City to reconfigure Siler Road traffic lanes
Julie Ann Grimm | The New Mexican
Siler Road is going on a diet. That's the word traffic planners use when they redraw the lanes on a roadway. And it's happening very soon. In a few weeks, the city of Santa Fe plans to implement the "lane diet" and change the road from a four-lane ...Story, »

More than dozen animals killed in NM hospital fire
| The Associated Press
TUCUMCARI -- More than a dozen animals perished in a fire at a New Mexico veterinary clinic. KOB-TV (http://bit.ly/Jzx0DT ) reports authorities say a fire started Monday morning in the front office of Tucumcari Animal Hospital and quickly spread. ...Story, »

Johnny Depp adopted as Comanche in Albuquerque
| The New Mexican
Johnny Depp, currently playing the role of Tonto in the new film version of The Lone Ranger being shot in New Mexico, was adopted into the Comanche nation at a private ceremony in the Albuquerque home of LaDonna Harris (Comanche), president and found ...Story, »

State Sen. Griego faces tough battle to keep seat in revamped District 39
Trip Jennings | The New Mexican
A usually sleepy political contest has turned into a high-profile war this year. Phil Griego hopes voters return him to the state Senate for a fifth four-year term. But first he’s got to beat Jack Sullivan and Nicole Castellano in the June 5 p ...Story, »

• State Senate District 39 candidate bio: Jack Sullivan
• State Senate District 39 candidate bio: Phil Griego
• State Senate District 39 candidate bio: Nicole Castellano

New cell-tower plan meets resistance
Tom Sharpe | The New Mexican
AT&T representatives faced a tough audience Monday evening at their third try at locating a new cellphone antenna pole west of downtown Santa Fe. The telecommunications giant abandoned two previously proposed sites — at the Solana Center a ...Story, »

SFPS, city spar over funding for crossing guards
Julie Ann Grimm and Robert Nott | The New Mexican
Every school day, you can see them on duty as human barriers between children and traffic. Rain or shine, crossing guards are familiar faces at 17 Santa Fe public schools. But budget constraints within both the city of Santa Fe and Santa Fe Public ...Story, »

Health official says her resignation was tied to comments on condom use
Phaedra Haywood | The New Mexican
The deputy secretary and the chief medical officer for the state Department of Health both have resigned. The agency on Monday declined to give reasons for the departures. But former Chief Medical Officer Erin Bouquin — who was hired by the de ...Story, »

City councilors reject incentive for police living in, near Santa Fe
Julie Ann Grimm | The New Mexican
Police who live in the city of Santa Fe won’t earn more money than their commuting counterparts following Monday night’s abrupt rejection of an incentive proposal that has been debated by elected officials this spring. The decision came ...Story, »

Inspired by mother, ATC standout will attend NMSU
Sandra Baltazar Martinez | The New Mexican
Melissa Vigil practically grew up next to her mother’s desk. Her mom, Julie Martinez, is a single mother who juggled work and motherhood. For nearly 10 years Vigil, now 18, watched her mother day in and day out perform her job duties as a human ...Story, »

Two Santa Fe High educators surprised with Teachers Who Inspire honors
Robert Nott | The New Mexican
The roughly 255 Santa Fe High School seniors taking part in Monday evening’s robing ceremony would not have made it this far had it not been for their teachers, Ruthanne Greeley told them. That’s why Partners in Education, a local nonpro ...Story, »

Police still probing fatal park shooting
Tom Sharpe | The New Mexican
Santa Fe police haven’t made any arrests in connection with last week’s fatal shooting at a south-side park, but a detective’s son who was there at the time of the shooting remains jailed on probation and parole violations, a police ...Story, »

Ortega’s ‘wonderful life’ has included 70 years of fixing shoes
Bob Quick | The New Mexican
City Shoe Repair is a busy place, and Mariano Ortega is sitting in a rocking chair watching the activity, taking in the action, shaking hands with people he knows, introducing himself to strangers, learning their business with a smile and a firm, wel ...Story, »

State Senate District 39 candidate bio: Jack Sullivan
| The New Mexican
Age: 69  Residence: Santa Fe Occupation: Engineer  Education: Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, Georgia Tech University; master’s in civil engineering, Stanford University. Experience: Santa Fe Coun ...Story, »

• State Sen. Griego faces tough battle to keep seat in revamped District 39

State Senate District 39 candidate bio: Phil Griego
| The New Mexican
Age: 63 Residence: San Jose Occupation: Realtor-consultant Education: Graduated from St. Michael’s High School; attended College of Santa Fe. Experience: Santa Fe city councilor, 1984-95; since 1997 has served as a ...Story, »

• State Sen. Griego faces tough battle to keep seat in revamped District 39

State Senate District 39 candidate bio: Nicole Castellano
| The New Mexican
Age: 42 Residence: Santa Fe Occupation: Business manager for the family law practice, Castellano law firm. Education: Bachelor’s degree in business from the University of North Texas; Master of Business Administration, Baylor ...Story, »

• State Sen. Griego faces tough battle to keep seat in revamped District 39

Local news in brief, May 22, 2012
| The New Mexican and wire services
Egolf launches PAC for Dems State Rep. Brian Egolf, D-Santa Fe, worried that Republicans might gain control of the New Mexico House of Representatives this fall, has started a political action committee called New Mexico Defense Fund to help fello ...Story, »

New fitness studio offering many classes
Bob Quick | The New Mexican
A new fitness studio, Together Strong, has opened at 3212 Richards Lane, Suite 1. It’s owned by the wife-and-husband team of Mary Ellen and Richard Lopez, who have been teaching fitness for the past three years. At the new studio, “We ha ...Story, »

Santa Fe Catholic groups quiet as others sue over Obama mandate
| The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Roman Catholic leaders opened a new front against the Obama administration mandate that employers provide workers birth-control coverage, filing federal lawsuits Monday on behalf of dioceses, schools and health care agencies that arg ...Story, »

Protest boards drops El Monte valuation by $12M
J.R. Logan | The Taos News
A 2011 tax protest filed by El Monte Sagrado has resulted in the luxury hotel’s valuation dropping from $27 million to $14.7 million. The decision to reduce the value by more than $12 million was recently made by the Taos County Valuation Pro ...Story, »