Micro-cannabis companies left behind
A recent question in Denver Westword newspaper’s “Ask a Stoner” column questioned whether or not one can take hashish into New Mexico from Colorado, provided that leisure grownup gross sales gained’t start right here till April 1. Quick reply from the column: in all probability, though transporting marijuana over state strains is a federal crime (one other means of answering this query is perhaps: No.) Extra to the purpose, the “Stoner” notes that even when our leisure hashish outlets do open, “count on increased costs and fewer selections than you’re accustomed to, as a result of solely a brief listing of dispensaries will likely be open for leisure gross sales initially, and excited clients are keen to pay excessive costs through the honeymoon.” Don’t look to micro hashish companies to make up any shortfalls available in the market. As SFR’s current Leaf Brief newsletter notes, Senate Bill 100, which might have raised the plant counts for such companies, died throughout this yr’s budget-focused legislative session. The state used its rule-making course of to briefly enhance counts for big producers amid issues a couple of potential provide scarcity, however left the smaller companies ruled solely by statute and restricted to growing no more than 200 plants. “We’re making an attempt to take away all of the limitations so they really have an opportunity at success in an excellent aggressive, extremely regulated business and also you’re kicking the legs out from beneath them,” Ben Lewinger, govt director of the state Hashish Chamber of Commerce, tells SFR. The drawback present roles pose to micro-businesses was one among a number of subjects mentioned yesterday throughout a public listening to on proposed changes to existing cannabis rules. These adjustments, say some members of the nascent industry, are making the method of standing up their companies harder. Mentioned one: “There’s fixed transferring targets on this program, and we now have not even begun.”
Mother and father plan protest over district masks resolution
Practically 60% of these surveyed about masks use within the Santa Fe Public Faculty District didn’t need masks necessities lifted instantly, whereas 52.9% indicated they didn’t need them to stay for the remainder of the college yr. As such, on Monday, Santa Fe Public Faculty Superintendent Hilario “Larry” Chavez announced SFPS would keep masks till after spring break on March 21, at which level they may grow to be elective. In keeping with survey outcomes released yesterday, simply over 6,000 folks responded to the weekend questionnaire, which the district distributed following Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s shock Feb. 17 elimination of the statewide masks mandate (the general public well being order requiring masks had been set to run out March 4). The most important group responding to the survey, mother and father, comprised greater than 60% of the suggestions (a small portion of which are also SFPS staff), with college students coming in at 13.8% and academics 10.7%. Of those that responded to the survey, 47.1% thought masks needs to be continued till the top of the college yr, whereas 40.5% thought masks necessities needs to be lifted instantly. The choice Chavez selected—ready till after spring break to make masks elective—was the desire of 12.4% of the survey respondents. View the entire responses damaged down by ZIP code here. Because the Santa Fe New Mexican reports mother and father sad with the district’s resolution who need masks eliminated instantly plan to protest at its Alta Vista administration constructing from 11 am to 2 pm in the present day.
Lobbyist accuses senator of sexual harassment
In a letter released yesterday, lobbyist Marianna Anaya accused state Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto, D-Albuquerque, chairman of the Senate Guidelines committee, of sexual harassment. Anaya’s letter alleges that when she was a workers member for Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham in 2015, Ivey-Soto “groped and pinched” her buttocks throughout an NEA reception on the Drury Resort. The letter says Anaya final yr disclosed the incident to fellow board members of an un-named group, one among whom stated she had had the same expertise. Throughout the latest legislative session, Anaya writes, throughout a gathering on the Voting Rights Act: “You skirted speaking concerning the invoice with a purpose to chastise me for my prior calls on your resignation. After I confronted you about groping me, you acknowledged the occasion occurred but prevented duty for the hurt you brought on by saying ‘I’m sorry you skilled it that means.’ You proceeded to inform me that ‘it’s a foul time to be a legislator, since you get known as out’—presumably on your disgusting habits with girls. You had been consuming all through our dialog. While you emptied a bottle of wine into my glass and I stated it was an excessive amount of, you instructed me it was not an excessive amount of, after which forcefully instructed me to drink it. After I left, you requested should you may give me a ‘non-creepy hug.’ I rapidly left your workplace.” The letter requires Ivey-Soto’s resignation and says Anaya will likely be submitting an anti-harassment criticism with the Legislature. The Albuquerque Journal reports Ivey-Soto denied the allegations and characterised himself as “utterly befuddled.” Ivey-Soto additionally instructed the Journal there was “nothing sexual” between him and Anaya and that she is a lesbian. Anaya’s lawyer, Levi Monagle, identified that “it’s solely doable and completely frequent for weak people to expertise sexual harassment that flies within the face of their sexual orientation.”
COVID-19 by the numbers
Sure, pricey readers, your eyes don’t deceive. Primarily based on an off-the-cuff survey performed psychically, many Morning Phrase readers wish to proceed having simple every day entry to COVID-19 knowledge (which we stay dedicated to delivering), however would moderately stated knowledge not be positioned prominently firstly of the e-newsletter. This minor redesign dovetails with the well being division’s current emphasis on the declining significance of every day case counts (given the rise of unreported dwelling assessments). SFR talked over the weekend with Acting Health Secretary Dr. David Scrase concerning the pandemic’s altering metrics; DOH’s deliberate outreach to immunocompromised folks within the wake of the rescinded indoor masks mandate; and different shifts within the COVID setting. Scrase additionally is predicted to debate these subjects throughout a weekly COVID-19 briefing at 1 pm in the present day, which is able to stream dwell on the DOH Facebook page and with Spanish translation on Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s YouTube page.
