I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
Heading into Christmas week, lots of shopping took place over the weekend. I don’t have the stats, so maybe it’s down from last year — we’d expect it to be, given the economy — but it sure seemed busy when I was out doing some last-minute shopping (OK, yes, I was doing all of it) on Saturday.
And that sense of things is confirmed by news that the free rides on the Rail Runner from Albuquerque to Santa Fe on Saturday were so in demand that they’re adding additional cars. Taking the Rail Runner may be advisable in the coming week, by the way — looks like we have more winter weather heading our way.
The Albuquerque Journal’s Dan MacKay points out today that all those infrastructure projects the Obama administration wants to spend money on have to go through an environmental review process first, which could take up to two years.
An environmental impact statement is required whenever federal money is given for a project, for lots of good reasons. But at this particular moment the requirement may be pretty painful, given the projections that the economy may get worse before it gets better.
Looking ahead to New Mexico’s legislative session, which gets under way Jan. 20, Kate Nash of the Santa Fe New Mexican had an interesting profile on Friday of Santa Fe’s new state representative, Brian Egolf. One of the bills Egolf is going to introduce would give owners of surface property who don’t also own the minerals underneath that land more power to purchase the mineral rights before they are leased or sold to an oil or gas producer. The entity desiring to drill on the property would be required to send a notice of intent to the surface owner with information about who owns the mineral rights. Then the surface owner would have 45 days in which to contact the mineral rights owner to negotiate a purchase of the minerals first.
And, finally, if you’re a skier or snowboarder living in Albuquerque, you might be happy to know that Sandia is open for business with a 24-inch base.
