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.
The Albuquerque Journal’s T.J. Wilham has an eye-opening story about the price New Mexicans are paying for talking (or texting) on their cell phones while driving.
Although the city citation is $100, court fees can nearly double the tab due to a new push to get motorists to use hands-free devices. Law enforcement officials emphasize that cracking down on phone use will be similar to getting people used to wearing their seat belts.
According to the Associated Press, 68 containers of chemicals showed up mysteriously on the sidewalk outside the University of New Mexico’s chemistry building. Some of the containers contained hazerdous or explosive chemicals requiring tracking by Homeland Security. Officials believe the containers could possibly belong to a small laboratory that may have gone out of business recently. If the mystery is ever solved, fines upwards of $10,000 could be handed out.
In other news, national health officials have announced that a possible 20 to 40 percent of Americans could come down with the H1N1 flu strain over the next two years, according to a story by the Associated Press. Although an intensive vaccination program could lower these numbers, the death toll could still be significant: anywhere from 90,000 to several hundred thousand H1N1 fatalities if the potential outbreak isn’t prevented.
As a matter of context, that would be about twice the typical yearly death toll attributed to seasonal flu.
And lastly, in cultural news, the Deming Headlight reports on the unveiling of a “Bless Me, Ultima” mural taking place on Saturday in Silver City. In addition to the unveiling, the event will include curanderismo discussions, storytelling, an art project and even tortilla demonstrations. There are also plans of playing a video of Rudolpho Anaya discussing his inspiration for writing the acclaimed novel.
NMI’s Danielle Bauer contributed to this post.
