
Just stay home
More hunters are dead after looking for the fabled Fenn treasure, and a feature in Money magazine could draw even more folks. A year ago, SFR told you about Forrest Fenn and the treasure he claims to have hidden somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, and just this week, two people died in the Yellowstone area in search of it.
Profiting off asylum-seekers
In a not terribly surprising turn, small towns in New Mexico that have seen jobs evaporate and prisons close are now seeing windfalls as those facilities are opened up to house migrants. Searchlight New Mexico takes a look at the effect of Immigration and Customs Enforcement contracts on towns like Estancia.
Why was nothing done?
In 2012, a teacher at Santo Niño Regional Catholic School, Aaron Dean Chavez, was accused by students of groping them in 2007. He continued to teach at the school. In 2016, he was accused again, ended up in court and was finally convicted last year. So what happened with those accusations in 2012? New Mexico State Police won't say. The department claims that the investigation into why charges were never filed involves "personnel" issues, and as SFR has investigated, internal disciplinary actions are notoriously under lock and key in our law enforcement agencies.
Shedding light on man’s death
A few weeks ago we told you about the death of Vicente Villela, an inmate in Albuquerque's Metropolitan Detention Center who died after being improperly restrained by guards. Turns out there is video of the whole thing, and his death has been classified a homicide. The guards who were involved have been assigned to desk duty during the investigation. The Albuquerque Journal filed a public records request and provides a comprehensive look at the entire chain of events.
Keeping it green
This week's cover story from SFR was written by students from the New Mexico Fund for Public Interest Journalism's internship program, and it offers an in-depth look at some of Santa Fe Community College's sustainability programs and facilities. Food grown with the help of fish, mega-greenhouses, algae, educational outreach … we looked at it all, and the students did a really stellar job. And basically, we figure that when the climate apocalypse comes, SFCC's campus is the place to be if you want to survive.
Living in fear
The president wants to be reelected, and he's launching his campaign on the backs of "millions" of undocumented immigrants that he wants to see "removed" and arrested. Marisa Demarco at KUNM reports on how fear is impacting New Mexican families, and offers a link from Somos un Pueblo Unido about knowing your rights in the event that Immigration and Customs Enforcement comes knocking.
Never mind
A planned rally by Cowboys for Trump hasn't been cancelled, it's just been recast. The group reportedly couldn't afford the $600 parade fee from the City of Santa Fe, so rather than ride their horses from the rodeo grounds to the Roundhouse, the cowboys will mount their steel horses instead ($ TNM) and drive down to the capitol building at 11 am today. City spokeswoman Lilia Chacon said, "This is a fee the city charges to anyone wanting to have a parade. We're not trying to interfere with anyone's First Amendment rights."
Wedder
Today will be dry 'n' breezy, much like yesterday, if perhaps a few degrees cooler. But just a few. This weekend is set to see more of the same. And, as promised yesterday, we woke up to the smell of smoke, and it's coming from Arizona. (Here's another cool satellite image.)
Thanks for reading! The Word is looking forward to lots of fun this weekend, not limited to Turkuaz at the Railyard, the Cody Old West Show and Béla Fleck in Taos. Oh, and thrift-shoppin' for new opera duds, because the season starts next weekend!