Bus money
After walking around for a year or so like somebody scrounging for change at the gas pumps outside an Alls … er, convenience store … Albuquerque finally landed $75 million in federal funding for the ART bus rapid transit system that it already built but that doesn't work yet.
Settled
New Mexico has settled a lawsuit by two civil rights groups, and promises to ease its requirements for ID cards and driving credentials under the state's two-tiered plan. A number of plaintiffs, including former Santa Fe Mayor David Coss, filed suit because they said motor vehicle clerks were asking for far more stringent identification documents than the state's law allows. The state says it'll back off.
‘You’ve been served, bitch’
Those are the alleged words of New Mexico State Police officer Joseph Harris to a funeral home director last month. Rio Rancho Police say Harris was off duty and marched into the funeral home aggressively, shoving the paperwork into the funeral director's chest. Harris used to work for Sandoval County, where he crashed his patrol truck into a car and claimed he was chasing a speeding motorcyclist. He's being sued in that case.
A tale of three schools
Santa Fe Public Schools' student population has been tilting southwest-ward for years now. Decisions to close campuses like Nava and EJ Martinez have been fought tooth and nail, while closing higher-performing schools in the wealthier parts of the city seems to be off the table, thanks in part to an influx of out-of-neighborhood students whose parents want them to go to a better school. Aaron Cantú traveled to three schools this week to tell their stories.
Moving forward
Santa Fe's school district had a board meeting last night, in which Superintendent Veronica Garcia told board members and others in attendance that the district isn't stagnating ($). State education chief Chris Ruszkowski singled Garcia out for criticism during comments made as the state released its school grades. A majority of Santa Fe's schools got a D or an F. Garcia and others (including Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Pearce) have called the A-F system implemented under Gov. Martinez a flawed plan. Proficiency numbers in Santa Fe lag the state slightly, with not even 3 of 10 students reading at grade level and just 17.6 percent performing grade-level math problems propertly.
Unsolved, but not cold
Santa Fe has had three murders this year. All of them are unsolved. SFR dug into the city's homicide cases and clearance rates going back a decade, and found that the city averages 3.9 murders a year. Two out of three get solved; that's slightly better than the national average.
Chile crackdown!
State agriculture inspectors are combing the land and the roadside stands making sure those who are advertising New Mexico green chile for roasting or in other products aren't lying and subsituting inferior chile from some place like Colorado in the hope that someone will place value on the stuff. Go forth, brave inspectors.
Chilly smackdown!
Today and tomorrow are going to be unseasonably cool, especially in the northern mountains. Santa Fe's highs are expected to be somewhere in the upper 70s, with a strong chance of rain. It could get heavy at times. Storms are especially likely in the west and central New Mexico.
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