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UNM Foundation and Board of Regents sued for allegedly violating public records laws

Brendon Gray | March 8

On Tuesday a suit was filed against the UNM Foundation and the Board of Regents for violations of the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act. The suit describes plaintiff Daniel Libit as having been denied multiple IPRA requests seeking information from the WisePies/Pit naming agreement, prompting his legal action. “The negotiation and implementation of the WisePies naming agreement is obviously a public activity taken by public officials employed by the University of New Mexico,” said Nicholas Hart, the attorney representing Libit in the case.

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Crime Briefs for March 9

Elizabeth Sanchez | March 8

Domestic violence, assault against a household member On the morning of March 1, an officer was sent to 933 Bradbury Dr. SE in reference to a potential domestic dispute, according to a police report. Upon arrival, a female told the officer she walked to her car near her workplace to pick up lunch for herself and a few co-workers when she noticed her ex-boyfriend’s car in the parking lot. She said she felt fearful, as he was physically abusive with her in the past. She said she rushed to her car and locked the door, only to be unable to drive away because her ex-boyfriend parked his car behind her.

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Financial surplus, cost-saving strategies discussed at Board of Regents HSC Committee meeting

Brendon Gray | March 8

Changes to the Sandoval Regional Medical Center Cost-saving changes to the Rio Rancho-based UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center will be implemented over the coming weeks, said UNM officials at Tuesday’s Board of Regents Health Sciences Committee meeting. UNM Hospital CEO Steve McKernan and Mike Richards, executive physician-in-chief for UNM Health Systems, announced the changes to the committee. Clinical growth initiatives, personnel reductions and the closing of certain units were mentioned as cost-saving mechanisms to compensate for changes in New Mexico healthcare.

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UNM researchers win $7 Million Air Force contract

Andres Del Aguila | March 8

Students in the School of Engineering are set to play an integral role in an Air Force project that seeks to create next-generation material and technology to improve space satellites. Cosmiac, a research center at the School of Engineering, received a $7 million 5-year contract with the Air Force to research, design and test semiconductor materials for electronics that can survive the harsh conditions of space. “This is a major project — one of the largest research contracts that the School of Engineering has ever received — and it is another great example of the strength of UNM as a top-tier research institution,” said Engineering School Dean Joseph Cecchi.

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National Briefs for March 8, 2017

Matthew Reisen | March 8

G.O.P. healthcare bill faces revolt from the right According to a New York Times article, the long-awaited plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act and revise the American health care system faced a revolt as conservative groups and lawmakers criticized a bill Republican leaders and President Donald Trump hoped to jam through Congress this month. “This is not the Obamacare repeal bill we’ve been waiting for.

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School of Law program that helps overturn wrongful convictions facing defunding

Elizabeth Sanchez | March 6

A UNM law school program that works to overturn wrongful convictions could lose its funding soon.  Since 2009, the New Mexico Innocence and Justice Project helps UNM law students investigate claims of innocence in legal cases after the accused has already been convicted.

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New state legislation would keep victim identities confidential

Brendon Gray | March 5

Legislation approved by the state Senate over the weekend looks to keep confidential the names of victims and witnesses of certain crimes including rape, stalking and harassment. But some critics argue that these changes decrease transparency and could hinder journalists and other public investigators from seeing all the facts of a case.

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UNM lab makes groundbreaking finds on chimpanzees

Elizabeth Sanchez | March 5

Chimpanzees are an endangered species, with their continued survival relying on new knowledge of health and ecological change, according to UNM researchers. Melissa Emery Thompson. That’s where the Hominoid Reproductive Ecology Laboratory at UNM comes in. “Our project has been leading the way in demonstrating that research, which is completely non-invasive, can yield an incredible amount of detail on health and behavior,” said Melissa Emery Thompson, an assistant professor of anthropology and co-director of the HREL. “This is valuable for understanding the chimpanzees, but also for retracing the evolutionary processes that have shaped human biology.”

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Indigenous people speak out against pollution of tribal lands

Celia Raney | March 5

“We are here after dog attacks, we’re here after (being attacked) with chemical agents, military combat tactics, grenades, aerial surveillance, military vehicles, inhumane detention — instruments of war.” These were the words of human rights lawyer Michelle Cook, describing threats posed to her and her clients while camping out at Standing Rock during the anti-Dakota Access Pipeline protests. “We are not terrorists for wanting to live,” Cook said.

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Monday on the Street: The Trump administration so far

Matthew Reisen | March 5

What is your opinion of the Trump presidency a little over a month in?

