Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
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Responding to calls from stranded drivers with broken-down cars is a regular feature of the job for New Mexico State Police. But Officer Justin Hare, who was shot and killed while on duty Friday morning, was known for taking that task to the next level. "If he saw a car or a pickup on the side of the highway, he was always stopping to try to help them," said Jason Goen, a Tucumcari mechanic and tow truck driver who regularly worked alongside Hare for years. "When you call out road service it's kind of expensive, and he would help people, you...
In a recent meeting about upcoming stories, the Pasatiempo editorial staff discussed ways to put Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the spotlight. Only a handful of New Mexico communities hold events tied to the holiday. Perhaps that’s not a surprise in a state whose population was 2.7% Black in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. One could argue that the late civil rights leader should be celebrated regardless, but I’ve lived in enough states to understand that locally cherished celebrations often reflect the demographics. I’m sharing some...
New Mexico lawmakers love to say they keep busy during legislative sessions "doing the people's work." The New Mexican asked 33 people, one from each county, what they want to see the Legislature prioritize during the 30-day session that began Tuesday. Here are some of the responses: Pat Lyons, Curry County Former state senator (1993-2002) and Public Regulation Commission member Pat Lyons is running 500 head of cattle on a farm and ranch outside Clovis and is enjoying the "retired but still working" life. Watching the state Legislature as an...
Despite the best efforts of the New Mexico Citizens Redistricting Committee to draw nonpartisan, fair districts for key state elections, the Legislature couldn’t dodge a lawsuit over redistricting. That lawsuit, which zeroed in on how New Mexico’s three congressional districts were redrawn, is going forward. A wise judge, however, ruled it’s too late to start over for the upcoming election — races for Congress will proceed using the disputed maps. But at a later date, Republicans will have the opportunity to prove their case, which alleges...
Four public regulation commissioners Wednesday scolded a fellow commissioner from Tucumcari for sending an energy-related survey that inaccurately connected them to it. Jefferson Byrd said he would send a message to the recipients making it clear the online survey was his and not the Public Regulation Commission’s. Byrd is running for commissioner of the State Land Office. He said he thought the cover letter indicated he was behind the survey. “I will find out what we can do as far as making that correction,” Byrd said. Some commi...
At least Steve Pearce flexed his ineptitude during a pointless exercise. Pearce, chairman of the New Mexico Republican Party, oversaw ponderous and bungled vote-counting at his organization’s pre-primary nominating convention. In truth, Pearce’s failures didn’t amount to much of significance. They instead raised the question of why New Mexico even bothers staging pre-primary conventions. Only political junkies who are nostalgic for smoke-filled rooms and the shenanigans of ward bosses see value in events like the one Pearce botched. When the R...