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COVID-19 cases spur a series of shutdowns of in-person operations across campus

Zara Roy | September 22

The University of New Mexico’s Student Activities Center and their Student Government Accounting Office have made the decision to suspend in-person operations until Sunday, Sept. 26; similarly, UNM’s Greek life has placed a restriction on in-person activities until Friday, Sept. 24. These decisions came after confirmed COVID-19 cases within SAC, the Associated Students of the University of New Mexico and Greek life. Though these organizations have struggled to pinpoint a source for the recent cases, the two confirmed positive cases in ASUNM are believed to have resulted from students who tested positive then failed to follow up with Student Health and Counseling, according to ASUNM President Greg Romero.

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Albuquerque City Council eliminates bus fares city-wide

Maddie Pukite | September 21

On Monday, the Albuquerque City Council passed a pilot zero-fare bus program that will remove fares on all city buses for every passenger for the duration of a calendar year starting on January 1, 2022. To address concerns brought up in the three previous deferrals of the program, the Metro Security Division within the Department of Municipal Development gave a presentation regarding the program’s safety. They said there would be additional security measures implemented, including funding to add 10 more security officers to the transit department.

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New Mexico Green Amendment to enter next legislative session

Maddie Pukite | September 19

Environmental advocates in New Mexico are gearing up for the next legislative session in January, where they will aim to pass the Green Amendment for the second time in the New Mexico Senate. The amendment would establish a constitutional right to clean air and water, as well as preservation of the land for the state. The amendment as presented in the previous session said it would aim to protect “environmental rights, including the right to a clean and healthy environment and the right to the preservation of the environment, and directs the state to protect environmental resources for the benefit of all the people.” The idea for this amendment was first proposed by Maya K. Van Rossum.

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UNM ranks 99 in top public schools

Rebecca Hobart | September 16

The University of New Mexico was ranked in the top 100 public universities for the second consecutive year in a 2022 best colleges rankings report by U.S. News and World Report. This accomplishment, ranking 99 out of 100 schools, comes after a series of critical transitions for the University over the past few years, including the installment of President Garnett Stokes in 2018 as well as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “Parents and students still look at and consider college rankings,” Vice President of Enrollment Management Dan García said. “A student who may not have considered UNM is going to see us listed (in the top 100 public universities) and dig in further, and that’s important.”

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UNM Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology sees patient increase after Texas abortion ban

Maddie Pukite | September 13

In light of the recent abortion ban in Texas, abortion providers in New Mexico have seen an influx of patients as many individuals travel across state lines to receive safe healthcare. The ban in Texas prohibits all abortions six weeks after the individual’s last menstrual cycle, which is before many people even know they are pregnant at all. The law also allows anyone in the state to enforce it; individuals can sue anyone aiding in the abortion process for up to $10,000. Eve Espey, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynocolgy at the University of New Mexico, spoke to the Daily Lobo about what the neighboring state’s ban means for abortion providers in New Mexico.

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City council defers zero bus fare and speed camera decisions

Maddie Pukite | September 13

At the Albuquerque city council meeting on Sept. 8, councilors voted to defer two key issues that would have individually eliminated local bus fares and placed traffic cameras to fine speeders in the city. The deferral of the zero bus fares amendment is the second time this specific action has been deferred; the first deferment happened on Aug. 2. The amendment would be a year-long pilot program that the city has already budgeted for and funded, allowing everyone who wishes to ride a city bus to do so free for a year. The deferral came after lots of debate in the meeting over the safety of the program and anti-homeless rhetoric.

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Injured turtle at Duck Pond dies after animal bite

Shelby Kleinhans | September 13

Freshman ReElle Snyder came across an injured turtle at the Duck Pond at the University of New Mexico on Aug. 27 who had a mangled hind leg that was actively bleeding. This wound, which was caused by an animal bite, eventually led to his death, and sparked questions about how the wildlife on campus is being taken care of. When Snyder found the turtle during a class scavenger hunt, the red-eared slider affectionately named ‘Ed’ continued suffering while she struggled to quickly find someone on campus who could provide care. Two hours after calling Bernalillo County Animal Services, an animal control officer arrived and carried Ed away in his makeshift home, a cardboard box.

