When Gov. Susana Martinez gave her first State of the State address on Jan. 1, 2011, she emphasized two priorities: improving education and keeping businesses in New Mexico. But SFR has found that, in the 15 months since Martinez took office, the New Mexico Public Education Department has paid out more than three times as much in professional service contracts to out-of-state education contractors than to those located in New Mexico. What’s more, it’s unclear whether some of them have produced tangible results.

Nine years after the state approved a new rural public transportation district, nearly two-dozen free bus routes crisscross Santa Fe, Taos, Rio Arriba and Los Alamos counties. Last year, the district provided roughly 374,000 rides.

 On SFPD's boob fetish, man who stores sewage, and swan-icide.

Six months ago, SFR reported on allegations that some New Mexico Public Education Department officials had improper educator’s licenses. Since then, PED has maintained that there’s never been a licensing problem. But prominent officials are raising questions about whether PED adequately dealt with employees’ concerns and urging better oversight in one of the state’s largest departments.

Last week, a tourist stopped in to the Hobbs Chamber of Commerce looking for a local attraction: a “ghost town” used to test futuristic technologies. Chamber of Commerce employee Tiffany Bishop had disappointing news for the visitor: The ghost town doesn’t exist—yet. But on April 3, the Center for Innovation, Testing and Evaluation took a big step closer to fruition.

On April 1, 1998, the cover of the Santa Fe Reporter underwent the most significant redesign in its then-24-year history. Now, 14 years later, we’re doing it again.

On the evening of March 28, Sheila Louis walked into Christ Church Santa Fe with no place to stay, no money, untreated back pain from a recent car accident and overflowing anger about her situation.

If state appellate judges uphold the rulings of their predecessors in a three-year-old lawsuit, New Mexico may be on the hook to pay millions—if not tens of millions—of dollars to current and former state employees.

New Mexico Land Commissioner Ray Powell, a bolo-tie-wearing veterinarian with a friendly, deliberate demeanor, previously held office from 1993-2002 (hence the retro file photo!) and was reelected in 2010. SFR met with Powell recently to discuss how the state’s public trust lands are being used—and what that means for Santa Fe.

A major new federal study shows that New Mexico’s 1,000 underground miners face increased cancer risks from exposure to diesel exhaust—and that existing exhaust limits may not be enough to protect them. But thanks largely to a little-known industry group called MARG, little if anything is likely to come of this new information.