Cannabis for sale 24/7, single mom motivated to graduate and Roe v. Wade in New Mexico

Las Cruces City Council declines to set operating hours for cannabis businesses

For pot shop patrons in Las Cruces, 4:20 will come twice a day.

That's because the Las Cruces City Council voted May 2 to preserve the city as a place where cannabis businesses have no set hours of operation.

Unlike other major cities in the state, Las Cruces didn't set parameters for when cannabis businesses, such as dispensaries and consumption areas, can be open within city limits when it passed zoning rules last year.

As a result, several Las Cruces dispensaries made a show of opening their doors just after midnight April 1, the first day of legal sales in New Mexico, to become some of the first retailers in the state to legally sell recreational cannabis.

At a council meeting Monday, May 2, councilors took up a resolution which would have established operating hours, but the council voted it down 6-1 after advocates, including representatives from the local cannabis industry, argued it could stem the industry's growth. Mayor Ken Miyagishima was the only councilor to vote yes.

With the council's decision, retailers could sell cannabis to adults over 21 at any hour of the day, and a Las Cruces cannabis consumption lounge could theoretically operate 24/7.

Las Cruces Sun-News reporter Michael McDevitt, who covers city and county government for the newspaper, has been following this closely as it has developed:

The city council’s decision to not set operating hours for cannabis establishments is another example of the progressive approach the city has taken toward the cannabis industry. Even though most of the councilors’ stated goals have been to help the industry thrive, it was still surprising to allow even consumption areas to theoretically operate round the clock.

There are a few things that could play out in the aftermath. Most businesses will probably decline to operate all day, every day, but some probably will.

A 24/7 shop is probably more of a gimmick than financially successful in many cases. I could also see bar owners and liquor store owners in an uproar about the perceived lack of parity between alcohol and cannabis. Legal fights may also emerge if 24/7 shops and lounges open up near residential neighborhoods and cause noise and light pollution late into the night, leading to shops being regulated on a case-by-case basis.

Single mom finds inspiration to complete degree thanks to her 2-year-old son

With graduation on the horizon, many students are pushing to complete their final exams and projects.

One single mom owes her perseverance to her 2-year-old son, whom she brought with her to classes on a daily basis.

Savannah Chavarria will be receiving her diploma for an associate's of science degree on Thursday from Doña Ana Community College. She shared her story as her 2-year-old son, Landon Chavarria, ran around the lobby of DACC. Aside from Landon's squeals of excitement and Chavarria's voice, the school was otherwise quiet with classes having wrapped up.

"Everyone in my family worked," Chavarria explained. "It was hard to find someone to watch him, so I brought him to school."

Chavarria, 27, had Landon in July of 2019. Before he was born, she was in a six-year relationship with her ex, which she described as abusive. She said that being pregnant with Landon was what woke her up and motivated her to get out of that setting. She left when she was just four weeks pregnant.

"I didn't want to have a baby in that (environment)," Chavarria said.

Miranda Cyr, who covers education for the Sun-News, said:

I sent out a request on Facebook asking for people to reach out about any interesting graduation stories. Savannah's mom, Trish, reached out to me with Savannah's story. I was immediately intrigued. I think Savannah's story is one a lot of single moms can relate to or be inspired by. Her quote about her life "not being over just because I have kids" was especially impactful. I could tell she was a determined and strong person.

Her son, Landon, was a treat. He'll be 3 in July, so he's definitely a handful right now, but so cute! Savannah talked about how he was an eavesdropper and a troublemaker. He clung onto me a lot, which apparently he doesn't do to most strangers, so I felt very honored. Though, I could've done without the offers to share his popsicle. I think both Savannah and Landon will continue to inspire others in their educational pursuits.

What happens in New Mexico if Roe v. Wade is struck down?

If the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established a federal right to abortion, as appears likely, New Mexico will be among states where the procedure remains legal — but it almost didn't work out that way.

On May 2, Politico reported that the U.S. Supreme Court had voted to reverse its holding in Roe, based on a draft ruling the news outlet had obtained. The high court verified the document was authentic, while noting it was a first draft and did not reflect the final decision or the positions of the court's justices on the case's issues.

The news sparked demonstrations at federal courthouses and other locations in cities across the U.S. It also prompted President Joe Biden to call for congressional action codifying women's right to terminate pregnancy safely and lawfully.

Las Cruces Sun-News reporters Algernon D'Ammassa and Michael McDevitt teamed up to tackle this big issue. Algernon said:

Michael and I knew this would be a story combining some research on New Mexico's statutes and lots of sources, so we divvied up some tasks, reported and wrote separately, and then wove our pieces of the story together.

