Category Archives: Articles

COVID-19 and workers’ compensation

Posted on September 7, 2020 by merilee

A hidden cost of the coronavirus, one that has escaped public attention so far, is workers’ compensation for sick workers. If coronavirus is contracted in the workplace, the worker can file an occupational disease claim under the workers’ compensation law. … Continue reading →

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The prom in the pandemic

Posted on July 20, 2020 by merilee

Hobbs, New Mexico, is planning to have a high school prom. In Texas. The scheduled date is July 16. It’s not an official function of the school, according to the Hobbs News-Sun, but a volunteer project organized by parents. They … Continue reading →

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Vandalism is not OK, even against Oñate

Posted on July 20, 2020 by merilee

The incident of violence in Albuquerque last week in which a protester was shot brought the wrong kind of attention to New Mexico. It detracted from our generally good record of peaceful demonstrations and our superior performance in reducing coronavirus, … Continue reading →

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Revving up the economy in the special session

Posted on July 20, 2020 by merilee

In preparation for the upcoming special session of the New Mexico legislature, we’re all nervous. Due to revenue lost through business closures, spending on emergency health and education, and the international price war in the oil industry, New Mexico has … Continue reading →

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Political commercials are too nasty

Posted on June 11, 2020 by merilee

If you’ve been seeing the TV commercials for candidates for Congress in New Mexico, you’ve seen two very different concepts about what voters want, divided by political party and by geography. In Congressional District 3, seven Democrats are on the … Continue reading →

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Staying at attention

Posted on June 11, 2020 by merilee

When you were young, did you ever do something that you knew was wrong and you shouldn’t have gotten away with, but you did? Maybe you said your first swear word or smoked a cigarette behind the barn, and then … Continue reading →

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Move the presidential primary before 2024

Posted on June 11, 2020 by merilee

Even though everything before the coronavirus now seems like a distant memory, it wasn’t long ago that half of the nation’s partisan voters were still tussling over who their presidential nominee would be. New Mexico was poised to play its … Continue reading →

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A quiet ending for a community newspaper

Posted on June 11, 2020 by merilee

The Jemez Thunder published its last edition on March 15. It had been community newspaper for Jemez Springs and nearby villages. The closing of the paper and the retirement of the editor had been announced before the virus emergency, but … Continue reading →

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Drive-up and curbside can help make business safe

Posted on June 11, 2020 by merilee

These days, sitting down to dine in a busy restaurant could put you in the hospital and make your whole family sick as well as the families at nearby tables — that is, if there were a restaurant that would … Continue reading →

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Test and then trace fast

Posted on June 11, 2020 by merilee

New Mexico has been invited by the White House to participate in a pilot program to improve and expand contact tracing for coronavirus infections. While details are sparse, according to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, this program may provide an opportunity … Continue reading →

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