New Mexico

New Mexico police shed light on Tito Jackson's death: He suffered a medical emergency

Published

1 year ago

September 17, 2024

New Mexico police shed light on Tito Jackson's death: He suffered a medical emergency

The Jackson 5’s Tito Jackson experienced some sort of medical emergency before he died Sunday in New Mexico, according to local law enforcement officials.

Shedding light on some of the circumstances that led to the late Jacksons guitarist’s death, the Gallup Police Department reported Monday that one of its officers had been flagged down by a person at the American Heritage Plaza, saying there was “an individual requiring medical attention” and requesting an ambulance. The ailing individual was later identified as Jackson, the brother of the late King of Pop Michael Jackson and R&B superstar Janet Jackson.

Read more: Tito Jackson, original member of the Jackson 5, dies at 70

“The individual was subsequently transported to a local hospital in Gallup, N.M., where he was pronounced dead. Following this, the hospital requested the presence of detectives and the Office of the Medical Investigator,” the agency said in a statement on its Facebook account. “The deceased has been identified as 70-year-old Toriano ‘Tito’ Jackson from Tulsa, Oklahoma.”

The department added that the information came from a preliminary investigation that was ongoing and said investigators were actively interviewing witnesses and examining physical and electronic records. It noted that the department’s understanding of the facts and circumstances “may evolve as additional evidence is gathered and analyzed.”

Gallup police did not immediately respond Tuesday to The Times’ requests for additional comment.

An autopsy has been scheduled, and Jackson’s cause of death will be determined, a spokesperson for the Office of the Medical Investigator at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque confirmed Tuesday. It typically takes six to eight weeks to complete a full autopsy report, allowing for toxicology and histology tests to be completed.

Jackson’s three sons — who make up the music group 3T — announced their father’s death late Sunday with a family statement. At the time, they did not disclose a cause of death or details about when, where or how he died. However, they did say that they were “shocked, saddened and heartbroken.” Representatives for Jackson did not immediately respond to The Times’ requests for comment.

“Our father was an incredible man who cared about everyone and their well-being,” sons Taj, Taryll and TJ said in a statement posted on 3T’s Instagram. “Some of you may know him as Tito Jackson from the legendary Jackson 5, some may know him as ‘Coach Tito’ or some know him as ‘Poppa T.’ Nevertheless, he will be missed tremendously. It will forever be ‘Tito Time’ for us. Please remember to do what our father always preached and that is ‘Love One Another.’ We love you Pops.”

Read more: If Michael Jackson is canceled, can we still enjoy the Jacksons?

In a separate tribute, TJ Jackson wrote that his father’s death was “crushing” him, alluding to his mother’s death in 1994, which led to a second-degree murder conviction against a man she had been dating.

“Losing a parent is extremely tough. Losing both in the way I have has given me an incredibly unwelcoming feeling and a paranoia that I will have to overcome,” he wrote on Instagram.

“Specifically regarding my father, I am trying to celebrate the many amazing experiences I’ve enjoyed with him but truthfully I can’t stand knowing he isn’t here,” he added. “He has always exemplified strength, toughness and poise. Simply put, he wasn’t supposed to go this soon. It just goes to show we never know when it’s our time.”

Taryll Jackson noted in a separate tribute that he had “just checked” on his father earlier in the day.

Read more: Janet Jackson reveals her famous family ties that ‘not a lot of people know’ about

“People are hurting, crying and devastated. You were so loved!,” he wrote i on Instagram. “You touched so many people and impacted so many lives. You were strong, gentle and kind with the warmest smile. Your laugh was genuine. Your heart was gold. Down to earth, loving, easy going and just so cool. It’s always been a goal to be on stage with The Jacksons but when anyone asked me about my experience, I would always say what I enjoy most is spending time with you,” he wrote.

Taj Jackson posted a series of photos with his father, writing in the caption, “My legend. Pops.”

Tito Jackson, the third-eldest child in the Jackson family, is the first person since Michael Jackson to die from that generation of the family. Patriarch Joe Jackson died in 2018.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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New Mexico

Understanding New Mexico’s data center boom | Opinion

Published

12 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Understanding New Mexico’s data center boom | Opinion

Paul Gessing, Rio Grande Foundation
| Las Cruces Sun-News

After years of failure to land a “big fish” business for New Mexico’s economy (or effectively use the oil and gas revenues to grow the economy) Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham with the help of her Economic Development Secretary Rob Black have lured no fewer than three large data centers to New Mexico. These data centers are being built to serve the booming world of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and they will have profound impacts on New Mexico.

