City hosts Police Chiefs Questions and Answers
Tonight at 6 p.m., the City of Santa Fe is hosting a public question-and-answer forum on the topic City YouTube channel with his two finalists for the post of police chief: Paul Joye, deputy chief of operations and interim chief of the SFPD, and Andrew Rodriguez, deputy chief of police for Rio Rancho. Each candidate has up to three minutes to introduce themselves and answer a series of eight questions asked by residents about a community survey and submit final statements. All qualified candidates took part Community panels with local leaders and organizations, and Joye and Rodriguez had additional meetings this week, as well as meetings with Mayor Alan Webber, City Councillors, City Manager John Blair, Kyra Ochoa, Director of Community Health and Safety, and Erin McSherry, District Attorney. Blair said today’s forum will provide the “broader public” with an opportunity to see the finalists “response to some of the most pressing questions asked in our community poll. I will consider their answers when making a decision. I invite all Santa Feans and urge them to watch the show.”
Gov signs budget, crime legislation
Yesterday marked Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s deadline to sign bills passed in the legislature (unsigned bills are considered “vetoed”). A big bill she signed including the state budget of nearly $8.5 billion—almost 14% higher than last year—for Fiscal year 2023 (albeit with a few line item vetoes). Among other things, the budget provides $190.5 million for a 7% pay rise and a minimum wage of $15 an hour for all public education workers; $77 million to raise minimum wages for teachers; $24 million to fight hunger through the Food, Farms and Hunger initiative; $75 million for the Expanded Opportunity Grant; $72 million for new law enforcement recruitment and retention funds; and $50 million for the Local Economic Development Act program. “This budget is making transformative investments exactly where they’re needed: from historic salary increases for New Mexico educators and expansion of the nation’s largest tuition-free college program, to creating a new public safety officer hiring fund and unprecedented funding to combat food insecurity,” the governor said in a statement. The governor vetoed Senate Bill 48would have increased the salaries of judges and $50 million allocated to a variety of other projects and programs across the country. “I am not satisfied that SB 48’s disbursement of over $50 million in funds to various projects is consistent with the principles of financial responsibility or, by and large, represents a wise investment at this time,” the governor’s veto message read . Your rejection of SB48, the Albuquerque Journal Reports has angered lawmakers who are now considering a special session override their veto.
The governor also signed House bill 68a package of crime-related measures, including $50 million for a police officer recruitment fund; increased penalties for gun crimes; increased death benefits for the families of peace officers killed in the line of duty to $1 million; $9 million to implement the Violence Intervention Program Act; and abolishing the statute of limitations for second-degree murder.
SFPD hybridizes its fleet
Midst Gas prices rising nationwide and in New Mexico, the Santa Fe Police Department will upgrade its fleet with 42 Ford Interceptor Utility Hybrid vehicles. according to a Notice to city councilors, 93 vehicles in the department’s fleet need to be replaced. The new vehicles will cost $3 million; SFPD plans to spend $1 million of the vacancy department’s unspent money on equipment purchases, with the remainder of the money coming from gross receipts tax revenue. The council approved the SFPD’s request on Wednesday as part $11.5 million in budget adjustment resolutions. In addition to the fuel savings, the department notes that the vehicles will be more comfortable for drivers, particularly “tall officers,” who are often too tall for the sedans currently in use. Last month the City Council approved the purchase of 17 new electric vehicles– mostly 100% electric Nissan Leaf Plus – to replace vehicles in five divisions. In a statement at the time, Mayor Alan Webber said the purchase, made with a government investment grant, was another “step forward” for the city “as a frontrunner in tackling climate change.”
