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.
New Mexico most clogged traffic intersection may finally be getting a much-needed makeover. The Albuquerque Journal’s Lloyd Jojola reports that funding for the massive $350 million I-25/Paseo del Norte interchange may finally be coming together from a variety of local, state and federal sources.
A remodeled interchange, which would also include the adjacent Jefferson Street/Paseo del Norte intersection, would be the state’s largest-ever road project.
More than 170,000 cars pass through the current interchange every day, making it arguably the worst daily traffic headache for Albuquerque commuters.
In heartening green energy news — literally green — the Carlsbad Current-Argus reports on a significant new algae biofuels project, located just south of Artesia. The Wednesday ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new project was attended by dignitaries such as U.S. Rep. Harry Teague, a Hobbs Democrat and life-long oilman. Managed by the (hilariously named) Center of Excellence for Hazardous Waste, the new project can potentially produce 5,000 gallons of biodiesel fuel per acre annually spread out over 5,000 acres.
In education news, the City of Albuquerque has cut $168,000 by pulling the plug on TALNet, an educational channel operating out KNME, the state’s largest public television station. Justified as a belt tightening measure in lieu of harsher measures like layoffs, Albuquerque City Councilor Michael Cadigan nonetheless says he’ll try to find new funding to keep the programs on air.
“Whatever we can do to increase the number of kids who get their GED, we ought to be doing it,” Cadigan told KOAT-TV.
And in one more education related story, $19 million is on its way to New Mexico for education in the form of federal stimulus funds. U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman told the Associated Press he didn’t have a detailed plan for where the money will go, but that it will allow the state’s Public Education Department to spread the wealth among public schools otherwise facing deep cutbacks.
NMI’s Danielle Bauer contributed to this post.