It is our view that having these data centers locate in New Mexico is better than having them locate elsewhere. While we have many differences of opinion with this governor, we are pleased to see her get serious about growing and diversifying New Mexico’s oil-dependent economy albeit quite late in her second term.

Sadly, the governor and legislature have chosen not to use broad based economic reforms like deregulation or tax cuts to improve New Mexico’s competitiveness. But, with the failure of her “preferred” economic development “wins” like Maxeon and Ebon solar both of which the governor announced a few years ago, but haven’t panned out, the focus on a more realistic strategy is welcome and long overdue.

Currently, three new data centers are slated to be built in New Mexico:

Oracle’s Project Jupiter in Santa Teresa with an investment of $165 billion.
Project Zenith slated to be built in Roswell amounts to a $11.7 billion investment.
New Era Energy & Digital, Inc. While the overall investment is unclear, the energy requirement is the largest of the three at 7 gigawatts (that’s seven times the power used by the City of San Francisco).

What is a data center? Basically, they are the real-world computing infrastructure that makes up the Internet. The rise of AI requires vast new computing power. It is critical that these facilities have uninterrupted electricity.

That electricity is going to be largely generated by traditional sources like natural gas and possibly nuclear. That contravenes New Mexico’s Energy Transition Act of 2019 which was adopted by this Gov. and many of the legislators still in office. Under the Act electrical power emissions are supposed to be eliminated in a few years.

With the amount of money being invested in these facilities and the simple fact that wind and solar and other “renewable” energy sources aren’t going to get the job done. In 2025 the Legislature passed and MLG signed HB 93 which allows for the creation of “microgrids” that won’t tax the grid and make our electricity more expensive, but the ETA will have to be amended or ignored to provide enough electricity for these data centers. There’s no other option.

New Mexicans have every right to wonder why powerful friends of the governor can set up their own natural gas microgrids while the rest of us face rising costs and decreased reliability from so-called “renewables.” Don’t get me wrong, having these data centers come to New Mexico is an economic boon.

But it comes tempered with massive subsidies including a 30-year property tax exemption and up to $165 billion in industrial revenue bonds. New Mexico is ideally suited as a destination for these data centers with its favorable climate and lack of natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. We shouldn’t be giving away such massive subsidies.

Welcoming the data center boom to New Mexico better than rejecting them and pushing them to locate in other states. There is no way to avoid CO2 emissions whether they happen here or somewhere else. But, there are questions about both the electricity demand and subsidies that must be addressed as New Mexico’s data center boom begins.

What will the Legislature, radical environmental groups, and future governors of our state do to hinder (or help) bring these data centers to our State? That is an open question that depends heavily on upcoming statewide elections. It is important that New Mexicans understand and appreciate these complicated issues.

Paul Gessing is president of New Mexico’s Rio Grande Foundation. The Rio Grande Foundation is an independent, nonpartisan, tax-exempt research and educational organization dedicated to promoting prosperity for New Mexico based on principles of limited government, economic freedom and individual responsibility

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New Mexico

New Mexico maintains full childhood vaccine recommendations despite HHS rollback

Published

24 hours ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

New Mexico maintains full childhood vaccine recommendations despite HHS rollback

SANTA FE, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) – The New Mexico Department of Health says it will continue to recommend the full schedule of childhood vaccines.

State officials announced the move Tuesday, directly defying a new federal policy that scaled back routine immunization guidance.

The announcement comes after U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS), under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., reduced the number of vaccines it recommends for all children.

The New Mexico Department of Health stated the federal changes were “not based on new scientific evidence or safety data.”

“New Mexico will not follow the federal government in walking away from decades of proven public health practice,” said Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. “Our recommendations remain unchanged.”

State health officials sought to reassure parents, emphasizing that vaccines remain widely available and covered by insurance.

“We know this is confusing for parents, but the science is clear: vaccines are safe, effective, and save children’s lives,” said Dr. Miranda Durham, chief medical officer for NMDOH.

All childhood vaccinations will continue to be covered under programs like Medicaid and the federal Vaccines for Children Program.

The state encourages parents to consult their healthcare providers using the American Academy of Pediatrics’ immunization schedule.

RECOMMENDED: CDC cuts childhood vaccine list, sparking healthcare professionals’ concerns

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