The questions the City of Truth or Consequences city commissioners asked applicants who were competing to fill an empty commission seat revealed the officials’ settled beliefs that the native born are best suited to lead, public comment directed to the city commission is useless and often bilious and city commissioners work as a team in support of city staff.
New Mexico Copper Company lost its bid in the New Mexico Court of Appeals to retain pre-basin-declared water rights for the Copper Flat Mine project, but the court’s November ruling has given the company another shot at “vested” water rights.
Analysis: How New Mexico’s appellate court gave Copper Flat Mine a boost Read More »
Senate Bill 1 would make significant changes to the three Congressional districts by grouping much of northern New Mexico with a portion of the southeast part of the state. The bill also suggests including rural areas like Carrizozo with much of the urban Albuquerque area. But more rural areas of Albuquerque would be included in the southern Congressional district. Senate Bill 2 proposes adoption of a map creating three Native American-majority Senate districts.
New Mexico Senate committees advance two redistricting maps Read More »
Representatives of sovereign nations, pueblos and tribes have expressed their unified support for the map put forward by Daymon Ely (D-Corrales) in House Bill 8.
State House map backed by tribal governments heads to House floor Read More »
“The primary purpose of social studies is to help young people develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world.”
—National Council for the Social Studies
Understanding New Mexico’s proposed new social studies standards for K-12 students Read More »
Ethos Broadband continues working with the Bureau of Land Management to obtain a construction permit to install a fiber-optic network that will bring internet access to rural Sierra County, while Sierra Electric Cooperative, a partner in this venture, has begun using the $2.1 million provided by the county to replace the electric poles needed as the physical supports for fiber-optic lines.
Ethos closing in on broadband construction start date Read More »
State tax exemptions and Spaceport lease giveaways favor Virgin Galactic over the New Mexico taxpayers’ return on their investment in supporting space commercialization businesses.
The wealthy continue to reserve seats on VG spaceflights, but neither the state nor Sierra County will receive gross receipt taxes on hundreds of millions of dollars in ticket sales when regularly scheduled spaceflights begin here, thanks to one of several giveaway incentives approved by the state legislature in 2003 during spaceport advocate Bill Richardson’s first year as New Mexico governor.
More than a dozen residents spoke out yesterday against the “Riverwalk” economic development feasibility study during public comment at the Nov. 17 Truth or Consequences City Commission meeting—to no avail.
T or C City Commission approves “Riverwalk” study, despite public opposition Read More »
The Truth or Consequences city commissioners’ vote today on the power play intended to seat Shelly Harrelson split, two for and two against. Instead the commission will go ahead with interviews of all five persons who submitted a letter of interest in filling the seat vacated by Randall Aragon at a special public meeting on Nov. 29
Release of the first set of U.S. Census data shows that Sierra County’s population has decreased slightly while becoming more racially diverse. But the impact on the county budget could be significant.
Fewer people here means fewer dollars from federal and state government Read More »
Two years in the making and likely to be endorsed at Wednesday’s Truth or Consequences City Commission meeting, the study calls for a public investment of $12 million in outdoor recreational amenities on both sides of the Rio Grande. One third of the estimated cost would go toward the construction of a 46-foot-wide bridge spanning the river, potentially located at either Ralph Edwards or Rotary parks. Accommodating both vehicular traffic and recreational use, the bridge would also serve as a conduit to bring water and wastewater services to the east bank to enable, for good or ill, commercial and residential development.
“Riverwalk” economic feasibility study recommendations unveiled Read More »
The demand for copper is estimated to grow by 350 percent by 2050 because of its use in most forms of renewable energy. But the extraction of copper poses significant environmental risks to the communities near the mines.
How the rise of copper reveals clean energy’s dark side Read More »
Fact-finding discussions with potential purchaser Sierra Electric Cooperative were initiated by Truth or Consequences administrator Bruce Swingle, who forthrightly explains that he does not want to be the “city manager who lets the grid go down.”
T or C takes first step toward possible sale of its electric utility Read More »
As T or C finally addresses some of its long-neglected infrastructure problems, the city’s indebtedness mounts with limited public disclosure or discussion. City Manager Bruce Swingle espouses greater transparency in the future.
Recently divulged information about the Truth or Consequences municipal pool, golf course and library reveal City Manager Bruce Swingle’s ongoing attempts to rectify lax management of city-owned services.
Having delayed the appointment and decided to select from the small pool of candidates running for election to the city commission, only to have these decisions publicly criticized, the Truth or Consequences city commissioners decided they would consider applicants for the seat who submit letters of interest by Nov. 10.
A continuing investigation by the Sun uncovered the reason for the discrepancy between Center for Disease Control and New Mexico Department of Health reporting on the number of fully vaccinated Sierra County adults. The statistics presented by both agencies’ COVID-19 databases for all New Mexico counties, including Sierra, are now in sync.
Update: CDC to correct county-by-county vaccination data for New Mexico today Read More »
The Energy Transition Act was supposed to get New Mexico away from coal, but PNM is using it to line its pockets.
This three-part series reports on which candidates showed up at Tuesday’s forum at the Albert J. Lyon Event Center and what they revealed about their qualifications and grasp of the challenges facing the bodies they seek to lead. Part 3 covers the candidates running for City of Elephant Butte mayor and council.