This is the week of the “Year in Review” stories from the New Mexico press. Over the weekend, reporters and editors from Santa Fe, Silver City and Las Cruces all weighed in — and I’m sure there are more that I missed.

Kate Nash recaps the political year at the Santa Fe New Mexican — saying that the roller coaster ride of Bill Richardson was the big story of the year — running for prez, then running for Cabinet nominee, all the while fighting with the Legislature, to the point of calling a special session right in the middle of that historic election year. And thrown in for good measure, Nash reminds us that corruption is an ongoing problem in our political system.

Lots of “Year in Review” reminiscing is going on in Las Cruces. First, folks should check out the Top 10 of our own Heath Haussamen. He counts them down and sums it all up with his No. 1: the progressive shift of the state. “There were so many monumental stories in New Mexico in 2008 — Domenici’s retirement, Richardson’s departure and Obama’s victory are at the top of the list — but the end result of all of them is one simple truth: New Mexico is shifting toward a more progressive future,” Haussamen says.

The Las Cruces Sun-News had three recaps, that I saw. One by Steve Ramirez looked at politics and the economy, reviewing the high profile national candidates who came to Las Cruces, and then taking a look at the effect of the economic crisis on Mesilla and Las Cruces — both of which have seen revenue from the gross receipts tax decline significantly. And, Ramirez notes, construction continues in the area — if only in big government projects.

Sun-News editor Walter Rubel recapped the year at the local level in Las Cruces. If you don’t live in the area and want a snapshot of the goings on in LC, this is a good place to start. From the new area code, to the Spaceport, to a new state park, to war casualties, Rubel runs down a pretty extensive list.

Then, you’ll want to check out the Sun-News piece on people. The paper takes a look in “They moved us, they shook us,” at 10 people it selected a year ago to watch in 2008 … asking, where are they now? The list includes the mayor, Ken Miyagishima; New Mexico State University (NMSU) interim president Waded Cruzado; land developer Philip Phillipou; community organizer Aruro Uribe; and others.

Another great year in review comes from Silver City, which highlights layoffs at the Chino mine right off the bat. It then moves to fraud at the state’s Children, Youth and Families Department; criminal charges against Grant County Detention officers who forced inmates to box one another; the recall of the entire Silver City-Grant County Chamber of Commerce Board by its members; plus more.

Did I miss any other recaps?