Here are 40 of the Journal's Best News Photos of 2024

President of the New Mexico Navy League of the United States Commander David F Williams Jr salutes U.S. Navy Seaman 2nd Class John Auld's casket as it passes him during his funeral services at Fairview Memorial Park on Friday, Dec. 06, 2024.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Girl Scout Troop 10777, and children attending the tree lighting ceremony together press the button to light up the Christmas tree at the New Mexico State Capitol on Monday, Dec. 30, 2024.

A western screech owl perches on mammal team coordinator Sue Bassinger’s hand during the Holiday Wild event at Wildlife Rescue Inc. of New Mexico on Nov. 30, 2024.

Handler Staff Sergeant Brandon Soto and U.S. Airforce dog Bob are both given a Quilt of Honor during the Veterans Day Ceremony at New Mexico Veterans Memorial Park on Monday, Nov. 11, 2024

RIGHT: Kim Wiley with the crew of the Wiley Coyote waits for the balloon to inflate during the 2024 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta at Balloon Fiesta Park on Oct. 6, 2024.

Ari,2, from Denver, Colorado watches as balloon glow early Sunday morning, Oct. 6, 2024, at Balloon Fiesta Park for the 2024 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. ‘;

Andrea Lopez with Albuquerque Center for Hope and Recovery throws candy to attendees watching the State Fair Parade at Central Ave on Saturday, Sep. 7, 2024

Weslyn Wovlen performs during the Pirate Viking Summer Festival at Wildlife West Nature Park in Edgewood on Aug. 25, 2024.

Jane DeLoser dresses as Tiny Tina sits on top of a car with a rocket launcher during the Borderlands Motel event at the Monterey Motel on Tuesday, July 22.

Hendrix Olsen passes out roses to attendees of the Solidarity Vigil Honoring the life of Nex Benedict at Morningside Park on Sunday, Mar. 03, 2024.

Osiris Royal, 4, and his cousin Rayne Garmon, 3, play on the splash pad at Civic Plaza in Albuquerque on Monday, June 1, 2024.

Fred Roy Harris, the former two-time U.S. senator from Oklahoma poses for a portrait at his home on May 7, 2024.

Pro-Palestinian block near the entrance of Kirtland Air Force Base at Louisiana and Gibson in Albuquerque on Thursday, May 2, 2024.

American Home Furniture & Mattress sales associates participate in a La-Z-Boy demonstration at their new location in Albuquerque on Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2024.

A group breaks down their camp off Central Avenue in Albuquerque on Monday, July 29, 2024.

Destany Prentice talks during an interview at a hotel located on Central Avenue NE in Albuquerque on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024.

Angelica Alire reacts as a video tribute for her son, Devon Heyborne, is played during the sentencing of Devin Munford, Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024, at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court in Albuquerque. Munford was sentenced to life plus 25 years for the murder of Heyborne.

Police Chief Harold Medina prepares to speak to members of the press at the site of an officer involved shooting at Walmart on the 2200 block of Wyoming Blvd. NE in Albuquerque on Thursday, April 11, 2024.

A United States Air Force Pararescue candidate works out at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque on Tuesday, July 30, 2024.

A procession follows the remains of New Mexico State Police officer Justin Hare, Wednesday, March 27, 2024, for his funeral services at Legacy Church in Albuquerque, N.M. (Jon Austria / Albuquerque Journal)

BESTOFNEWS-EM-10 — Peer Kling, from Sandia Park, right, and 14 others jump into the 33 degree water of Storrie Lake, near Las Vegas, at the stroke of noon, Monday, January 1, 2024. The traditions of the Polar Bear Plunge at Storrie Lake started with a few Kiwanis members and students at Highlands University in 1996. On this New Years around 130 people from around New Mexico took the plunge into the ice covered water.

BESTOFNEWS-EM-09 — Rabbi Berel Levertov, left, with the Santa Fe Jewish Center-Chabad, stands next to Ken Mayer, center, with Veterans for Peace, and a group people, some for a ceasefire in Gaza and some supporting Israel. This is outside the New Mexico State Capitol, Wednesday, January 31, 2024.

BESTOFNEWS-EM-08 — Sen. Mark Moores, R-Albuquerque, center, hugs Sen. Cliff Pirtle, R-Roswell, left, after Pirtle was honored on the Senate Floor, Thursday, February 15, 2024. Pirtle and Moores are 2 to 16 senators who be returning the Senate this year.

