Spy kids
SFR has discovered that Santa Fe Public Schools has hired a private investigator in an attempt to verify where some students live. One Rancho Viejo resident says a pickup truck came driving down his long driveway, and when he asked the driver what he wanted, the man asked if he lived at the home. Tom Johnson says he asked who the guy was and got no response. Neighbors at another home Johnson owns elsewhere in town say there was someone asking about him there, too. His grandchildren attend Amy Biehl Community School, where the district has capped enrollment. SFPS would not release the private investigator's contract to SFR.
Girls soccer game devolves into brawl
Albuquerque soccer organizers are investigating a racially charged soccer game between two teams that end in a fight between the girls and included parents. The melee at the Saturday game between the mostly Latina Alameda 99 and the mostly white Rio Galaxy drew Santa Ana Pueblo Police to the soccer fields, though no arrests were made. Each side claims racial slurs were used, and one of the Alameda parents says a large man put his teenage daughter in a headlock.
Webber hires chief of staff
If you're scratching your head a little and mumbling, "I don't remember a chief of staff at City Hall," you're right. Jarel LaPan Hill will be taking a new position ($) created by Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber to help shepherd his initiatives. Webber will also move constituent services under the mayor's office, as well as sustainability and neighborhood intiatives.
Blow ahead
The Public Regulation Commission gave approval for a huge wind farm south of Portales that Xcel Energy says will save customers money because there will be no fuel costs for the power. The Sagamore wind farm will be paired with another project across the border in Texas. Construction on the New Mexico side is expected to begin next year.
Water you doing?
It's been a while since John Fleck left a longtime environmental reporting gig at the Albuquerque Journal, but the head of UNM's Water Resources Program scratched an itch this week in reporting that the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (no wonder it uses the ABCWUA acronym) has grown disenchanted with efforts to clean up the Kirtland Air Force Base fuel spill. A new plan by the state Environment Department and the Air Force "allows for no active remediation" of the spill, an ABCWUA memo says. The water utility can't regulate cleanup, but has served as a community voice for concern over the contamination of the city's water supply.
More warm, wind
The end of the week promises to be a warm one across the state. Santa Fe could hit 70 degrees, which would mark the first time this year. Across the state, winds will kick up this afternoon and tomorrow, with spotty chances for rain over the next few days, but nothing terribly promising at this point.
Thanks for reading! The Word knows you intend to get busy in the yard this weekend. That intent counts for something … but not everything.
Spread the Word! Forward this to a friend or enemy. And subscribe at sfreporter.com/signup.
The dollar signs ($) are links that require a paid subscription to the news source.
