Santa Fe New Mexican
Cash for parks and rides?
A$25 million general obligation bond Santa Fe voters approved in 2024 for long-needed roadwork is running short, city officials say. A property tax-funded bond is back on the ballot, as the city seeks more funds to complete the work. Money from the...
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‘Carrying on a legacy’
Amid the jingling bells of his peers, David Gonzales raised his dance staff aloft in the moments the uptempo drumming called for it and with expert footwork slowly circled the Soldiers’ Monument. Earlier, wearing a shirt that read “Comanche, Lord of...
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Not just a ‘frat boy’ sport
Lacrosse can be prohibitively expensive and socially exclusive — with a reputation that runs counter to its Indigenous roots. With Turquoise Thunder, a local lacrosse club for girls in grades 6 through 12, Melody Sauceda seeks to change that. Sauceda,...
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IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN
Every morning starting at 6 a.m., veteran farmers frequent The Pepper Pot, a family-owned, Anthony Bourdain-approved institution famous for its Hatch chile empanadas. They start the coffee pot and schmooze about a range of topics, from Little League...
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Sundays to be page-turner for library
Beginning next year, the Santa Fe Public Library will have something that hasn’t been available since the COVID-19 pandemic: Sunday library hours. The library division is hiring additional staff to work weekends, using $155,000 in unanticipated gross...
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Ousted de Vargas still in clash over Fiesta role
The man who was forced out of his role as Don Diego de Vargas last month by the Santa Fe Fiesta Council was again at the center of controversy, this time over an allegation he had failed to return a Spanish rapier sword and medallion. Andres Archuleta...
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EPA chief: Methane regulation will ease
The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday in Santa Fe plans for sweeping rollbacks to Biden-era oil and gas regulations aimed at reducing methane emissions. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin made the announcement during the...
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Ballot blitz is on
Members of a procession in downtown Santa Fe on Tuesday morning wielded signs bearing messages such as “Vote While You Still Can,” and“Let’s Kick Some MAGA Butt” to mark the start of early voting. Early voting in this year’s Nov. 3 election began...
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Another property raided
The dozens of wind-tattered hoop houses — relics of a bold illegal marijuana operation, prodigious in scale — for well over a year have presented a strange and haunting scene flanked by tidy farms along the highway just south of Estancia. Dineh...
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Mine return unearths fears
Fewer than 100 people live year-round in this sleepy town nestled in the mountains southwest of Truth or Consequences. But more than that number showed up to a public hearing at the Hillsboro Community Center on Sept. 17 to express concerns about a...
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A ‘more effective’ campaign? Hull says he woos more voters per dollar
IMORIARTY n this reliably red city in the heart of blue New Mexico, voters greeted Gregg Hull with open arms. “I introduced him to our son as hopefully our next governor,” said Jeremy Lewis, 38, as the Republican gubernatorial nominee thanked...
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STAGING A COMEBACK
The rugged gunman staggers onto the ranch wounded, a bullet lodged in his back, as a posse from his bleak past bears down on him. But luckily, the rancher has a daughter, a young woman whose compassion can cleanse and perhaps author a new...
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Grilling police chief hopefuls
Santa Fe residents had plenty of questions Thursday for the two men vying to lead the city’s police force. Their concerns ranged from traffic enforcement and noisy mufflers to officer use of force and police oversight. Community members and city...
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‘Bringing every resource’
Eric Unzicker had just left for work Wednesday morning when he encountered two orange traffic cones — and realized a large chunk of his road was missing. Sibley Road, located near Cañoncito southeast of Santa Fe, was washed out after more than 24...
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More rain raising concerns
Floodwater was pooling a couple of inches deep in Belen Queva’s garage Tuesday afternoon as he expressed his trepidation about additional rain in the forecast. Water was already running beneath his home. Monday night, Rainwater had swept down the...
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City holds crucial vacancies
The city of Santa Fe faces vacancies for two high-level positions directly affecting issues widely cited as its two most pressing problems: a shortage of affordable housing and rising homelessness. Affordable Housing Director Faviola Chavez departed...
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‘It’s for the community’
Arena director Thomas Goodluck made sure the drums and drummers were properly positioned inside the Santa Fe County Fairgrounds’ show barn. He lined up the dancers — from “tiny tots” to “golden age,” or the over-60 division. “It’s for the community,”...
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Battleground district
With the balance of power in Congress on the line, the race for New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District is among the battleground seats in the national spotlight as Democrats and Republicans wrestle for control. The race, which pits Democratic U.S....
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‘We’re ready to leave’
Santa Fe Public Schools’ cafeteria workers said Thursday they are on the verge of a strike after being underpaid for the first nine weeks of the school year. A few dozen of them came to Thursday’s school board meeting to deliver that message. The...
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Senators grill UNM-trained doctor tapped to lead FDA
A University of New Mexico-trained doctor who grew up in Gallup faced a tense hearing Thursday before a key Senate committee considering her nomination to lead the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Democrats and Republicans questioned Dr. Heidi...
