Vortex at Meow Wolf
There's frequent talk of otherworldly happenings at Santa Fe's Meow Wolf. But a dust devil yesterday afternoon during the Southside Summer Wheels event outside the art space flipped a bounce house, injuring several people. Talk of the wind storm popped up almost immediately on Facebook's Santa Fe Bulletin Board group as a mother posted pictures of injuries to her scared-looking son's face. Meow Wolf says it's still investigating ($) what went on and promised lifetime passes for those hurt.
Abysmal audit
The city of Santa Fe released its way-late, way-ugly annual financial review on Friday. Independent auditors found huge problems such as lost assets, city vehicles with the wrong VIN numbers or license plates, botched bond proceed estimates and missing checks. The mayor says it's a good list of what the city needs to fix—and it kind of reads like just about everything when it comes to finances.
Judge tosses murder case over delays
Five prosecutors have worked the case of Robert Mondrian-Powell since the fall of 2016. That's when he's alleged to have shot a Nambé neighbor in the neck during a fight, killing her. Police say he admitted as much, but the case never got to trial. Citing health concerns for her client and what she felt were intentional delays in the case, Mondrian-Powell's attorney asked that the case be dismissed for unjust delay. District Court Judge T Glenn Ellington agreed that Mondrian-Powell's constitutional right to a speedy trial had been violated.
Santa Fe notches second murder
The City Different has its share of problems, but homicide usually isn't one. Police revealed Friday afternoon that they're investigating a murder—the city's second of 2018—after discovering a body at a midtown apartment complex. The victim, Michael Willms, appears to have been an accomplished wedding planner ($) who moved to New Mexico from Southern California.
It was the cops
The former Española city clerk says the police chief has been withholding public records. Anna Squires told the Rio Grande Sun that despite her resignation over transparency issues, much of her trouble stemmed from a police agency that was keeping the public in the dark because of concerns that the truth might make it look bad. Attorney General Hector Balderas' office would be in charge of investigation, should it choose to do one.
Rooms at the Taos Inn
All of them. The owners of the venerable lodge along Paseo del Pueblo Norte in the heart of town are selling the property. The asking price for the historic hotel with the cool neon sign—as well as 44 rooms and two prime acres—is $7.1 million. The real estate broker for the owners says they want owners who will largely keep the hotel the same as it's been for years.
The kids and their phrases
We've all sat behind someone at a light mumbling iterations of the vanity plate in front of us until it sort of made sense. Then again, some, like "BEEOTCH," might make us wonder if anyone is checking requests. They are, and a story by KRQE-TV reveals that the state's review committee leans on the Urban Dictionary website, where anything can purportedly mean anything, to make sure no one is getting gross.
So hot
It's pretty hot. Albuquerque hit 100 degrees over the weekend and could do it again mid-week, though the northern part of the state will get a bit of a breather today before ramping up again. Santa Fe will be in the upper 80s to bookend the week, and creep into the 90s before what's right now a slim chance of rain on the weekend. A fire started near Taos yesterday.
Thanks for reading! The Word is now reconsidering the impulse to have a bounce house to celebrate every single life milestone (weddings, funerals, college graduations, significant change of diet, reluctant purchase of a Water Pik).
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