
Tragedy downtown
Tobin "Toby" Williams, a 28-year-old man who handled routine repairs at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center on Marcy Street, died yesterday due to injuries sustained on Monday ($) when he was electrocuted while working on a light fixture. It is still unclear what led to the accident.
More billz
We have a few more new laws now: Yesterday Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed into law a bill increasing starting teacher pay levels, extending school years and revising the formula that directs money to school districts. We mentioned criminal justice bills yesterday, but there are a few more we didn't mention then that we have info on today. She also signed a statewide decrim measure that makes possessing less than a half-ounce of marijuana punishable by a fine and a warning. Technically, Santa Fe has already decriminalized marijuana, but SFR found in 2016 that city cops still chose to enforce more stringent state laws. That new state law goes into effect in July.
Criminal roundup
Nothing too gnarly, but a few things worth knowing: Thieves "raided" the post office in Alcalde last week, possibly crashing a car into the building to gain access. Residents say they are missing mail and a safe might have been stolen. The building has no cameras. The New Mexican spoke to the family ($) of the local woman found dead in the Santa Fe River on March 21, who called her a loving and wonderful person who struggled with addiction. And if you saw a ruckus outside JC Penney at the Santa Fe Place Mall on Tuesday, it was because 30-year-old Michael Martinez was on a wee drunk joyride around the parking lot ($), then brandished a knife at police. He was taken into custody but refused a breath alcohol test, reportedly telling hospital staff, "It's not worth it, I'm already drunk. What's the point?"
Come and get your burgers
The state shed a few tears when the famed Buckhorn Tavern in San Antonio in Northern New Mexico closed its doors in December. But fear not! A local family, the patriarch of which says he's been going to the tavern most of his life, has purchased the restaurant, and plans to open it back up in June and keep it largely the same. GQ said the tavern has "one of 20 burgers you have to eat before you die," and the Word has driven through San Antonio many a time but has never partaken (partook? partunk?). It might be time. (Now if someone would do the same for Bobcat/Santa Fe Bite, we'd be set…)
Calling all scriveners
If you know anything about the students at New Mexico School for the Arts, it's that they're creating work that rivals stuff you'd find on any professional stage or in any gallery in town. The charter high school, which now offers majors in dance, theater, music and visual arts, is adding writing and literature to its offerings and will accept its first 20 students into the program for next fall. By the way, tonight NMSA students perform at form & concept at 6 pm, if you want to get an idea of what they're capable of.
Bring them home
Gov. Lujan Grisham has also signed a bill creating a task force for missing and murdered Indigenous women, a grossly overlooked crisis facing Native peoples in the US and Canada. State and federal officials, tribal members and advocates will collaborate with law enforcement to specifically address the problem. The Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque hosts a discussion about the issue today at 10 am.
Once you start me up, I never stop
Looking to start a small business in Santa Fe? Want to network with others interested in entrepreneurship? Curious what would make someone crazy enough to want to start their own business? Kick-Ass Entrepreneurs of Santa Fe is probably for you, then, so go to the Eldorado Hotel tonight at 6:30 pm for Entrepreneur Story Time with EMR-Bear. This week, Julia Goldberg wrote about the company and the community group for SFR in her column The Interface.
Take me out
Yeah, we know we said it was going to near 70 by the end of the week. We didn't lie on purpose, OK? But the sportsball waits for no weather, so the Albuquerque Isotopes open baseball season today in a game against the Salt Lake Bees. The game is tonight at 6:35 pm. Closer to home, the Santa Fe Fuego season doesn't open until May 30, but the Word will be there at least a few times this summer, likely sucking on a Ring Pop.
Thanks for reading! The Word is disappointed in this chill.