News - The Daily Lobo

News

Pedestrian safety, COVID-19 transmission remain top concerns as ART resumes operations

Liam Debonis | July 6

The Albuquerque Rapid Transit (ART) system has resumed service, sporting a bright red coat of paint along the UNM section of its route. “We wanted to make sure that pedestrians especially knew there was a difference, that the buses would be going east and/or west,” Albuquerque transit director Danny Holcomb said regarding the pavement’s color change. “We wanted to make sure that if they saw that red paint, they would stop and pause and say ‘wait a minute, maybe I shouldn’t cross here.’” After three-plus years of delays, ART operations began last November. Since opening, ART has accumulated an extensive array of accidents, including one fatality. The transit system has also been involved in at least 30 collisions with other vehicles, according to the Albuquerque Journal, and has hit two pedestrians.

News

APD union contract negotiations delayed indefinitely

Bella Davis | July 3

In the month since Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd, police unions have come under national scrutiny for their role in shielding the police from accountability. And Albuquerque has been no exception. The contract between the Albuquerque Police Officers Association (APOA) and the City of Albuquerque was set to expire on July 1, but because all city union contract negotiations have been put on hold amidst the pandemic, it will remain in effect until negotiations can take place at an undetermined date in the fall. “Negotiations for all of the City’s unions, including the APOA, are currently on hold due to uncertainty about finances in the wake of COVID-19,” Jessie Damazyn, a spokesperson for Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller’s office, said.

News

ASUNM President Amin refuses to sign Black Lives Matter resolution

Joe Rull | July 3

Members of the University of New Mexico community decried last month's increased police presence on campus amid the apex of Black Lives Matter protest activity in the state, taking particular issue with UNM President Garnett Stokes' milquetoast response to the image of snipers atop UNM's George Pearl Hall. On June 11, ASUNM passed Resolution #1F during a special session meeting which announced the student government's support of the abolition of the modern policing system and urged Stokes to reconsider UNM's ties with external police forces. While the vote passed by a wide margin, ASUNM President Mia Amin vetoed the resolution by declining to sign it. She cited concerns that ASUNM "is a non-partisan organization" and said it is her "job to serve (UNM) students by staying neutral," per an email announcement shared with ASUNM senators.

News

Governor signs revised budget, revives Opportunity Scholarship funding

Lissa Knudsen | July 1

SANTA FE — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the fiscal year 2021 revised budget late Tuesday afternoon after an unprecedented special session convened to try and blunt the worst effects of the coronavirus pandemic and spiraling revenue from curtailed oil production in the Permian Basin. The budget, which will go into effect on July 1, totals $7.22 billion, down from the $7.6 billion plan approved by the Legislature in February. The approved budget includes a 4% reduction for Instructional and General support and a 6% reduction for Research and Public Service Projects across all higher education institutions, according to an email from the governor’s press secretary Nora Sackett. As of the time of this article’s publication, the details of which projects would shoulder the cuts were still unclear.

News

‘Deplorable, deeply disappointing’: Student Family Housing to close permanently

Andrew Gunn | June 29

Next spring, just after finals conclude and dissertations are defended, many University of New Mexico students with families will be looking for another place to live. The closure of the Student Family Housing complex was confirmed in a June 29 email sent to residents by Wayne Sullivan, the director of Residence Life and Student Housing. "The University made the difficult decision to close the Student Family Housing (SFH) complex on May 31, 2021," Sullivan wrote. "For nearly 50 years, we have had the pleasure to provide affordable housing to our outstanding students and have truly enjoyed developing relationships with all of our residents." With the decision to "decommission" the Student Family Housing complex in just under 11 months, the University will eliminate the only student housing that catered specifically to students with families, including a large percentage of international and graduate students.

News

APD, mayor deny mishandling of police response to Oñate protest, shooting

Bella Davis | June 23

In the week since Steven Baca shot and injured Scott Williams at a protest against the statue of conquistador Juan de Oñate in Old Town on June 15, the Albuquerque Police Department has been criticized for its handling of the shooting. APD, along with Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, have since defended the police response. Judge Charles Brown ordered Baca to be released from custody on Monday ahead of his trial. Baca faces two counts of battery and one aggravated battery charge for attacking three women at the protest, which was captured on video and has been corroborated by witnesses. KUNM producer Marisa Demarco was at the protest and witnessed Baca throw a woman to the ground, which was the incident that directly preceded the shooting — protesters pursued Baca after that violent attack and during the ensuing confrontation, Baca shot Williams.

