artdirector@sfreporter.com
Morning Word
COVID-19 by the numbers
On Friday, New Mexico health officials reported 958 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of cases to 229,509. DOH has designated 201,026 of those cases as recovered. Bernalillo County had 175 new cases, followed by Chaves County with 105 and Eddy County with 84. Santa Fe County had 41 new cases.
The state also announced nine additional deaths, including one from Santa Fe County: a male in his 40s who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions. Santa Fe County has now had 156 fatalities, and there have been 4,506 statewide. As of Friday, 362 people were hospitalized with COVID-19, a decline of 53 cases from the day prior. DOH is expected to provide a three-day COVID-19 update on cases, deaths and hospitalizations this afternoon.
Currently, 76.8% of New Mexicans 18 years and older have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 67.2% are fully vaccinated. In the 12-17-year-old age group, 58.5% people have had at least one dose and 45.9% are fully inoculated. In Santa Fe County, among those 18 years and older, 87.7% have had at least one dose and 77.2% are fully vaccinated.
Economists forecast big win for NM
State lawmakers heard good news on Friday as it relates to the state budget, with economists forecasting New Mexico will receive $8.8 billion in revenue in the coming budget year—close to $1.4 billion more than expected. “The state’s economic outlook is similarly tied to future economic stimulus, broader economic machinations and the success in fighting Covid-19,” the Legislative Finance Committee report notes. In the employment realm, New Mexico has yet to recover fully from the jobs lost in the pandemic—38.5% of which were in the hospitality and leisure sector—but total wages and salaries in the state neared pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter of 2021, and total personal income here “reached record heights during the pandemic and has continued to grow in FY21.” Oil and gas revenue played a role in the higher-than-anticipated revenue, as did consumer spending, which led to total gross receipts tax collections in FY21 that were much stronger than expected. “The rollout of the vaccine combined with businesses reopening and pent-up consumer demand in the second half of the fiscal year all contributed to more-than-estimated GRT collections,” the report says, as did the impact of the federal stimulus roll-out in March. “There’s going to be a lot more money than we know what to do with in the next few years, but it’s not going to last forever,” LFC Vice Chairman Sen. George Muñoz, D-Gallup, said during a committee discussion on education issues this week, telling the Albuquerque Journal later, “Now is the time to tackle the structural issues of New Mexico.”
DOD: NM will help host Afghan refugees
The US Department of Defense on Friday announced it is working to house 50,000 Afghan evacuees on seven different military installations across the United States, including at New Mexico’s Holloman Air Force Base. Holloman AFB will provide housing, medical, logistics and transportation support, according to a news release. “New Mexico stands ready to welcome the Afghan refugees who will be temporarily housed at Holloman Air Force Base,” US Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-NM, said in a statement. “I am closely monitoring this situation to ensure Holloman has all the resources necessary to protect the health and safety of evacuees throughout this process.” US Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-NM, issued a comparable statement, noting that “those coming to New Mexico have endured a long and difficult journey, and I’m glad our state will serve as a safe refuge” and encouraging “anyone in need of assistance to please contact my office for help.” In an additional statement, US Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-NM, acknowledged the Aug. 26 attack on the Kabul airport and the lives lost, adding: “I believe we must honor their memory by fulfilling their mission and helping everyone that we can.” DOD did not specify how many people will come to New Mexico, nor the exact timeframe for their arrival.
SFPD snares dozens in driving crackdown
Santa Fe Police wrapped up Operation Road Snare on Saturday, described as a “multi-pronged approach to combat speeding, drag racing, muffler violations, reckless driving and careless driving.” Specifically, the initiative aimed to: increase traffic enforcement in specific “zones” downtown; decrease racing, unsafe driving and associated noise in those areas; and focus on specified areas identified as frequently hosting racing in the evening and early morning hours. According to a city news release, since kicking off Operation Road Snare on July 23, SFPD has issued 50 citations, 28 verbal warnings and made one arrest. In total, as of Aug. 26, the department had made 5,312 traffic stops and issued more than 5,509 citations this year. “This is about your safety and the safety of others,” SFPD Chief Andrew Padilla said in a statement. “We want you to arrive at your destination safely. We do not want to respond to any more fatal crashes. It’s up to all of us to keep our roadways safe. Look out for pedestrians and bicyclists!”
Listen up
In the wake of former state Rep. Sheryl Williams Stapleton’s resignation amid allegations of financial misdoings, organizer and activist Kay Bounkeua was appointed to represent District 19. New Mexico In Focus senior producer Matt Grubs talks with Bounkeua, believed to be the first Asian American woman to hold office in the Legislature, about representation and redistricting.
GRRM announces new film project
If you’re wondering what George RR Martin is up to of late, he’s co-producing a short film titled Night of Cooters, based on Howard Waldrop’s story of the same name (and the title story of Waldrop’s second story collection). The story, as described by Martin in a blog post last week: “is all about the time the Martians invaded Pachuco, Texas.” Vincent D’Onofrio will direct and star as Sheriff Lindley, with animation from Trioscope Studios. Martin writes the film just wrapped principal photography in Santa Fe and says it “will come in somewhere between 20 and 30 minutes, shot with a combination of live action and state-of-the-art animation. If you loved the story, we think you will love our movie.” When will folks get to see it? “Well, that’s hard to say,” Martin notes. “We shot everything on green screen, so the post production process is going to be a lengthy one.” A final cut probably won’t be ready until early next year, and even then Martin doubts it will play at the multiplexes. “It’s a short film, as I said, and shorts just don’t get the distribution of full-length features. They hardly get any distribution at all, sad to say. I expect we will enter COOTERS in some film festivals here and there. Maybe some streamer will pick it up. Maybe we can release it on DVD or Blu-Ray. Maybe we can make a few more Waldrop movies and assemble them all into an anthology of sorts, like CREEPSHOW or TWILIGHT ZONE. One thing I can promise: we will be having a premiere somewhere down the line at the Jean Cocteau Cinema in Santa Fe.” Works for us.
On the charts
Want to help “heal the city’s historic wounds and plan a peaceful future”? That’s the job description for the city’s open call to work as a facilitator for the City of Santa Fe’s Culture, Healing, Art, Reconciliation, and Truth initiative (aka CHART). The chosen team will work under the direction of project leaders from Artful Life from September through May, with both adults and youth encouraged to apply. Facilitators will earn $20-30 an hour for five to 10 hours of work per week on flexible schedules. High school students are eligible for paid internships. According to a news release, trainings will include cultivating skills in community outreach and dialogue; interviewing; and/or arts engagement. The deadline for applications is midnight, Wednesday, Sept. 1. Here’s the application in English and in Spanish. Once the facilitation team has been assembled, the public will be invited to participate in the CHART process, organizers say. “The more residents who participate, the more the outcomes will reflect the collective perspectives, desires, and dreams of the community,” Artful Life project directors Valerie Martínez and Jenice Gharib said in a statement. “We invite every Santa Fean—young and old—to join us by participating in one or more of the many events and activities that will unfold over the next 10 months.”
Signs of Autumn
The National Weather Service forecasts a 40% chance for more scattered showers and thunderstorms today, mainly after noon. Otherwise, look for a partly sunny day with a high near 82 degrees and north wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. It may rain again this evening before 9 pm.
Thanks for reading! The Word has barely made it through her summer books, but she’s nonetheless excited about her fall reading list, and this handy chart.
