Bee Colony Collapse Disorder, Senator Obama’s Overseas Trip Among Topics on “New Mexico in Focus”

"Colony Collapse Disorder” is a mysterious phenomenon where worker bees from bee colonies die or disappear. “Colony Collapse Disorder” has been impacting a rising number of honey bee colonies since late 2006. This week, “New Mexico in Focus” takes a look at how bees are faring throughout New Mexico and examines why the Land of Enchantment has not been hit as hard as other states. “New Mexico in Focus” airs on KNME-TV, channel 5, on Friday, August 1 at 7 p.m. and repeats on Sunday, August 3 at 6:30 a.m.

Albert Einstein once said, “if the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.”

Co-host David Alire Garcia is joined by Ed Costanza, a beekeeper with the A-Bee Honey Company, Master Beekeeper Les Crowder, Richard “Bugman” Fagerlund, an entomologist and syndicated columnist, and New Mexico State University Agricultural Specialist Charles Martin to discuss the current state of beekeeping and the impact that the mysterious “Colony Collapse Disorder” might have in New Mexico.

Then, guest panelist Peter St. Cyr, a reporter with KKOB-AM radio, will join co-host Gene Grant and regular panelists Jim Scarantino, columnist with the Weekly Alibi, Scott Darnell, communications director for the Republican Party of New Mexico, and Margaret Montoya with the UNM School of Law and School of Medicine to continue the discussion of the controversial Oñate statue in El Paso and debate Sen. Barack Obama’s recent overseas trip, the New Mexico Racing Commission, and the Supreme Court’s possible re-thinking on the “Exclusionary Rule.”

Co-hosted by Alire Garcia, managing editor of the New Mexico Independent, and Grant, an Albuquerque Journal columnist, “New Mexico in Focus” takes a multi-layered look at social, political, economic, health, education and arts issues and explores them in-depth, with a critical eye to give them context beyond the "news of the moment.”

The producers of “New Mexico in Focus” are Kevin McDonald and Kathy Wimmer. Closed Captioning of “New Mexico in Focus” has been made possible by a gift from Mrs. Elspeth G. Bobb