News

UNM eliminates fall break amid preparations for hybrid semester

Spencer Butler | June 22

The University of New Mexico’s 2020 fall semester schedule has been released after a lengthy revision process due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fall break has been eliminated in favor of two separate, one-day breaks in October and November. All in-person classes will cease after the Thanksgiving break and be carried out in an online-only format until Dec. 4. The start date of the fall semester has remained the same — Aug. 17 — and Labor Day will still be a day off for all UNM students, but the two new break days are on Oct. 7 and Nov. 3, respectively.

News

‘Now is the time to act’: Substantial police reform largely absent at special session

Bella Davis | June 20

SANTA FE — In a state that’s seen its share of unrest over police brutality and systemic racism, police reform legislation is lacking as the special session of the Legislature heads into the third day. A bill passed by the Senate and another by the House late Friday night have already received criticism for not going far enough while Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has blocked two other reform bills from being heard. After partisan debate, the Senate approved a bill (SB 8) sponsored by Sen. Joseph Cervantes that would require law enforcement officers to use body cameras. The bill would also mandate that officers who are convicted of unlawful use of force have their law enforcement certification revoked.

News

State Senate bill seeks to expand mail-in voting for general election

Spencer Butler | June 19

SANTA FE — On June 18, the New Mexico Senate put forth a bill aimed at expanding mail-in voting access for the 2020 general election across the state. The legislation later morphed in committee to allow independents or those unaffiliated with a major party to change their party affiliation on the same day that they cast a ballot. Senate Bill 4 — introduced by Democratic Senators Daniel Ivey-Soto and Gabriel Ramos and backed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham — aims to allow county clerks to automatically send mail-in ballots to registered voters without requiring people to request them.

News

Police misconduct investigation cleanup missing from special session

Bella Davis | June 19

SANTA FE — Spurred by the police murder of George Floyd and subsequent worldwide protests against systemic racism and police brutality, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced on Wednesday that police reform would be included at the special session. The session began at noon on Thursday. Notably missing from the Governor’s call was a House bill that would have reformed police misconduct investigations. State Rep. Antonio "Moe" Maestas said the bill would have changed a state law that makes investigating police misconduct more difficult.

News

Opportunity Scholarship funding in jeopardy as legislative special session starts

Spencer Butler | June 18

SANTA FE — A special session of the state legislature will get underway today, where several University of New Mexico-related issues are set to be discussed. Among them is the legislative budget, which is currently facing a $2 billion hole due to a drop in oil and gas prices as extraction in the Permian basin and travel have come to a virtual standstill. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham proposed a plan on June 10 to offset the budget shortfall by using a mix of federal stimulus funding, spending cuts and cash reserves. However, the Legislative Finance Committee proposed its own plan, which saw many differences.

News

Protester shot at Albuquerque anti-conquistador demonstration

Andrew Gunn , Bella Davis and Liam Debonis | June 16

OLD TOWN — Albuquerque became a flash point in the roiling debate over statues commemorating racist historical figures on Monday evening after a shooting perpetrated by an armed vigilante left a man in critical condition. The sequence of events was rapid, and the violence that erupted shocked the conscience of a state that has long grappled with a complex history of settler colonialism, European imperialism and genocide of Indigenous peoples. The protest and ensuing conflict between unarmed protesters and paramilitary splinter groups came to a head after weeks of uprisings following the police murder of George Floyd and amidst a national reckoning on institutionalized white supremacy in the United States.

News

Clifton White remains incarcerated as calls for release gain momentum

Bella Davis | June 15

More than two dozen cars circled the entrance to the Central New Mexico Correctional Facility in Los Lunas on Thursday as guards looked on. Protesters were there demanding the release of Clifton White, who some have described as a political prisoner. As the Daily Lobo previously reported, White, a 36-year-old Black man, was arrested on June 1 for allegedly violating parole. His wife Selinda Guerrero, a community organizer working on prisoners’ rights, has maintained that his arrest was retaliation for his work in the community.