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Grad worker union marches to president’s house

Maddie Pukite | September 7

The United Graduate Workers of the University of New Mexico held “Rally for Recognition” on Sept. 3 to call on the University to begin bargaining with them for their union rights. The event, which started near the Student Union Building, culminated in a march to UNM President Garnett Stokes’ house on campus to deliver a petition demanding that the University begin bargaining with the Union. The petition, which had approximately 2,000 signatures, was presented to office staff instead of Stokes, whom staff said was at a meeting and unavailable.

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New Mexico drought hinders agriculture industry

Rebecca Hobart | August 30

As increased greenhouse gases force warming and greater atmospheric retention of water in arid New Mexico, severe droughts follow. Farmers along the Rio Grande have felt the implications of less water and largely criticize regional laws and decisions that regulate state water usage for limiting access to irrigation. The Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District board, which manages the water through dams, voted on Aug. 20 to curtail irrigation along the Rio Grande on Oct. 1. This was enacted even though the law honors Native American pueblo water rights and protects them from the shut-off, according to John Fleck, professor and director of the UNM Water Resources Program.

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Resident physicians continue to bargain with UNM for better benefits

Megan Gleason | August 29

Bargaining for fair work conditions is ongoing between the Committee of Interns and Residents and the University of New Mexico. This union, representing all intern and resident physicians who work for UNM, is entering its third month of contract negotiations with the University. CIR is an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union and has had a collective bargaining agreement with the University since 2007. These contract negotiations take place every three years to determine agreements on working conditions, including stipulations on salaries, benefits, supplies and more. The current agreement, which began on August 1, 2019, will expire on Aug. 31 this year.

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Multi-million dollar training center to be built for UNM student-athletes

Maddie Pukite | August 29

The University of New Mexico’s Board of Regents recently approved the New Mexico Mutual Champions Training Center, a $4.3 million project for student-athletes, on Aug. 19. This extensive training center will be exclusively for student-athlete use, replacing the tent that teams currently train in that stands as a Title IX deficiency. The construction of this center is important in fulfilling a Title IX requirement that the University currently fails to meet, which is that more women than men are training in the 7,200-net-square-foot outdoor tent rather than in climate-controlled indoor facilities, according to UNM athletics director Eddie Nuñez.

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Autopsy and footage reveals MDC inmate’s circumstances of death

Gabriel Biadora and Shelby Kleinhans | August 23

On Jan. 31, Joleen Nez, a Native American woman who was cited for the petty misdemeanor of public littering in 2020, was pronounced dead due to the toxic effects of methamphetamine according to an autopsy report filed by the Office of the Medical Investigator. As reported in the Daily Lobo in February, Nez was cited in April of last year after she kicked over a cup and bowl at the intersection of Texas Street and Zuni Road and refused to pick up and throw away the cup — although she did throw away the bowl — according to the criminal complaint completed by Officer Preston Panana. Body camera footage shows an officer giving Nez the citation at the intersection after a verbal altercation with another individual that four officers witnessed.

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Board of Regents special meeting passes plethora of approvals

Megan Gleason | August 22

The University of New Mexico’s Board of Regents had an exceptionally long list of action items and passed nearly everything in a virutal meeting that lasted over three hours on Aug. 19. The only item that didn’t pass was the sale of the Student Family Housing property to the Central New Mexico Community College.

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UNM grad workers' right to unionize approved

Maddie Pukite | August 22

After the fight to unionize has been ongoing for over a year, the United Graduate Workers of the University of New Mexico received a win as graduate students were labeled as public and regular employees by New Mexico’s Public Employee Labor Relation Board (PELRB) on Aug. 17. This label, as specified by the Public Employee Bargaining Act (PEBA), gives the graduate workers the right to form a union. The board will meet again in the future to define what the workers’ bargaining units will be.

