The Las Cruces Sun-News, reporting on last month’s Las Cruces municipal elections, writes about the cost per vote that candidates paid. What is that cost? “Loosely translated, based on the 4,977 votes that were cast in the three City Council district races, those figures mean that the candidates raised an average of $17.31 per vote, and it cost about $16.80 for each vote cast,” The Sun-News reports.

There was a possible altercation at the Roundhouse between to legislators according to the Santa Fe New Mexican. The two legislators in question are state Rep. Patty Lundstrom, D-Gallup, and state Rep. Sandra Jeff, D-Crownpoint. Santa Fe police are investigating the matter.

The Farmington Daily-Times reports on the arrest of Edward Smiley, the former director of the Farmington Indian Center, for second degree embezzlement.

Also from the Santa Fe New Mexican, students from the Santa Fe Girls School have gone to the Roundhouse to testify before the Water Quality Control Commission. The students brought up issues of phosphate standards and banning products that contain them. Currently, the EPA has a recommended level, yet there is no state or federal standard upheld.

Up in Santa Fe, the Santa Fe Reporter’s Zane Fischer reports on “invisible bills” and the state’s upcoming legislative session. The session begins in the middle of January, and Fischer looks at various pieces of legislation that he believes should pass, not pass or be scrapped.

Danielle Bauer contributed to, and in fact pretty much wrote, this post.