New Mexico Environment Department to hold hearing for Project Jupiter data center air quality permit
—Joshua Bowling, Source New Mexico
The New Mexico Environment Department will hold a public hearing on the pending air quality permit application for Project Jupiter, the controversial Oracle and OpenAI data center under construction in Doña Ana County, following high public interest and complaints that residents’ names were used on supportive public comments without their consent.
Environment Department Secretary James Kenney signed a notice ordering a public hearing on the matter, the department confirmed to Source NM Tuesday. Department spokesperson Drew Goretzka said a date and venue have not yet been selected, but noted that the hearing would be held near the permit’s site.
The pending air quality permit application is for one of Project Jupiter’s developers to build a microgrid — an energy source that does not tie into an existing electrical grid — using fuel cells. Developer Yucca Growth Infrastructure in April withdrew its initial air quality permit applications for natural gas plants in favor of the fuel cell proposal.
Yucca Growth Infrastructure did not respond to Source NM’s request for comment.
The public comment period for the new air quality permit application ended Monday. Source NM previously revealed that three New Mexico residents said their names appeared on letters that urged state environment officials to issue the air quality permits after they were approached by canvassers for the project.
Since then, several elected officials have similarly said their names were misused.
Rep. Cristina Parajón (D-Albuquerque) on Tuesday said that her district legislative aide received emails over the Independence Day weekend thanking them for submitting public comments even though neither of them had.
Parajón told Source NM that the comments, which she said NMED took down after she alerted the department to the issue, aligned with the other similarly phrased letters that urged environmental officials to approve the air quality permit.
Parajón said she has never spoken with project canvassers and doesn’t know who submitted the comment bearing her name.
“Most disturbing of all is that they used the dot gov email, the official legislative email address,” she said. “That is impersonation of a government official.”
Parajón said she has contacted the New Mexico Department of Justice and asked for the attorney general to open an investigation into the matter.
The NMDOJ did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Darien Fernandez, a member of the the Taos Town Council, similarly told Source NM he has not seen or spoken with canvassers. However, he woke up on a recent morning to discover an email in his personal inbox thanking him for submitting a public comment on the matter.
“When I saw my name listed in support, first I was like, ‘WTF?’” he said.
Fernandez, who also works as the executive director of the Taos Land Trust, said he was worried the letter would damage his reputation in the conservation circles he works in.
When people submit public comments, the system sends them an email confirmation that their comments have been received. The automated email includes contact information that the commenter included, such as address, email address and phone number. While the email was Fernandez’s personal email address, he said the listed phone number, which has a Washington, D.C., area code, was not his.
On Friday, Albuquerque City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn also announced that her name had been used to voice support for the air quality permit without her permission.
“I am outraged that someone would impersonate me in a public process — especially to advocate for a project that I believe is harmful to our environment, our communities and animals,” she wrote in a statement. “Using another person’s name without their knowledge or consent undermines public trust and the integrity of the public comment process. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not submit comments in support of Project Jupiter, and I do not support Project Jupiter.”
Albuquerque senior centers raise meal prices
—Gillian Barkhurst, Albuquerque Journal
The city of Albuquerque raised breakfast prices at senior centers this week, drawing criticism from elders.
Menus officially changed Monday, with prices for some items jumping from $1.50 to a high of $5.
While the change may seem negligible to working adults, seniors on fixed incomes say they rely on the centers, which serve meals at a reduced price for those 50 and older, as the cost of living skyrockets around them.
“The pancake used to be a quarter, and I’ve still seen people here counting change at the counter,” said Glenn Karns, who ate breakfast at Los Volcanes Senior Center on Tuesday.
Karns fears that with the price increases, some low-income seniors will skip meals and go hungry.
Meanwhile, city officials justified the change as a necessary step to keep up with inflation and rising food prices.
“The current cost to prepare a breakfast meal is approximately $6.44, while members pay between $3 and $4,” said Senior Affairs spokesperson Beth Delaune in a statement Tuesday. “(The department) continues to subsidize the program because we believe it provides an affordable opportunity for older adults to gather, socialize and stay connected to their community.”
Just like restaurants have struggled with rising food prices nationwide, so has Albuquerque’s public food program. In the past five years, prices for breakfast items like orange juice, hash browns and eggs have increased between 55% and 68%, Delaune said.
However, despite changes to breakfast, Albuquerque senior centers will continue to serve lunch free of charge for those 60 and older.
The change comes after a tight budgeting season at City Hall, with cuts across departments. Many seniors, however, feel their nutrition is the wrong place to pinch pennies.