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WIPING THE RAIN OFF
Claudia Cervantes cleans the muck off the feet of her granddaughter, Lailani Aragon, while they walk back to their car in the rain with Iyla Arago after a wedding downtown Wednesday. Nearly all of New Mexico is under a flood watch through at least 6...
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Preparing for heavy rainfall
With their neighborhood roads still damaged from a recent thunderstorm, Jerry Browning and his wife, Roberta, stopped by Pojoaque Fire Station 50 on Tuesday to ensure they were prepared for more rain. They filled several sandbags — offered for free at...
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Tenants organize, act
Alyssa Harper has a specific pair of rain boots for those school-day mornings when she and her children wade through untreated sewage on the way to their car. Outside her family’s unit at the Mont 44 apartment complex in Albuquerque, the hazardous...
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CITED ON SIGHT
After spending the last decade leading two of the state’s Division I men’s college basketball programs, new St. Michael’s High School President Paul Weir was worried his proposal for the local private school would be too big and too bold. But as he...
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FALL OF PETERS EMPIRE?
The current state of Gerald Peters’ real estate empire might best be described by the lyrics of the 1966 protest song “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield: “There’s something happening here. What it is ain’t exactly clear.” “There is a lot in...
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‘Super El Niño’ arrives
Heavy rainfall this week helped quench dry arroyo beds and parched valleys across New Mexico. National Weather Service meteorologist Todd Shoemake said the central region of the state saw between 2 and 4 inches of rain between Wednesday and Friday, and...
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‘Relief’ to become a citizen
Jose Sepulveda was just 2 months old when his parents brought him to the United States from Mexico. After a long journey, the Albuquerque resident, now 35, became a U.S. citizen Thursday. “It feels like relief,” Sepulveda said, breathing a sigh, when...
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‘Landlocked from the rest of the world’
Justin Sachs, a resident of an off-grid community in far western Santa Fe County, said he has the utmost respect for tribal sovereignty. But he and his neighbors fear Santo Domingo Pueblo plans to block the primary access to their homes. Residents of...
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Officials with data center gave Haaland campaign cash
National companies and CEOs with ties to the massive Project Jupiter data center in Doña Ana County have poured tens of thousands of dollars into gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland’s campaign. Oracle, one of the companies involved with Project...
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BILLS FOR BUILDING
Third time’s the charm — or fourth or fifth. That’s the sentiment expressed by several state lawmakers who believe new versions of failed bills from past years on efforts to increase available housing and access to housing have a shot at success in...
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‘About being New Mexican’
For Angelique Martinez y Romero — crowned La Reina of the 314th Fiesta de Santa Fe — the annual celebration is a time for commemoration and reflection. Participants renew their faith, honor a shared history and celebrate the unique cultural heritage...
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EARS ON CAMPUS
The controversy that ousted Santa Fe Public Schools’ top two security officials last year began with a hardware installation. It was around 4:30 p.m. on a Tuesday in the district’s Facilities and Maintenance building, according to the previously...
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Rancher says S.F. County built on his property illegally
Rancher Michael McCulloch was alarmed when contractors working for Santa Fe County knocked down his fivestrand barbed wire fence last winter and started grading for a public recreational trail on a corner of his property. “My family’s been in the...
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Veterans reflect on their service The day everything changed
The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks inspired many men and women to enlist in the U.S. military. Not Ben Valdez. Valdez had already enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps after graduating from Pojoaque High School in 2001. On Sept. 11, he was flying back...
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History, faith, music
On command, the children shrieked, “¡Viva!” They also learned how to wear a sombrero the right way, and enthusiastically mimicked el grito — mariachi’s traditional joyful shout. “I’m sure we’re excited because we get to be out of school today, right?”...
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CRIME LOG GAPS
Criminal trespass at a dormitory. Unlawful carrying of a deadly weapon near the management school. A string of arsons — one at the physics and astronomy building. All of these crimes, which occurred over the past month at the University of New Mexico...
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‘This road destroyed us’
Tawn Dix wakes up before the sun rises to bake the bagels, pastries and quiches he sells at BoulTawn’s Bagelry, Cafe and Gallery, which since 2020 has operated out of a small storefront on Guadalupe Street. But at the end of the day, much of it is...
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A golden exception?
Apainted phrase decorates the wall inside the front entrance of Miners’ Colfax Medical Center’s long-term care facility. “We went in together, and we came out together,” it says. It’s one of several handpainted murals — most of them depicting local...
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Why nursing homes fall short
Gene Timmons’ brief stint in an Albuquerque nursing home was supposed to make him stronger. His family hoped he would live there for a few weeks, getting the physical therapy he needed to return home stronger and avoid repeat falls, said his son,...
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Tyranny is toast
For more than two decades, Helene Luna has challenged the 50-foot symbol of evil before her, stuffed with the woes, grief and grudges of the tens of thousands who gather each year to watch Zozobra be devoured by flame. For a few minutes each year, she...
