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Felipe Ramirez gets his second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at a drive-through clinic in Albuquerque in this April file photo. Fully vaccinated New Mexicans make up a small minority of those who have tested positive for the virus since February. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Journal)
SANTA FE The number of new COVID-19 cases in New Mexico has ticked up to its highest rate since March, driven by elevated infection rates in several counties with lagging vaccination rates.
While statewide infection rates are still far lower than the mid-November peak, the recent increase in cases comes amid a nationwide spread of the highly contagious Delta variant that has also made its way into New Mexico.
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The federal infrastructure package could not come at a more important time. New Mexico needs historic levels of investments to repair and modernize our infrastructure. According to the White House, 207 bridges and more than 3,822 miles of highway are in poor condition across our state, and they estimate that our water infrastructure will need more than $1.4 billion in new funding. We definitely need safer roads and bridges, more efficient transit systems and clean drinking water
We also need to invest heavily in clean energy. We represent labor and conservation organizations, and we are coming together to urge Congress to build a stronger economy by accelerating clean energy projects, while creating good-paying jobs in the process.
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One of the first steps in pursuing justice in a homicide or missing person case is identifying the deceased person. A tool created by researchers at the University of New Mexico is making that process easier. The New Mexico Decedent Image Database includes 150 million images of whole-body CT scans. The database is the first of its kind in the nation. The scans help both forensic investigators and health care practitioners learn more about identifying unknown bodies, especially Indigenous people. Dr. Heather Edgar is a forensic anthropologist at the Office of the Medical Investigator and the creator of the database.
DR. HEATHER EDGAR: The database includes over 15,000 individuals. And there s not another database like this that includes whole-body CT scans of that many individuals, especially ones that are so well documented. So because of that, there s been a lot of interest across the world. There has been research done on the effects of cancer drugs, improving automobi
New Mexico Sets Rules To Launch Pandemic Debt Collection
Morgan Lee, Associated Press
New Mexico’s state court system is taking steps to ease financial pain as consumer debt comes due along with consequences for mortgages that went unpaid during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Administrative Office of the Courts on Monday announced staggered deadlines for a return to debt collection orders that can be used to garnish wages or seize property to pay off consumer debt.
Common forms of consumer debt are linked to credit card spending and medical expenses. The judiciary also won t allow mortgage lenders to foreclose on properties without first providing homeowners with a list of other options, including forbearance that reduces or suspends loan payments temporarily.