New Mexico true scandals

Scandal bracket

In a stroke of sardonic genius, an unofficial Zozobra account on Twitter has created the "New Mexico True Scandal Bracket." The parody/critique borrows the state's tourism marketing slogan to poll Twitter-goers on the most definitively New Mexican scandal. SFR explains.

Please plead me

Phil Griego is scheduled to have a plea hearing today in Albuquerque on his second criminal case, which includes felony charges and stems from his campaign finance practices. As SFR first reported back in June, Griego and prosecutors from the Office of the Attorney General appeared to have struck a deal in that case.

Jet set

After a decade off, the Albuquerque International Sunport is about to get international again. Starting in November, Volaris airlines will have twice-weekly flights to Guadalajara, Mexico. It's the first time the airport will have regularly scheduled international flights since 2009.

Gotta go

University of New Mexico regents voted unanimously on Friday to eliminate the school's men's soccer program, men's and women's skiing and women's beach volleyball. After a large donation to the women's diving program, regents allowed it to continue. The meeting was held for a re-vote after the attorney general said a previous meeting was illegal due to a vague agenda.

Big idea

A proposed complex of 42 tiny homes in Albuquerque meant to provide transitional housing and get people off the streets is up for debate at tonight's City Council meeting. A series of public meetings over the past few weeks has raised familiar concerns about the impact on the area around the complex.

For sale  

An historic Gallup hotel that's now being used as transitional housing for the previously homeless is up for sale. Care 66, the group that runs the Lexington Hotel, says it still owes about $1 million on the early-1900's property and can no longer afford both the mortgage and the cost of running the facility.

Lovely … what the what?

The haze in the sky yesterday was smoke from wildfires in California. It's been a while since New Mexico has seen that kind of pollution from a fire, let alone ones about 1,000 miles away. Albuquerque issued a health alert. Meteorologists say it'll stick around for another day or so. But nobody took the mountains, we promise.

Dog daze

Meanwhile, it's going to stay warm for the next couple of hazy days, as storms back off a bit. Monday and Tuesday will sport similar temperatures to Sunday before dropping a couple degrees mid-week. Storm activity should ramp up once more toward the end of the week.

Thanks for reading! The Word gets somewhat grumpy when the weather turns so dramatically unfavorable.

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