artdirector@sfreporter.com
COVID-19 by the numbers
New Mexico health officials yesterday reported 4,688 new COVID-19 cases for the three-day period of Feb. 5-7, an approximate 50% decline from the prior week’s three-day weekend totals. The new cases bring the statewide total so far to 494,368; DOH has designated 361,015 of those cases as recovered. The statewide test positivity rate on a seven-day rolling average continues to decline: from 23.3% to 20.7% (the target is 7.5%).
Bernalillo County had 1,371 cases, followed by Doña Ana County with 829 and San Juan County with 358. Santa Fe County had 230 new cases.
According to the state’s most recent vaccination report, over the four-week period between Jan. 3 and Jan. 31, 55.5% of COVID-19 cases were among those who had not completed their primary vaccination series, as were 77.4% of hospitalizations and 92.8% of deaths.
The state also reported 20 additional deaths, 14 of them recent and six from more than 30 days ago, including a female in her 60s from Santa Fe County who had been hospitalized and had underlying conditions. Santa Fe County has now had 237 deaths; there have been 6,555 statewide. As of yesterday, 565 people were hospitalized with COVID-19, 8% fewer than last Friday.
Currently, 91.4% percent of adults 18 years and older have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 77.5% have completed their primary series. Among the same demographic, 42.6% have had a booster shot. In the 12-17-year-old age group, 70.4% of people have had at least one dose and 60% have completed their primary series. Among children ages 5-11, 36.6% have had at least one dose of the Pfizer vaccine and 25.9% have completed their primary series. In Santa Fe County, 99% of people 18 and older have had at least one dose and 86.5% have completed their primary series.
New Mexicans can register for a COVID-19 vaccine here, schedule a COVID-19 vaccine booster here and view a public calendar for vaccine availability here. Parents can add dependents to their vaccine profiles here. You can read the guidelines for quarantine and isolation here.
You can order free at-home COVID-19 tests here and find other testing options at findatestnm.org. New Mexicans living in ZIP codes disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 may be eligible for five free tests through Accesscovidtest.org. The health department is offering drive-through PCR testing through Feb. 21; to find an appointment (recommended only for people with symptoms), register here.
You can read all of SFR’s COVID-19 coverage here.
Hydrogen bill kaput; voter protection, loan interest caps progress
Prospects for one of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s signature efforts this legislative session—the Hydrogen Hub Development Act—appear dim after legislative attempts to keep it afloat tanked. House Speaker Brian Egolf, D-Santa Fe, said yesterday a revised version of the bill, which sought to address the overwhelming criticism of the initiative, has been withdrawn from its only committee. Egolf tells the Albuquerque Journal the bill will stay where it is, aka nowhere, until “day 31″ of the 30-day session (which ends at noon on Feb. 17). Senate Bill 8, a voters rights bill backed by the governor and Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, no longer has a provision that would have allowed 16- and 17-year-olds to vote, but the Senate Rules Committee passed the bill yesterday and it continues to have a legislative path forward (albeit a challenging one due to numerous committee assignments). And, a bill aimed at ending the state’s predatory lending problems progressed yesterday: The House passed HB 132, which reduces the maximum annual interest rate for loans made under the New Mexico Bank Installment Loan Act and New Mexico Small Loan Act from 175% to 36%; the legislation also would limit maximum loan terms for loans of $10,000 or less to a period of 24 months. The bill now goes to the Senate.
“Rust” medic files suit
Valencia County resident Cherlyn Schaefer, the medic on the Rust film set, has filed a lawsuit against Rust Movie Productions, along with numerous defendants including assistant director Dave Halls; armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed and Bonanza Creek Ranch, the film’s location. The suit does not name actor/producer Alec Baldwin, who fired the gun on Oct. 21 containing live ammo that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza. The suit says that prior to the shooting, Schaefer worked regularly on film sets as a medic. On that day, she “ordered the call for emergency first responders;” observed “firsthand” the gun shot injuries suffered by both Hutchins and Souza; determined Hutchins had “suffered more serious wounds;” and provided “immediate emergency medical assistance.” In so doing, the suit claims, Schaefer “fought desperately to save” Hutchins’ life “putting pressure on her wounds, giving her oxygen, checking her vitals.” As a result of the “inactions of all defendants,” Schaefer says she has “suffered tremendous shock, trauma and severe emotional distress,” and has been “medically prevented” from returning to her profession. The suit requests damages in an amount to be proven in a jury trial.
