Gila River named most endangered

Southwestern New Mex river tops nonprofit's dubious list

River in danger

The Gila River in Southwestern New Mexico has topped nonprofit American Rivers' list of the nation's most endangered waterways. Not only is climate change affecting the river's flow, but a controversial diversion project has been brewing for decades, and this year will be pivotal as to whether or not it goes forward. The governor is against the project, which would send water from the Gila to Catron, Grant, Hidalgo and Luna counties, and she cut funding for it with a line-item veto on a budget for infrastructure projects.

Scootin’ boogie

Santa Fe City Council is deciding the ins and outs of electric scooter rental in Santa Fe; where they'd be allowed and how exactly it all would go. Any ordinance governing the use of rented electric scooters would not govern the usage of folks who have their own. The Public Safety Committee has recommended a temporary ban ($), and the public is invited to discuss the matter at a public meeting on May 8.

Big decisions

Nehemiah Griego was 15 when he shot and killed the other five people in his immediate family in their Albuquerque home. Griego is now 22, and a judge is set to decide whether he should be tried as an adult, which could see him sentenced to more than a century in prison, or as a minor, which would see him released from custody to continue treatment for trauma.

Less money, more problems?

The school district in Questa is one of the worst-performing in the state, and high staff turnover and budget woes are certainly no help. Investigative journalism outlet Searchlight New Mexico turns its eye to the 68 special education students in Questa, who are faring even worse than other students. Therapists and nurses are quitting in droves, and kids who need special accommodations are simply being told, "Sorry, we can't." Attorneys say funds must have been misused; Questa schools' budget, however, makes it nearly impossible to find out whether that's true.

We got a runner

The first GOP candidate ($) has officially thrown his cowboy hat into the ring for the Senate seat Tom Udall plans to vacate. Gavin Clarkson (Choctaw) said in a news release that he hopes to be an advocate for "the legal immigrants, like my wife, who followed the rules," and for "victims of illegal immigrant crime." He's also pro-gun and anti-abortion. Most recently, Clarkson was beat out by Maggie Toulouse Oliver in the 2018 election for secretary of state.

Isn’t it romantic

A Lovington man called in a fake bomb threat to the Family Dollar where his girlfriend worked, so that she could get out of work early and he could see her. He's been arrested and could see 18 months in the clink. That's all, really; we just thought you should know someone actually did that.

Rubbing its nose upon the window-panes

At first the Word thought she'd left a candle burning. Nope, nope, just the Santa Fe Watershed. The prescribed burn yesterday ($) sent smoke meandering through town last night, and fire officials say it could linger for up to a week. For news on all fires, prescribed or otherwise, visit NMFireInfo.com.

Thanks for reading! The Word wonders what your favorite (or least favorite) tongue-twister is. Some of the most baffling are the shortest. How about "Irish wristwatch," or of course the ubiquitous "toy boat" five times fast?

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