BESTOFNEWS-EM-07 — Will Barnes, deputy director of the surface resources division at the New Mexico State Land Office, looks at a tank of oil spilling onto the desert in Lee County, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. The Land Office is working through the courts to get companies to clean up abandoned site like this.

BESTOFNEWS-EM-06 — Actor and producer Alec Baldwin and his wife, Hilaria, leave 1st District Court in Santa Fe after the second day of testimony in the trial against him on July 11, 2024. Baldwin was on trial for the charge of involuntary manslaughter related to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during the filming of the movie “Rust” in 2021.

BESTOFNEWS-EM-05 — Explosives take down the four smokestacks at the San Juan Generating Station, west of Farmington, on Aug. 24, 2024.

BESTOFNEWS-EM-04 — The 100th burning of Zozobra took place at Fort Marcy Park, in Santa Fe, Friday, August 30, 2024.

BESTOFNEWS-EM-03 — Brennan Charlton, an archaeologist for the Carson National Forest, lights a prescribed burn next to the Taos Pines community, on the Taos/Colfax County line. He and other are burning over 1800 acres for forest near the community.

BESTOFNEWS-EM-02 — Former President Donald Trump walks from his plane to a rally at the CSI Aviation Inc. hangar at the Sunport on Oct. 31, 2024. Trump stopped in New Mexico for a campaign rally that was attended by about 7,000 people.

BESTOFNEWS-EM-01 — One hundred and five year old Valdemar De Herrera is the last surviving New Mexican who was a prisoner of war from the Battle of Bataan during World War II. He's now living with his daughter in Questa.

Mylan Archuleta, 15, of Ohkay Owingeh, watches dancers perform during the Gathering of Nations at Tingley Coliseum at Expo New Mexico in Albuquerque, N.M., on Friday, April 26, 2024.

Pilot Mark Meyer, of North Carolina, takes a photo inside the Carnival special shape balloon as a crowd gathers around during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta's Special Shape Rodeo and balloon launch at Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque, N.M., on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024.

Maj. Lawrence Bria, who is a pilot of the AC-130J Ghostrider, holds his two daughters, Saoirse, 5, and Fiona, 4, during a welcome ceremony for the relocation of the AC-130J Formal Training Unit from Hurlburt Field, Fla., to the 58th Special Operations Wing at Kirtland Air Force Base on Sept. 5, 2024.

Father Conan Gill carries the cross around the church in procession to be placed in the center, after which it is venerated by the faithful, during the Passion Service at Saint George Greek Orthodox Church during Holy Week in Albuquerque, N.M., on Thursday, May 2, 2024.

Stephanie Garcia and Bernadette La Jeunesse-Garcia, family members of 39-year-old Matthew Freddie “Solo” Garcia, mourn during a candlelight vigil for justice at Tewa Lodge on East Central in Albuquerque, N.M., on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. On Friday afternoon police fatally shot and killed Matthew Garcia who police say had a gun and was handcuffed in the back of a police vehicle during an operation targeting criminal activity at the Tewa Lodge. Family, friends, activists and community members gathered to call for justice, and accountability, while demanding an end to the “unchecked violence” of the Albuquerque Police Department.

An aircraft drops fire retardant called slurry over areas in the village of Ruidoso, N.M., on Tuesday, June 18, 2024.

Children get covered in foamy bubbles while playing in the Foam Zone at the New Mexico State Fair at Expo New Mexico in Albuquerque, N.M., on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024.

Dorothy Alvarez, 5, center, holds a candle with her brother Ivan Alvarez, 11, and mother Melissa Alvarez, during a vigil in honor of New Mexico State Police Officer Justin Hare at the New Mexico State Police Office in Tucumcari, N.M., on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. Hare was fatally shot while on duty last Friday morning west of Tucumcari.

Travis Vigil attends former President Donald Trump’s rally in Albuquerque, N.M., on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. Vigil portrays Jacob Chansley aka the QAnon Shamen from the January 6th Capitol riot.

New Mexico State Police and UNM police charge, tackle and grab pro-Palestinian protesters occupying the Student Union Building and start making arrests at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, N.M., on early Tuesday morning, April 30, 2024.

Eddie Moore

Eddie Moore Eddie Moore Eddie Moore Photographer

Jon Austria

Jon Austria Jon Austria Jon Austria Visuals editor

Chancey Bush

Chancey Bush Chancey Bush Chancey Bush Photographer

Jessica Baca

Jessica Baca Jessica Baca Jessica Baca Photographer

Published December 28, 2024 - 10:34 a.m. Modified January 4, 2025 - 10:20 p.m.

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