[{{{type}}}] {{{reason}}}
{{/data.error.root_cause}}{{{_source.displayDate}}}
{{/_source.showDate}}{{{_source.description}}}
{{#_source.additionalInfo}}{{#_source.additionalFields}} {{#title}} {{{label}}}: {{{title}}} {{/title}} {{/_source.additionalFields}}
{{/_source.additionalInfo}}Editorial content. Content posted here may or may not reflect the opinions of the Beat. They reflect the opinions of the author.
By Senator Crystal Brantley
Progressives in New Mexico have always been off the mark when it comes to solving our crime crisis in New Mexico.
In the last decade there has been a trend in the majority party of the Legislature to do everything short of keeping the worst repeat offenders off of our streets and in prison. Call it social justice, call it rehabilitation advocacy, call it whatever you'd like—the truth of the matter is we have yet to act decisively. There is a chance to change that, but here we are discussing another misdirected campaign that does anything but make New Mexicans safer. Nick Paul, Ant Thornton and I —the Republicans of the Senate Judiciary Committee—are working hard to make sure the priorities of our committee are kept fixed on upholding the constitution and the rule of law.
Senate Bill 279, known colloquially as the 'GOSAFE ACT,' is set to be heard before our committee in the coming days. Clocking in at 20 pages long, the elaborate bill squirms and writhes to be anything but what it is: a blatantly unconstitutional measure that targets at least half of all New Mexicans.
By Carter Swanson
More and more New Mexico chooses to stockpile money in permanent funds, rather than spend. The total value of these funds is currently a mind-blowing $58 billion. This means that the New Mexico State Investment Council has one of the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world (according to the Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute). There are only two states, Texas and Alaska, that have larger funds. It is speculated that in the coming decades, revenue from these permanent funds will surpass revenue from oil and gas.
On its face this sounds like a very good thing, right? And, to an extent, it is. Policymakers like Speaker Javier Martinez say New Mexico is preparing for the future. Given the volatile nature of oil and gas, that is a prudent thing to do.
By Ruben Leyva
I have ancestors from the Chihene (Red Paint Apache), whose homeland is in the Black Range Mountains, west of the Rio Grande in New Mexico. The Chihene are one of four bands within a larger group historically known to themselves as the Chi'laa (Gila) Apache. The Chihene were organized into local groups of several extended families. One of the most notable Chihene leaders was Victorio. From 1879 to 1880, the military relentlessly pursued Victorio on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Archaeologist Karl Laumbach's book Hembrillo: An Apache Battlefield of the Victorio War details these encounters.
On October 14-15, 1880, Lieutenant Colonel Joaquin Terrazas's troops attacked Victorio and most of his band at Tres Castillos in northeastern Chihuahua. U.S. Colonel George Pearson Buell, whose troops pursued Victorio south across the border, returned to the U.S. only to learn that Victorio and several of his followers had been killed. Many women, children, and elders were captured and taken to Chihuahua City, where they were sold into slavery. Some escaped capture and fled to the Sierra Madre Occidental, the western boundary between Chihuahua and Sonora. During a recent visit to Chihuahua, Mexico, a conversation with contemporary Apache leader Cristobal Rojas reminded me of something I had heard long ago: Victorio's Segundo (Lieutenant) Nana (also known as Nané) was likely related to me through my Elías line. I humbly recognized that this issue required further investigation.
You know the power of progressive lawmaking is slipping in New Mexico when those in power resort to unconstitutional maneuvers to block a moderate Democrat from returning to the Legislature. This latest episode violates constitutional norms and exposes a troubling disdain for local representation and rule of law.
The controversy began following Representative Eliseo Alcon's resignation. Per state law, the county commissions within Alcon's district convened to appoint his replacement. McKinley and Cibola counties named Harry Garcia, a former legislator, moderate Democrat, and a constant irritant to the progressive establishment.
Per Article 4, Section 4 of the state Constitution, it's the county commissions' responsibility to appoint a replacement. The Governor only has the authority to choose the person to fill the vacancy where the district covers multiple counties, and those counties nominate different candidates; the Governor must, however, choose from those nominated by the counties.
By Michael Russell
TheSecondDeclaration.org
Had Jackson Browne an American president in mind when he musically asked in 1977, "Are you there for the pretender?" 77 million American voters answered almost 50 years later, "Yes."
