New Mexico Ethics Watch essay contest winners share their thoughts

In a ZOOM event Sept. 17 hosted by New Mexico Ethics Watch, N. M. Secy. Of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, OLÉ NM Executive Director Andrea Serrano, and the Campaign Legal Center’s Trevor Potter weighed in on everything from ensuring the validity of the upcoming election, to making sure mail-in votes are counted, to when results will be finalized, and voter suppression in our state.

Oliver talked about the election process and mail-in ballots.

“From the very highest level of the postal service – Postmaster General DeJoy and his senior staff, down to the local and regional officials here in New Mexico, we have...

Means to an End

By Elijah Nix
Volcano Vista High School - senior

In 1945, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan, bringing a swift end to WWII. This action, however, came at a cost: many thousands of Japanese citizens died from the explosion, and many more died from radiation poisoning. Today, we are still left with the questions, “Was that the right move? Were the means justified by the end?” Regardless of any answer, there is no way to judge without a standard by which to make that judgement.

If we are to determine means that truly justify the end, we must gather all information on the subject, define who or what defines correct ethics, and conclude what a true end...

Judge agrees to step down

The Judicial Standards Commission for the State of New Mexico filed a petition Aug. 28 to accept the permanent retirement of McKinley County Eleventh District Court magistrate April J. Silversmith.

An agreement was reached with Silversmith in lieu of disciplinary proceedings for ten allegations in a Notice of Investigation dated Feb. 20, 2019.

Among the 10 allegations listed on the notice of investigation were two that involved Silversmith’s family. The petition said Silversmith failed to recuse herself from two traffic cases for her niece, Chelsey Thomas, and involved herself in cases connected with her son, Stephen Silversmith, and in a matter in which...

Gallup nurse chronicles treating COVID patients

During the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals across the world were overrun with patients needing treatment. Most of them may have recovered, but not without suffering potentially lasting health issues. Headlines flew each day about the number of new cases and the people who had succumbed to the disease. The number of total deaths across the world passed one million just before Sept. 30.

Being a first responder in a hospital during unprecedented times could be expected to take a severe toll on anyone, as well as those near and dear to them. Anna Rogers is one of those people.

Rogers started working at Gallup Indian Medical...