New Mexico
Biden Issues New Mexico Disaster Declaration
President Biden issued a disaster declaration for parts of southern New Mexico on Thursday. The move freed up funding and more resources as crews worked, under the threat of flooding and lightning, to battle a pair of deadly wildfires that have destroyed hundreds of homes and forced thousands of people to flee, the AP reports. Residents of Ruidoso, a mountain village, fled the larger fire with little notice as it swept into neighborhoods on Monday. More areas were evacuated on Tuesday as the fire ballooned, consuming homes nestled among the the ponderosa pines that dominate the hillsides.
The flames advanced Thursday along the mountain headwaters of Eagle Creek and the Rio Ruidoso with 0% containment. Crews used heavy equipment to build fire lines while water and retardant dropped from the air. “The big concern right now is flooding,” Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford told KWMW radio on Thursday. “We got less than two-tenths of an inch of rain yesterday but because of all the burn scar, there’s nothing holding it up. We had flooding already over the bridges.”
An estimated 1,400 structures have been destroyed or damaged, and Crawford estimated about half were homes. Whole portions of some communities were lost, he said. “These are things that are burnt to the foundations and all the trees around it,” he said. “It’s devastating.”
- The rain helped to keep the fire from spreading and high humidity levels and cooler temperatures were expected to help keep the flames in check again Thursday, said Brandon Glenn, with the incident management team that is assigned to the fires.
- Hundreds of firefighters have been trying to prevent spot fires, while others are assessing roads and trying to get around to structures and contain pockets of unburned fuel that might flare up.
- Authorities say a badly burned 60-year-old man who died was found near the popular Swiss Chalet Inn in Ruidoso. His family said he had arranged for a ride from friends but they were unable to get to him Monday since the roads were blocked. It appeared he was overcome after he tried to set out on foot. On Wednesday, officers discovered the skeletal remains of an unidentified second person in the driver’s seat of a burned vehicle.
(More New Mexico stories.)
NBA Christmas Day preview
From Thunder–Spurs to Wolves–Nuggets and Knicks–Cavs, which NBA Christmas Day matchup are you most looking forward to?
An NBA veteran made a Christmas Eve stop for something green at a Santa Teresa cannabis dispensary.
Markieff Morris of the Los Angeles Lakers visited Hi Life Dispensary in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, on Christmas Eve while spending time with family in the El Paso area, according to budtender Edgar Omar Tovar, who goes by “Chino.”
Hi Life, located at 5620 McNutt Road, offers both medical and recreational cannabis under New Mexico’s legalization laws. Retail sales of adult-use cannabis began in April 2022.
Cannabis sales in New Mexico continue to climb. In November, dispensaries reported $45.9 million in revenue from 814,229 transactions, with adult-use purchases totaling $35.8 million and medical sales $10 million. Since legalization, cumulative statewide sales have surpassed $2.02 billion, including $1.45 billion in adult-use and $572.7 million in medical sales, across more than 45 million transactions, according to the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department.
Are NBA players allowed to use cannabis?
Under the 2023 NBA–NBPA Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), cannabis is not a prohibited substance and players are not randomly tested for marijuana. However, the league can still take action if a player is impaired during team or NBA activities or violates the law or conduct rules.
The agreement also permits players to invest in cannabis-related businesses (with restrictions) and endorse certain CBD products with prior approval. In short, off-court cannabis use is not automatically a violation, but on-duty impairment remains prohibited.
Read the complete CBA here.
Aaron Bedoya is a manager and content strategist for the El Paso Times. He can be reached at abedoya@elpasotimes.com.
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