It's Friday, June 1, 2018.
Fire season
It happened. As the Santa Fe National Forest closes today, the Ute Fire in the timber between Eagle Nest and Cimarron blew up from about 150 acres yesterday afternoon to an estimated 5,000 in a matter of hours, sending huge plumes of smoke into the evening sky. A cause hasn't been determined, and as you'll see below, it's going to be a lousy day for fighting wildfire.
Here they are
The controversy over whether Democratic candidate for governor Michelle Lujan Grisham would release her tax returns was short-lived. The New Mexicanhad asked candidates for their records, and Jeff Apodaca did so, while Joe Cervantes released limited information. It's not an established practice in a governor's race, and both Lujan Grisham and Steve Pearce—sitting members of Congress—resisted. Yesterday, Lujan Grisham posted five years' worth ($) of returns on her campaign website. A spokesman for Pearce said he'd do so if his opponent after the June 5 primary did.
Judge tosses Chan charge
A state District Court judge in Las Cruces has dismissed the first-degree murder charge ($) against former Santa Fe County Sheriff's Deputy Tai Chan, who is accused of killing fellow deputy Jeremy Martin during a drunken argument in 2014. Chan will face voluntary manslaughter charges when he goes to trial for the third time in August. The first two trials ended with juries failing to reach a verdict.
Dixon triple homicide
New Mexico State Police are investigating the deaths of three people at a home near Dixon. They've released little information, but word spreads fast in tight-knit towns, and residents seem to think it had something to do with drugs. The former girlfriend of one of the people believed to have been killed identified him to the Journal North.
Step-down treatment
Two members of the state Public Regulation Commission who are running for re-election are calling on the head of one of the commission's most ardent watchdogs to step down ($). Linda Lovejoy and Sandy Jones say Mariel Nanasi of the New Energy Economy group is illegally heading a political action committee that's spending to oppose them. Nanasi denies the claim, saying she's given money to the group but isn't one of its directors, nor did she found it. Last month, Nanasi called on Lovejoy and Jones to recuse themselves from an upcoming vote on solar electricity generation because a company involved with the deal had contributed to their campaigns.
Pipeline to prison
A New Mexico man who protested the Dakota Access Pipeline received a three-year sentence for his role in what authorities say was a road blockade and clash with police. The sentence was part of a plea agreement in which Michael Giron pleaded guilty to civil disorder. He'll get credit for some time served.
Caught
A day after the Word told you about social media being responsible for rampant onion-plundering, it's now been used for good. The Valencia County Animal Shelter reports two men who stole a male pit bull were caught after the shelter blasted the news out on Facebook and local media. With great social media power comes great social media responsibility. Unless you get elected president.
Hot, then not
It's going to be another hot day around the state, with what the National Weather Service is calling critical fire conditions. May was another hot one for New Mexico, and Roswell set a record for more 100-plus-degree high temperatures, with a dozen. There's a decent chance of rain on Sunday, and temperatures will relent.
Thanks for reading! The word hopes you stay safe this weekend!
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