artdirector@sfreporter.com
Morning Word
Ethics Commission retracts governor’s Medicaid decision
Last January, the state Human Services Department canceled the procurement process for the selection of the managed care organizations that deliver services to New Mexico’s more than 800,465 Medicaid customers. At the time, HSD attributed the cancellation to the pending departures of former HSD Secretary David Scrase and Medicaid Director Nicole Comeaux. Scrase, in an interview with SFR last February, disputed that characterization and said he thought the emergent plan to have a consolidated health care authority might have played a larger role in the cancellation. Whatever the reason, the state Ethics Commission began investigating the cancellation and, according to a news release, concluded in April that it had violated the state’s procurement code and authorized the agency’s executive director to file appropriate civil enforcement action. As a result, retired New Mexico Supreme Court Justice Judith K. Nakamura served as mediator between the Ethics Commission, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and the Human Services Department and agreed upon a settlement released yesterday. That settlement requires HSD to rescind last January’s cancellation and to issue notices of intent to award contracts to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico; UnitedHealthcare; Molina Healthcare of New Mexico; and Presbyterian Health Plan. HSD will also notify Western Sky Community Care that it did not select it for a contract. Neither the governor nor HSD admitted any wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
Solar company announces NM expansion
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Singapore-based Maxeon Solar Technologies announced plans yesterday to open a more than $1 billion-solar cell and panel manufacturing center in Mesa del Sol in southeast Albuquerque. According to news releases from the governor’s office and the company, Maxeon’s planned 1.9 million-square-foot complex will be the first commercial-scale solar cell manufacturer in the country and is expected to employ up to 1,800 people, with construction starting next year. In a statement, Maxeon Solar Technologies CEO Bill Mulligan credited the Biden administration and said the US “is now poised to re-shore and scale up a domestic solar supply chain.” Maxeon, he said, “undertook an intensive process to assess sites across the nation to find the right home for our first US manufacturing facility…New Mexico had everything we were looking for: a strong business-friendly climate, supportive infrastructure, focus on workforce development, and deep roots in energy leadership.” Lujan Grisham, Mulligan and other officials are expected to make a public announcement this morning. In a statement, the governor said she was “proud” to welcome the company’s first US-based facility to the state, with the news release stating the project is expected to bring $4.2 billion to New Mexico over the next decade. “This private investment shows how our state programs, paired with President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, have charted a path for New Mexico as a leader in growing the clean energy economy and creating a strong workforce for the future,” she said. The project is subject to approval under the US Department of Energy’s Title 17 Clean Energy Financing Program.
Virgin Galactic launches space tourism
Virgin Galactic’s Galactic ‘02 successfully completed its trip to suborbit yesterday, launching from Spaceport America in Southern New Mexico with mother and daughter Keisha Schahaff and Anastatia Mayers on board, along with octogenarian Jon Goodwin. The company touted the many firsts represented by the trip, including that it was the first one by female astronauts from the Caribbean; the first mother-daughter duo; the most women flown in a single space mission; and the first Olympian to go to space (Goodwin). The company’s third commercial spaceflight is planned for September. “Today Virgin Galactic took another historic leap forward by flying our first private astronaut mission and demonstrating how our spaceflights will broaden access to space,” Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier said in a statement. “Jon, Keisha and Ana each embody our fundamental belief that space is for everyone, and we are proud that today’s flight has inspired people and communities around the world. This is just the beginning, as we plan to continue flying monthly spaceflights while also developing our Delta Class production spaceships to scale our business.” VSS Unity Commander CJ Sturckow described yesterday’s flight as “a surreal and humbling experience,” noting that “the wonder and excitement of spaceflight never loses its magic.” As for the private astronauts, upon landing Schahaff told the Albuquerque Journal the flight had been “a childhood dream come true. I’ve been to space and back with my daughter.” Watch the post-flight press conference here.
