Pandemic Scuttles Market For Folk Artists From 50 Nations - By Morgan Lee, Associated Press
The International Folk Art Market in New Mexico that helps sustain highly skilled artisans and affiliated cooperatives from India to Cuba by connecting them with U.S. collectors is canceling its annual open-air market.
Market CEO Stuart Ashman announced Tuesday the suspension of this year's June market in Santa Fe that typically brings together about 160 artists from about 50 countries for a three-day brokered sale of textiles, paintings and other items.
The coronavirus has derailed all three major summer arts markets in Santa Fe, including Santa Indian Market and Traditional Spanish Market, that are engines of the local economy and support a vast cottage industry in the American Southwest and internationally.
Ashman said Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber is bringing together organizers of the city's three summer art markets this week for a meeting that could generate a coordinated online presence to help sustain artists and artisans.
COVID Cases Rise To 794 And Governor Extends Emergency Order To May – Albuquerque Journal, KUNM
The number of positive tests for COVID-19 rose by 109 on Tuesday to a total of 794 and Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham extended a public health emergency order through May 1.
The Department of Health has identified clusters of cases at San Felipe Pueblo and Zia Pueblo in Sandoval County. There were also additional positive tests at the La Vida Llena long-term care facility in Albuquerque where 24 residents and 23 staff have tested positive.
DOH said there was an additional death as well of a man in his 30s in Bernalillo County. That brings the total number in the state to 13.
The Albuquerque Journal reported Lujan Grisham also mandated additional closures for businesses that until now had been allowed to remain open, including payday lenders, automobile dealers and liquor stores.
The order also puts new restrictions on businesses deemed essential such as grocery stores. They must limit the number of customers allowed inside to no more than 20% of maximum occupancy.
Also, hotels and motels must operate at no more than 25% capacity. That’s down from a 50% threshold set previously.
$100M Fund Aims To Help New Mexico Businesses Amid Pandemic – Associated Press
The State Investment Council has approved the creation of a $100 million loan fund to help New Mexico businesses affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
The council approved the fund during a special meeting Tuesday. It will provide low-cost recovery loans to businesses that have at least 40 employees. Officials say the goal is to fill gaps left by existing loan programs.
Many businesses have been forced to close and the state has issued a series of public health orders to keep people at home.
The state has reported nearly 700 COVID-19 cases and at least a dozen deaths.
Police Still Searching For Girl Who Disappeared Decades Ago - The Associated Press
Police in northwestern New Mexico say they haven't given up on finding a Navajo girl who went missing from her family's apartment more than three decades ago.
The FBI highlighted Anthonette Cayedito's case Monday on the 34th anniversary of her disappearance. Cayedito has been the focus of multiple television shows on missing children and unsolved cases.
FBI spokesman Frank Fisher says someone knows what happened to her and asked the public to call in with any information.
Cayedito was last seen wearing a pink nightgown at her family's home in Gallup. An artist rendering shows what she might look like today.
Governor Issues Early Release For Some New Mexico Prison Inmates To Slow Coronavirus Spread – Santa Fe New Mexican, KUNM News
New Mexico will release some prison inmates in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus in those facilities.
In an executive order Monday, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham stated the release of certain people who are incarcerated is meant to protect their health as well as that of prison staff and other inmates. The order also states that the criteria for release means that the safety of New Mexicans will not be put at undue risk.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that as of Tuesday, inmates with a scheduled release date within 30 days and an established parole plan are eligible for early release in the interest of public health.
Inmates with certain convictions are not eligible. Those include domestic violence, sex offenses, assault on an police officer and felony DWI.
COVID-19 Cases Rise But Death Toll Does Not – Santa Fe New Mexican, KUNM News
The New Mexico Department of Health announced Monday that the number of positive tests for COVID-19 rose to 686, but the number of deaths remained at 12.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports the increase was driven by a surge in the state’s northwest corner with 25 more cases. As the most populous county Bernalillo leads in the number of cases, followed by Sandoval, San Juan and Santa Fe counties.
The additional cases include three more at La Vida Llena retirement community in Albuquerque where one additional resident and two additional staff members tested positive.
There are 48 people currently hospitalized and 133 people who had COVID-19 have recovered.
Hearing In Case Against Ex-Las Vegas Mayor Delayed - Las Vegas Optic, Associated Press
The preliminary hearing in the criminal case against a former northern New Mexico mayor has been delayed more than two months due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The Las Vegas Optic reports the hearing for former Las Vegas Mayor Tonita Gurule-Giron has been rescheduled for June 8 due to statewide bans on gatherings of more than five people.
Gurule-Giron was charged in December with six felonies related to abuse of power, bid-rigging, and offering and receiving bribes, prosecutors said. She has pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors say Gurule-Giron pressured city employees to give contracts to her boyfriend's construction company.
New Mexico Regulators Push Ahead As Virus Disaster Declared - By Susan Montoya Bryan Associated Press
While federal environmental regulators have waived enforcement on a range of legally mandated public health and environmental protections, New Mexico is marching ahead.
Food inspections are ongoing as is the tracking of methane emissions and other critical work related to drinking water protections and worker safety as the number of new coronavirus cases in the state increased Monday by several dozen.
New Mexico has 686 cases and the death toll remains at 12. 133 recoveries have been reported.
The new cases come a day after President Donald Trump signed off on a federal disaster declaration for New Mexico, freeing up funding to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts.
The declaration allows the state to start asking for federal dollars up front — up to 50% — for approved projects to help with the response efforts.
New Mexico Lawmaker Says Special Session And Tough Choices Ahead - By Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press
The chairman of a key legislative committee says New Mexico's finances have been hit by a double-whammy of a pandemic and an oil-price crash.
But state Sen. John Arthur Smith says the blow will be somewhat cushioned by decisions made during the last legislative session to build up reserves. In a message to fellow lawmakers, he also warned that a special legislative session and tough choices still lie ahead.
The Legislative Finance Committee outlined recent spending increases and upcoming challenges in a post-session review made public Monday.
It's still unclear how soon lawmakers could be called upon to revise the state's $7.6 billion budget.
Legislative analysts reported that the state now faces "considerable uncertainty" in light of depressed oil prices that threaten to halt production growth or result in production declines.
They say that would have severe implications for state general funds for the current fiscal year and possibly beyond.
Republican lawmakers have suggested holding spending to 2020 levels until new revenue estimates can be established.
They've also called for rolling back new funding and programs in hopes of avoiding cuts to programs they say residents already rely on.
Santa Fe Indian Market Postponed Until 2021 – KUNM News
The organizers of Santa Fe Indian Market said the event has been postponed until 2021 because of the coronavirus. The market was to take place in August.
The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts said in a press release on its website the Centennial Celebration of the market will be moved to 2022. All artists juried into the 2020 market will be automatically accepted into the market next year.
Officials said they are exploring holding a virtual market to promote online sales for artists.
2 Legislative Candidates In New Mexico Tossed From Ballot - Hobbs News-Sun, Associated Press
A southeastern New Mexico county clerk has disqualified two state legislative candidates from the upcoming primary ballot.
The Hobbs News-Sun reports Lea County Clerk Keith Manes announced last week he had disqualified two Hobbs residents from the ballot, and neither took advantage of their right to challenge his decision in court by March 27.
Rebecca Jill Jones and Mayna Erika Myers had filed their candidacy earlier last month for seats in the New Mexico Legislature, but Manes said their voter registration failed to match their petitions for candidacy.
Republican Jones sought an open House seat. Myers had intended to run as a Libertarian against incumbent Republican Sen. Gay Kernan of Hobbs.