On 20 January 2025, Donald Trump's role in enabling what will likely be the final stage of the unfounding of America was officially given the go-ahead. The Perpetual Political Pendulum, now in its eighteenth Right-to-Left-and-back-again cycle, can at last soon settle where it was always meant to settle: over the abyss of global totalitarianism. As future history will prove, this destination has long been the actual promise of America's imposed-and-accepted two-party political construct, the not-accidental result of an increasingly less-free citizenry choosing, in understandable self-defense, the lesser of increasingly hapless, hypocritical, and corrupt political offerings.
By Ruben Leyva
The 1965 book New Mexico Place Names: A Geographical Dictionary, edited by T.M. Pearce, acknowledges Mangas was the homeland of the Apache leader Mangas Coloradas, born into the Bedonkohe band of Chiricahua. Pearce suggests that naming the Mangas, New Mexico community, was likely not commemorative. However, Pearce was mistaken. This small community, which some now regard as a ghost town, had many reasons to honor Mangas Coloradas. Unlike Pearce, Robert Julyan's book The Place Names of New Mexico provides a more in-depth examination of Mangas, stating, "MANGAS (Catron; settlement; 16 miles southeast of Quemado, on Mangas Creek; Post Office as Pinoville 1905-09, as Mangas 1909-1943, mail to Datil)." Though Julyan relates to 'manga' as the Spanish word to mean 'fringe of land,' the more common translation of the word is 'sleeve.' Julyan goes on to write, "...this tiny inhabited settlement, as well as Mangas Creek and Mangas Mountain, [located] 7 miles to the south on the Continental Divide, is more likely named after Mangas Coloradas, 'red sleeves,' [the] head of the Warm Springs Apache whose territory included this region and who played a prominent role in its history." Before being called Mangas, this community was known as Pinoville, probably named after a family with the surname Pino. José María Baca (Baca Spring is 6 miles southeast of the village), along with members of the Leyva family and an American named Thompson, were among the settlement's first residents.
By Paul J. Gessing
According to the latest budget analyses from the Legislature, New Mexico policymakers have nearly $900 million in "new" money available as the session begins in Santa Fe. This comes on top of massive surpluses in recent years which the Legislature has largely spent or used to bolster the State's already prodigious sovereign wealth funds which now total $58 billion.
In many states across the nation policymakers of both parties would be fighting to see who can come up with the best tax cut or rebate plan. Sadly, this November, New Mexico's voters again chose to elect the most left-wing people on the ballot.
WARNING: All articles and photos with a byline or photo credit are copyrighted to the author or photographer. You may not use any information found within the articles without asking permission AND giving attribution to the source. Photos can be requested and may incur a nominal fee for use personally or commercially.
Disclaimer: If you find errors in articles not written by the Beat team but sent to us from other content providers, please contact the writer, not the Beat. For example, obituaries are always provided by the funeral home or a family member. We can fix errors, but please give details on where the error is so we can find it. News releases from government and non-profit entities are posted generally without change, except for legal notices, which incur a small charge.
NOTE: If an article does not have a byline, it was written by someone not affiliated with the Beat and then sent to the Beat for posting.
Images: We have received complaints about large images blocking parts of other articles. If you encounter this problem, click on the title of the article you want to read and it will take you to that article's page, which shows only that article without any intruders.
New Columnists: The Beat continues to bring you new columnists. And check out the old faithfuls who continue to provide content.
Newsletter: If you opt in to the Join GCB Three Times Weekly Updates option above this to the right, you will be subscribed to email notifications with links to recently posted articles.
It has come to this editor's attention that people are sending information to the Grant County Beat Facebook page. Please be aware that the editor does not regularly monitor the page. If you have items you want to send to the editor, please send them to editor@grantcountybeat.com. Thanks!
Here for YOU: Consider the Beat your DAILY newspaper for up-to-date information about Grant County. It's at your fingertips! One Click to Local News. Thanks for your support for and your readership of Grant County's online news source—www.grantcountybeat.com
Feel free to notify editor@grantcountybeat.com if you notice any technical problems on the site. Your convenience is my desire for the Beat. The Beat totally appreciates its readers and subscribers!
Compliance: Because you are an esteemed member of The Grant County Beat readership, be assured that we at the Beat continue to do everything we can to be in full compliance with GDPR and pertinent US law, so that the information you have chosen to give to us cannot be compromised.
Those new to providing news releases to the Beat are asked to please check out submission guidelines at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/about/submissions. They are for your information to make life easier on the readers, as well as for the editor.
Advertising: Don't forget to tell advertisers that you saw their ads on the Beat.
Classifieds: We have changed Classifieds to a simpler option. Check periodically to see if any new ones have popped up. Send your information to editor@grantcountybeat.com and we will post it as soon as we can. Instructions and prices are on the page.