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Mobile morgues serve as grim reminder as virus slams New Mexico health system

Nick Romero / @nicromerophoto / Daily Lobo | November 20

The “third wave” of COVID-19 has left New Mexico hospitals at maximum capacity as cases have grown at an exponential rate across the state. As of Thursday morning, five refrigerated trailers or “mobile morgues” were parked and operating in one of the parking lots of the University of New Mexico Hospital. These trailers were recently moved back to a parking lot near Camino De Salud and University and have been in operation since March. “As part of (UNMH’s influenza plan), the Office of the Medical Investigator has been provided with climate controlled storage options,” according to Mark Rudi, a UNM Health Sciences spokesperson. “These storage options have been utilized since the spring and are managed in a collaborative effort between OMI and the New Mexico Department of Health.”

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SHAC helps students cope with loss

Prestin Nikolai | November 19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, students at the University of New Mexico have experienced a great deal of loss, whether the loss of a loved one, a relationship, loss of social life or activities, or even the loss of university life when they graduate and move on. In order to help students cope with these losses, Dr. Stephanie McIver, a clinical psychologist and counseling director at UNM’s Student Health and Counseling, recently hosted a workshop called “Coping With Endings.” The workshop aimed to help students understand the myriad of losses and endings they may experience and teach coping strategies to make a healthy transition to the next phase of their lives.

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As war on drugs winds down, New Mexico at a crossroads

Gabriel Biadora | November 18

Following the recent legislation in Oregon to decriminalize all drugs and other states like neighboring Arizona voting to legalize recreational marijuana, the focus in New Mexico has turned once again to the state’s policies in regard to illicit substances. Some are hopeful for a future with a harm-reduction approach as the beginning of the end of the war on drugs. “It’s the start of a new era,” a University of New Mexico student familiar with illicit substances, who requested to be referred to as AJ to protect his privacy, said. As psychoactive substances — like cannabis and psychedelics — are decriminalized at the state level, legalization advocates and some medical experts are hopeful more clinical research on the potential benefits these substances have will follow.

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Medication assisted treatment faces roadblocks in opioid addiction fight

Shelby Kleinhans | November 16

In light of the decriminalization of hard drugs in Oregon, New Mexicans may finally warm up to medication assisted treatment for substance abuse disorders. A recent study published in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment found that “buprenorphine and methadone in particular reduce fatal opioid overdose rates by 50–70%, reduce illicit drug use, increase treatment retention and improve psychosocial outcomes.” While the D.A.R.E. campaign enthusiastically warned students about the dangers of drug use in the late 90’s, “pharmaceutical companies reassured the medical community that patients would not become addicted to prescription opioid pain relievers,” according to the National Institutes of Health.

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Agora Crisis Center celebrates 50th anniversary

Hannah John | November 16

The Agora Crisis Center, opened on the University of New Mexico’s campus in the 1970s, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. According to the Agora website, the crisis center was “one of the first crisis centers of its kind,” formed in response to a student who took their own life after unsuccessfully seeking help. The organization’s goal from its inception has been to provide an outlet for anyone who needs to talk to someone, with a focus on providing support to UNM students.

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KUNM news director and reporter Hannah Colton dies at 29

Andrew Gunn | November 11

The tight-knit journalism community in New Mexico lost a luminescent figure on Tuesday. Hannah Colton, the news director at KUNM and a pillar of the press corps in the state, died at the age of 29 on Nov. 10. The sense of loss was tremendous as the news of Colton’s passing was announced on KUNM on Wednesday night. “The KUNM community is heartbroken to say that news director Hannah Colton died earlier this week at age 29,” KUNM reporter and producer Marisa Demarco said. “She has been a brilliant news leader during the pandemic, guiding the team and editing stories about the virus, the calls to stop racist policing and the 2020 election.”

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City introduces pawnbroker ordinance in attempt to deter property crime

Maddie Pukite | November 11

On Monday Nov. 2, the Albuquerque City Council approved the Pawnbroker Ordinance — sponsored by Councillor Diane Gibson — in an attempt to crack down on the resale of stolen goods. As recently as 2017, the FBI listed Albuquerque as the city with the highest rate of property crime in the nation. Though rates have come down in recent years, the City of Albuquerque still reported 10,271 larceny or theft offenses in 2020 at the mid-year point. Albuquerque Police Department representatives said that the ordinance would address property crime rates by increasing the number of cases that are eligible for prosecution, increasing the conviction rates of cases sent to the District Attorney's Office and helping to recover stolen firearms.

