GILA RIVER FIGHT
Plan calls for diverting, storing water from Gila River
SILVER CITY, N.M. (AP) — Water from two rivers that span parts of New Mexico and Arizona would be diverted and stored under a project proposed by the New Mexico Central Arizona Project Entity. The proposal calls for storing water from the Gila and San Francisco rivers at sites in the Virden Valley or along the San Francisco River in New Mexico. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission are gathering public comments on an environmental review of the proposal. The idea of diverting water from the Gila River has prompted protests and legal fights over the years, as critics have suggested the effort would result in a boondoggle.
AP-US-VIRUS-OUTBREAK-DRUG-TRADE
'Cartels are scrambling': Virus snarls global drug trade
NEW YORK (AP) — Coronavirus is dealing a gut punch to the illegal drug trade, paralyzing economies and severing supply chains in China that traffickers rely on for the chemicals to make such drugs as methamphetamine and fentanyl. One of the main suppliers is in Wuhan, the epicenter of the global outbreak. Associated Press interviews with law enforcement officials found Mexican and Colombian cartels are still plying their trade as evidenced by recent seizures but lockdowns that have turned cities into ghost towns are disrupting everything from production to transport to sales. And prices for drugs in short supply have soared to gouging levels.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
Gallup high school gym to reopen as coronavirus hospital
GALLUP, N.M. (AP) — A federal agency says a high school in Gallup will reopen its gym as a 60-bed alternative care facility to help hospitals treat an increasing number of coronavirus patients. The Gallup Independent reports that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expects to turn over the keys to Miyamura High School to local and state health officials on Monday, about two weeks after construction began. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham first announced that the high school was selected as the site for an auxiliary hospital on April 3. The first patients with COVID-19 may be admitted as early as April 25. State health officials say New Mexico had at least 53 reported deaths and over 1,798 reported coronavirus patients as of Saturday afternoon.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-NAVAJO NATION
Navajo Nation orders protective masks worn on reservation
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation says the average death of the more than 40 people who have died from coronavirus on the reservation is 66. The tribe has ordered all people on its vast reservation to wear protective masks when out in public to help fight the spread. As of Saturday, 1,197 residents of the reservation that extends into Arizona, New Mexico and Utah have tested positive for COVID-19. The Navajo Nation has been hit harder by the coronavirus than any other Native American tribe. Tribal resident Jonathan Nez says officials would consider even more aggressive requirements to reduce the spread.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CHILD ABUSE HOTLINES
With no school, calls drop but child abuse hasn't amid virus
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — With schools closed and teachers unable to report suspected cases of abuse, child welfare agencies have lost some of their best eyes and ears as the coronavirus pandemic strains families. States are reporting fewer calls to child abuse hotlines, not because officials believe there are fewer cases but because they're going unreported. Agencies nationwide are asking neighbors, relatives, store workers and others to fill the reporting gaps that have emerged with school closures. Officials say child abuse and neglect are likely to increase with families facing job losses and being locked down together at home during the outbreak.
NAVAJO NATION-BROADBAND
US grants Navajo Nation authority to use unassigned airwaves
PHOENIX (AP) — The federal government is giving the Navajo Nation temporary authority to use unassigned airwaves to provide wireless broadband service. The Federal Communications Commission on Friday granted the requested authority for 60 days to help the tribe's emergency response to the coronavirus outbreak. The commission says the authority should help the tribe as reservation residents work from home and increasingly rely on telemedicine and remote learning. Many residents in remote areas without broadband service sit in vehicles parked near local government centers, fast-food restaurants and grocery stores to connect to Wi-Fi.
NMSU-EDUCATION DEAN
NMSU weighs four finalists for school's next education dean
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico State University says four finalists are vying to be the next dean of the College of Education and a series of online public forums are planned next week. NMSU Provost Carol Parker said Friday that it's important for the community to be able to participate in the forums as this is a key leadership role at the university. A search committee was launched last fall. Officials say the ideal candidate would have to be innovative and someone able to advance the mission of preparing teacher candidates for certification. The candidates include education experts from New York, Georgia, California and Oklahoma.
