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Early Voting — where to cast your ballot in New Mexico

Gabriella Rivera and Anthony Jackson | October 22

Registered New Mexico voters can begin early voting this Saturday, Oct. 20 at more than a dozen locations across Bernalillo County. Early voting will last from Oct. 20 through Nov. 3. Polls will be open Monday through Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters will not be allowed to cast any ballots from Nov. 4 through Nov. 5, said Jaime Diez, a deputy clerk from the Bernalillo County Clerk’s office. However, Diez said voters can still cast absentee ballots if absentee voters did not receive them sooner.

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Crime Briefs for Oct. 22, 2018

Elizabeth Sanchez | October 22

Battery on a healthcare worker at UNM Psychiatric Center On the afternoon of Sept. 30, University of New Mexico Hospital security called UNM Police Department dispatch, stating that a patient battered a staff member at the UNM Psychiatric Center, according to a report. UNMH security gathered statements from the battered staff member and a witness. The forms were given to the UNMPD officer who was on scene. The statements indicated that a patient grabbed the staff member’s buttocks as she exited the nurses’ station on the east wing of the center. She pushed his hand away and yelled for him to stop. She said she would like to press charges.

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Secretary of State releases Native American voting guide

Anthony Jackson | October 22

With less than a month away from the 2018 midterm election, the New Mexico Secretary of State Office (SOS) has released a Native American voting guide for indigenous communities. The voting guide includes information about candidates running for office and ballot listings. On Oct. 9, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said in a statement that this guide is the “first-of-its-kind.”

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UNM instructor owns candle-making business as well

Alyssa Bitsie | October 22

A professor at the University of New Mexico is cooking up some sweet smelling candles in her spare time. Communications professor and fourth year doctoral student Hannah Long started her own candle-making business called WitchCrafted Candles. WitchCrafted Candles started in December 2017 as a new craft project, but with encouragement from her family and friends it turned into a passionate business venture.

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Falling enrollment primary topic at Regents meeting

Kyle Land | October 18

The University of New Mexico’s lowering enrollment and the impact it will have dominated discussion during the Board of Regents meeting on Tuesday. Whether the conversation focused on faculty retention or withering revenue, the University’s dip in student population — especially among incoming freshman — seemed to be on the minds of every speaker.

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New Title IX coordinator returns to UNM

Danielle Prokop | October 18

For the new University of New Mexico Title IX Coordinator, her time on campus is coming full circle. Angela Catena will assume her new position for UNM’s Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) in December, after she finishes up her semester teaching as a clinical associate professor at Arizona State University. However, this is not her first stint at UNM. Catena moved to Albuquerque in 2012 to get her doctoral degree in counseling. She graduated in 2016 and moved to Phoenix, Arizona where she teaches counseling and counseling psychology.

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ASUNM debates definitions and tuition

Justin Garcia | October 18

The Steering & Rules Committee had a lengthy conversation Wednesday night about the definition of “classroom component” in the Associated Students of the University of New Mexico’s Lawbook. Last week, ASUNM passed a bill that will prohibit funding classroom components after launching an investigation into the UNM chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers, or SAE. The new definition reads, “Activities within a chartered student organization that contributes to earning a class credit hour including assignments outlined in the syllabus or assigned by an instructor.”

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New interim senior vice provost selected

Anthony Jackson | October 18

The changing of the season not only brings crisp, autumn breezes and fire-roasted green chile, but, this year, it also brought the changing of staff positions at the University of New Mexico. On Oct. 4, the Office of the Provost announced the appointment of Barbara Rodriguez, a professor from the UNM Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, to be the interim Senior Vice Provost. It was reported by UNM Newsroom on Oct. 4 that Richard Wood, the interim provost, said Rodriguez has a lot to offer to the University. “Her demonstrated leadership and capacity for teamwork; her intelligent and organized response to challenges; her sheer intellect and commitment to the academic mission; and her profound dedication to the diverse communities that make up New Mexico will make her an outstanding senior vice provost this year,” Wood said.

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Bird Scooter tries to expand to Albuquerque

Justin Garcia | October 18

Flying in from Venice Beach, California, representatives from Bird — an electric scooter service — came to the University of New Mexico to showcase their ride-sharing scooters to students on Monday and Tuesday. In other cities where Bird operates, the scooters cost a dollar to unlock and between 15 and 20 cents for every minute of use. The company is trying to set up shop in the Albuquerque and University areas. A Bird spokesperson said, "We believe the University of New Mexico would be a great place to provide our accessible, affordable, environmentally-friendly transportation option. We are collaborating with University officials and hope to bring Bird's service to the students and faculty at UNM in the near future."

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Endangered Species Act faces many threats

Isaiah Garcia | October 18

The Endangered Species Act is a set of laws that has helped save many different plant and animal species from going extinct, as well as preserved wildlife and natural ecosystems throughout the country. Over the course of summer 2018 the current administration proposed a set of bills to change the Endangered Species Act and subsequently limit its protections. The proposed changes are detailed in a technical 100-page long document. Some of the most controversial changes proposed include loosening the regulations protecting threatened species and considering the economic consequences of protecting a species before listing them as endangered.