News

OPINION: New Mexicans: We regret to inform you that COVID-19 is as risky as ever while NM reopens

June 15

It’s been a long few weeks. After a long month. In a year that began what feels like decades ago. Protests, riots and police brutality are rampant in this week’s headlines. Corruption. Deception. Violence. Press release upon press release. A military presence on campus that more closely resembles Fallujah circa 2003 than an institution of higher learning. Living nightmare after living nightmare. And, oh yeah, a global pandemic. I almost forgot. As New Mexico continues to roll out its reopening plans, it’s getting easier (and way more comforting) to fall into a sense that COVID is in the rearview mirror. With crowds swelling — be it for social revolution or casual outdoor dining — it’s important we keep an eye on New Mexico’s COVID cases post-quarantine and what they can tell us as we attempt to find a new normal.

News

Mayor, city councilors push police reform amidst calls to disband APD

Bella Davis | June 12

Following the police murder of George Floyd and two weeks of worldwide protests, a veto-proof majority of the Minneapolis City Council moved to disband the police department and instead invest in community-led public safety on Sunday. Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller and City Councilors Pat Davis — a former police officer — and Lan Sena, meanwhile, are pushing for reform rather than defunding or disbanding the Albuquerque Police Department. Keller proposed the “8 Can’t Wait” initiative, which is a series of eight reformist policies that some activists say could reduce police violence, during a press conference on Friday.

News

ASUNM senate passes resolution endorsing abolition of police while authors urge Stokes to cut APD ties

Joe Rull | June 11

The Associated Students of the University of New Mexico’s senate sent a message to the University community on Wednesday that Black lives matter. “There isn’t any middle ground in determining whether or not Black people deserve to exist in this country,” ASUNM Senator Suha Musa said. After hours of deliberating the implications of ASUNM taking an official position on the abolition of the police system, Resolution #1F passed during Wednesday night’s special ASUNM session, with 13 senators voting in favor, 3 against and 4 absent.

News

Student housing announces fall semester COVID-19 changes

Beatrice Nisoli | June 11

Due to fears about the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, first-year freshmen will not be required to live on campus this fall, and for students who choose to, roommates will be prohibited. Wayne Sullivan, the director of Residence Life and Student Housing, said the choice was made to prioritize students' health. "We truly believe in the positive impact of the campus living experience, and it's disappointing that fewer students will be able to have that experience this year, but we must work to provide a safer environment for all our students," Sullivan said.

News

International students face uncertainty returning to UNM for fall classes

Annya Loya | June 11

Just a year ago, the University of New Mexico’s Global Education Office (GEO) reported that international students comprised 5.2% of the total University population. With the hardships brought by the pandemic, those numbers could significantly descend. “Being away from one’s family and home was also challenging during such a pandemic, especially when you belong to a community where everyone is trying to adapt to these new realities,” said Ghada Zribi, a Tunisian international student. Currently, international students are facing three major barriers to their education unrelated to UNM policies.

News

African American Student Services discusses the Black community in media

Beatrice Nisoli | June 9

“We get to be human. We get to be all of these things: Black people in church, Black people playing pool, Black people as professors, etc. Black people get to make mistakes; Black people get to be great.” So said Dr. Myra Washington, an associate professor in the Department of Communication and Journalism, about the tendency to represent Black people in entertainment as one-dimensional characters during a virtual forum on June 5 convened to discuss anti-Blackness in the media.

News

Black Lives Matter holds vigil for Breonna Taylor at UNM

Sharon Chischilly | June 9

As hundreds of candles illuminated the duck pond, people sang happy birthday across the University of New Mexico main campus Friday evening. Black Lives Matter Albuquerque, the local chapter of the global organization of the same name, held a vigil to honor and celebrate Breonna Taylor's 27th birthday — along with other lives lost to police brutality — on June 5 at UNM's duck pond in Albuquerque. Taylor, a 26-year old Black emergency medical technician, was fatally shot at least eight times in her own apartment by police who were searching for someone else on March 13 in Louisville, Kentucky.