“When we need them most, they stop helping,” said Julio Campos, a regular attendee, while passing by to refill a cup of coffee.
On the second day of the price hike, dozens lined up for servings of huevos rancheros, breakfast burritos and hot coffee. Though the line to order was long, the room wasn’t quite as packed as usual, some seniors said.
Most blamed the price change.
“It’s more than just food,” said Paula Narvaiz as she poured black coffee into a paper cup.
For some seniors, these cheap meals are a lifeline, not just for nutrition but for their spirits.
“It’s about giving people something to look forward to and get up in the morning,” she said. “Without that, they’re just wasting away at home. That’s the hardest part.”
Beyond pricing, seniors were concerned about more barebones menus that eliminated cheap options like oatmeal and à la carte items. This decision not only impacts low-income seniors but those with dietary restrictions as well, said attendee Sarah Rahman.
“I have gone all day without eating before,” said Rahman, who cannot eat pork and must sometimes skip meals she usually receives at the center.
Simplifying the menu was also a fiscal decision, Delaune said, which is expected to reduce waste and save money.
Over breakfast, while sipping coffee and spearing potato wedges with forks, many seniors hoped the city would reconsider the changes or, at the least, bring back cheaper menu items like oatmeal to bridge the gap.
“Boy, they keep trying to compare this to a restaurant when this is all taxpayer-funded,” Karns said. “It’s not a business.”
Drug dealer says BCSO deputies shielded him from federal investigation – Colleen Heild, Albuquerque Journal
A North Valley drug dealer testified Tuesday how his cooperation with the Drug Enforcement Administration helped build a public corruption case against two Bernalillo County sheriff’s deputies who wanted to keep him as their own confidential informant.
Roderick White, 60, is a key prosecution witness in the federal obstruction of justice case against Paul Jessen Jr., the partner and friend of former deputy Kyle Linker, who pleaded guilty after recruiting the methamphetamine dealer to work off drug charges by becoming an informant in the summer of 2021.
Jessen is accused of obstructing the DEA investigation into Linker. He faces up to 70 years in federal prison if convicted on all counts, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Texas, which is prosecuting the case.
So keen on keeping White a confidential informant on drug cases, Linker tipped him off about DEA agents investigating him and his drug-dealing associates, White testified.
He even received a text message from Linker in October 2021: “Yeah, bro, you’re ... golden. We’ll protect you,” White testified.
Within two months, the DEA had become suspicious of Linker and arrested White in his driveway. Agents weren’t so much interested in the drugs they found in White’s car as they were in what he could tell them about Linker.
From then on, White became a DEA cooperating witness who made phone calls and sent text messages at the DEA’s behest to gather more evidence against Linker. When Linker was placed on administrative leave, White testified, he told him Jessen would be his contact.
Linker pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of justice in 2025, spent 30 days in prison and was allowed early release from probation.
The jury trial, which began Monday in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque, continues Wednesday as White is expected to be cross-examined by Jessen’s attorneys.
Jessen, who was indicted in 2024, has pleaded not guilty.
Much of the prosecution’s case relies on text messages extracted from cellphones and a covert recording of a meeting White had with Jessen, during which White carried a wire.
White contended that Linker on several occasions tipped him off to DEA investigations in the latter part of 2021.
White said he would have to explain to other drug dealers that they were on the DEA’s radar but had to lie about how he knew.
If they knew he was working as an informant with the BCSO, “it would be detrimental to my health, needless to say.”
Typically, law enforcement agents check a database to ensure they aren’t investigating the same suspects and alert other agencies. That’s how Linker learned of imminent DEA raids and arrests.
White would alert the targets, who would get rid of the drugs or take other actions to elude arrest.
But after becoming suspicious that someone in law enforcement was tipping off their targets, the DEA arrested White.
He said Linker, who called himself “L,” didn’t forewarn him. And agents enlisted him to make recordings with Linker.
While in DEA custody, White got a call from Linker saying, “Hey, you’re on the DEA’s radar.”
Eventually, White testified, Jessen became the go-between with Linker.
In January 2022, Jessen met with White to ask questions about his DEA arrest.
Jessen said he had no personal knowledge of what went on between Linker and White.
But he said, “L’s in trouble.” By that time, the DEA had notified BCSO leadership, and Linker was placed on administrative leave.
Jessen also took notes about White’s DEA arrest and asked White if he was wearing a wire, White told the jury.
“I trust you,” Jessen told White, according to a recording played for the jurors.
Jessen also faces two counts of making false statements to the FBI.
