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COVID-19 by the numbers
New Mexico health officials yesterday reported 230 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the statewide total so far to 194,605. The health department has designated 176,031 of those cases as recovered. Bernalillo County ha 67 new cases, followed by Doña Ana County with 39 and San Juan County with 33. Santa Fe County had nine new cases.
The state also announced one additional death; there have now been 3,997 fatalities. As of yesterday, 118 people were hospitalized with COVID-19, four more than yesterday.
Currently, 53.7% of New Mexicans have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 36.8% are fully vaccinated. In Santa Fe County, 57% have had at least one dose and 36.8% are fully inoculated.
Close to 11% of New Mexicans 18 and older hesitant about receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, according to a new Vaccination Tracker released this week by the US Census Bureau. The federal agency says the tracker uses data from its Household Pulse Survey, which includes questions about COVID-19 vaccinations and attitudes toward vaccinations. Within that group, 47.8% cite concerns about side effects; 39.1% say they don’t trust COVID-19 vaccines and 37.2% plan to wait and see if the vaccines are safe.
US Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-NM, referenced the data yesterday during the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Media and Broadband’s first hearing, which he chaired. Titled “Shot of Truth: Communicating Trusted Vaccine Information,” the hearing focused on how media is disseminating vaccine safety and COVID-health related information, and included testimony from New Mexico Health Secretary Dr. Tracie Collins.
You can read all of SFR’s COVID-19 coverage here. If you’ve had experiences with COVID-19, we would like to hear from you.
Indian Market go time
The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts plans to resume an in-person Indian Market this summer with the new twist of selling tickets to limit crowds. “Having human interaction, just being so excited about having an Indian Market after a long year of tragedy is exciting to me,” says Kim Peone, association director. “It’s such a community event for us, and if there’s one thing we miss, it’s community.” Though she says it’s too early to announce what the specifics of pricing or traffic flow might be, Indian Market will maintain its Aug. 21 and 22 dates and also include virtual elements such as an online sales platform and the 3D interactive NDN World experience. The summer’s other big markets saw the same fate in 2020, and the International Folk Art Market was the first to announce it would put on an event this year.
Moonshot for broadband
New Mexico is infusing $133 million into broadband projects with the intention of leveraging the cash into bigger pots of federal money. A study by the Department of Information Technology estimated between 13-20% of the state does not have access to broadband internet and said lighting up those dark spots has a price tag of $2-$5 billion. Shaun Griswold reports for New Mexico in Depth that the department will launch a new office to serve as a planning hub to coordinate broadband expansion throughout the state. “We’re back in the 1930s when the whole country decided we’re going to build our electricity lines,” Rep. Natalie Figueroa, D-Albuquerque, said. “The essentials: electricity, running water. We’re now saying broadband. This is an essential thing.” New Mexico leaders say their investment is already not standing alone—about $788 million in stimulus money is on its way through federal pandemic aid, mostly for schools, tribal broadband development and internet subsidies for low-income homes.
College collaboration
Five colleges and their students would benefit in a few years from a legislative appropriation of $3 million that creates a new alliance and a path for shared software. Santa Fe Community College, Northern New Mexico College, Clovis Community College, Central New Mexico Community College and San Juan College plan to procure a platform to hold all of the schools’ financial records and student accounts, including admissions and financial aid operations, under one umbrella. The colleges formed a nonprofit called the Collaborative for Higher Education Shared Services and leaders say it’s the first of its kind in the country where public, independent colleges voluntarily collaborate as independent institutions. Students won’t have to submit multiple admission applications and registrations and schools won’t have to process them, and the number of student and employee records will also decrease, they say.
Listen up
What did you do during the early days of the pandemic? Nambe Trading Post proprietor Cathy Smith, an Emmy award-winning costume designer, used the time to expand the Trading Post and create a new Museum of Western Film and Costume. KSFR’s John Shannon recently spoke with Smith about the undertaking. “This is the only museum of its kind in the Southwest,” Smith tells him, “and the only museum of its kind in the country that features Native American film costumes and regalia.” Smith said she had participated in many committees over the years intent on creating a New Mexico film museum, but they tended to get “tied up in politics” and come to naught. She decided to build her own museum with her partner and daughter, because she owns so many costumes from iconic Westerns.
Outer Range in NM
The New Mexico Film Office yesterday announced the television series Outer Range, produced by Amazon Studios and Plan B Entertainment, is shooting in Las Vegas and Albuquerque, and employing approximately 200 to 300 New Mexico crew members and 2,000 New Mexico background and extras. Outer Range’s story centers on Royal Abbott (Josh Brolin), a rancher fighting for his land and family, who discovers an unfathomable mystery at the edge of Wyoming’s wilderness. Other cast members include Imogen Poots (I Know This Much Is True), Lili Taylor (Perry Mason) and Tamara Podemski (Four Sheets to the Wind). “Outer Range is a major production employing thousands of New Mexicans over several months,” Film Office Director Amber Dodson said in a statement. “We are so excited about this television series that will feature so many of New Mexico’s diverse landscapes and are grateful Amazon Studios has chosen New Mexico.”
Because your old couch doesn’t belong in an arroyo
It may not rise to the level of Fiesta or Christmas, but Santa Fe’s Free Trash Day has been known to lure local crowds...and their garbage. The Santa Fe Solid Waste Management Agency will host the annual event from 8 am to 4:45 pm tomorrow, April 17, wherein city and county residents can cast off their muck at Buckman Road Recycling and Transfer Station (BuRRT) and Caja del Rio Landfill for free. Acceptable dross includes regular garbage, large appliances, furniture and building materials. Fees will still be charged for green waste, household hazardous waste, electronic waste and tires. Rules: Customers are limited to one load; two people per vehicle, wearing face masks at all times and staying within their parking spaces and six feet away from anyone else. Be prepared to wait; as noted, the event is popular.
Take it as it comes
True New Mexicans would not dare utter a word of complaint about water falling from the sky, so hopefully this weekend is your opportunity to practice that. The forecast for today calls for mostly sunny skies with a high of 57 degrees, then there are chances of rain and snow Saturday and Sunday with low temps below freezing overnight.
Thanks for reading! The Word really hopes the British police track down Darius, the world’s longest rabbit (there’s a sentence you don’t write every day). The Word also thinks she may be in need of this free 24-hour serenity festival on Sunday.
