'Grave passive neglect'
A young Santa Fe man who was killed by police just hours after being released from the hospital in July showed signs that he was incapable of caring for himself due to his mental state. His sister is already suing the cops who shot him, and now she's added a negligence claim against Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center to the alleged causes of his wrongful death. Lawyers say Anthony Benavidez was in a state of "grave passive neglect," a condition that made it "more likely than not that serious bodily harm will result in the near future."
Finding the right word
An unknown person is again playing Mad Libs with the Plaza obelisk in downtown Santa Fe, filling in words in blank spots that once described area Natives with a racist term. Long ago, the word "savage" was chiseled away from the monument, and this week someone added the word "resilient." Last time someone suggested "courageous" as the missing word, the city removed the marker message, deeming it graffiti.
Two to die?
It's been nearly two decades since New Mexico executed a prisoner. The state has since banned the death penalty, but there are still two men on death row. The state Supreme Court is hearing arguments from defense attorneys who say that since Robert Fry and Timothy Allen face a penalty that was banned in 2009, the state should impose a sentence other than death. The Attorney General's Office says the sentences were proportionate.
Facing cruelty
Alleged dog killer Sara Mauter has apparently waived extradition to New Mexico to face animal cruelty charges. She's in Maricopa County, Arizona, which is notoriously awful, so perhaps that's no surprise. Police think she purposely left five dogs to die in a hot car in Albuquerque. She was transporting them for a client with her husband, who delivered five of his six dogs in ill health. The sixth is missing.
Coming into the world
Birthing services aren't so easy to find in Northern New Mexico. Yet, the patchwork of care is getting two additions this year with the reopening of the hospital birthing unit at Las Vegas and a new ward planned at the yet-to-open Presbyterian hospital on Santa Fe's Southside.
Not enough cash
Santa Fe Public Schools is facing a budget deficit of over $1 million for the next fiscal year, and that's despite a per-student increase in money from the state to the district. Declining enrollment by about 300 students and raises for teachers required by the Legislature are two reasons the district cites ($) for the gap.
The chopping block
Cashflow continues to be an issue for UNM athletics. The university regents heard a plan from new president Garnett Stokes, who collected recommendations from a campuswide task force that suggests cutting some sports ($) to get on top of a decade of debt in the program. The school's new athletic director says he'll take until July to finalize which of the 22 teams will hit the chopping block.
Woman of influence
Who's the most inspirational woman in New Mexico? According to a new report aiming to highlight pay disparity between men and women, it's not the first female governor or president of the university—it's the ass-kicking Rapunzel-haired preacher's daughter Holly Holm. The Albuquerque athlete has won titles in both boxing and MMA is on a new list of women, between the likes of Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona and Beyonce in Texas.
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