Man pleads guilty, sentenced in gruesome 2010 stabbing death
Nico Roesler | The New Mexican
Robert Crisostomo pleaded guilty Friday to the second-degree murder of Jamie Martin while the victim's brother listened on a phone, waiting for the sentence of his brother's killer.  "I believe the court should impose the maximum sentence again ...Story, »

House panel OKs bill to halt immigrant licenses
Barry Massey | The Associated Press
A House panel has approved a proposal backed by Republican Gov. Susana Martinez to stop driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants in New Mexico. The Judiciary Committee voted 9-6 for the politically charged measure and to send it to the House fo ...Story, »

Reading bill advances despite cost concerns
Robert Nott | The New Mexican
Gov. Susana Martinez's reading intervention, remediation, and retention bill ran into some snags Friday when members of the House Education Committee raised questions about the cost, the definition of proficiency and whether parents should maintain ...Story, »

Branding may fall short of federal requirements
Staci Matlock | The New Mexican
One thing stood between a Southern New Mexico dairy farm and a financial catastrophe -- a brand. But under a new proposed federal rule for tracing livestock shipped between states, the brand alone wouldn't have protected the farm, said state veteri ...Story, »

Local news in brief, Feb. 4, 2012
| The New Mexican
Student transfer time for SFPS Santa Fe Public Schools will accept student transfer requests for elementary school students from Feb. 6 to Feb. 17. The lottery for these students will take place at 5:30 p.m. March 22 at the district's Educational Se ...Story, »

Religious group sues for building rights
Tom Sharpe | The New Mexican
The organization that successfully challenged the federal government's confiscation of its sacramental, hallucinogenic tea is suing the Santa Fe County Commission for blocking its efforts to build a temple in Arroyo Hondo. O Centro Espirita Benefic ...Story, »

Americans Elect cleared for ballot
Steve Terrell | The New Mexican
Americans Elect — a nonpartisan organization that will nominate a presidential ticket by way of an online "convention" -- submitted enough signatures to be on this year's general election ballot, the state election director said Friday. Bobbi ...Story, »

Winter storm gives drivers headaches
| The New Mexican
A winter storm took a quick sweep through Santa Fe on Friday morning, leaving more problems than snow in its wake. Santa Fe police received 51 calls regarding motor-vehicle crashes Friday morning before 11 a.m. as late commuters struggled along icy ...Story, »

Bill would provide funds to struggling drug courts
Trip Jennings | The New Mexican
Over the past half year, Jerome Block Jr.'s very public struggle with substance abuse put a spotlight on Santa Fe's drug court. The former Public Regulation Commission member recently was sent to prison for 60 days for a psychological evaluation af ...Story, »

Legislative roundup, Feb. 4, 2012
| The New Mexican
Days remaining in session: 12 Clifford confirmed: The Senate on Friday unanimously confirmed Gov. Susana Martinez's appointment of Tom Clifford as secretary of the Department of Finance and Administration. Clifford is a longtime veteran of state ...Story, »

University lobbyists among session's big spenders
Steve Terrell | The New Mexican
It's common that lobbyists for various industries with business before the Legislature pay for parties, receptions meals and gifts for lawmakers during the session. While that's true of the current session, a noncommercial interest also has been d ...Story, »

Trail Dust: A historical labor 82 years in the making
Marc Simmons | For The New Mexican
I first heard the name Juan Domínguez de Mendoza in the fall of 1958. My first year in graduate school, I had signed up for a history course titled the Spanish Southwest at The University of New Mexico. The teacher was professor France V. Sc ...Story, »