COVID-19 in numbers
9th March:
New cases: 341; 514,511 total cases
Top three counties: Bernalillo County with 81; Santa Fe County at 54, 21 from the 87507 ZIP code, which ranked first in the state among ZIP codes with the most new cases yesterday, and 12 from 87505, which ranked fifth. Doña Ana County had 39 cases.
breakthrough cases: According to the latest weekly vaccination report, between 7 February and 7 March 28, 44% of COVID-19 cases were in people who had not completed a series of primary courses; 28.2% were among those who had completed the series but not received a refresher; and 27.8% were among those who were fully vaccinated and boosted. For hospitalizations, these figures change to 61.9%, 18.7% and 19.4%. For deaths, the percentages shift to 63.9%, 18.7% and 17.4%.
deaths: 16, 10 of them new and six more than 30 days ago, including a Santa Fe County woman in her 70s with underlying medical conditions. Santa Fe County now has 253 deaths; nationwide there were 7,026. hospitalizations: 176
Vaccinations: 91.9% percent of adults 18 years and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 78.2% have completed their primary vaccination course; 44.9% of adults 18 years and older received a booster shot; Age group 12-17 years: 71.2% of subjects received at least one dose and 61.3% completed their primary vaccination course; Children aged 5-11: 38.9% have received at least one dose of Pfizer vaccine and 30.1% have completed primary school; Santa Fe County: 99% of those aged 18 and over have received at least one dose and 87.1% have completed their primary vaccination course.
Resources: Vaccine Sign up; booster Sign up Free at home Rapid Antigen Tests; Report a positive COVID-19 test result yourself to the health department; Covid-19 treatment the information: oral treatments paxlovid (12 years and older) and molnupiravir (18 years and older); and Treatments with monoclonal antibodies. tool box for immunocompromised people. Individuals seeking treatment who do not have a medical provider may call NMDOH’s COVID-19 hotline at 1-855-600-3453.
You can read all of SFR’s COVID-19 coverage here.
Listen
In case you missed it New Yorker‘s January profile of Santa Fe-based writer Julia Cameronit is worth reading and provides the backstory to her bestseller The Artist’s Way; how Cameron developed her “morning pages” concept; and her other thoughts on the creative process. You can also hear directly from Cameron at 6pm tonight during one Virtual Event by Collected Works Bookstorein which Cameron will talk about her latest book, Seeking Wisdom: A Spiritual Path to Creative Connection(a six-week program based on The Artist’s Way), with its editor Joel Fotinos. to register here.
Close up of Las Golondrinas
El Rancho de las Golondrinasbrings back memories of Thanksgiving and Santa Fe Renaissance Industrial fair. We think of sheep shearing and lavender harvesting and frolicking horses disguised as unicorns. But also the living museum in La Cienega is a good backdrop for high fashion, according to the Wall Street Journal story “Embrace breezy Southwest fashion this season.” The Spring Menswear story proclaims Las Golondrinas as “the ideal backdrop for effortless styles” and it is here that photographer Annemarieke van Drimmelen and stylist Giovanni Dario Laudicina photographed models Cherokee Jack and Sam Mallos for the story. “New Mexico is a very special place in my heart,” says van Drimmelen, who she has visited regularly since her father moved here about 12 years ago. “The light is absolutely phenomenal – the way it’s reflected on Earth. It brings this amazing warmth.” Stylist Laudicina took inspiration from the location for the final looks: “Under a light blue silk shirt by Giorgio Armani or light blankets by Ralph Lauren Home and Hermès, while the warm colors of the ranch complement a palette of beige and orange inspired.”
The great nature
The annual Banff Mountain Film Festival kicks off the first of two nights at 7pm tonight in the Lensic Performing Arts Centerand even the follower is intoxicating. The program is coming Santa Fe Conservation Trust and includes two separate program evenings as well as a Possibility of virtual tour for those who want to watch at home. Today’s seven-movie lineup contains Precious guide womanabout snowboarder Spencer O’Brien’s journey from childhood to the world stage and Jump to zerothe story of three BASE jumpers who find new ways to pursue their passion while reducing their impact on their environment. The program for tomorrow evening contains six films, such as Higher and higherabout Lysanne Richard, one of the world’s best international competitive high jumpers, and Never in the waywith Chicago-based bike messenger Nico Deportago-Cabrera.
Here comes something
Expect a wintry day. According to the National Weather Service, Santa Fe has a slight chance (40%) of snow showers between 8 am and 11 am then a chance of rain showers. Otherwise it will be mostly cloudy with a high of almost 45 degrees and a southerly wind of 10 to 20 miles per hour blowing west in the afternoon. Another chance of snow tonight (90% chance this time) with a 3 to 5 inch buildup possible.
Thank you for reading! The word looks forward to review of the finalists of the International Booker Prize 2022.
