Padilla charged
Former New Mexico Tax and Revenue Secretary Demesia Padilla faces embezzlement and public corruption charges. The attorney general filed a criminal complaint yesterday, charging that Padilla, a certified public accountant, stole $25,000 from a former client and then used her cabinet-level position in the Martinez administration to press for special treatment. Three of the eight counts are felonies.
Chief manager
If you think Santa Fe's acting city manager has been acting a lot like the city manager, well, you're right. Yesterday, Alan Webber named Erik Litzenberg to the post permanently ($). Litzenberg leaves behind a vacancy for fire chief, which he'll fill when he hires his replacement. Litzenberg needs to be confirmed by the City Council. Webber has yet to appoint a city clerk.
Capitol arrests
New Mexico State Police cracked down on a Roundhouse protest last night over the state's participation in Trump administration immigration policies. Police arrested three protesters from faith-based groups with criminal trespass for being in the governor's lobby after hours. They later posted a selfie while in custody. Others were cited for resisting arrest and released outside the building following the peaceful protest. SFR was there and captured some of the action on our Instagram feed.
Familiar flicker
The Screen at the old Santa Fe University of Art and Design stopped rolling movies back in April, and the community was literally a little darker for it. Yesterday, the city of Santa Fe, which owns the property, announced a partnership with the Center for Contemporary Arts to operate the facility and once again show movies. It will bring a little bit of life to the abandoned campus for at least the next year, as the city figures out what's next for the property that costs $2.3 million in loan payments each year.
High court, high stakes
Two New Mexico Supreme Court judges are not seeking reelection to the state's highest court. Petra Jimenez Maes and Charles Daniels didn't file for retention—that's how judges stay on the bench after running one contested election. That means the new governor will be able to appoint their replacements on January 1 of next year.
Gettin’ paid
Steve Pearce will get his money. After winning a lawsuit against the state over his use of federal campaign money in a statewide race, the state agreed to pay $133,000 in attorney's fees. Pearce has been pressing for the money ($), and yesterday the state said it will pay him after the new fiscal year, which starts this weekend.
What to do
It's Pride Weekend in Santa Fe, which brings a collection of reflections in SFR on how the celebration has changed, what it means, and how LGBTQ+ rights progress has manisfested itself in the world around us. It also brings a bunch of events, detailed in SFR's weekly picks. There's also a cool exhibit on Peruvian folk art at the Museum of International Folk Art that will make its way to the Railyard on Saturday evening.
What to wear
Something cool, if you're headed out this weekend. It's going to be toasty, though today's forecast for the state began with a lone, lovely word: Cooler. Still, expect highs near 90 in Northern New Mexico and in the mid-90s elsewhere. Tomorrow is expected to moderate to the mid-80s, as is Sunday, when there's a chance of evening showers. It's not the monsoon just yet, but it's trying.
Thanks for reading! The Word wonders who would win in a Friday '70s rock-off between the Steve Miller Band and Foghat. The office may find out today, much to its collective chagrin.
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