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Today's News

  • Letter: Message is loud and clear

    I read with disbelief the Optic’s story “Man charged with sex crime” on July 19. I do not know the particulars of this story, but the message to the public is loud and clear: If you are a government worker, have children or are about to retire, it is OK to (allegedly) perform a lewd act on a teenager.

    Henry Ortiz

    Ribera

    Click here to read more...
  • Editorial Thumbs

    Thumbs UP for ... ANOTHER BIG WEEKEND. Once again we have a big weekend in store. Beginning today, thousands of bikers will be roaring into Las Vegas for the fifth annual Rough Rider Motorcycle Rally, and many of them will find their way to two other great events — the annual fiestas at Mora and Villanueva.

    Stay safe, everyone, and let the good times roll!

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  • Officials tackle septic problem

    The San Miguel County Commission has declared an emergency because of the Las Vegas’ decision to discontinue accepting septic waste at its wastewater treatment plant.

    City officials say the plant is not able to take the waste.

    In a commission-passed resolution, the county states that the non-acceptance of the waste would result in a “significant negative impact” in local haulers’ ability to provide service.

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  • Letter: Son didn't die in vain

    Emilio and I recently sent a prayer message to our son Michael Esquibel, who passed away on Jan. 15, 2009, after he was struck by the train in Las Vegas while on his way to unload some trash from his worksite. The message to him went like this:

    “Dearest Michael, you did not die in vain at the railroad crossing on your way to the transfer station, as now because of the very dangerous crossing and through the efforts of many, there are now in place the very necessary warning signs and signals that will prevent any more tragic deaths.

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  • Letter: Counting chickens before hatched

    A few people knew I had written a rebuttal to Kathleen Dudley’s letter, and they were wondering why it wasn’t ever published. I said, they own the newspaper so they have the right to print or not print. I am never offensive in my letters, I always speak the truth, which I can back up with documentation. Someone mentioned that maybe the Optic was prejudiced, and I said I have never known them to be.

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  • Drug search illegal, court rules

    A local district judge shouldn’t have admitted evidence that resulted in a man’s conviction for drug crimes, the state Court of Appeals has ruled.

    In a July 8 opinion, the Court of Appeals overruled District Judge Abigail Aragon, who decided to allow drug evidence in a case involving Kenneth Ulibarri, 32.

    Ulibarri served nearly two years in prison in connection with drug charges, but he reserved the right to appeal what he considered an illegal search.

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  • Above and Beyond: Building Luna's auto collision program

    Anthony Baca takes great satisfaction and pride in teaching his students how to turn beat-up old clunkers into prized cars — some good enough to enter classic car shows locally and statewide.

    Since Baca started the first auto collision repair class at Luna Community College in 2000, his students have won five state championships and four students have competed at the national level.

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  • Work of Art: Raiders tag had no effect

    The signs at both entrances at the erstwhile Celebrity Sports Center in Denver made it clear: No Oakland Raider paraphernalia.

    Did the center management ban caps and jerseys touting the San Diego Chargers or Seattle Seahawks, at the time rivals of the Denver Broncos?

    Now I say “erstwhile” because it used to be called “Celebrity,” and as I recall, traded that word for “Family,” and now, who knows? The massive entertainment center on Colorado Boulevard might not even exist anymore, but the sentiment still wafts.

    Let me explain:

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  • Ex-architect blamed for delay

    West Las Vegas officials are blaming the delay of an elementary school project on the district’s former architectural firm.

    They say the firm has been withholding documents that are critical to developing a master plan.

    West Las Vegas architect Antonio Ortega recently told the school board he met with new schools Superintendent Ruben Cordova and updated him on the district master plan, which his firm, Ortega, Romero and Rodriguez, has been working on since the beginning of the year. 

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  • Editorial: Useless statistics

    Set aside the statistics that place New Mexico near the bottom of the list of states with the worst drunken driving records. And forget about the data that points to a slight decline in the number of DWIs in our state. Instead, let’s look at the front page of the Optic, just over the last month:

     • Paul E. Sanchez, 45, of 2700 Hot Springs Blvd. Space 4, was charged with his fifth DWI. Police say he was driving along Seventh Street at about 11:30 p.m. on June 25 and, after stopping, he tried to switch places with his female companion to avoid being arrested.

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