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UNM study suggests medical marijuana could decrease prescription opiate abuse

Cathy Cook | March 5

Medical cannabis use is highly under-researched, according to UNM professors Jacob Vigil and Sara Stith — and their recent findings suggest that it could actually help to battle addiction. The pair, along with pain specialist Dr. Anthony Reeve, presented their research on how enrollment in the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Program has affected prescription opioid use in patients with chronic pain on Friday at UNM. Vigil said the Medical Cannabis Program is unprecedented because patients manage their own care, since doctors can’t prescribe doses of cannabis, only authorize patients to obtain it.

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New program opens doors for mental and physical health

Elizabeth Sanchez | March 5

Many patients facing both physical illness and behavioral issues often go untreated. Their physical ailments can disqualify them from being admitted to a behavioral care facility, according to UNM psychiatry associate professor Davin Quinn, while their behavioral complications can disqualify them from physical treatment facility. The all-new Sandia Ridge Mental Health and Recovery Unit works to alleviate these obstacles, through it’s unique-to-New-Mexico, high-intensity medical and behavioral care.

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UNM Athletics still struggling to balance budget

Cathy Cook | March 5

The UNM Athletics Department began last fall with a $1.5 million budget deficit. This fiscal year, administrators have implemented several initiatives to reduce spending, but lower-than-expected revenues from football and basketball ticket sales have been lower than projected have hampered their efforts to get back to the green. Brad Hutchins, deputy athletics director for external operations, said football and men’s basketball are the biggest earners of the department’s 22 different programs.

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Regents approve bond prices, increase in UNM Foundation funding

Brendon Gray | March 4

During a special meeting Thursday, UNM regents unanimously approved prices for University bonds estimated to generate $46 million to fund the construction of the new Physics and Astronomy building, Smith Plaza renovations and other projects. “This is good for the University,” said Regent President Rob Doughty after the vote. The price-setting effort had been in the works for over a year, members of the board noted.

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Lecture discusses water conservation

Cathy Cook | March 3

“We need to keep the water on the watershed rather than letting it run off. That’s my mantra — keep the water on the watershed,” UNM professor Bill Fleming said. Fleming opened his watershed management class up to the public on Wednesday as part of Community and Regional Planning’s Teach Week, clarifying that the week of lectures and talks are a reaction to the current political drama in Washington.

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Panel discusses New Mexico Sunshine Law, IPRA

Celia Raney | March 3

In an effort to discuss methods citizens can use to learn more about government proceedings, the UNM School of Public Administration hosted a panel of experienced public information officers Thursday to discuss the rights protected under Sunshine Laws. The primary question posed was: What can the layman do to find government information in a time where it seems everything is hidden and secretive? The answer: Any U.S. citizen can access a plethora of information by filing a Public Information Request under the Inspection of Public Records Act.

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Journaling group brings camaraderie to cancer patients

Nichole Harwood | March 1

Every Monday afternoon for the last 12 years, everyday people who are battling cancer get together to share their experiences through journaling. Survivors Writing Together is a journaling support group for individuals who have a current or past cancer diagnosis and will have been going strong for 12 years this May. The group, which is co-facilitated by cancer survivors Eleanor Schick and Anjanette Cureton, welcomes survivors of cancer and defines a “survivor” from day one of diagnosis until death.

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Crime Briefs for March 2

Elizabeth Sanchez | March 1

Commercial Burglary at UNM Lobo Club On Feb. 18, an officer was sent to the UNM Lobo Club athletics facility on 1414 University Blvd. SE in reference to a burglary call, according to a report. Upon arrival, the officer spoke with the caller, who said he was the last person to leave the building the night before but noticed a large window on the west side of the building was broken.

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Diversity Council addresses KIVA Club concerns, endorses Preferred Name initiative

Brendon Gray | March 1

During a meeting Wednesday, the University’s Diversity Council heard presentations from the UNM KIVA Club and the LGBTQ resource center. UNM Diversity Council hears KIVA Club’s concerns on campus climate and funding After presentations made by Kiva Club representatives, the UNM Diversity Council agreed on resolutions to support the club and its leaders and strengthen the campus climate. During the presentations, the three representatives for Kiva Club— Demetrius Johnson, Jennifer Marley, and Tiayrra Curtis— noted an uptick in campus violence and cited concerns regarding its budget.

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Nonprofit helps ex-offenders reintegrate into society

Nichole Harwood | March 1

Best Chance, a new non-profit organization that helps returning citizens from incarceration reintegrate into the community through an innovative peer support model, is looking at the possibility of exceeding its goal of helping 50 individuals this year. Daniel Rowan, co-founder and a program director, of Best Chance said that, upon it’s formation, the goal for the year was servicing 50 individuals. At this point in 2017, the non-profit organization has already serviced 30. “There is so many people rolling into the city we can very quickly become overwhelmed with numbers, so we're mindful to just take on what we can handle,” Rowan said.