Feb. 22
New cases: 398;509,178 complete
High three counties: Bernalillo County with 139; Sandoval County with 48; McKinley County with 28.
Santa Fe County: 20
Breakthrough circumstances: In keeping with the most recent weekly vaccine report, between Jan. 24-Feb. 21, 48.9% of COVID-19 circumstances had been amongst individuals who had not accomplished a main vaccination collection; 29.5% had been amongst those that had accomplished the collection however had not acquired a booster; and 21.6% had been amongst those that had been totally vaccinated and boosted. For hospitalizations, these figures change to 64.2%, 20.1% and 15.6%. The chances shift to 61.7%, 22.5% and 15.8% for fatalities.
Deaths: 27, 19 of them current; 6,821 complete fatalities
Hospitalizations: As of yesterday, 351 folks had been hospitalized with COVID-19, a 24% decline from per week in the past
Vaccinations:
• 91.8% percent of adults 18 years and older have had at the very least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 78% have accomplished their main collection
• 44% of adults 18 years and older have had a booster shot
• 12-17-year-old age group: 70.9% of individuals have had at the very least one dose and 60.8% have accomplished their main collection
• Kids ages 5-11: 38% have had at the very least one dose of the Pfizer vaccine and 28.8% have accomplished their main
• Santa Fe County, 99% of individuals 18 and older have had at the very least one dose and 86.9% have accomplished their main collection
Assets:
• Vaccine registration
• Booster registration
• Free COVID-19 at home rapid antigen tests
• Self-report a positive COVID-19 test result to the well being division
• Data on COVID-19 oral treatments Paxlovid (age 12+) and Molnupiravir (age 18+); and monoclonal antibody treatments.
Individuals in search of therapy who would not have a medical supplier can name NMDOH’s COVID-19 hotline at 1-855-600-3453.
You may learn all of SFR’s COVID-19 protection here.
Hear up
Within the Public Schooling Division’s most up-to-date Instruction Interruption podcast, “Alternative Pathways,” 2022 New Mexico Trainer of the 12 months Lorynn Guerrero kicks off Season 3 as the brand new host and sits down with two constitution faculty leaders to speak about how educators can meet the wants of all college students no matter their circumstances: Margarita Porter, superintendent principal on the New American Faculty in Las Cruces and Elizabeth Dorado, govt director at Gordon Bernell in Albuquerque.
Tastes of dwelling
The Smithsonian magazine talks with Cynthia Chavez Lamar (San Felipe Pueblo, Hopi, Tewa and Diné), the brand new director of the National Museum of the American Indian, the primary Indigenous lady to steer a Smithsonian museum and former director of the Indian Pueblo Cultural Middle in Albuquerque and the Indian Arts Analysis Middle on the Faculty for Superior Analysis in Santa Fe. Chavez Lamar grew up within the Pueblo of San Felipe and tells the journal she returns dwelling for feast days and “maintains a powerful bond” with the neighborhood and her household: Her father Richard and brother Jared are well-known jewelers, and her mom Sharon is a potter and oversees the meals throughout their pueblo’s feast. Amongst different subjects, Chavez Lamar discuses how meals is tied to her heritage and which meals remind her of dwelling, saying: “The meals that all the time involves thoughts is pink chile. I do know most individuals choose inexperienced chile, however I suppose you needed to have grown up in New Mexico to develop a style for pink. When there’s a cultural exercise at dwelling, there are all the time particular meals which are made, though it does differ by household. Beans, posole, oven bread, frybread, inexperienced chile stew, pink chile and fluffy. Fluffy is what my prolonged household calls a dessert that’s primarily made with Jello and Cool Whip. If I am going means again to childhood one among my favourite meals reminiscences is breakfast and having Spam combined with eggs, rolled up in a tortilla.”
Sizzling birthday
Zozobra turns 100 in two years, which implies it’s time to begin planning. The Kiwanis Membership of Santa Fe is in search of neighborhood members to hitch its Zozobra Centennial Committee—5 positions accessible—which is able to meet for one hour every month over the following two years to assist plan a gala Centennial occasion. Apply here by 5 pm, March 15; new committee members will likely be notified by March 18. For these unable to volunteer for the committee, however brimming with concepts for the centennial, ship them to [email protected]. “We’re searching for concepts on easy methods to make that total yr particular and stand out,” Zozobra Occasion Chairman Ray Sandoval tells SFR. “We’re searching for concepts for the precise occasion. And we’re searching for concepts that commemorate the hundredth anniversary for a really very long time.” To get into the temper, read up on some of the history of The Burning of Will Shuster’s Zozobra and watch last year’s burn (additionally the drone footage from 2020 when the pandemic stored the crowds away is fairly cool).
Whichever means the wind blows
Today should be mostly sunny with a excessive close to 46 levels however tremendous windy with gusts as excessive as 40 mph. The wind will proceed to blow into the evening. Probabilities for rain begin after 5 pm at about 30% and enhance to a 50% likelihood of in a single day snow showers with possibly one inch accumulation.
Thanks for studying! The Phrase discovered this story about newspapers’ 1920s view of crossword puzzles as a “nationwide menace” type of hilarious (presumably as entertaining as Wordle).
