Shooter kills two at Aztec High School
Casey Marquez and Paco Fernandez, a senior and junior at Aztec High, were killed shortly after 8 am yesterday when a male gunman shot them inside the school ($). Police say the shooter is dead, though they have yet to identify him publicly. Police have yet to share how the incident unfolded, what kind of weapon was used, who killed the shooter or whether he was a student ($). An afternoon news conference instead focused on sharing support and emotions around the shooting. Authorities say the school's lockdown procedure undoubtedly saved lives. A stunned community held a vigil last night.
Legislature hides sexual harassment complaints
The Legislative Council Service says two sexual harassment complaints against maintenance staffers at the Capitol are exempt from public records law. That's after the Albuquerque Journal requested all such complaints from the past five years. The agency also did not provide a known complaint against state Sen. John Sapien, D-Corrales.
Public Ed asks for $200 million less for schools
The state Public Education Department told lawmakers yesterday that New Mexico's schools have done well with grant-driven funding and asked the Legislature for $200 million less ($) next year than the current budget. In terse questioning, Sen. Sapien, mentioned above, asked why the state was leaving it up to school districts once again to make up costs that the state won't fund. Sapien and Rep. Bobby Gonzales, D-Taos, accused the PED of stealing from traditional schools to line the pockets of charter school founders.
Gila gets more attention
The state's plan to build a diversion dam of questionable value landed on the op-ed page of the Los Angeles Times, as author Philip Connors says its a boondoggle ($), the primary purpose of which seems to be to keep water from crossing state lines and instead feeding land primarily owned by multinational mining concern Freeport-McMoRan.
Former Española employees sue mayor
Two ex-administrators for the Northern New Mexico city say Mayor Alice Lucero fired them after they raised questions about favorable zoning decisions and utility bills for her political allies. The whistleblower lawsuit says the two were told fixing past-due utility bills and using grading equipment to manicure private roads and driveways was how things are done around Española.
Protect the finger
A UNM student says he was battered and arrested by state police during a protest of alt-right darling Milo Yiannopoulos' appearance at the campus in January—for doing no more than giving a skirmish line of police the middle finger ($). Trenton Ward's lawsuit says flipping the bird was imprudent, but was protected free speech. Perhaps not unlike that of Yiannopoulos, who has spoken in favor of pedophilia.
It snowed
No, it's true. You've probably noticed if you live in Santa Fe. Good news for everyone but drivers. Also, maybe for the Word's weather credentials, which predicted a scant chance of snow. The wind will pick up today across much of the north and especially the northeast part of New Mexico. Temperatures, though frigid at the moment, are expected to warm into the low 50s for Santa Fe by tomorrow.
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