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Grad student union effort nears threshold for recognition

Lissa Knudsen | November 10

University of New Mexico graduate student workers reported on Friday that more than 40% of eligible graduate workers have signed union cards. The union needs 50% plus one in order to appeal to the New Mexico Public Employee Labor Relations Board (PELRB) to form a union. “More cards have been coming in ... We have broken 700 cards, and there are 1,600 graduate students. And so, a simple majority is 800,” Emigdio Turner, a chemistry Ph.D. candidate at UNM and union organizing committee member, said during a Zoom breakout session with STEM graduate students on Friday. “(But), we would be looking to go much further past that to demonstrate unilateral support.”

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Video of man performing traditional dance goes viral

Lissa Knudsen | November 9

Editor’s note: The original version of this article incorrectly labeled the dance that Trujillo spontaneously performed as one from the Pueblo of Ohkay Owingeh. The dance was a men’s northern traditional dance not associated with a particular pueblo. We apologize for the error. Ashkia “Kia” Randy Trujillo left his car idling as he jumped out onto Central Avenue in downtown Albuquerque on Saturday evening to spontaneously perform a portion of a men’s northern traditional storytelling dance. Video of the performance captured by a Daily Lobo photographer went viral almost immediately, attracting more than 5 million views and highlighting the influence of Native American voters in the 2020 election.

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Trump supporters spread misinformation at Roundhouse following Biden victory

Bella Davis | November 9

SANTA FE — Shortly after the election was called in favor of President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. late Saturday morning, supporters of lame-duck President Donald Trump rallied at the Roundhouse. The rally was a part of nationwide “Stop the Steal” protests, which organized around the false claim that the 2020 election was fraudulent with rampant voter fraud. Around 200 people stood on the sidewalk in front of the state Capitol building as cars flying Trump and U.S. flags drove by — one of which had “fake news mobile” written on the side, listing local TV news stations KRQE, KOB and KOAT — and cries of “four more years” rang out.

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Biden ousts Trump, elected 46th president

Liam Debonis | November 7

After an agonizing four-day stretch beyond Election Day that spilled into the weekend, Joseph R. Biden Jr is projected to become the next President of the United States. The president-elect defeated President Donald Trump, regaining the White House for the Democratic Party after the businessman and reality television star’s bid for re-election fell short. The declaration of Biden’s victory by the Associated Press and other major news outlets sparked celebrations in Albuquerque and across the country. Lines of cars cruised Central Avenue in Downtown, the University area, Nob Hill and other neighborhoods along the city’s main artery, with honking horns and waving signs replacing more traditional revelry.

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Election uncertain, Trump manages to stay in play for now

Liam Debonis | November 4

Election Day ended with a cloud of uncertainty as Trump pulled ahead in southern swing states. The election now hinges on Great Lakes-adjacent states, including Pennsylvania, which are expected to continue processing mail-in ballots for the next few days. Trump sped ahead in Florida early on Nov. 3 as the state reported voting results at breakneck speed. North Carolina followed suit; as the majority of results poured in, Biden’s comfortable lead vanished and left the Democratic candidate lagging behind. Trump is projected to win in Ohio, Iowa and Texas, states that he led by a small margin in FiveThirtyEight’s polling averages.

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Bacon, Thomson retain state Supreme Court seats

Spencer Butler | November 4

Nov. 3, 2020 may become in retrospect one of the most consequential days in U.S. political history, as 131 million voters turned out to vote on not only the presidential election but the smaller statewide races that happened across the country. This includes New Mexico, where voters weighed in on a number of judiciary members and state Supreme Court candidates. While the races within the judicial branch had multiple Republican challengers, the Democratic candidates still managed to hold on to their seats — in some cases, by the slimmest of margins.