NMDOH confirms despite 3 cases, there is not a cyclosporiasis outbreak in NM — Daniel Montaño
New Mexico health officials confirmed today there are three active cases of cyclosporiasis in the state, but urged residents not to panic.
Sara Shrum Davis, an epidemiologist with NMDOH, said New Mexico regularly sees about eight cases of the disease per year. She says although active outbreaks have hit many states, New Mexico is not one of them.
Cyclosporiasis is a disease that is caused by the microscopic parasite cyclospora. Symptoms include extreme gastrointestinal distress, including diarrhea that can cause dangerous levels of dehydration.
Shrum Davis said the disease is most commonly found on the skins of fruits and vegetables and in infected water. The best way to avoid it is by thoroughly washing your hands and all fruits and vegetables.
UNM renews embattled law school dean’s contract —Natalie Robbins, Albuquerque Journal
The embattled dean of the University of New Mexico School of Law has been reappointed for a three-year term.
Provost Barbara Rodriguez renewed Camille Carey’s contract, effective July 1, 2027, despite calls from some alumni and community members to replace Carey over concerns about diversity and school culture.
UNM officials said in a news release that 24 out of 31 faculty members from the law school who participated in a vote said they supported Carey’s reappointment, while seven did not.
Last month, the New Mexico Hispanic Bar Association, the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, alumnus, state Sen. Antonio Maestas, D-Albuquerque, and 14 student organizations called on the university not to renew her contract. Carey’s critics allege that her administration has not prioritized admitting New Mexico residents or Native American students, instead favoring applicants from out of state.
Carey said in a statement she was “honored” to continue serving at the law school.
“Our law school has a proud tradition of preparing lawyers who make a difference in communities across New Mexico, and I look forward to working with our faculty, staff, students, alumni and legal community partners as we build on that tradition,” she said.
Carey’s most recent listed salary was $304,007. Rodriguez said in a statement that it is “customary” for UNM academic leaders to receive a pay bump when they are reappointed, though university officials declined to share Carey’s new salary.
Sarah Gorman, president of the New Mexico Hispanic Bar Association and an alumna of the school, said the organization was “disappointed” over Carey’s contract renewal.
“We hope for the best. We hope that this has been a wakeup call for the dean,” she said. “I’m hoping she takes seriously the concerns that we have brought up, and we’re not going to let up.”
Gorman said she and the NMHBA are hoping for a “more transparent admissions process” in which applicants are reviewed holistically and a more communicative dean.
Carey’s defenders, on the other hand, said they were pleased with her reappointment.
“While her opponents were relatively few in number, they worked tirelessly to manufacture a narrative that most of the law school is unhappy with her performance, which is simply untrue,” said Sergio Pareja, the dean of the law school before Carey and now a member of the faculty. “The faculty are positioned better than anybody to assess a dean's performance, and it is clear that our faculty strongly approve of the job that Dean Carey is doing.”
In 2021, the year before Carey became dean, nearly 85% of the incoming class were New Mexico residents, according to admissions data from UNM and the American Bar Association. By 2025, that figure was about 81%.
The percentage dipped to its lowest level in 14 years in 2023, when 61 of 92 first-year students — about 66% — were New Mexico residents. That year, about 37% of applicants were in-state residents.
UNM data show that roughly one-third or more of applicants each year are New Mexico residents, meaning most applicants are from other states. Students must live in New Mexico for 12 consecutive months before enrolling to qualify for in-state tuition.
In an email to law school faculty, Rodriguez said she made the decision to renew Carey’s contract after considering feedback from various stakeholders.
“My decision reflects the faculty input gathered through the review process, as well as the perspectives shared by students, alumni, members of the legal community, university leadership and my own assessment of the school’s future direction,” Rodriguez said.
Santa Fe city councilors proposing to close streets around Plaza to car traffic in summer—Santa Fe New Mexican
The Santa Fe City Council is going to consider closing the streets around the Plaza to vehicle traffic during the summer.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that city councilors Alma Castro and Pat Feghali are scheduled to present a motion to that effect at Wednesday evening’s regular meeting of the city council.
Specifically, the measure calls for permanently closing Palace Avenue and Lincoln Avenue along the Plaza to traffic and closing all streets surrounding the Plaza to car traffic from Memorial Day through the end of October “or a later date” determined by the city manager.
The resolution would designate Palace Avenue between Lincoln Avenue and Washington Avenue as a loading and unloading zone for vendors on the Plaza, but would ban “vehicular traffic, pedicab operations, walking tours, and bicycle tours” from the street.
Exceptions would be made for designated cruise nights, when all four streets would be open to cars.