Plan calls for diverting, storing water from Gila River
SILVER CITY, N.M. (AP) — Water from two rivers that span parts of New Mexico and Arizona would be diverted and stored under a project proposed by the New Mexico Central Arizona Project Entity. The proposal calls for storing water from the Gila and San Francisco rivers at sites in the Virden Valley or along the San Francisco River in New Mexico. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission are gathering public comments on an environmental review of the proposal. The idea of diverting water from the Gila River has prompted protests and legal fights over the years, as critics have suggested the effort would result in a boondoggle.
AP-US-VIRUS-OUTBREAK-DRUG-TRADE
'Cartels are scrambling': Virus snarls global drug trade
NEW YORK (AP) — Coronavirus is dealing a gut punch to the illegal drug trade, paralyzing economies and severing supply chains in China that traffickers rely on for the chemicals to make such drugs as methamphetamine and fentanyl. One of the main suppliers is in Wuhan, the epicenter of the global outbreak. Associated Press interviews with law enforcement officials found Mexican and Colombian cartels are still plying their trade as evidenced by recent seizures but lockdowns that have turned cities into ghost towns are disrupting everything from production to transport to sales. And prices for drugs in short supply have soared to gouging levels.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
Gallup high school gym to reopen as coronavirus hospital
GALLUP, N.M. (AP) — A federal agency says a high school in Gallup will reopen its gym as a 60-bed alternative care facility to help hospitals treat an increasing number of coronavirus patients. The Gallup Independent reports that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expects to turn over the keys to Miyamura High School to local and state health officials on Monday, about two weeks after construction began. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham first announced that the high school was selected as the site for an auxiliary hospital on April 3. The first patients with COVID-19 may be admitted as early as April 25. State health officials say New Mexico had at least 53 reported deaths and over 1,798 reported coronavirus patients as of Saturday afternoon.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-NAVAJO NATION
Navajo Nation orders protective masks worn on reservation
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation says the average death of the more than 40 people who have died from coronavirus on the reservation is 66. The tribe has ordered all people on its vast reservation to wear protective masks when out in public to help fight the spread. As of Saturday, 1,197 residents of the reservation that extends into Arizona, New Mexico and Utah have tested positive for COVID-19. The Navajo Nation has been hit harder by the coronavirus than any other Native American tribe. Tribal resident Jonathan Nez says officials would consider even more aggressive requirements to reduce the spread.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CHILD ABUSE HOTLINES
With no school, calls drop but child abuse hasn't amid virus
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — With schools closed and teachers unable to report suspected cases of abuse, child welfare agencies have lost some of their best eyes and ears as the coronavirus pandemic strains families. States are reporting fewer calls to child abuse hotlines, not because officials believe there are fewer cases but because they're going unreported. Agencies nationwide are asking neighbors, relatives, store workers and others to fill the reporting gaps that have emerged with school closures. Officials say child abuse and neglect are likely to increase with families facing job losses and being locked down together at home during the outbreak.
NAVAJO NATION-BROADBAND
US grants Navajo Nation authority to use unassigned airwaves
PHOENIX (AP) — The federal government is giving the Navajo Nation temporary authority to use unassigned airwaves to provide wireless broadband service. The Federal Communications Commission on Friday granted the requested authority for 60 days to help the tribe's emergency response to the coronavirus outbreak. The commission says the authority should help the tribe as reservation residents work from home and increasingly rely on telemedicine and remote learning. Many residents in remote areas without broadband service sit in vehicles parked near local government centers, fast-food restaurants and grocery stores to connect to Wi-Fi.
NMSU-EDUCATION DEAN
NMSU weighs four finalists for school's next education dean
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico State University says four finalists are vying to be the next dean of the College of Education and a series of online public forums are planned next week. NMSU Provost Carol Parker said Friday that it's important for the community to be able to participate in the forums as this is a key leadership role at the university. A search committee was launched last fall. Officials say the ideal candidate would have to be innovative and someone able to advance the mission of preparing teacher candidates for certification. The candidates include education experts from New York, Georgia, California and Oklahoma.
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