Morning Word: Punxsutawney Phil Sees His Shadow

It's

Groundhog day and Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. That means at least six more weeks of winter.

It's Monday, February 2, 2015.

Despite this weekend’s snow storm, water managers in New Mexico are bracing for another dry year.

Albuquerque Journal reporter John Fleck, who is retiring after 30 years to write books, has the story. Read it online here.  With all the new snow, an adaptive ski program at Ski Apache in Ruidoso is helping kids with special needs. Read more at the Ruidoso News.  Las Vegas Optic editor Martin Salazar reports seven more people have come forward alleging they were abused by priests in New Mexico decades ago. Details on the seven new lawsuits here.   The effects of low oil prices are walloping San Juan County.

Read more at ABQ Business First.  A top producing natural gas company in New Mexico has been cited for fracking related violations in other states. Read it at the Los Alamos Daily Post.  A Santa Fe Public School employee who manages the district’s energy and water conservation initiatives thinks regulators should consider children’s interest when they vote on the Public Service Company of New Mexico’s power replacement plan. Read more at the Santa Fe New Mexican.  Officials believe the federal government should be brought into a lawsuit by undocumented workers who say their detainment at the San Juan County Adult Detention Center at the request of immigration officials violated their civil rights. . Read it at the Albuquerque Journal.  The Albuquerque Police Department says it hasn’t forgotten about the West Mesa murders. On Sunday, journalists Rob Browman and Nicole Perez talked to some of the victim’s families and updated the six-year-old mystery. Read it at the ABQ Journal.  Bernalillo County Clerk Maggie Toulouse Oliver thinks a voter ID plan working its way through the Legislature will threatens voters’ rights.

Read more here.  School board elections are set for tomorrow. Peter Goodman thinks they're worth voters’ attention. Read his take at the Las Cruces Sun-News.  Students who have just turned 18 are turning out to exercise their rights for the first time in school board elections. Read more at the Santa Fe New Mexican.  Up in Taos, students are taking on racism and literacy issues. Cody Hooks has more at The Taos News.  Legislators want to rein in payday lending rates that exploit the poor. Read it at the Santa Fe New Mexican.  US Sen. Martin Heinrich wants to protect workers’ overtime pay. Read more at the Los Alamos Daily Post.  A Las Cruces representative has introduced a bill that would require more transparency from lobbyists. Justin Horwath has more at SFR.  Lt. Governor John Sanchez says the Republican right-to-work bill is “fundamentally right.”

Some worry the bill could destroy unions in the state, and Democrats are coming out strong against the measure. Read more at ABQ Business First.  A Democratic lawmaker has apologized for her Holocaust reference during debate on a bill to repeal driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants.

Republicans don’t think Roybal Caballero’s apology is enough. Andy Lyman has the scoop at New Mexico Political Report. Commissioner of Public Lands Aubrey Dunn says the public would have more access to federal lands in New Mexico if his office helped manage them. Deborah Baker has details.  Meanwhile, Dunn is still taking jabs at his predecessor’s handling of the Dixon apple orchard. Read why at the Santa Fe New Mexican.  The New Mexico Lobos are on a roll. They picked up a big conference win on Saturday, beating Fresno State, 67-41. Geoff Grammar has more.  Last night’s Super Bowl XLIX was the opposite of a blow out. At the end of the game, it wasn’t New England’s Tom Brady making the big play. Instead, the Patriots needed rookie Malcolm Butler to snag a clutch interception to win their fourth NFL Championship. Check out the Boston Globe's front page coverage.  Those two helium balloonists are back in Albuquerque after their record setting flight across the Pacific Ocean.

See the video at the BBC.

Santa Fe Reporter