Free Republic

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — In the 1980s, a young woman from Arroyo Hondo was in the running to be the Taos Fiesta Queen. That summer, she visited the house of a renowned El Prado seamstress many times to get fitted for her elaborate, traditional outfit, always making sure to say “hi” to the woman’s 14-year-old son. She graduated from high school and moved to Albuquerque, where she attended the University of New Mexico. On June 22, 1988, 21-year-old Althea Oakeley was walking home from a party after getting into a disagreement with her boyfriend. It was around 8:15 when she crossed...

Phil Berger (R-Eden) was unanimously elected as Senate Minority Leader, the job held by Jim Forrester (R-Gaston) since Patrick Ballantine resigned last April.“I’m excited about this opportunity,” Berger said. “My colleagues have expressed confidence in my ability to articulate our conservative message and to provide new focus to our efforts in the General Assembly.”Democrats hold a 29-21 lead in the state Senate after picking up a net gain of two seats on Election Day, despite Senate Republicans winning more than half the statewide vote.“We understand we’re in the minority, Berger said. “The Governor and legislative Democrats could adopt rules and...