Sen. Candelaria ain’t having it with PRC

Accuses leaders of overstepping their bounds to skirt Energy Transition Act

Back in time

Public Regulation Commission Chairwoman Teresa Becenti-Aguilar and Commissioner Valerie Espinoza have pushed for discussion of the San Juan Generating Station's shutdown to be reviewed under old case law that predates the Energy Transition Act; as a result, Sen. Jacob Candelaria, D-Albuquerque, has accused them of deliberately and illegally attempting to skirt the new law. The ETA took effect in June.

Meet the new boss

Meet the new head of the state Public Education Department: Kara Bobroff (Navajo/Lakota) takes the reins ($ TNM) of a department that's seen more than its share of shake-ups in the last few weeks, including a high-profile murder of one of its employees, the dismissal of its secretary and the resignation of its chief of staff. Bobroff was founding principal of the Native American Community Academy in Albuquerque, and her father was once the head of Albuquerque Public Schools.

Lawsuit implicates former mayor

A former Española mayor has been accused of sexually abusing a boy in his care. Richard Lucero,  who served as mayor of Española at different times between 1968 and 2006, reportedly had the boy work for him at his farm supply store and began grooming him in 1986, when the boy was 11 years old.

Over the hill

That rain last night tho. So good. Well, mostly good. It caused a rock slide on Highway 502 headed up to Los Alamos and closed eastbound lanes ($ TNM) last night, so if you commute up the hill (or down the hill), use caution. And, speaking of closed roads, if you're headed toward Highway 333 in the East Mountains near Carnuel, avoid that area too; a semi crash has closed that road and police activity is ongoing.

Delayed again

The trial of Edgar Alejandro Mendez has been delayed yet again. The man, who has a lengthy criminal history, has been charged with vehicular homicide in a 2018 hit-and-run case, but he surprised the courtroom ($ TNM) at a hearing in which he was expected to plead guilty by saying that his lawyers refused to review some evidence in his case. District Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer halted the proceedings and ordered Mendez and his lawyers to figure it all out. The hearing was already delayed once before earlier this month when Marlowe asked for proof that Mendez had been informed of the consequences of his plea in Spanish.

Come ‘n’ get it

Yes, the rumors are true: Santa Fe Bite is coming back, moving into the former Tecolote spot on St. Michael's Drive. The spot has long been known for its burgers, which were often named some of the best in the country (no really, the country). SFR's Alex De Vore even says he may go back to eating meat if this news is true … Which it is, baby. Oh yeah.

Sounds fake, but OK

It sure did seem like more than .42 inches of rain yesterday, didn't it? Oh well. We're looking at a similar kind of day today, with risk of flash flooding all over Northern New Mexico, so be safe out there. And come to our Best of Santa Fe party tonight! It always rains at least a little bit, so that's no big deal; just bring an umbrella and come have a marg.

Thanks for reading! The Word wonders what your favorite brand of fizzy water is. Here, it's a toss-up between Spindrift and LaCroix. Or maybe even Trader Joe's. Not a big fan of Perrier. Weigh in, Santa Fe, weigh in.

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