
Gregor sentenced
A pedophile teacher from Española and Santa Fe, Gary Gregor, who serially abused students in his care, has been sentenced to 102 years behind bars. Gregory was found guilty in assaults of two girls in the aughts; neither of the survivors, who are in their 20s now, were present at the sentencing, but prosecutors read a statement (TNM $) detailing the negative impact Gregor's actions had on one of the women's lives. Gregor still faces two more trials for alleged crimes against other girls in Española and Santa Fe. (If you're unfamiliar with the Gregor case, the Journal North has a whole series covering it.)
NM SUPCO claps back
The New Mexico Supreme Court has ruled that PNM "acted imprudently" regarding its expiring leases of the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in Arizona, and that ratepayers should not be charged extra for costs incurred by the utility's poor investment. New Energy Economy Director Mariel Nanasi, who brought arguments against PNM in the Public Regulation Commission's initial hearing on the case, says it doesn't make sense for PNM to invest in nuclear power in Arizona when New Mexico's renewables game is so strong.
Pay up, big boy
Speaking of the PRC, remember how the body decided it was going to charge Facebook tens of millions of dollars more than initially promised for its Los Lunas data center, and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham tried to pacify the company by promising a solution? Well, looks like the solution is that Facebook is just going to have to pay tens of millions more (TNM $), thus shielding ratepayers from the cost. The gov's office said this could have a "chilling" effect on business development in the state.
Meet the new boss(es)
In artsy news, there is a new interim director of the New Mexico History Museum, as well as a new director of the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. At the history museum, Las Cruces native Billy Garrett will take over while the Museum of New Mexico board of regents conducts a national search for a permanent director; former director Andrew Wulf was dismissed earlier this year with the change in the guard at the Governor's Mansion. Meanwhile, over at the G'OK, Cody Hartley (who the museum credits with its record-breaking sale of the "Jimson Weed" painting for $44.4 million) takes the reins.
Women in charge
Your weekend long-read from SFR comes via writer Leah Cantor, who took a closer look at claims by Forbes and NerdWallet that Santa Fe is a great city for female entrepreneurs. But is it, really? The numbers might say so, but profiles of three local business owners add some color to the statistics, showing that while many struggles still exist, a strong entrepreneurial community is key.
Help for uranium workers
Workers employed at Los Alamos and Sandia labs until the mid-'90s are generally entitled to compensation for unsafe working conditions due to admitted deficiencies by those national facilities. However, workers employed after '95 or '96 have the burden of proof on their shoulders, and amassing evidence of radiation-caused illness is not easy. There's help, though; SFR reports on the work of Nuclear Care Partners, which acts as an aid and shepherd for former workers whose illnesses they believe were caused by their jobs.
Hungry?
A new restaurant has opened in the spot next to formerly beloved Bodega Prime, and The New Mexican loves it. Madame Matisse (TNM $) is a collaboration between native Parisian chef Eric De Margerie and restaurant owner Siriporn "JJ" Khongkabrirat (who you may remember as formerly one of the friendliest of friendly servers at Kohnami in the Railyard). Get your pastries, Aroma coffee, breakfast options and more in the convenient Cerrillos Road-adjacent space.
Weekend update
After a couple summertimey days, we'll cool down a little today, and the northwest part of the state will see some thunderstorms; temps in the low 60s should continue through the weekend, with chances of precipitation. If you're looking for an indoor activity as a result of that forecast, consider a play by New Mexico Actors Lab, the opening of a new pop-up retail space on Paseo de Peralta or some music with ppoacher ppoacher at the Santa Fe Oxygen & Healing Bar.
Thanks for reading! The Word is looking forward to the weekend just as much as she does the week (which is not a dig at the weekend, but rather an exaltation of the week).