
Put it there if it weighs a ton
Last week the president threatened to send refugees to so-called "Sanctuary Cities" as seeming payback for mayors with whom he disagrees on immigration issues. Many mayors of those cities have responded along the lines of: "Sure! We'll take 'em." Mayor Alan Webber of Santa Fe is one such mayor; he says that we will "live our values" ($) and care for anyone sent this way. He's working with mayors in Las Cruces and Albuquerque, as well as the governor's office, to develop a plan.
Bye, Mike
Santa Fe City Councilor Mike Harris will not seek reelection in the recently-moved-to-November municipal race. Harris cites personal reasons, as well as how he and his wife will soon be moving out of District 4 (that's Midtown).
Stay in school, ’cause it’s the best
Students across the state could be in school longer every year. Santa Fe Public Schools Superintendent Veronica Garcia says some younger kids will have the opportunity to stay in school an extra 25 days, and high-school students could get an extra 10; but the program is not mandatory, she says, and will vary from school to school. It aims to help overburdened parents who can't find or afford summer programs. Funding for such programs was approved by the Legislature this year, and districts aren't sure how much they'll get yet, so this plan is still just in its beginning stages.
Mourning in Albuquerque
A Tuesday fire in an Albuquerque apartment complex killed one child and injured two others. Ja'Zay Simpson, age 10, died in the fire, and the injured children are believed to be his siblings. His family chose to publicly identify him yesterday, and his fourth-grade friends mourn his absence. The suspected cause of the fire has not been released.
Fine for now
After the governor's pick for head of the Department of Corrections declined the offer in January, it left a hole in the Lujan Grisham Cabinet. Now, however, she's named an interim head of that department in Alisha Tafoya Lucero, who has worked a number of roles in corrections since 2001.
She likes him
Unsurprisingly, US Rep. Ben Ray Luján has received an endorsement from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi ($), with whom he works closely in Washington, DC, and who has become a mentor to the New Mexico congressman. Luján is making a run for the up-for-grabs-in-2020 US Senate seat currently occupied by Tom Udall.
For want of infrastructre
In other corrections news, the jail in Estancia, in Torrance County, might reopen. Residents interviewed by KOB say the town has been crippled since the jail closed in 2017, and that they would heartily welcome its reopening. Not only were jobs lost, but deputies must now transport offenders to Santa Fe County (a three-hour trip) if they need to be incarcerated. One potential partner is US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Flashing light explanation
The first DWI checkpoint right on the Plaza in more than a decade Tuesday night saw tons of cop cars on San Francisco Street, and netted SFPD two citations ($). Neither citation was for drunken driving. SFPD says that shop owners downtown have been asking for such an operation. Also, side note, here's an idea as we enter the busy season: Don't go out of your way to post to social media where DWI checkpoints are. Sure, maybe you'll help some sober folks avoid a delay, but you may also be helping drunk folks circumvent checkpoints. Just a thought.
Thanks for reading! The Word celebrated Taco Wednesday at Paloma last night and had the sweetest dreams ever.