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Morning Word
Former basketball players sue NMSU, allege sexual assault
Two former New Mexico State University basketball players yesterday filed a lawsuit in Las Cruces district court against NMSU regents, former coaching staff and three teammates alleging sexual assault, among other crimes. In February, in a letter to the campus community announcing that suspension, Chancellor Dan Arvizu canceled the season in response to what he described as reports of hazing on the team. At the time, Arvizu described himself as “heartbroken and sickened to hear about these hazing allegations. Hazing is a despicable act. It humiliates and degrades someone and has the potential to cause physical and emotional harm, or even death.” NMSU, he notes, “strictly prohibits hazing, in all forms, and it’s something we simply will not tolerate.” The new suit takes issue with Arvizu’s characterization: “Slapping a label of hazing on such behavior mischaracterizes the seriousness of the harmful conduct and attempts to minimize it while implying a justification as a rite of passage that will ultimately allow membership in an elite group, and further, implies the harm may be the price of admission,” it says. “The team’s behavior on the road and in the locker room was often out of control and rarely, if ever, addressed or limited by the coaching staff.” Moreover, the suit posits the two plaintiffs were “not the only victims” of the three students who allegedly committed the assaults, with “at least one other player and a member of the staff” subjected to the same or similar treatment. The lawsuit seeks reasonable compensation to the plaintiffs for their damages, along with punitive damages against the defendants, with one count in the lawsuit alleging sexual assault, battery and false imprisonment.
All things cannabis
Yes, it’s 4.20, “that stoner holiday that makes some eyes roll and others glossy and red.” So writes SFR staff writer Andy Lyman, who has been reporting and writing about cannabis long before adult recreational use became legal here a year ago this month. This week, Lyman brings his expertise to SFR’s cannabis issue and examines how the nascent industry is faring so far. In that pursuit, Lyman speaks with local business owners who are now competing with larger corporate growers and sellers who have entered the market; those local growers include the late Municipal Court Judge Tom Fiorina’s family, who say the former judge “became a real believer in the powers of cannabis” and joked “about the Fiorina cartel.” This week’s cannabis package also includes a green directory for where to buy cannabis flower, edibles, extracts, tinctures and more in the City Different; a story examining the financial impact of the industry here so far; along with a run-down on the latest in weed gadgets. As for the latest in cannabis news, Lyman has that as well with an update on the revolving door of leadership in the state’s Cannabis Control Division; and the most recent edition of the monthly Leaf Brief newsletter, which, as it happens, includes some thoughts on how to celebrate today’s stoner holiday, should you be so inclined.
SFPD kicks off new Railyard/downtown operation
Santa Fe Police yesterday kicked off “Operation Santa Fe Junction,” in which the department will deploy additional officers in the Santa Fe Railyard and Plaza areas. The effort, an SFPD news release says, is “similar to the previous operations such as ‘Operation Centralized Aid,’” which focused on the Cerrillos Road corridor. “The officers will be conducting proactive, highly visible patrols in the business districts. Officers will be in the area to identify infractions of the law and to build relationships with the community. The enforcement focus will include—but not be limited to—complaints of disorderly conduct, illegal camping, criminal trespassing, narcotic violations and traffic infractions.” SFPD Captain Anthony Tapia tells SFR the operation is scheduled to last 30 days, but can be extended if needed. He also emphasized that while police will be focusing on the Railyard and downtown areas, the operation does not mean it will be taking resources from other parts of town. “When people see we’re doing a special op like this, they think that means all the officers are dedicated into that area, which isn’t accurate,” Tapia says. “This just adds additional officers to be more of a directed, concentrated patrol.” The focus on the downtown/Railyard area comes in response to the increase in activity as the busier, warmer season begins, he says, and as a result of outreach from local business owners.
SFNF issues flooding warnings for Northern NM
Residents and visitors to the Pecos area may experience localized flooding, along with impassable roads as the Pecos River rises in response to snow melt and rapid runoff, the Santa Fe National Forest said yesterday. Impacted locations could include all rivers and creeks in the Sangre de Cristo and Tusas Mountains, along with all northern tributaries of the Rio Grande. “Residents and visitors are reminded to exercise extreme caution near dangerously cold, fast-moving water and be prepared for future flood advisories or flood warnings from the National Weather Service,” a news release notes. “Streams, creeks, and rivers in the mountains will continue to experience elevated flows and rapid rises in the near future.” In addition, SFNF said this week it begins the decision-making process for reopening roads and recreation sites, and provided a list of current openings and closures. “We understand that SFNF lands are important to local communities and visitors for recreation and enjoyment and are in the process of reopening areas as conditions allow,” SFNF Forest Supervisor Shaun Sanchez said in a statement, which also encouraged visitors to check the Santa Fe National Forest website for “the status of specific recreation sites prior to traveling or making plans” and to be aware of the risk of flooding throughout Northern New Mexico.
COVID-19 by the numbers
Reported April 19: New cases: 179; 678,425 total cases. Deaths: seven. Statewide fatalities: 9,175; Santa Fe County has had 407 total deaths; Statewide hospitalizations: 92; patients on ventilators: 10. The state health department will stop reporting daily COVID-19 cases on May 11.
