Columns

Op Ed: “We Can’t Stop The Storm, But We Can Learn To Weather It”

by

By LAURA M. MONTOYA
New Mexico State Treasurer

New Mexico has endured its fair share of disasters that put our resilience to the test. In 2022, the Calf Canyon/Hermit’s Peak fire, the worst in state history, devastated northern New Mexico’s forests, farms, ranches, and homes. More recently, Ruidoso residents endured back-to-back disasters: fires followed by severe flooding. These incidents and many others destroyed hundreds of homes, displacing families, closing businesses, and upending lives.

While some circumstances were beyond our control, we must turn adversity into opportunity Read More

Best Of Liddie’s Recipes: Lentil Soup

by

Lentil soup. Photo by Liddie Martinez
By LIDDIE MARTINEZ
Española Valley

When windy weather forces me indoors, I find myself seeking comfort in a bowl of lentil soup.

Lentil soup is my favorite; it reminds me of my grandma. Anytime I miss my grandma, I put on my apron and make a pot of lentil soup. It was one of her favorite dishes and one she and I often made together. It was also one of the first things I learned how to cook at her side and so, I don’t have my own version; this is my grandma’s recipe.

You may not know this, but lentils were among the first agricultural crops grown some 10,000 years ago and were Read More

Pets Of The Week: Maggie And Russ

by

Blood donor. Life saver. Absolute queen. Maggie is a 7-year-old Rottweiler mix with the soul of a saint, the heart of a lion… and okay, maybe a few extra cookies in her belly. Just days ago, a tiny, poisoned Chihuahua puppy was clinging to life. Her only hope? An emergency blood transfusion. Maggie stepped up without fuss, no hesitation, and because of this gift, the puppy now has a fighting chance. Maggie didn’t wear a cape. She didn’t ask for applause. She just gave what she had to give — because that’s who she is. Loyal. Loving. Life-saving. Beyond her heroics, she’s the kind of dog that makes life Read More

Amateur Naturalist: Strategies To Help Survival

by

By ROBERT DRYJA
Los Alamos

Plants and animals have evolved a wide variety of strategies to help them survive. Some species may look similar to one another but have distinctive survival strategy differences.

The canyon tree frog provides an example. It lives near streams and ponds in the New Mexico mountains. It grows to be about two and a half inches in length. It is the variation in its colors that stands out.

It may range from a dark grey rocky color to a woody brown color. (See pictures 1 and 2 below)

These color patterns are not permanent but change depending on whether it is standing on a rock or a branch. Read More

Neal Clinton: Remote Patient Monitoring Brings New Era Of Healthcare To Los Alamos

by

By BEVERLY NEAL-CLINTON
Los Alamos

Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) is revolutionizing healthcare delivery in Los Alamos, offering significant benefits for patients, local practitioners, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

As digital health technology continues to advance, RPM is emerging as a vital tool to improve patient outcomes, reduce costs, and increase access to care — especially in rural communities like Los Alamos.

Empowering Patients and Providers

RPM leverages connected devices—such as blood pressure monitors, glucose meters, and weight scales—to Read More

Houck: Recasting Vs. Refinancing: What’s The Difference?

by

By DAVID HOUCK
Qualifying Broker
Atomic Realty

When buying a home Atomic Realty suggests “shopping lenders” lenders have different programs with many different features such first time buyer programs, low down payment programs, recasting and refinancing programs. In this article I would like to talk about recasting a loan vs refinancing, some ways to lower your payment.

Understanding Loan Recasting vs. Refinancing:

Options to Lower Your Mortgage Payment Recasting vs. Refinancing: What’s the Difference? Sometimes a buyer purchases a new home before selling their current one, planning Read More

Denish: AI Is Here—Are We Ready?

by

By DIANE DENISH
Corner To Corner
diane@dianedenish.com

AI is the newest buzzword in the world of technology and its use is growing every day. Many of us are curious about what it really is and more importantly what it does. Artificial intelligence is no longer science fiction. It’s in our phones, our emails, our resumes—and now, increasingly, our classrooms and workplaces. While some celebrate AI as a tool of liberation, others fear it as a force of disruption. The truth is, it’s both—and we need to be ready for what that means.

In schools, AI tools like ChatGPT are rewriting the rules of teaching Read More

Robinson: One Candidate Gets Real About New Mexico’s Doctor Exodus

by

By SHERRY ROBINSON
All She Wrote
© 2024 New Mexico News Services

Former Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima, in declaring his candidacy for governor, did something no other Democrat has been willing to do: He challenged his fellow Democratic candidates to refuse campaign funding from trial lawyers.

Miyagishima stated correctly that New Mexico’s malpractice laws and the spike in litigation and insurance premiums in recent years is driving doctors from the state. “We are the only state that is losing doctors,” he told the Albuquerque Journal, referring to data from the New Mexico Medical Society, Read More