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Luján defeats Ronchetti to secure Senate seat vacated by Udall

Adam Evarts - Guest Reporter | November 4

In a congressional competition that was closer than expected, Democratic candidate Ben Ray Luján won the 2020 New Mexico Senate race over Republican opponent Mark Ronchetti and Libertarian Bob Walsh. The race was called by the Associated Press at 10:25 p.m. in New Mexico. Luján garnered 51% of the vote compared to Ronchetti’s 46% as of 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 4 with all precincts reporting. Walsh earned a meager 3% of the vote. Luján’s win ensures that the seat remains firmly in the blue, as the assistant speaker of the House is set to replace New Mexico statesman Tom Udall, who’s retiring after six terms in office.

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Herrell wins hotly contested 2nd Congressional District seat

William Jennings - Guest Reporter | November 4

A historic election by any measure saw another milestone in New Mexico on Tuesday night, as the state will send the first all-women of color congressional delegation to the capital in January. The 2020 election marked another fierce faceoff between Democratic incumbent Xochitl Torres Small and Republican challenger Yvette Herrell after the two locked horns in the 2018 election. Herrell won the seat with 54% of the vote, ousting Torres Small by just over 20,000 votes in the sprawling, largely rural district. The results marked a shift back to power for New Mexico Republicans, who had previously occupied the traditionally conservative congressional seat.

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UNM Dean of Students Office lifts ‘no contact directive’ on Daily Lobo editor

Liberty Stalnaker / Daily Lobo | November 3

After seven days, blistering community critique and a Daily Lobo editorial condemning a “No Contact Directive” issued from the University of New Mexico to one of its editors, the University has reversed course and rescinded the order. On Oct. 28, Daily Lobo data editor Joe Rull was issued a No Contact Directive by the office of Dean of Students Nasha Torrez, an order that prohibited Rull from communicating online or in person with Student Fee Review Board (SFRB) undergraduate member Sall Ahmadian.

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‘Sexual Citizens’ advocates for sexual assault reduction through campus redesign, better sex education

Shelby Kleinhans | October 30

“Every single Black woman who we interviewed had experienced unwanted touching...and had had an experience that signaled to them that their bodies were not deserving of respect, ”Jennifer Hirsch told her audience of University of New Mexico staff and students on Oct. 21 during a virtual book talk on “Sexual Citizens: A Landmark Study of Sex, Power, and Assualt on Campus.” Elizabeth Dwyer Sandlin hosted the conversation where the discussion of race as one of several forms of power imbalance involved in sexual assault was just one of the many topics discussed.

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The Daily Lobo election guide: Bonds and the art of city maintenance

Beatrice Nisoli , Alex McCausland , Megan Gleason , Maddie Pukite and Nikita Jaiswal | October 29

With early voting well underway — and set to end on Saturday ahead of Election Day — New Mexicans have a lengthy list of choices on the ballot designed to make improvements to the infrastructure, resources and livability of the city of Albuquerque itself. The following is a breakdown of what general obligation bonds are for, where the money would go if approved by voters and whether or not you should vote for a particular allocation of taxpayer-subsidized funding.

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Potential Biden win floats possibility of Governor Morales

Shelby Kleinhans | October 29

If the presidential election swings in favor of Democratic nominee Joe Biden and Donald Trump is forced to vacate the White House, New Mexico’s highest political office may see another transition in power soon after. In an August interview with Vogue, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham was asked if she’d be interested in the position of Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary under a hypothetical Biden administration. “Like in the context of being vetted for vice president, I want them to look to governors, because the HHS secretary is going to have to immediately deal with COVID and a whole different strategy for public health,” she replied, floating the very real possibility that Lujan Grisham could exit the Governor’s Residence for a Biden cabinet position with two years left in her first term.

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Student Fee Review Board opts not to reduce fees

Lissa Knudsen , Spencer Butler and Jesus Mata | October 27

The University of New Mexico’s Student Fee Review Board (SFRB) voted to hold fees steady for fall 2021, despite calls for reductions amidst the coronavirus pandemic. On Sunday morning, Oct. 25, the SFRB — after more than 10 hours of deliberations — approved the fall 2021 student activity fee recommendations on a unanimous 7-0 vote. Student activity fees are charged alongside tuition to all students registered on main campus and at the Health Sciences Center. These fees are assessed per capita — as enrollment increases, the total budget expands, giving the board more money to recommend for allocation.