NM reports more West Nile virus
West Nile virus cases in New Mexico continue to rise, the state health department reported yesterday, with eight newly identified cases bringing the total count to 10 this year. Among these cases, two individuals are currently hospitalized, five have been discharged post-hospitalization, and three residents did not require admission. The initial two infections of the year were confirmed and reported in late July. The most recent infections included Santa Fe residents, as well as ones in Bernalillo, San Miguel, Sandoval, Torrance and Valencia counties. DOH says West Nile virus also has been detected in eight horses and two birds across Doña Ana, Los Alamos, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Sierra, Taos, Torrance, Union and Valencia counties. DOH Public Health Veterinarian Erin Phipps urged horse owners to keep their horses up to date with vaccination against West Nile Virus. No such vaccination exists for humans. The virus primarily transmits through mosquitos. “The emergence of these new cases serves as a reminder of the continued threat posed by West Nile virus,” Deputy State Epidemiologist Dr. Chad Smelser said in a statement. “As mosquito activity increases during this season, it is imperative that we remain vigilant and adopt measures to protect ourselves and our communities.” Those measures include insect repellent, eradicating water-holding containers and wearing long sleeves and pants during prime mosquito time at dawn and dusk. Find more info on West Nile Virus here.
Listen up
New Mexico-based author Jenn Shapland’s new essay collection Thin Skin publishes Aug. 15 to great anticipation. A description from the publisher reads: “Weaving together historical research, interviews and her everyday life in New Mexico, Shapland probes the lines between self and work, human and animal, need and desire.” Shapland joins the local radio program Coffee and Culture co-host Matthew Chase-Daniel on the show’s most recent episode for a discussion on her forthcoming book, along with moths, art, vegetarianism and myriad other topics. Catch new episodes of the show on KTRC 1260 or 103.7 FM Saturdays and Sundays.
Hot wheels
This summer’s record-breaking heat has spotlit climate change’s impact on workers who labor in conditions without reprieve from high temperatures. The Guardian takes a specific look at food-truck operators as part of its Our Unequal Earth series on environmental injustice, with an emphasis on food systems, sponsored by the 11th Hour Project. The story begins in Albuquerque, where Los Pookies food truck owner Luis Dominguez has tried to revamp his truck this summer to cool off conditions. “We’ve done everything we can,” Dominguez tells The Guardian. But, “it is very hot in the food truck. We have the grill going, the fryers going and it is metal walls all the way around. So it’s basically like a little oven.” The story takes a specific look at what the future might hold for desert Southwest food trucks, talking with a variety of New Mexico food truck owners about how they have gotten through this summer and how they plan to cope going forward. Some say their partnerships with breweries or other establishments are key, as they provide cool environments in which they can take breaks, find water or even ice to help cool off their mobile swamp coolers. Some in New Mexico say they can envision adopting later hours, as trucks have done in places like Phoenix. They don’t, for what it’s worth, intend to give up. Dominguez attributes that resolution to food truck workers’ strong work ethic. “We don’t care if it’s 200 degrees outside or negative 30, we’ll be out selling,” he tells The Guardian. “We have to, just because that’s how we make ends meet.”
Land of Enchantment odds & ends
In what passes for good news, New Mexico’s golfers do not drink the most in the country. According to a recent report that calculates beers per 18-hole-round, New Mexico ties with North Carolina for third place, with golfers here drinking 4.3 beers per round. Florida and Texas golfers placed first and second with 4.8 and 4.6 beers per 18-holes, respectively. Food & Wine, meanwhile, turns its attention to…Thanksgiving. Specifically, the magazine offers up the 20 best pies to order from bakeries around the country for the holiday 104 days from now and includes Chocolate Maven’s Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Lattice on the list. Chocolate Maven, by the way, also won four awards in SFR’s 2023 Best of Santa Fe food and drink section in the bread, croissant, cake and dessert categories—first place in the latter two. The Points Guy includes New Mexico’s Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail on its list of the eight best foodie trails in the US, noting that “with 52 stops, you could technically hit one spot each week over the course of a year, or you can take a more strategic trip—from around two to three regions—to get the job done.” Also on the food beat, Travel Lens recommends the 20 best restaurants in Taos. Lastly, on the fall travel side, Travel & Leisure’s New Mexico picks for the best fall festivals in each state is the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta on Oct. 7-15.
A potentially wet weekend
The National Weather Service forecasts a 40% chance for scattered showers and thunderstorms today and tonight, mainly after 3 pm and before midnight. Otherwise, it should be partly sunny, with a high temperature near 88 degrees and north wind 10 to 15 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Saturday’s likelihood of storms after noon rises to 60%, with a high temperature near 84 degrees. Sunday’s temps should be about the same, with a slight chance for even more storms.
Thanks for reading! Rain or shine, The Word plans to celebrate Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary by attending tonight’s Railyard concert with The Pharcyde (here’s a WaPo explainer about why it’s hip-hop’s 50th anniversary and here’s some music to get you in the mood).