The story is really an introduction to a political story we expect to develop in New Mexico. We were surprised that the legislative Democrats with whom we spoke did not feel a need to pursue further codification of a right to abortion, such as an amendment to the state Constitution, as some other states had pursued even prior to the leaking of the Supreme Court opinion striking down Roe.

A missing voice from this story are providers of women's healthcare services including abortion, and what actions they might feel are needed for the safety and security of their work, which is something we've agreed to follow up on.

Chief responds as Las Cruces Police Officer's Association releases scathing letter about department leadership

The Las Cruces Police Officer's Association released a scathing letter expressing concerns about the Las Cruces Police Department leadership.

The letter, dated May 3, accused department leadership of favoritism and said their response to multiple officer injuries was "pathetic." It was penned by LCPD's police association which consists of the vast majority of the department's staff. The letter was sent to the city manager and the entire city council and was obtained by the Sun-News via public records request.

"The department today does not suffer from a lack of management," the letter said. "The department suffers from a lack of leadership, from a lack of transparency, from a lack of accountability, from miscommunication, and a discounting by the chiefs of the learned input of personnel, supervisory and non-supervisory, who possess specialized knowledge and skills that the department’s chiefs do not have."

In the interest of due diligence, we reached out to City Manager Ifo Pili and LCPD Chief Miguel Dominguez. Justin Garcia, who covers public safety for the newspaper, has been following these developments. He said:

If you ever want to get a journalist's attention, mention transparency. It's a guaranteed way to pull any reporter worth their paycheck into your sphere. The Las Cruces Police Officers Association's letter to councilors did just that. The letter brought up a number of other concerns too, some of which were known — others unknown and others unsubstantiated. After talking to the chief and city manager (who were eager to give their sides of the story) I can now imagine a few outcomes.

I don't want to prognosticate on the future, but I do want to point out something that might be obvious to readers. If the letter is true and in good faith, the community could experience a negative feedback loop — as experienced police leave and unexperienced police fill their roles. Hopefully, this will not be the case.

‘I'm not going to quit 'til I get there': Las Cruces woman remains active 50 years after accident

Positivity is practically Anita Rockett’s middle name — the woman exudes it from the moment you meet her. But her exuberance was nearly cut short one day on a lake at age 19.

Rockett, 69, was a 19-year-old sophomore in college in 1972. One day that August, she was spending time with family and friends waterskiing at a lake in southern Florida. She said it was a busy day out on the water. She was getting pulled when the boat engine stalled, leaving her bobbing in the water.

A boat traveled close by her, alerting her that she needed to make herself visible. Rockett said she lifted the tips of her skis out of the water as high as she could. Eventually, she was struck — head-on — by a second boat, nearly severing her right leg at the knee. She has since gone on to run many marathons. And, in June, she plans to complete her first Ironman Half Triathalon.

This is just one of the many stories our reporter, Leah Romero, has covered in the past few months about interesting residents of Las Cruces. Here's what Leah said about Anita's story:

I spoke with Anita Rockett last week for May's Hometown Hero profile. Rockett reached out to me after I profiled David's Hill summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, wanting to share her own story. I got back in touch with her last week and was able to visit with her.

Rockett was involved in a major boating accident in southern Florida when she was 19. While waterskiing with family and friends, she ended up bobbing in the water with little visibility. A boat ran right into her, nearly severing her right leg at the knee. The doctor who treated her was able to save the leg but it took many months of surgeries and therapy for her to be able to walk again. She said the accident was a sort of wake-up call and she realized just how precious life is.

Flash forward many years, she started running when her son joined the high school cross country team. She took to the sport quickly and has been running in competitions all around the world ever since. Now, after a knee replacement, she can't run, but she has taken up bicycling. Her plan is to participate in a Half Ironman triathlon in October.

When I first spoke with Rockett on the phone, I instantly caught on to her positivity. She exudes it and it came across even on the phone. In person, she was more than willing to talk about her experiences. She was also quick to say telling her story was less about her and more about highlighting resilience and positivity in difficult situations. The fact that she is still going strong 50 years after the accident is absolutely motivation for everyone who takes in her story.

Anita's story is just one of many we feature in this week's episode of The Reporter's Notebook podcast. You can hear from Anita herself, and others who have really remarkable stories.

On behalf of all of us at the Las Cruces Sun-News, thanks for reading this week's newsletter.

Damien Willis is a Lead Reporter for the Las Cruces Sun-News. He can be reached at 575-541-5443, dwillis@lcsun-news.com or @DamienWillis on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Cannabis 24/7, single mom motivated to graduate and Roe v. Wade in NM