Drury Hotel gets final green light

Drury Hotels has cleared its last hurdles with the Historic Design Review Board toward turning the old St. Vincent Hospital and Marian Hall into a 280-room downtown hotel.

On Tuesday, the board granted exceptions so that walls, fences and signs can be higher than city historic design regulations normally allow. It also agreed to allow signs on free-standing yard walls.

The designers will have to go back to the city Historic Preservation Office for final approval of the lighting.

The designers will not need to go through any more hearings with city panels, however — unless an appeal is filed. That means Drury could start work next year, with an opening in 2011.

The plan calls for remodeling 175,674 square feet, including the old hospital, Marian Hall and the boiler building, and new construction of 88,402 square feet, including additions to the hospital, a new parking garage and gallery on Paseo de Peralta, and three new suite buildings.

N.M. museums in line for stimulus

Another $24 million in federal stimulus money has been allocated to New Mexico, Gov. Bill Richardson announced.

The money goes to a variety of projects, including $434,000 to the Institute of American Indian Arts and $500,000 to the Museum of International Folk Art. That money will be used for insulation upgrades, and better windows and cooling and heating systems.

The state's Department of Information Technology will get $230,000 to improve programs that would allow more state employee collaboration through the Web, with a goal of reducing state employee travel.

Some $12 million will go the state's General Services Department to upgrade lighting, insulation, and heating and cooling systems statewide.

The state is expected to receive more than $3 billion as part of the stimulus package.

Teen radio show looks at fatal crash

The Youth Media Project is airing a live radio broadcast tonight memorializing the four teens who died in an alleged drunken-driving crash in June.

The one-hour, teen-produced show will include the voices and writings of family members, close friends and the sole survivor of the crash, along with interviews and discussions.

Audio Revolution airs from 7 to 8 p.m. on KSFR, 101.1 FM.

Catholic school to hold fiesta

Santo Niño Regional Catholic School hosts its annual fiesta from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday on the school grounds, 23 College Ave., off Richards Avenue near Santa Fe Community College.

The event is open to the community and features food, live entertainment, games, a silent auction and a big money raffle worth $45,000 in cash prizes.

The fiesta is the school's biggest fundraising event of the year. The silent auction includes items from many local businesses and artists.

School club hosts D.C. fundraiser

The Pojoaque Valley Middle School History Club is hosting a spaghetti dinner and live auction at 6 p.m. Oct. 17 in the middle school gym to help pay for a trip to Washington, D.C.

The live auction begins at 8 p.m.