City extends redistricting commission deadline
The City of Santa Fe remains in the market for a statistician, geographer or cartographer, along with representatives from the city’s Southside districts, as it works to assemble its Independent Citizens’ Redistricting Commission. The commission includes seven positions, one from each of the city’s four districts, two with specific demographic skills and one at-large member. According to a news release, the city did not receive at least three applications for Districts 3 and 4, nor for the two statistician, geographer or cartographer positions. For five of the seven positions, interested applicants must be both residents and registered voters of the city. However, the two spots reserved for folks with demonstrable demographic skills allow for a Santa Fe County resident to be appointed if no city residents apply. “Individuals with knowledge in areas such as demographics, statistics, the history, geography, governmental structure and community dynamics of the City of Santa Fe are encouraged to apply!” the news release says hopefully. The city extended the deadline to Feb. 14 (the original deadline was Jan. 28); those interested should send an email to City Clerk/Community Engagement Department Director Kristine Mihelcic, kmmihelcic@santafenm.gov, with the attached application.
Listen up
Mention the photographer Ansel Adams to anyone and chances are high they’ve seen, at bare minimum, his famous 1941 photograph Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico. A newly opened exhibit at New Mexico Museum of Art, “Ansel Adams: Pure Photography” (through May 22) includes the famous photo, but also offers viewers some less-known pictures from earlier in Adams’ career. On the most recent episode of the Cline’s Corner podcast, host Lynn Cline talks with the museum’s curator of photography, Katherine Ware, about the exhibit and what she hopes folks will take away: “It is a much more intimate view of him, and that’s not only because of the size of the show…but also the pictures are much smaller than what people are used to seeing, so I hope there are some very fun surprises: pictures people won’t have seen or interesting revelations.”
Second acts
Forbes magazine talks with Jeff Hamaoui, founding partner and head of education for the Modern Elder Academy, a “school dedicated to helping you navigate midlife and beyond.” While attending a Modern Elder Academy program on navigating mid-life transitions, Hamaoui—who had a career as a sustainability consultant—sketched out an idea (literally on a napkin) to create “a regenerative farm at the heart of a community dedicated to sustainability.” He did it and the pilot project in Baja California Sur, Mexico proved successful. Now Hamaoui and his partners are in the process of creating “a collection of MEA Regenerative Communities” in the US, starting with Santa Fe, specifically on 3,000 acres at the Saddleback Ranch in Galisteo. According to MEA’s website, MEA Santa Fe Ranch will start its program of regenerative ranching in 2022 and “will likely open the Academy sometime in 2023 with two small workshop centers on the campus.” The project combines (in a nutshell) soil regeneration and lifelong learning. “We hope to be a catalyst for this new kind of inclusive, intentional community that helps mainstream the idea that wisdom isn’t taught, it’s shared,” MEA’s website notes. “And, it’s often shared across generations, in both directions, as a modern elder may have as much to learn from a young person as vice versa. It’s time for us to grow our neighborhoods, not just build them.”
Chile FTW
In December, the New York Times asked six chefs and food experts to compile a list of the 25 essential foods in New York City. The story was used recently as a NYT Learning Network writing prompt, in which teens are asked to read and respond to newspaper articles. In this case, they were asked—among other queries: “What are the essential foods to eat where you live?” New Mexico teen Aleigha nailed it with this response: “New Mexico has so many great foods to choose from but I believe our main essential food is chili. It is a part of our culture and heritage and is also what we are famous for. Chili is an important crop for farmers here and something that we value a lot. Everyone from here knows what the question ‘Red or green?’ means. You have your opinion on whether you like red or green chili better and people here have different preferences. It´s something everyone asks and every New Mexican has their answer. We put chili on just about anything and that really shows when you go out to eat and you see that chili can be added to almost any dish you order.” We might take issue with spelling chile with an “i” versus an “e,” but otherwise A+.
Warm regards
While Santa Fe may experience some wind chill values in the zero range early today, Tuesday otherwise will be mostly sunny with a high near 48 degrees. North wind 15 to 20 mph will decrease to 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. As for the week ahead, the National Weather Service forecasts temps in the mid to high 40s and possibly up near 50 degrees come Friday.
Thanks for reading! The Word hopes to taste peanut butter fruit someday, which she just encountered while perusing Atlas Obscura’s revamped unique food and drink database.
