artdirector@sfreporter.com
Morning Word
COVID-19 by the numbers
New Mexico health officials yesterday reported 1,309 new COVID-19 cases for the three-day period of Aug. 7-9, bringing the total number of cases to 215,098. The Department of Health has designated 197,693 of those cases as recovered.
Bernalillo County had 339 new cases, followed by Eddy County with 131 and Chaves County with 87 cases. Santa Fe County had 58 new cases.
No new deaths were announced, leaving the total number of fatalities at 4,425. As of yesterday, 190 people were hospitalized with COVID-19.
Currently, 74.1% of New Mexicans 18 years and older have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 65.5% are fully vaccinated. In the 12-17-year-old age group, 52.6% have had at least one dose and 40.6% have been fully vaccinated. In Santa Fe County, among those 18 years and older, 86.1% have had at least one dose and 76.2% are fully inoculated.
You can read all of SFR’s COVID-19 coverage here.
Concert series announces vaccine policy
AMP Concerts has announced it will be requiring proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID test at several upcoming shows. In its Monday newsletter, the organization says the new policy comes “at the request of a number of touring artists and venues,” and will be in place for the Ghost Ranch Weekend, Mt Joy & Trampled by Turtles and all shows at the Lensic Performing Arts Center, which now requires anyone attending a performance—patrons, artists, staff, volunteers and backstage crew—provide proof of full vaccination or the results of a negative COVID-19 test taken within the previous 72 hours to gain admittance. Last Friday, more than two dozen federal, state and local elected officials—including most of the congressional delegation, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Mayor Alan Webber and Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe—issued a public letter urging businesses and others in the private sector to implement vaccine policies. “As you know or may have heard, New Mexico’s statewide new COVID-19 case rate, as of early August, has reached a six-month high,” the letter says. “Infections, increasing sharply once again, are driven by the so-called Delta variant of the virus, which epidemiologists report is up to four times more infectious than the strains of COVID-19 our state has dealt with to this point.” The letter then points out that while most infections since February have impacted unvaccinated people, ongoing vaccine hesitancy elevates health risks for vaccinated people, while potentially also worsening “workforce reentry” and spurring more consumer hesitancy. “Vaccination policies in the public and private sectors can serve to prevent these negative outcomes,” the letter notes.
PNM merger hearings begin
Strong consumer opinions marked the start of formal hearings yesterday on a proposed merger between Public Service Company of New Mexico and Connecticut-based Avangrid. The Public Regulation Commission will begin evidentiary hearings at 9 am tomorrow, slated to run through Aug. 20. While the evidentiary hearings won’t be open for public comment, yesterday’s online events were, showcasing a divided response to the merger. Some speakers expressed concerns about the merger and pointed toward problems with Avangrid’s service in other states. “In my research, I couldn’t find even one good review about Avangrid,” the Albuquerque Journal reports one resident saying. “They’ve had power outages of up to four days, and bills have tripled.” Concerns about options for ratepayers and regulatory control also surfaced at the meeting. On the other hand, several business, environmental and union groups expressed support for the merger, saying Avangrid will provide the state both economic benefit and the financial wherewithal to reach its renewable energy goals.
Feds offer plea to Trump cowboy
Federal prosecutors have offered a plea agreement to Cowboys for Trump founder and Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin to resolve misdemeanor criminal charges against him stemming from the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol. Griffin, profiled by CNN in its “paths to insurrection” series, also faces a recall effort in Otero County, and has denied he knowingly entered or remained in any restricted building or grounds without lawful entry—charges that carry a maximum prison sentence of one year. As for the recall effort, the Alamogordo Daily News reports the Committee to Recall Couy Griffin announced in late July it had collected 504 of the 1,574 signatures required to trigger a recall election; that group hopes to collect sufficient names in order to qualify for a recall election to appear on the Nov. 2 general election ballot. The recall complaint alleges instances of Griffin violating the Governmental Conduct Act, Gift Act and Open Meetings Act.
Listen up
In the first of a month-long series of podcasts, Augmented Humanity—produced by the New Mexico Humanities Council in partnership with KUNM—takes a look at the future of technology and its impact on humanity (think artificial intelligence doing everything from harvesting food to helping people hack their genes). Part 1 focuses on Steve Hoffman, aka Captain Hoff, the CEO of Founders Space and author of The Five Forces That Change Everything.
Feed the world
The Guardian considers amaranth’s potential to feed the world and, for Indigenous women, play a role in reclaiming Indigenous food systems. The story specifically profiles the work of Beata Tsosie-Peña (Santa Clara Pueblo), the coordinator for Tewa Women United’s environmental health and justice program. A group of mostly Maya Achì women from the Guatemalan town of Rabinal visited Tsosie-Peña just over 10 years ago to show her how to plant and cultivate amaranth. Those first seeds are now part of a public garden she maintains of the plant, described by the Guardian as “a complete protein with all nine essential amino acids,” and a “highly nutritious source of manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and antioxidants that may improve brain function and reduce inflammation.” For Tsosie-Peña, “this is a plant that could feed the world,” but also one with cultural importance. “Our food, our ability to feed ourselves, is the foundation of our freedom and sovereignty as land-based peoples,” she says.
Something to write home about
Buyers in Santa Fe’s luxury home market will find their dollars go far, according to Forbes, at least compared to California and other second-home markets. And who wouldn’t want a second home here? After all, “Santa Fe, New Mexico, is one of those places everyone seems to love,” Forbes notes. Despite our lovability, even long-time locals have been taken aback at the sudden surge in the luxury real estate market (not to mention its impact on the housing market for everyone else). “We have seen unbelievable levels of demand over the last year. We are looking at 20 percent appreciation and multiple offers on properties at all price points,” Barker Realty Chief Operating Officer Kyle Klain tells Forbes. Barker Associate Broker Mark Banham concurs, saying the current market cycle is “unlike any other,” both in intensity and duration, as well as the demographics of the buyers: “Typically, our large feeder market was California. Now I’m selling property to second-home buyers and some who are moving here as their primary residence to people from New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Florida,” Banham says.
Not quite in the clear
After several hot and smoky days, the National Weather Service says today might include some isolated showers and thunderstorms after 3 pm on an otherwise mostly cloudy day with a high near 89 degrees. Local air quality, which has been poor due to the Dixie Fire in California, should begin to improve.
Thanks for reading! The Word has been known to enjoy the occasional architectural tour, and has now bookmarked a series of virtual ones should she have the urge.
