Searchlight New Mexico

3 days ago | searchlightnm.org | Molly Montgomery

Often called the “lifeblood of northern New Mexico,” acequias are collectively tended, democratically governed irrigation ditches, primarily located in the north-central part of the state. The term acequia can refer either to the ditch or to the collection of people who rely on it to irrigate their crops. Those people are called parciantes.

3 days ago | searchlightnm.org | Molly Montgomery

Twice last year, in the spring and fall, water burst from the Rio Santa Cruz and poured into the tiny northern New Mexico community of Santa Cruz, between Española and Chimayó. It cracked concrete ditch liners and spilled into houses and a trailer park. Irrigators along the streams are frustrated and worried about the time and money that beavers could cost them.

1 month ago | searchlightnm.org | Alex Heard

Molly Montgomery, a freelance contributor to Searchlight, is joining our ranks as a full-time investigator, and we couldn’t be more excited about what she’ll bring to the organization. I’ve been working with young writers for more than 30 years; Molly’s talent, drive, and professionalism really stand out, making her a prized addition to a very strong group.

1 month ago | searchlightnm.org | Joshua Bowling

For nearly two weeks, Western New Mexico University’s website and digital systems have been held hostage by what officials in internal emails have called the efforts of a “foreign hacking group.” The university has not publicly addressed the severity of the attack, but documentation obtained by Searchlight New Mexico indicates that an infamous Russian-speaking hacking group is behind the attack and claims to have access to employee payroll data, Social Security numbers and driver’s licenses.

1 month ago | searchlightnm.org | Susanna Space

On a sunny Thursday morning last November, parents, students, teachers and administrators filed into Mabry Hall, a large hearing room inside the state education building in downtown Santa Fe. The MASTERS Program (TMP), a charter high school in the city, was up for the renewal of its contract with the state, and members of the Public Education Commission (PEC) — a 10-person elected body that authorizes charter schools in New Mexico — were prepared for a lengthy hearing, the second of two...