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Netflix and Bill: City Council to hold special meeting over Netflix deal

Danielle Prokop | October 15

On Sunday Albuquerque City Councilor Pat Davis (District 6) and City Council President Ken Sanchez (District 1) announced legislation to authorize the prospective Netflix deal to buy Albuquerque Studios will have its own special session this Thursday, instead of being discussed at Monday’s City Council meeting. “We had looked at holding this meeting on Monday, but we just felt the issue was too critical and too important,” Sanchez said. Davis said having the meeting pushed back allows the public to “examine a deal shrouded in secrecy and excitement for months.”

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UNMPD to improve visibility after multiple carjackings

Anthony Jackson | October 15

The University of New Mexico announced in an online statement on Saturday, Oct. 6 that the UNM Police Department will be increasing their presence on campus. “Officers will saturate the community and increase the visibility of mobile unit, bicycle and foot patrols, especially during the evening and late-night hours,” UNM President Garnett Stokes’ statement read. This statement followed two armed carjackings, one on Friday, Oct. 5 at A Lot and another on Sunday, Oct. 7 on Las Lomas Street, east of Yale.

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ASUNM prohibits funding of "classroom components"

Justin Garcia | October 15

In the final hours before the start of Fall Break, Senators of the Associated Students of the University of New Mexico voted on three bills: a resolution, nearly $12,000 in appropriations and the fall budget. ASUNM passed a bill that would prohibit the funding of “classroom components” starting in the spring 2019 semester. As for what qualifies as a classroom component, the working definition, according to Standing and Rules Chair Jorge Rios, is “including but not limited to assignments, work for projects that may result in academic grade and credit. This does not include extra credit.”

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Crime Briefs for Oct. 15, 2018

Elizabeth Sanchez | October 15

Possession of Controlled Substance at Yale Parking Structure On the morning of Oct. 1, three officers were sent to the Yale parking structure due to a disturbance, according to a report. Dispatch said a person with a baseball bat broke through the windows of a red Toyota parked on the top floor of the parking structure, and the person was inside. When officers arrived, the windows were not broken, but at least two people were inside. One officer told the people to exit the vehicle one at a time. A male exited from the driver’s seat — he was handcuffed and patted down for weapons. When asked if he had weapons or needles, the male said he had a knife, but he did not know if he had needles.

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UNM celebrates National Coming Out Day

Makayla Grijalva | October 15

Students and community members gathered at the University of New Mexico LGBTQ Resource Center Wednesday, Oct. 10 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of National Coming Out Day. According to the Human Rights Campaign website, National Coming Out Day was first celebrated in 1988 on the anniversary of the Second National March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Rights, which took place on Oct. 11, 1987. It was created to encourage and celebrate those who made the decision to come out. “For a lot of people coming out is a moment of being able to say, ‘This is who I truly am,’” said Frankie Flores, educational director at the LGBTQ Resource Center. “Being LGBTQ is not just about who we love and who we chose to share our lives with, it’s also a culture. It’s history. It’s tradition.”

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The federal elections on this year's ballot

Megan Holmen | October 15

Midterm elections are approaching and there are countless races voters need to know about. Early voting begins on Saturday, Oct. 20 and the General Election is Tuesday, Nov. 6. On the ballot are two Federal Offices, seven New Mexico State Offices and more than 10 other items. For this article, we’ll be focusing on federal elections that will be on this year’s ballot. Local and state elections will be covered in subsequent articles.

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Nonfatal shooting outside Frontier Restaurant

Kyle Land | October 10

A non-fatal shooting occurred across from the University of New Mexico on Tuesday night outside the Frontier Restaurant. Around 11:00 p.m., an adult male was shot multiple times on Cornell and Central by an unknown assailant. No other injuries were reported. The identity of the lone victim is currently being withheld by the Albuquerque Police Department.

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Controversial murals in Zimmerman Library may be removed

Megan Holmen | October 9

The conversation surrounding a piece of art at the University of New Mexico’s main library may be coming to an end soon. The Three People’s Murals, located in Zimmerman Library, have been a point of contention for decades. However, UNM Associate Vice Provost Alex Lubin has presented a plan for the murals to the Office of the President. The murals are composed of four different paintings that hang in the West Wing of Zimmerman Library and have been criticized by many for their “racial undertones.” The murals were painted by Kenneth Adams and completed in 1939.

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Centennial Library to temporarily close for repairs

Ahmad Yar Ranjha | October 9

The University of New Mexico Centennial Library will be temporarily closed from Oct. 11 to Oct. 13 because UNM Facilities Management will be replacing sewer lines in the surrounding area. The maintenance work was planned because of a severe water leak last month. According to Karl Benedict, an associate professor and director of Research Data services at UNM libraries, there was a water leak during the week of Sept. 22. The leak impacted staff and faculty offices.

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Bus Routes to change for Fall Break

Madison Spratto | October 9

The University of New Mexico shuttle service is tapping on the brakes this week on Thursday Oct. 11 and Friday Oct. 12. As students gear up to celebrate the beginning of the fall season, or just enjoy two days without classes, they can expect their usual commute to look just a little different during Fall Break.