Education
TODAY’S TOP STORIES: Richardson to be nominated to president-elect’s cabinet this morning
Gov. Bill Richardson (whom Wonkette calls “stately, plump”) is expected to be formally nominated Secretary of Commerce at 9:40 am MST and the Journal has worked itself into a predictable froth of slideshows etc. Richardson will be the first Hispanic chosen for Obama’s cabinet.
Saxby Chambliss, Republican Senator of Georgia, was reelected yesterday after beating Democrat [...]
New Mexico Food Gap Task Force invades the ‘food desert’
The New Mexico Food Gap Task Force is expected to submit its first report to Gov. Bill Richardson today. The panel’s members want the state to pay for fresh fruits and veggies in schools, and to help rural communities gain access to fresh foods. But with state revenues plummeting, will they be able to wrangle the cash?
TODAY’S TOP STORIES: The Jerome Block Jr. saga continues, another state task force is born, and don’t break out your snowboards quite yet!
In national news today, President-elect Barack Obama says he plans to keep Bush’s current defense secretary, Robert Gates — at least for the time being. Nobody wants to spend any money, but food stamp usage is nearing an all-time high.
Meanwhile, in Santa Fe, Jerome Block Jr. isn’t out of the woods yet, even though he [...]
Richardson replaces three regents at NMSU
Gov. Bill Richardson replaced three of five members of the New Mexico State University Board of Regents today, opting for new blood at a time when the university is going to be making a second attempt at finding a new president.
Roundhouse budget squeeze taking shape
The state of New Mexico’s current money shortage is the equivalent of a forced diet for lawmakers who have gotten used to divvying up huge surpluses with Gov. Bill Richardson. Now the fights will be over where to cut, how deep to cut, whether to raise taxes — in effect, how to make do with less. And the battles won’t be pretty.
‘Perfect time’ for tax hike for education, supporters say
Some state lawmakers want to add a cent to the state’s gross receipts tax to beef up public school funding statewide. The tax increase, which was proposed Wednesday during a legislative hearing at the state Capitol, would generate $500 million a year.
Yates Petroleum gives $500K to Domenici Institute at NMSU
Yates Petroleum Corp. is putting up big money to help establish the Domenici Public Policy Institute at New Mexico State University.
The company has given $500,000 to the effort, the university announced in a news release. The institute’s aim is to provide a location for scholars to research the work of retiring Sen. Pete Domenici and [...]
Eastern New Mexico University regents’ president killed in auto accident
The president of the Eastern New Mexico University Board of Regents was killed today in a traffic accident near Portales.
Alva C. Carter Sr., 68, was pronounced dead at the scene following the single-car accident, the Portales News-Tribune reported. The newspaper quoted State Police Capt. Jimmy Glascock as saying Carter was driving east on N.M. State [...]
Albuquerque Public Schools board resists order to grow
Remember Constitutional Amendment 1, passed by voters on Election Day? While the amendment was approved statewide, in Bernalillo County the measure failed by a razor-thin 50.1 percent to 49.9 percent margin. In other words, the only place in the state affected by the amendment didn’t approve it. Now a legal battle looms.
Does anybody want to be president of NMSU?
The New Mexico State University Board of Regents on Monday suspended its search for a new president, and plans to start the process over next year when as many as three new regents join the board.
Waded Cruzado will remain interim president throughout that time and, though she wasn’t allowed to this time, she may get [...]