Morning Word: UNM Student Wants To Resettle on Mars

Schools delays and closings in Northern New Mexico

By Peter St. Cyr

R

esidents in some parts of Northern New Mexico are waking up to

fresh snow on the ground

. A winter weather alert remains in effect in Quay, Curry, Roosevelt, De Baca, Chaves and Lincoln Counties.  We also found a few

school closings and delays

around the state this morning, but Santa Fe schools are set to open on time.

It's Tuesday, February 17, 2015

A University of New Mexico grad student is one step closer to his dream of resettling on Mars. Zachary Gallegos found out he’s a Top 100 finalist for the Mars One program. Read it at the ABQ Journal.  Crowdfunding appears to be boosting educational opportunities for students in Taos.

Reporter Cody Hooks has more at the Taos News.  Landowners are fighting property tax assessment changes that would hike taxes on plots used for farming. Staci Matlock has details.  Big screen comedian Adam Sandler is headed to Santa Fe to make The Ridiculous Six with his Happy Madison production team. Adrian Gomez has details.  Chemtrail activists take to the streets in Taos.

Maybe they just didn’t want to be left in the shadows now that Better Call Saul has put the spotlight on a character who suffers from so-called electromagnetic hypersensitivity. Read more at the Taos News.  We all remember the Bubba Gump Shrimp company in Tom Hank's film Forrest Gump . Well, now a shrimp company based in New Mexico is taking aquaculture research developed at New Mexico State University to commercial market. Read more at the Las Cruces Sun-News.  Someone, it appears, broke into the Deming Highlight's offices over the weekend and started a fire. Police were off for Presidents Day, but have said they’ll launch their investigation today. See more online. The Public Health New Mexico project at KUNM

has an interesting interview with the mother of a mentally ill man killed by APD.

Listen here.  Second Judicial District Attorney Kari Brandenburg says efforts to remove her from prosecuting two Albuquerque Police officers “defy commonsense.” See it at KOB 4.  The mothers of drug addicts in Bernalillo County hope commissioners vote for a small tax increase to generate money for mental health and substance abuse programs. Read more at the ABQ Journal.  Drive drunk in Rio Rancho and the police have been authorized to seize your car. Details at the Rio Rancho Observer.  The 6th Annual DWI March of Sorrow heads to the state capitol today. In 2014, 146 people were killed in drunk driving crashes and the folks at Mothers Against Drunk Driving want stricter penalties and stronger enforcement of laws already on the books. See more at KOAT.  New Mexico Legislative News:

  • After years of delays, the Senate has confirmed Hanna Skandera as secretary of the Public Education Department–
  • SFR
  • . 
  • Blogger Mark Bentley takes a look at the political aspects of the confirmation–
  • Inside Politics
  • . 
  • A bill to hold off Common Core rules is tabled in committee–
  • New Mexico Political Report
  • . 
  • Payday industry contributes thousands to New Mexico campaigns–
  • Trip Jennings.
  •  
  • Senate Honors Parents and Families of Gays and Lesbians–
  • Roundhouse Roundup
  • . 
  • Rudolpho "Rudy" S. Martinez, a former state senator, says right-to-work legislation is an attack on working families–
  • Las Cruces Sun-News.
  •  

The struggling University of New Mexico men’s basketball teams faces off with Mountain West Conference leader San Diego State University in WisePies Arena tonight.

Game preview at the Daily Lobo. 

Santa Fe Reporter

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