Features

Skolnik: Reducing Alcohol-related Deaths In New Mexico – Part 2

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By RICHARD SKOLNIK
White Rock

One essential part of reducing alcohol-related deaths in New Mexico will be raising taxes on alcohol. The evidence shows that every 10% increase in alcohol taxes leads to a 7% decrease in consumption. My article of Dec. 15 (link) focused on this issue, especially in light of recent information about the apparent “sell out” of our state officials to some lobbyists on alcohol taxes.

The article also referred to using alcohol taxes to fund other measures to reduce alcohol  consumption. Indeed, as a number of people kindly and correctly highlighted in response to my Read More

County’s Cory Styron Elected To GP RED Board

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Community Services Director Cory Styron

COUNTY News:

Los Alamos County Community Services Director Cory Styron has been nominated and elected to the GP RED board, a not-for-profit consultant organization specializing in community support and improvement.

For the last three years, Styron has led the many diverse divisions within Community Services ranging from Parks and Recreation to Social Services. With this experience, as well as many years prior in parks and recreation, he will provide valuable guidance on quality-of-life improvements within communities and further support GP Read More

NMILC Files Complaint Against Cibola County Correctional Center For Pepper Spray Attack On Immigrants

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NMILC News:

ALBUQUERQUE — The New Mexico Immigrant Law Center (NMILC) filed a complaint against CoreCivic and the Cibola County Correctional Center for its recent pepper spray attack on people held in ICE detention at the facility.

On or around Nov. 18, 2023, several masked CoreCivic officials entered an ICE unit at Cibola and dispersed pepper spray gas in response to a demonstration by five individuals who were protesting inadequate food and water, and growing frustration with their delayed deportations despite having removal orders from several months prior. CoreCivic staff reportedly Read More

Skolnik: Alcohol-Related Deaths – Are New Mexican Lives Really Worth Only $115?

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By RICHARD SKOLNIK
White Rock

New Mexico’s government urgently needs to take the steps required to reduce alcohol-related deaths. In 2021, more than 2,200 New Mexicans died of alcohol-related causes. Such deaths occurred at the highest rate of any state in the US, at 34.3 per 100,000 people. These deaths come with enormous social and economic impacts on families and communities throughout New Mexico. About 1,500 of those deaths could have been avoided if New Mexico would have lowered its rate of alcohol-related deaths to the national average.

The most effective way to achieve this is well-known Read More

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham Cuts Ribbon On State-Of-The-Art Residences At New Mexico Veterans’ Home

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From the Office of the Governor:

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham joined New Mexico veterans Thursday to cut the ribbon on new residences at the New Mexico State Veterans’ Home in Truth or Consequences, fulfilling her pledge to build new state-of-the-art facilities for those who served.

Gov. Lujan Grisham secured a $60 million investment from the Legislature during the 2022 session that enabled the construction of six residences that will provide safer, more private, and more comfortable accommodations for residents.

“New Mexico takes great pride in being home to numerous Read More

State Launches Wastewater Drug Testing Dashboard For New Mexico Public High Schools

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Courtesy/NMED

NMED News:

Wednesday, the state released the first set of results of wastewater testing at public high schools on the Wastewater Drug Monitoring Dashboard.

The Department of Health directed wastewater testing for drugs be conducted at public high schools as part of a public health order to address substance misuse in the state. The Department of Health issued the public health order after Gov. Lujan Grisham declared substance misuse a public health emergency in September. 

“Knowledge is power, and having more data about the presence of illicit substances in schools informs Read More

Stansbury Introduces Bill To Revitalize Nursing Workforce

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U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury

U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.-01) introduced Wednesday the Public Health Nursing Act in the House.

This legislation, akin to its Senate counterpart introduced by Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA), aims to address the public health crisis through revitalizing and sustaining a robust public health nursing workforce in the United States.

The legislation would be a monumental step in addressing the healthcare staffing shortage, authorizing $5 billion annually over the course of 10 years to create a grant program through the Read More

U.S. Senators Luján, Barrasso Introduce Legislation To Help Improve Efficiency Of 988 Suicide And Crisis Lifeline

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From the Office of U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) have  introduced bipartisan legislation to improve the routing of calls to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to local call centers.

Currently, calls to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline are routed to a call center based on a phone’s area code. This process can result in a call center mismatch, as over 80 percent of the calls are from cell phones that may not be in the same geographic location as their area code.

The 988 Lifeline Location Improvement Act of 2023 is a critical Read More

Business Spotlight: Michelle Wilde Of Mullein Leaf Wellness Institute

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Michelle Wilde, LPCC, LMT, owner of Mullein Leaf Wellness Institute in Los Alamos. Courtesy photo

By CAROL A. CLARK
Los Alamos Daily Post
caclark@ladailypost.com

“Being able to be part of the healing journey with a person is truly an honor.” –Michelle Wilde

Michelle Wilde, LPCC, LMT owns Mullein Leaf Wellness Institute in Los Alamos. She is a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, Body-Connection Coach and Licensed Massage Therapist, specializing in integrative, holistic care for mind & body.

She is also a certified 7 Principles for Making Marriage Work Leader, a strategic Read More