.....Advertisement.....
.....Advertisement.....

Local News

  • Denish to stay in second spot

    SANTA FE — It’s back to second fiddle for Lt. Gov. Diane Denish.

    Denish’s plans and preparations to take over New Mexico’s top job came to a screeching halt on Sunday with Gov. Bill Richardson’s surprise announcement that he won’t be leaving after all.

    The Democratic governor, citing an ongoing federal investigation into how some of his political donors won a lucrative state contract, withdrew as President-elect Barack Obama’s nominee for secretary of commerce.

    Click here to read more...
  • Suazo: Politics influences hiring

    Think hiring decisions in local government agencies are based on politics?

    Some local officials deny that’s the case, but Marty Suazo, San Miguel County’s Democratic Party chairman for the last decade, freely admits that politics plays a role.

    In a Oct. 23 story in the Washington Post, Suazo talked about how government dominates the local economy. He noted that 75 percent of the jobs are government-driven.

    Click here to read more...
  • Habitual offender will go to prison

    Marvin Martinez, after three violent rampages and two DWIs, has been sentenced to prison time.

    Martinez, 22, has engaged in several violent incidents since January 2007, resulting in numerous felony and misdemeanor charges against him.

    According to police reports and court documents, Martinez had at various times kidnapped his girlfriend; beat her with a beer bottle, a telephone and his fists; attempted to run several people over with his vehicle; done extensive property damage; and been caught twice driving while drunk.

    Click here to read more...
  • Polar Bear plungers show bravery

    Longtime Polar Bears Philip Romero and Tito Chavez have spearheaded the annual New Year’s Day plunge into the icy waters at Storrie Lake for years and in recent times it has become an event that brings huge crowds from all over New Mexico.

    Chavez was among a group of seven brave souls, who, on New Year’s Day in 1994, chopped away at the ice and became one of the founding members of the Las Vegas Polar Bears Club. The small but determined group consisted of six men and one woman and has grown in size each year.

    Click here to read more...
  • Local leaders take oaths of office

    The New Year will see changes in local leadership.

    On Tuesday, swearing-in ceremonies were held for a number of local offices.

    Local attorney Matt Sandoval took the oath as the new district judge in the ballroom at Highlands University. Nearly 500 people attended the event.

    Sandoval defeated Gerald Baca in the Democratic primary in June for a judgeship that covers San Miguel, Guadalupe and Mora counties. No Republicans ran for the office.

    Click here to read more...
  • DeHerrera a ‘public servant’

    MORA — He was remembered as “a man for all seasons” and someone who has performed many tasks in life, including 26 years of military service to his country.

    More than that, he was remembered as a “public servant” in his lifelong home of Mora Valley, where he remained active in community affairs, primarily through the schools, sports and, for 37 years, as a correspondent for the Las Vegas Optic.

    Click here to read more...
  • The year in quotes

    A miscellaneous collection of comments taken by Optic reporters over the course of 2008:

    January

    “It was shocking. ... I just didn’t think about it before I jumped in, and it was ‘whoa.’”

    — Rosie Lanphere, who jumped into Storrie Lake on New Year’s Day 2008 with her friends, and quickly emerged to talk about it.

    “We don’t waste any water at all. ... We have multiple kids sharing the same bathtub, and we’re constantly reusing water.”

    Click here to read more...
  • New Year’s event to be in remodeled ballroom

    Attendees at tonight’s New Year’s Eve Black Tie and Blue Jeans Charity Ball will be among the first to enjoy the newly remodeled Ilfeld Ballroom of the Historic Plaza Hotel.

    In addition, the event will benefit El Centro Family Health and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern New Mexico.

    The event will feature two bands, dancing, psychics, both live and silent auctions, excellent dining, and a midnight buffet with a champagne toast.

    Click here to read more...
  • Robertson assaults lead the list

    Few things in Las Vegas in 2008 have been discussed more than the turmoil surrounding Robertson High School in the aftermath of sexual assaults at a football camp that has led to expulsions, charges, hard feelings and lawsuits.

    The repercussions of the assaults, in which a half dozen perpetrators allegedly used broomsticks with which to sodomize younger fellow members of the Robertson Cardinals football team, are likely to redound for years.

    Rounding out the top ten news stories, as selected by a sampling of members of the Optic’s staff and editorial board, are:

    Click here to read more...
  • City manager search ‘wide open’

    Las Vegas Mayor Tony Marquez said Tuesday that he remains in contact with people who may be interested in becoming city manager.

    He said he has also included City Council members in the process. On average, he said, members have each provided two names of possible candidates.

    “The great majority of candidates are local,” the mayor said. “It’s still wide open.”

    He said the city plans to advertise the position in the Optic and on national Internet sites.

    Click here to read more...