The Biden administration this week announced it will fund a new program to provide COVID-19 vaccines and treatments to people without insurance; the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Bridge Access Program For COVID-19 Vaccines and Treatments will be phased into implementation as the federal government ends its public health emergency on May 11.
The Centers for Disease and Prevention most recent April 13 “community levels” map shows improvement for New Mexico, with the entire state turning green, which indicates low levels (last week Union County was yellow, for medium). Corresponding recommendations for each level can be found here.
Resources: Receive four free at-home COVID-19 tests per household via COVIDTests.gov; Check availability for additional free COVID-19 tests through Project ACT; CDC interactive booster eligibility tool; NM DOH vaccine & booster registration; CDC isolation and exposure interactive tool; COVID-19 treatment info; NMDOH immunocompromised tool kit. People seeking treatment who do not have a medical provider can call NMDOH’s COVID-19 hotline at 1-855-600-3453.
You can read all of SFR’s COVID-19 coverage here.
Listen up
At the end of last year, NewMexicoKidsCAN launched the New Mexico Rising podcast to focus on “leaders, educators and parents” who are working to improve the state’s education system. On the most recent episode, Executive Director Amanda Aragon talks with new state Education Secretary Arsenio Romero, a lifelong educator and administrator in the state—to talk about his goals for public education in his new role. “There’s so much work to do, but I do want to say there are amazing things happening across New Mexico,” Romero says. “Part of what we need to do is really take control of our story and how we tell our story and what we want our outcomes to be.”
Hope springs eternal
Spring is in the air (at 45 mph winds no less), and is the best season during which to visit New Mexico. So says The Travel, which posits spring here “is the time when the weather is crisp and clear, with brilliant sunshine almost daily and breathable air. During this season, hotels and resorts roll out their best deals, and there are a few rainy days to balance up with the warmer days.” (We’re more inclined to fall, when one is less likely to swallow a pound of dirt upon each outdoor excursion, but to each one’s own). To maximize one’s New Mexico spring sojourn, The Travel breaks down the 10 best places to visit “as it comes alive,” noting that no trip is complete without a stop in Santa Fe (#9), particularly during spring when “this city becomes a haven for hiking and mountain biking. It is also endowed with plenty of natural and historical attractions that visitors will love visiting.” Shiprock—both the area on the Navajo reservation in San Juan County and the “rock with the wings”—comes in #1 on the list, with the latter described as “a great place to get those stunning otherworldly photos, and during spring, the peak becomes clearer for shooting, and the weather becomes more comfortable for touring.” Don’t just take The Travel’s word for it. The state tourism department also has the Shiprock peak (Tse’ Bit’ A’i) on its list of the most “stunning places to visit and photograph in New Mexico before you die.” Also on the seasonal vacation beat, World Atlas has a roundup of the “coolest small towns in New Mexico” for a summer vacation. Santa Fe did not make that list, but Galisteo did.
Chew on this
Santa Fe lands on Food & Wine magazine’s assemblage of the 10 best cities for neighborhood restaurants in the US—in the #7 spot. As described in the story’s introduction, the list represents readers’ choices in the magazine’s first readers’ choice awards (aka Global Tastemakers). “If neighborhoods are the gateway to a city’s soul, then its locally loved restaurants are its lifeblood,” F&W proclaims. New Mexico, the magazine notes, “is home to one of the United States’ most dynamic food scenes.” As for Santa Fe, “whether Italian, New American or Mexican is what you’re after, planning a trip to this southwesterly city promises to satisfy a number of culinary cravings.” Specific shout-outs go to: La Choza and Sazón for “the city’s best New Mexican” cuisine (For the record: Sazón, though wonderful, does not serve New Mexican cuisine). For “tasty New American” cuisine, the magazine recommends Geronimo, Joseph’s Culinary Pub and Radish & Rye; for Indian: Paper Dosa and “you can’t go wrong with a stop at Jambo Café for African-Caribbean infusion,” F&W says. “For dessert, you can’t miss Kakawa Chocolate House.” (Kakawa closes before most people finish dinner, so purchase those treats ahead of time if you want them for dessert). If you’re wondering in which neighborhoods F&W assigns these various local eateries, the answer is: none—Santa Fe is the only city on the list in which the entire neighborhood eatery concept appears to have been abandoned…unless Santa Fe is being framed as a neighborhood in New Mexico. At any rate, while we applaud all readers’ competitions, voting in SFR’s original Best of Santa Fe competition is less than two weeks away: May 1-31.
Second wind
Critical fire weather continues through today; the National Weather Service has Santa Fe under a red flag warning from noon to 8 pm, with west wind 20 to 25 mph, accompanied by gusts as high as 35 mph. While skies will be sunny, today will be a bit cooler, with a high temperature near 57 degrees and a low tonight around 27 degrees.
Thanks for reading! The Word is saving for the weekend (when she can savor every word) Lauren Oyler’s Harper’s magazine essay about taking a Goop cruise.
