The City of Santa Fe reports that a crowd of more than 40-thousand, 300-people — a new attendance record — was on hand to see the burning of Zozobra. The police also report making zero arrests—significant because the event had been celebrated on Thursdays since 1998 following a shooting death the previous year. The City is crediting its employees as well as assistance from several law enforcement agencies, the Kiwanis Club and visitors.
The New Mexico Department of Veterans' Services is among a handful of entities nationwide selected to participate in a pilot program aimed at better serving rural veterans. The department will receive a $2 million federal grant to increase access to health care and benefits for veterans and their families who live in rural and underserved areas around New Mexico. U.S. Sen. Tom Udall announced the grant Tuesday. He says too many veterans in rural New Mexico face long travel times and a lack of health care options. In August, the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs held a field hearing in Roswell to address care for rural veterans. At the time, organizers said veterans were clear in their testimony that they aren't being provided with the services they need.
Central New Mexico Community College has launched a new paramedic program aimed at getting graduates into underserved area. The school announced Tuesday that the new Community Paramedic certificate program is expected to graduate its first class this spring. Under the program, students must have paramedic licenses and have been working in the field for a minimum of three years. Students will receive certificates of completion in community paramedic after 21 credit hours. Officials say all classes will be conducted online with face-to-face labs on the weekends. According to a 2010 report by the National Women's Law Center, New Mexico ranks 49th in the country for medically underserved areas.
Water use in New Mexico's largest city is on pace for a record low this year, and utility officials want residents stay on track. The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority is asking customers to ramp down outdoor watering to twice a week starting this month and once a month in November until the first hard freeze hits. Utility conservation officer Katherine Yuhas says landscapes need less water in the fall because temperatures drop and soil retains moisture longer. Yuhas says this year's conservation numbers have been helped by a robust monsoon season. Drought has plagued much of New Mexico in recent years. For the 2014 fiscal year, water use among customers was the lowest since 1983. Yuhas says that's impressive given how much the population has grown since then.
A state agency is sponsoring free clinics in five communities—including one in Santa Fe—to educate parents about the proper use of child safety seats in vehicles. The Department of Transportation and the nonprofit group Safer New Mexico Now will conduct the clinics September 20th. The other communities where the clinics are being held are Albuquerque, Alamogordo, Las Cruces and Las Vegas. Certified technicians will instruct parents on installing and selecting safety seats. Appointments are required for the clinics in Alamogordo and Santa Fe. State law requires safety or booster seats for children under the age of seven or who weigh less than 60 pounds regardless of their age. Children through age 12 must use booster seats if a vehicle's seat belt doesn't properly fit them.
Santa Fe Weather: Sunny today, with a high near 87. Tonight-Mostly clear with the low down to 58. Tomorrow: mostly sunny with a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms and a high of 79.