From the Las Vegas Optic Luna Community College is facing a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by a former employee who alleges Luna violated his state constitutional rights by firing him for using medical cannabis. At the center of the lawsuit is an employee’s right to use medical cannabis, and whether an employer can terminate someone…
From the Las Vegas Optic As cases of the coronavirus began spreading across the country in early 2020, San Miguel County officials were busy making preparations, anticipating that the virus would spread to New Mexico, and to the county. New Mexico reported its first case March 11, 2020. Eight days later, San Miguel County reported…
From the Idaho Business Review As we emerge from the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, one sentiment persists: We’re entering a “new normal” that will lead to changes in our daily lives, including the design and development of hospitals and medical facilities. In the wake of the pandemic, developers are rethinking the future of building…
From the Las Vegas Optic George Lyon will soon depart Samaritan House, where he’s been the executive director since 2016, but he’s not leaving San Miguel County. Lyon originally moved to the Las Vegas area for a faculty job in the political science department at New Mexico Highlands University. After two years at NMHU, Lyon…
From the Las Vegas Optic Mora County moved to the “green” level of the state’s color-coded COVID-19 mapping system Wednesday, while San Miguel County will stay at the “yellow” level. Mora’s move from yellow to green means businesses and churches will be allowed to operate with fewer restrictions, while those in San Miguel County will…
From the Las Vegas Optic Alta Vista Regional Hospital is seeking payment of more than $2.6 million from San Miguel County for health care services provided to incarcerated inmates at the San Miguel County Detention Center. The county denies it owes that amount, and asserts it shouldn’t be billed for inmates’ health care at all,…
From the Las Vegas Optic By Phil Scherer and Ryan Lowery Local school districts remain unsure whether they will return to the classroom in early February, following Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s announcement Tuesday that districts would have the option to return to the classroom during her annual State of the State address. Most schools have…
From the Las Vegas Optic New Mexico continues to have one of the highest rates of suicide in the country, and experts worry the COVID-19 pandemic could cause the state’s suicide rate to increase in 2021. In 2019, New Mexico lost 515 people to suicide, according to research by the Legislative Finance Committee released this…
From the Las Vegas Optic By Phil Scherer and Ryan Lowery Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that New Mexico will be putting its strictest restrictions back in place for the next two weeks in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19. At a press conference Friday, Lujan Grisham announced that from Nov. 16-Nov. 30,…
From the Las Vegas Optic San Miguel County has seen a steady rise in positive coronavirus cases throughout October, with 17 new cases Friday through Sunday alone. By contrast, the county reported just 19 cases for the entire month of September. At least one of the county’s recent COVID-19 cases has come from inside Las…
