Gasowski’s rigor and experimentation must be seen to be felt
James Gasowski no longer lives in Truth or Consequences, but when he did he elevated the art scene with his art and art salons. His work is being shown at Rio Bravo Fine Art.
Kathleen Sloan
Kathleen Sloan has been a local-government reporter for 17 years, covering counties and cities in three states—New Mexico, Iowa and Florida. She has also covered the arts for various publications in Virginia, New Mexico and Iowa. Sloan worked for the Truth or Consequences Herald newspaper from 2006 to 2013; it closed December 2019. She returned to T or C in 2019 and founded the online newspaper, the Sierra County Sun, with Diana Tittle taking the helm as editor during the last year and a half of operation. The Sun closed December 2021, concurrent with Sloan retiring. SierraCountySun.org is still an open website, with hundreds of past articles still available. Sloan is now a board member of the not-for-profit organization, the Sierra County Public-Interest Journalism Project, which supported the Sun and is currently sponsoring the Sierra County Citizen, another free and open website. Sloan is volunteering as a citizen journalist, covering the T or C beat. She can be reached at kathleen.sloan@gmail.com or 575-297-4146.
Truth or Consequences city commission approves massive draft budget—$51 million
City commissioners breezed through budget talks scheduled for two days but cut to one day. Nevertheless, its an insane amount of money to be spent for a city with a population of 6,042.
Municipal Court’s elimination approved by NM Supreme Court
A check and balance on the TorC city commission and city staff is erased with the elimination of the municipal court. The people's and Judge Beatrice Sanders's voice were quashed in the process.
Special Prosecutor Jordy Stern responds to the Citizen’s questions on why he failed to prosecute the Forristers’ on criminal charges concerning their dogs
The Citizen sent questions to Special Prosecutor Jordy Stern on April 11 and he responded April 19. ACO Di Giacomo was given an opportunity respond to Stern's response. She did not, likely very busy with intensive training for her new job with the ASPCA.
T or C city commission passes a general obligation bond ordinance far scarier than it needs to be
As the Wizard of Oz said when Toto revealed him pulling levers behind the scenes, "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain." The public hearing on the general obligation bonds was just theater, the decisions made beforehand and behind closed doors.
Good old boy government wins, people and dogs lose in Mayor Forrister’s animal cruelty case
After seven months of waiting for the Forristers' trial, the case ends in limbo.
Citizens bewail city’s removal of trees downtown
Trees planted 23 years ago sought water from leaky water pipes below. They had to go, according to City Manager Bruce Swingle.
T or C $20-million request for emergency water-system repairs goes nowhere
The city asked the legislature and governor for a bail out without acknowledging how its water system got in such bad shape. The dire state of the water system was not reason enough to fund the request.
Truth or Consequences hires new city manager
The city commission held two closed-door sessions to determine who would be the next city manager, directing staff in a brief open session on March 8 to offer Angela R. Gonzales a contract. She accepted and starts April 3.
Anti-gay, anti-abortion movement hits Sierra County
The Republican Party of Sierra County is hoping that you will believe that protecting LGBTQ persons' rights and women's and girl's rights to seek or not to seek an abortion are somehow an impingement of parents' and conscientious-objectors' rights. It's confusing, which is the point.
If you don’t believe me, believe John Arthur Smith and audit figures—tax revenue is the real point of a hospital district
I've been accused of lying by a hospital governing board member--that the point of forming a hospital district is not to bring in more tax revenue for Sierra Vista Hospital. Then Sen. John Arthur Smith and Hospital Association advisors to the two hospital boards lied too.
Hospital petition is latest example of authoritarianism growing in Sierra County
Do not be duped by local government officials into signing the hospital-district petition. It will form a new taxing authority that can levy up to 4.25 mills and issue general obligation bonds that would also increase property taxes--taxes in addition to the taxes already being collected.