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UNM’s Welcome Back Events underway before school starts

Megan Gleason | August 19

On Sunday, students at the University of New Mexico will have the opportunity to get used to campus life again at the University’s Welcome Back Events. Before school starts on Monday, students can partake in Discover UNM, First-Year Family Day (exclusive to first-year students), Class Crawl and Movie on the Field. The Discover UNM event will kick off the day from 1-3 p.m., in which various departments and organizations will be located in the Student Union Building ballroom to talk about opportunities and resources on campus. “One of the greatest benefits to being a Lobo is the access to resources and organizations that support their intellectual, social and personal interests and well-being,” University secretary Nancy Middlebrook wrote to the Daily Lobo.

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New Mexico reinstates indoor mask policy following COVID spike

Megan Gleason | August 17

On Tuesday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that the state will reimplement an indoor mask policy, effective Friday, Aug. 20 until at least Sept. 15, due to an increasing number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. This policy, which may be extended or lifted by the governor if necessary, is required of individuals age 2 and up regardless of vaccination status. “We know that the pandemic is not over and that we’re in a pivotal moment in the state,” Lujan Grisham said at a COVID-19 update livestream on Tuesday. Lujan Grisham also said the state is enforcing “mandatory vaccines in the places where they make the most sense.”

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OPINION: Fake vaccination cards are dangerous and immoral

Emma Trevino | August 16

With COVID-19 cases surging across the country, universities and employers have begun attempting to crack down on vaccine requirements. Although this signals a step in the right direction, the increasing number of fake credentials being used to cheat a verified vaccination status could very well land us right back where we started, or worse. Fake vaccination cards are not new in regards to this pandemic; a public service announcement about the illegality of fake cards was released by the FBI in March, near the time the vaccine was approved for the majority of adult individuals in New Mexico, proving that for as long as any place has required a COVID-19 vaccine, people have found ways to produce or procure counterfeit documents.

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Financial, academic hardships of unpaid student regent position encourage action

Megan Gleason | August 16

On Aug. 10, Regent Melissa Henry, a former student regent, asked the Board of Regents Ad Hoc Governance Committee to consider policies that would provide a financial backbone for the unpaid student regent position after experiencing a lot of financial and academic distress during her past term. Ad Hoc Governance Chair and Regent Rob Schwartz hopes to bring this issue to the full Board of Regents at their next business meeting in October. “It was very naive of me to take this position not knowing how it would impact my career and work opportunities at the University and off campus, and not only did I face the consequences of being in such a politicized, public position but my work and time to contribute to my academic program suffered,” Henry said.

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Governor commits $5M for Chile Labor Incentive Program

Megan Gleason | August 12

On Thursday, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that New Mexico will put $5 million toward a wage supplement program administered by the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, called the Chile Labor Incentive Program, for the chile industry due to a labor shortage. This program will provide funding, taken from the state’s share of the American Rescue Plan, to “chile growers, labor contractors and processors on a first-come, first-served basis to supplement the wages of existing and prospective workers as well as incentivize hiring and retention,” according to a press release put out by the office of the governor on Thursday.

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In policy reversal, UNM requires vaccinations by October

Megan Gleason | August 8

After a sudden shift in policy, the University of New Mexico is requiring all students, staff and faculty to be fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus by Sept. 30, 2021. The reversal from the University’s initial decision to forgo a vaccine mandate comes after local and national rises in COVID-19 cases. This vaccine policy applies to “all UNM personnel and students who access UNM facilities, housing, programs, services and activities located on the main campus in Albuquerque, the Academic Health Sciences campus in Albuquerque, Gallup campus, Los Alamos campus, Taos campus and the Valencia campus,” according to the Bringing Back the Pack website.