Dow sent cease-and-desist letter for campaign ad accusing her rival of stealing taxpayer money
This is not the first time Rebecca Dow has been accused of spreading false information and lies and dirty campaign tactics.
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.
Does the Government of Sierra County have a favored candidate?
A sharp-eyed citizen sent me this picture of a Crystal Diamond Brantley campaign sign hung on the county fairgrounds fence.
Campaign signs are not allowed on public property, if we are indeed still a democratic republic and not an authoritarian government.
Recent developments regarding broadband access in New Mexico
I am sponsoring this analysis article by Dan Warren, one of the Citizen's behind-the-scenes sources who has technical and science savvy. He avidly follows space and science news, including the space industry's winners and losers and how they affect our lives, such as equitable access to broadband.
$540K study/audit of city-owned electric facility—instead of hiring a competent director
An outside study will not fix T or C's management problems.
WSPI 2—another $10m water project, another rate increase
Truth or Consequences Mayor Rolf Hechler sees the city's increasing number of grant/loans with USDA as "success." Can we afford to keep cramming water projects into the pipeline with no apparent coordination or reasoning to their order and no explanation to constituents?
T or C City Commissioners “don’t understand” police-building referendum
You would think that the city commission would make sure to build public consensus on the purchase of a new police building after facing and losing two referendums before going forward with a third scheme.
Appeal to T or C and Village leadership
The water and sewer systems are dying carcasses that are attracting vulture-like opportunists. Meanwhile, the people are paying ever-increasing water and sewer fees. Who is protecting us from the vultures? No one. The city needs to hire an engineer who can coordinate and communicate. No mumblers or wonks.
T or C owners will see their property taxes triple
The ballot measure for $3 million in general obligation bonds for water, sewer and roads passed two years ago. How many voters knew or cared that property taxes would double or triple to pay off that debt?
GPK Media sells KCHS radio station, but still owns Sentinel
Odd that the Sierra County Citizen is breaking the news and not the Sentinel about the sale of the radio station. The sale has been in the works for a year and the deal closed over three months ago.
Water-hoarder Augustin Plains Ranch—corporatocracy vs. the people
It's sickening that Augustin Plains Ranch, owned by an Italian billionaire, has forced the people to pay for legal battle after legal battle to stave off a massive water grab.
Wilson & Co. gives some reasons why the Cantrell Dam project will cost $8 million
Flood control for Williamsburg, the southeastern part of Truth or Consequences and the Sierra County Fairgrounds is going to be expensive. Liability is probably driving this project, but it’s not been explicitly stated.
T or C Commission gets real—mostly Mayor Hechler
A city commission meeting chock full of fact-based reporting, with critical-thinking on display and real talk and direction from Mayor Rolf Hechler.