New Mexico
Fort Lewis College hosts 10th annual Hawk Tank competition
Perhaps you’ve heard of the show Shark Tank? Where people pitch their business ideas to big time business people hoping to get a shot.
The Four Corners has its own version, called “Hawk Tank.”
FARMINGTON, N.M. – Perhaps you’ve heard of the show Shark Tank? Where people pitch their business ideas to big time business people hoping to get a shot.
The Four Corners has its own version, called “Hawk Tank.” KOB 4 spoke with this year’s winner about his plan that is now a reality.
“Hawk Tank is their premier business plan competition in the Four Corners area. And the purpose behind Hawk Tank is really just empowering students so we can take their business ideas to the next level. Whatever that may be,” said Michael Valdez, professor of management at Fort Lewis College.
This year, Joey DeMartino is the overall prize winner in the 10th annual Hawk Tank competition for his business is called, Noise Hub.
“I’ve been tethered to music, sound, noise, whatever you want to call it, my whole life. And so it was kind of a culmination of my life, building up this process. And then, since this contest came up, it afforded me the opportunity to actually say, you know, I’m gonna put my energy into a business plan and create something out of this,” said DeMartino.
It’s a full-circle moment for DeMartino. He’s creating notes the business world isn’t used to hearing in the area.
“I feel like being that nobody seems to be as interconnected as I think they could be, it’s a great spot for us to kind of get set up and open the doors and say, ‘Hey, let’s, let’s make this happen. Let’s create kind of our own ecosystem.’ So to speak, with all the different types of creators that we have in this area,” said DeMartino.
The prize money from winning Hawk Tank is going to help DeMartino do just that for his fellow artists.
“Providing the skills, giving access to resources so these participants who want to solve the problems that we have in our community and our country and around the globe, the opportunity to see what that might look like, actually having a viable business and solving those real-world problems,” said Valdez.
“I’m surrounded by talented individuals, talented students that, in my opinion, are the sky’s the limit for them. A lot of them might fall through the cracks when it comes to the industry. That’s kind of where we’re at, is to say, ‘Hey, let’s kind of re-home you, get you set up, and let’s make this happen,’” said DeMartino.
To learn more about Hawk Tank or Noise Hub, you can visit the links below:
New Mexico leaders are backing a bipartisan bill after 12 confirmed U.S. screwworm cases, including one case in a Lea County dog.
SANTA FE, N.M. – New Mexico leaders are backing a bipartisan bill after 12 confirmed U.S. screwworm cases, including one case in a Lea County dog.
New Mexico State Veterinarian Dr. Samantha Holeck said the parasite has spread to New Mexico, though officials say they have not found any human cases.
“This is also not a political issue this is a nationwide issue that we all need to address because it affects all warm blooded animals including humans,” Holeck said.
U.S. Reps. Gabe Vasquez and Teresa Leger Fernandez support the Protect America’s Herds Act.
The bill would create a grant program to train people to identify, treat, prevent and report screwworm. It would also support more livestock inspections and education for ranchers.
Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez said she heard concerns from tribal leaders about the cost of protecting cattle herds.
“I spoke with one of our tribal leaders today and they have cattle operation and they’re worried, and they’re talking about how much more money they’re having to pay to go make sure they check on their herds and there are extra costs,” Leger Fernandez said.
Funding would prioritize states and tribal communities most at risk for screwworm outbreaks.
State health officials said screwworm is not a food safety issue. They also said ranchers should stay alert but not alarmed.
New Mexico isn’t done with Meta yet. After the second phase of a landmark trial, the state is asking a judge to make the company pay almost $1 billion to address harm done to young people in New Mexico, SourceNM reports. In a court filing, attorneys with the New Mexico Department of Justice argue that Meta’s addictive design features and recommendation algorithms “substantially contributed to the increase and severity” of problems including depression and eating disorders. The state wants a judge to order Meta to pay $953 million into a fund for public education and behavioral health programs, reports Fox News.
- After the first phase of the trial in March, a jury found the company endangered children and misled the public about its platforms’ safety. Meta was ordered to pay $375 million in damages, $5,000 for each violation.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez has argued Meta executives prioritized profit over minors’ safety, ignored internal warnings, and misrepresented what they knew about harms to young users. In the second phase, First Judicial District Court Chief Judge Bryan Biedscheid heard arguments on whether the company’s actions created a public nuisance, the Santa Fe New Mexican reports. Final filings in that phase of the trial were submitted Friday. Beyond potential financial penalties, Biedscheid will also rule on the state’s request for Meta to make changes including stricter age controls and “safer algorithms” that “do not prioritize engagement over well being.”
Meta says New Mexico is overreaching, warning that the proposed mandates are “impractical and ill-considered” and “would risk leaving teens less safe, infringe on parental rights, and stifle free expression.” Meta argues that New Mexico hasn’t proven that its platforms affect mental health outcomes. In court filings, Meta has claimed that the state is seeking $3.7 billion, not $953 million, but Chief Deputy Attorney General James Grayson says the higher figure is an expert’s estimate of the cost to fund all child mental health interventions in the state. “We’re not trying to hold Meta responsible for mental health harms in general in New Mexico, only for what social media has cost,” Grayson tells the New Mexican.
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