash that killed a beloved local educator? And what happens when an electrical distribution cable gets a 10,000-amp surge?
This month, we dug into these stories and more. You can also read about a new school board member and a possible fix for ongoing internet troubles, meet the volunteers and dogs who train year-round to find missing people across Northern New Mexico while learning to avoid dangerous rattlesnake encounters, and take a look at two new playgrounds now open for families to enjoy.
Dive into the stories that informed, surprised, and sparked conversation across Los Alamos this month.
LAPS ignored period products law for more than two years
Invoices show that Los Alamos Public Schools was aware of a state law requiring free menstrual products in school bathrooms as early as July 2023 but didn’t begin purchasing products and dispensers for them until September 2025, after Boomtown asked Superintendent Jennifer Guy about the district’s compliance with the law.
📰 Read more by clicking here.
Training dogs to find the lost and avoid the dangerous
Forty years strong: Search dogs, snake training, and saving lives — learn about the important work that Mountain Canine Corps does for our community, and our pups. The all-volunteer team, which consists of twenty people and sixteen dogs, trains year-round to locate missing hikers, lost hunters, older folks with dementia, and others who vanish into our region’s vast landscape.
📰 Learn more by clicking here.
Reports shed light on investigation into crash that killed local educator
Longtime educator Brian Easton died after being struck by a pickup that made a turn as he crossed the street as a pedestrian near North Road and Urban Street. Witnesses told police that the man driving the truck stopped to help Easton, according to police reports obtained by Boomtown that helped answer a few lingering questions created by this tragic incident.
📰 Read the full story here.
New LAPS board member appointed and a possible solution for internet troubles
Our April 14 school board recap showcased school network problems, a contentious appointment, and a look at the budget for the 2026-2027 school year.
📰 Learn more by clicking here.
Los Alamos cuts the ribbon on two new playgrounds
Los Alamos County cut the ribbon on two newly rebuilt playgrounds this week, the 37th Street Play Lot in Los Alamos and Rocket Park in White Rock. We stopped by to see what the excitement was all about.
🔊Listen to the audio story and see more photos here.
Details about the Los Alamos townsite power outage on May 8
Boomtown sat down with Dennis Astley, the deputy utilities manager for Los Alamos County, to learn more about the townsite power outage in early May. Here’s what he told us.
📰 Read the full story by clicking here.
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