
Letting them live
New Mexico's highest court has ruled 3-2 that the last two inmates on death row will not be executed. Our state abolished the death penalty in 2009, but Timothy Allen and Robert Fry remained on death row because their sentences were handed down before the repeal. New Mexico last executed an inmate in 2001.
Senator in hot water
After rear-ending another car at Paseo de Oñate and Fairview Lane in Española, state Sen. Richard Martinez told cops conflicting stories ($ TNM) about how much alcohol he'd consumed. He then failed a few field sobriety tests and ultimately refused a Breathalyzer test. Much to Martinez' chagrin, he was arrested and charged with aggravated driving under the influence and reckless driving. Locals say they "hope he's okay."
Snakes in a car
Emergency response vehicles at Walmart in Santa Fe yesterday prompted questions on social media; turns out a woman was leaving the store when she found a red racer snake in her glove box. The snake is non-venomous, but she was understandably too startled to think of that, and she jumped out of the car. But the car was in reverse and she ended up being run over by her own vehicle, sustaining an injury to her ankle. She'll be okay, and the snake was taken by animal control.
Try again
Plaintiffs involved in the Yazzie-Martinez lawsuit regarding the dismal performance of New Mexico's public schools say that the half-billion dollars injected into the system this year just wasn't enough. The New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty filed a court brief on Friday morning that detailed how almost all of the money appropriated by the Legislature is going toward teacher salary increases, leaving little or nothing to expand programs promoted as ways to sustainably improve schools.
Southside for the summer
Are you ready for the Southside farmers market? The out-of-downtown iteration of the Railyard institution opens this Wednesday at the Presbyterian campus, and SFR's Katherine Lewin details the variety of services available in addition to local produce and foods, including a wellness program and lots more in the works.
Missing Navajo veteran
A Farmington woman is missing and her boyfriend used her ATM card after her disappearance, leading cops to believe that foul play is involved. Cecelia Finona (Navajo) is a military veteran, and family members say she and her boyfriend Jerry Jay were arguing on May 30, the night Finona disappeared ($ TNM). Jay then used her ATM card (without Finona present) in Arizona and Nevada, and was arrested in Reno. Her family found suspicious blood at her home, and continues the search for her whereabouts.
Save the churches
A new nonprofit called New Mexico Profundo aims to restore historic churches in Northern New Mexico, and we're not just talking about places like Chimayó and Taos. Think more along the lines of El Turquillo's Santa Teresita and other tiny relics to generations past. New Mexico Profundo founder Frank Graziano talked to KUNM about the organization and its goals. Keep an eye on SFR's events calendar for cultural events from July through the fall to benefit the tiny churches.
Seven inches from what?
It sure was a hot one yesterday, wasn't it? The ABQ Sunport hit 95 degrees, making it the hottest day of the year so far. Mercifully, it will be a few degrees cooler today, but that isn't saying a whole lot. We're looking at 87-ish here in town with a 35% chance of precipitation.
Thanks for reading! The Word spent the night tucked in the refrigerator, trying to solidify again after melting yesterday.