High court rejects bid by Smith to expedite Trump case
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Trump set to be on state ballot Despite removal from primary by Colo. high court, former president, along with four other nominees, remains eligible for GOP voters in N.M. Primary Nomination by Committee. The committee, which consists of top lawmakers from both parties and the chairpersons of New Mexicoâs three recognized major political parties, certiďŹes the list of Republican, Democratic and Libertarian candidates who will appear on the June 4 pres-
By Daniel J. ChacĂłn
dchacon@sfnewmexican.com
While the name of former President Donald Trump is, as of now, poised to be excluded from the presidential primary ballot in neighboring Colorado, the same wonât be true in New Mexico. Trump is among ďŹve Republicans who were nominated to participate in New Mexicoâs 2024 presidential primary during a meeting Friday of the so-called Presidential
idential primary ballot. The committee also named one Libertarian and three Democrats, including President Joe Biden, whose names will be on the ballot. In an interview afterward, Republican Party Chairman Steve Pearce criticized the Colorado Supreme Courtâs 4-3 decision earlier this week that Trump is ineligible to hold the presidency under the so-called Please see story on Page A-4
Supreme Court Chief Justice C. Shannon Bacon speaks to House Speak Javier MartĂnez and the members of the small committee gathered to determine Republican, Democratic and Libertarian candidates who will appear on the June 4 presidential primary ballot Friday at the New Mexico Supreme Court Building. GABRIELA CAMPOS/THE NEW MEXICAN
Filling in the gaps for Santa Fe
Highlands University names new president
As city struggles with maintenance, state agencies stepping in to âmake critical street repairs,â remove trash on roads
Veteran Oregon higher ed administrator will take reins at Las Vegas, N.M., campus by beginning of summer By Margaret OâHara
mohara@sfnewmexican.com
New Mexico Highlands University has selected Neil Woolf, a longtime higher education administrator who most recently served at Southern Oregon University, as its next president. âI think weâre going to have an exciting next few years,â Highlands Regent Frank Neil Woolf Sanchez told Woolf during a special meeting Friday at which the board of regents unanimously approved his hire. Woolf will take over the top job at the Las Vegas, N.M.-based school from Sam Minner, who is retiring after serving in the position since 2015. Please see story on Page A-5
INSIDE u New Mexico Tech announces new president. PAGE A-5
Bishops reject popeâs order, refuse to bless gay couples
LUIS SĂNCHEZ SATURNO/THE NEW MEXICAN
Joerg Wehrenpfennig with Bixby Electric installs trafďŹc detector wire Tuesday at the intersection of Cerrillos Road and Cordova Road. The New Mexico Department of Transportation announced Friday it had partnered with the state Tourism Department to assist Santa Fe with âcriticalâ maintenance work.
overdue ďŹnancial audits, which have prevented the city from accessing some state funding for the work. âAs the city continues to work toward completing annual ďŹnancial audits required to access unspent funds earmarked for improvements to roads, medians, and parks, it agreed to allow the state to step in to assist,â according to a news release, which the department issued after inquiries from The New Mexican. âThis effort is ongoing and aims to make Santa Fe a better place to live, work, and visit.â The state has already spent nearly $650,000 on work in Santa Fe.
By Daniel J. ChacĂłn dchacon@sfnewmexican.com
T
he city of Santa Fe is doing such a lousy job ďŹlling potholes, patching streets and picking up litter, the state of New Mexico has been stepping in to help. The New Mexico Department of Transportation announced Friday it had partnered with the state Tourism Department âto make critical street repairs, maintain medians, and clean up litter in high traffic areasâ in the capital city. It cited Santa Feâs ongoing effort to complete
Defiance mounting in Africa, Poland, elsewhere, shows how polarizing Francisâ stance remains among Catholics
The Department of Transportation has contributed more than $500,000 in worker hours and materials to address cracking asphalt, potholes and other road deterioration problems. The Tourism Department has provided $147,000 in additional funding to address litter in targeted areas, including Cerrillos Road, St. Francis Drive and St. Michaelâs Drive, along with nearby arroyos. âThere is no place in the world like New Mexico, and we should take pride in how it looks and feels for residents and visitors,â Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a statement. Please see story on Page A-4
By Gerald Imray
The Associated Press
CAPE TOWN, South Africa â In an extraordinary pushback against Pope Francis, some Catholic bishops in Africa, Poland and elsewhere say they will not implement the new Vatican policy allowing blessings for same-sex couples. Others downplayed the policy approved this week by Francis as merely reaffirming the Vaticanâs long-standing teaching about marriage being only a union between a man and a woman. The reactions show how polarizing the issue remains and how Francisâ decade-long effort to make the church a more welcoming place for the LGBTQ+ community continues to spark resistance among traditionalist and conservative Catholic leaders. Some of the strongest responses
New attention on spotty history of poinsettia namesake By Morgan Lee
The Associated Press
Like Christmas trees, Santa and reindeer, the poinsettia has long been a ubiquitous symbol of the holiday season in the U.S. and across Europe. But now, nearly 200 years after the plant with the bright crimson leaves
Pasapick pasatiempomagazine.com
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was introduced in the U.S., attention is once again turning to the poinsettiaâs origins and the checkered history of its namesake, a slave owner and lawmaker who played a part in the forced removal of Native Americans from their land. Some people would now rather call the plant by the name of its Indigenous origin in southern Mexico.
The name comes from the amateur botanist and statesman Joel Roberts Poinsett, who happened upon the plant in 1828 during his tenure as the ďŹrst U.S. minister to the newly independent Mexico. Poinsett, who was interested in science as well as potential cash crops, sent clippings of the plant to his home
in South Carolina and to a botanist in Philadelphia, who affixed the eponymous name to the plant in gratitude. A life-size bronze statue of Poinsett still stands in his honor in downtown Greenville, S.C. However, he was cast out of Mexico Please see story on Page A-4
âA Christmas Carolâ
Today
Obituaries
Upstart Readers presents a dramatic reading of Charles Dickensâ Christmas tale, performed in Victorian dress; 2 and 7 p.m.; Unitarian Universalist Santa Fe, 107 W. Barcelona St., 505-9829674; $15; upstartcrowsofsantafe.org.
Rain and snow likely. High 42, low 25.
Medora Helffrich Jennings, 88, Santa Fe, Oct. 24 Edward K. Moench, 81, Santa Fe, Dec. 14
More events Fridays in Pasatiempo
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