Gettin’ Dirty

Attack mode

The day after a notably more aggressive debate from both Steve Pearce and Michelle Lujan Grisham, the race for governor got notably more nasty ($). Democrats railed against the state Republican Party for a now-deleted tweet that criticized her appearance. Lujan Grisham has a new ad attacking Pearce as too close to Trump, just as the Republican Governors Association is up with an ad saying Lujan Grisham's demeanor isn't serious enough for New Mexico. It's not going to get nicer as Election Day nears.

‘Nobody knew where Aleppo was’

That's the man-on-the-street claim from Elect Liberty PAC, a group that supports Libertarian Gary Johnson for Senate. Hardly anyone's seen the political ad in which it's made, but it's part of a tide of outside money flowing into New Mexico. A competitive race in the 2nd Congressional District has caused Southern New Mexico to be inundated by outside money. SFR looks at the ad and the spending, which often results in the nastiest ads of a campaign cycle. If the internet has taught us anything, it's that it's pretty easy to attack people from the safety of anonymity. YOU JERKS! Just kidding, you know we love you.

Burn the whole house down

Former University of New Mexico Athletic Director Paul Krebs' attorney says a high-ranking UNM official told him to find a $25,000 donation to "take care of everything" as news broke of a golf trip to Scotland in which Krebs spent public money to woo private donors for the school's sports program. Much of the dealings have been kept quiet by Krebs' design, the university's and the UNM Foundation. New search warrant affidavits from the attorney general's office have shed light on them.

Get off my lawn

The Santa Fe Public Schools Board of Education has voted down a proposal to study the efficacy of building affordable housing for school district employees. Last night's 4-1 decision ($) was the second such one in recent weeks. The four board members who voted against the study said it's too likely to favor one group of employees over others.

Will the wolf survive?

Three Mexican wolves have been found dead in Arizona and New Mexico, according to Arizona wildllife managers. The wolves are tracked as part of a reintroduction project that's been controversial over its two decades. They're also endangered. So far this year, 11 wolves have been killed.

Water to Santolina

The controversial, massive master-planned community in Bernalillo County called Santolina will need water. It won't be cheap. The water authority down there says costs could rise to $600 million over 50 years for water and sewer service.

Doubtin’ Abbey

Author Amy Irvine grew up reading Edward Abbey classics like Desert Solitaire. A lot of Southwesterners did. But while she admired some of the work, she also realized it comes at complex problems from one angle, a perspective with which many of us are familiar, whether we live from it or not. As she asked questions of Abbey's work, she spun a book that pushes back against assumptions. She'll read from Desert Cabal tonight at 6:30 pm at Collected Works. It's free.

Wetter and warmer 

The latest from the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center shows New Mexico is expected to be both wetter and warmer than normal over the next month, which is awesome if you're waiting for water skiing season, but not so much for snow. Temperatures will warm a bit today and tomorrow, but generally be around 60 for the next few days in much of New Mexico.

Thanks for reading! The Word's grandfather encouraged him for years to be a punter in football. Smart man.

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