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Trump policy adds to ranching issues
As he watched the lingering drought that has unfolded this year hit his pastures in La Cieneguilla, Jose Varela Lopez opted to cut the size of his cattle herd by more than half — a hard decision wrought by hard times. He would like to regrow his herd....
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Thus always to tyrants
For some, this year has been particularly gloomy. That’s even more reason to gather and watch Zozobra be set alight, said event chair Ray Sandoval. “I hope that people leave feeling a little bit lighter than when they came,” Sandoval said. The 102nd...
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Dry Rio Grande may linger
The waters of the struggling Rio Grande returned to Albuquerque in mid-September last year, the lapping tide of the river finally drifting over a riverbed that had been parched for months. Such scenes came as a major relief for the river ecosystem and...
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BEAR STAKES OUT FORT MARCY PARK
A black bear remained perched in a tree late Monday afternoon at Fort Marcy park after city police and state wildlife officials had left the area. Officers from the Santa Fe Police Department and the New Mexico Department of Wildlife had monitored the...
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Districts get final say as feds cut back sex abuse oversight
Nearly one in 10 high school students reported experiencing rape or sexual assault in the most recent survey from the New Mexico Department of Health — a number that advocates say is likely an undercount. The U.S. Department of Education oversees...
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A student reported rape; her school punished her
Larissa paused as she reached for the door of the discipline room April 27. As the first-period bell buzzed over the intercom, the seventh grader took a breath and pulled the door handle. She stepped inside to join some 10 students who had been...
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Inaugural residents
Ahousing complex that will anchor Santa Fe’s fast-growing midtown district will open its doors to its first residents Tuesday. Developer Phillip Gesue said Art House apartments, 1001 Midtown Calle Central, off St. Michael’s Drive, received its...
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Windows to the past
Anew exhibit is bringing photos from the College of Santa Fe’s collection to public view for the first time in close to a decade. Out of the Vault: The College of Santa Fe Collection of Photographs at the Santa Fe Community Gallery displays more than...
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‘Turning math on its head’
As New Mexico takes steps to do for math education what it has done for reading, Santa Fe Public Schools is taking a leap. The district is an early adopter of the state’s push to remake math instruction — an effort short of the reforms the state has...
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Quintessential uniter
Dolly Parton, a rhinestone-studded, rags-toriches daughter of Appalachia who for six decades ruled country music — and much of pop culture — with an outsize personality and down-home wit that enshrined her as one of America’s most cherished originals,...
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Keeping pools afloat
As Santa Fe experiences another hot summer, residents have tried to beat the heat in a variety of ways. But in a city where few people have personal swimming pools, access to public facilities has once again been limited as Santa Fe continues to...
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Sizing up a tech boon
The city of Farmington and San Juan County have shifted their economic focus in recent years from fossil fuels to tourism and outdoor recreation. Officials are also eyeing the possibility of data center developments. San Juan County’s economy has been...
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Soccer preview: Santa Fe Prep eyes 2nd title
Coach Rick Canby didn’t beat around the bush when it came to setting the tone for the Santa Fe Prep Blue Griffins. “You haven’t earned anything yet this year,” Canby recalled telling his players in the offseason. That’s a heck of a message to send the...
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‘War with nature’
ATRUCHAS udrey Newman said she knew it was setting up to be a long and hard year when she was called out to a Nebraska grassland megafire in March. Not so far from where Newman — a frontline wildfire paramedic from Montana — stood Friday, the...
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‘We can’t allow this’
Immigration agents have arrested at least a dozen people in Santa Fe since Sunday, advocates say, stoking fear for some and bringing protests and a commitment Thursday from elected officials to strengthen policies protecting immigrants. Federal agents...
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‘A quiet community … changed overnight’
Adescendant of two of the original families of this far-flung mountain village, Teresa Johnson Blackwell recalls trailing her grandfather’s cattle herd on nearby land and plucking apples from the orchard as a girl. It terrifies her to think the...
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Building up the north
Standing on a ridge overlooking the Las Estrellas neighborhood, Housing Trust CEO Roman “Tiger” Abeyta gestured to the piñon- and juniper-covered land below. “Basically, everything you see with nothing on it — we own,” he said. Abeyta’s comment came...
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Rising in the east
The Frijoles Fire burning in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains near several Northern New Mexico villages grew 2,000 acres overnight, heightening anxiety for residents in the area after crews finally had begun making progress containing the blaze. Fire...
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Risks rising by degrees
Dora Morsch can’t beat the heat. When her family first toured The Mica, an apartment complex in northeastern Santa Fe, Morsch remembered asking about the air conditioning. “That was a big concern of mine, knowing that it was going to be a hot summer,”...
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A fee for affordability
Santa Fe Mayor Michael Garcia wants to triple the fee levied on developers who don’t include affordably priced units in apartment complexes. Proponents argue the change would encourage builders to create more options for lower-income residents and...
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New life for amphitheater
Marks of decay, tree branches and shallow rain puddles dot the weathered concrete shell where decades of Santa Fe Indian School students crossed the graduation stage — and where so many New Mexicans took in outdoor concerts at what was once among the...
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