Episode 220 - Honoring our Veterans

Veterans Day is a chance to honor the men and women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces. And this year is especially significant, when you consider this Tuesday marks 80 yaers since the signing of the armistice that ended hostilities between Germany and the Allied Nations at the end of World War I.

We wanted to make sure we took time on this week's show to honor our Veterans in some small way. The main message came through loud and clear from our conversation; we must all pitch in to make sure our Veterans get the care they need when they return from battle. You can find out much more about how you can help out, by checking the state's Department of Veteran Services website. For a national perspective, try the Armed Forces Veterans Homes Foundation.

One thing you can definitely do to help out is to pay a visit to the Veteran's Art show, on display this month out at EXPO New Mexico. We showed you some of the pieces in this week's episode, but there are so many other great works on display as well. And, the art show is the group's only fundraiser of the year. There are several works up for silent auction, so make sure you get out there and see all that hard work on display while you can! And, while you're at it, be sure to follow the efforts of the new UNM Veterans Association. They are doing a lot of great work for the growing number of college students that also happen to be military vets.

And, of course, Veterans Day is also a poignant reminder of the men and women still serving this country at home and abroad as we speak. I have to imagine the holidays are an especially hard time of year on those military members and their families. If you want to find out more about what you can do to help those families, check out the Rio Grande Valley Chapter of the Blue Star Moms.

Also on this week's show, we focused in on renewed efforts to curb the city and state's growing gang problem. The numbers are staggering: more than 13,000 known gang members statewide, nearly half of which live here in the Albuquerque Metro area. A recent UNM study also found that more than 74-percent of Law Enforcement officials believe the gang problem is getting worse, not better.

The state does have a gang task force that is constantly working to track the problem, and offer solutions. And now the West Side Coalition of Neighborhoods is getting in on the act. You can track their progress online over the coming months, as they work to create a legislative package ahead of next year's session.

If you missed any or all of this week's episode, not to worry! You can watch it by clicking play on the player below!



Let us know what you think about any of the topics we discussed this week! It's as easy as leaving a comment, or shooting us an email at infocus@knme.org.

As always, thanks for watching!

The KNME Public Affairs Team