Associated Press New Mexico – The Durango Herald

Murder trial begins for ex-New Mexico officer in 2020 death

LAS CRUCES – A former New Mexico police officer charged with murder in a man’s death during a 2020 struggle with officers didn’t properly use a chokehold that gradually ended the man’s life,...

DATE: Jul 12, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

New Mexico track confirms health status of race horses

ALBUQUERQUE – New Mexico regulators on Monday said several horses that were feared dead by animal advocates after a weekend of racing at one of the state’s premiere horse tracks are alive an...

DATE: Jul 11, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

Top official during massive New Mexico blaze gets new post

ALBUQUERQUE – The supervisor of a national forest that erupted in flames earlier this year has been temporarily assigned to a post in Washington, D.C., as New Mexico looks to recover from it...

DATE: Jul 11, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

New Mexico plans for more electric vehicle charging stations

ALBUQUERQUE – The first in a series of electric vehicle charging stations that will be paid for with state and federal infrastructure money will be installed in Socorro, one of the few popul...

DATE: Jul 8, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

Hiker found dead at White Sands National Park

ALAMOGORDO, N.M. – A 27-year-old hiker who went missing while visiting White Sands National Park has been found dead, authorities said Friday. New Mexico state police and officials at the so...

DATE: Jul 8, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

New Mexico school trust feels pressure; voters weigh changes

SANTA FE – State investments are being buffeted by turbulent financial markets as New Mexico voters consider whether to divert more money each year toward early childhood education programs....

DATE: Jul 7, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

UNM professor recruiting Native American teachers to work in their hometowns

Glenabah Martinez knows firsthand the benefits teachers and students share when they are from the same community. She wants to help fast track Indigenous college grads to teach in public sch...

DATE: Jul 6, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

Western states could settle feud over beleaguered Rio Grande

ALBUQUERQUE – The fight between Texas and New Mexico over the management of one of the longest rivers in North America could be nearing an end as a date to resume the trial has been put off ...

DATE: Jul 6, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

Large Texas abortion provider will relocate to New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE – One of the largest abortion providers in Texas is planning to move its operations to New Mexico and another provider that offers telehealth services related to abortion and rep...

DATE: Jul 6, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

New Mexico governor withstands lawsuits over pandemic orders

SANTA FE – New Mexico residents who say they endured constitutional rights violations, depression and anxiety under aggressive public health restrictions during the coronavirus outbreak have...

DATE: Jul 6, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

Archbishop: Mortgaging Santa Fe cathedral was only option

SANTA FE – Archbishop John C. Wester is speaking about the decision to mortgage an iconic Santa Fe cathedral to meet a settlement agreement tied to church sex abuse victims. The action was ...

DATE: Jul 2, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

Attorneys for Trump in New Mexico confront new scrutiny

SANTA FE – Renewed efforts are underway to investigate and possibly discipline two attorneys who helped the Donald Trump campaign challenge New Mexico’s 2020 presidential election results in...

DATE: Jul 1, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

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Patriotic drone show unfolds above Durango’s night skyAbout 1,200 people watched production from city Transit Center

One hundred forty drones took to the skies above Greenmount Cemetery at 10 p.m. sharp Saturday in a glowing and patriotic spectacle featuring vibrant images colored red, white and blue against the black backdrop of night.About 1,200 people gathered Saturday at the Durango Transit Center to watch the city’s premiere drone show produced by Verge Aero after a street dance and band performance by McCurry Trio and Desert Child for Independence Day celebrations.Spectators were treated to drone depictions of the American flag, star patterns, a soaring bald eagle and a homage to the city with drones flying in formation to spell out “Durango” to close out the street dance that started at 6 p.m. Across the valley from Greenmount Cemetery, the headlights of cars shined from Rim Drive near Fort Lewis College where more spectators watched.

Ellen Babers, Durango community events administrator, said the show went well. She heard “Ooh’s” and “ah’s” from the crowd when the drones transitioned from one image to another.She said a segment that consisted of stars rotating at various intervals, shrinking into smaller stars before expanding into the shape of a larger star, appeared to be a crowd favorite.“People really liked the Durango part,” she said. “When it spelled out Durango, people seemed surprised. Like, ‘Oh, this isn’t just a generic show, this is about us.’”Other images included an outline of the continental United States, the letters “USA,” and a spinning globe shape that gave the drone show a 3D feel.

The drones were laid out earlier in the evening in a square grid, with each drone placed 4 feet apart. Peter Smiatek, pilot and designer of the drone show, worked with a crew of about six people, including volunteers. Saturday evening at Greenmount Cemetery where the drones launched and landed, Peter Smiatek, pilot and designer with Verge Aero, and his crew of about six people, including volunteers, had laid all the drones out on the grass in a square grid. Each drone was placed four feet apart. Smiatek synced the drones to a GPS and radio tower in preparation for the evening’s show. Six minutes before takeoff, a deer wandered straight past the drone grid, narrowly avoiding stepping on them.“That could have been a disaster,” Smiatek said as his crew scanned the nearby area with flashlights. No other deer were visible.Two minutes before takeoff, the crew’s portable generator shut off – out of gas.

“We have double secure power,” he said. “The generator fell off two minutes before the show started. It’s like Murphy’s law, anything that could happen will happen. So it’s best to be prepared.”During prep, the crew ran several tests with the drones. The drones shot up 3 to 4 meters, hovered for about one second and then dropped back to their designated grid space on the grass.

Smiatek worked from a makeshift command station where his laptop and transmission tower were perched.“The base station is the heart of the show,” he said. “It’s a computer and it’s a distribution system connected to radios and an antenna. And that’s it, basically. Very flexible and a good system.”Chris Lutts, vice president of sales at Verge Aero, said he thinks Durangoans enjoyed the performance. From Greenmount Cemetery, he could hear the cheers and whistles of the audience at the Durango Transit Center.“The people we’ve been working with have been great,” he said. “Clearly, the city enjoyed it, so that’s awesome. That’s why we do this. It’s no different than any other entertainment, man. You love that feedback. It’s validation that what you’re doing is something that people really like.”cburney@durangoherald.com