IMMIGRATION-DETAINED CHILDREN
Government moves migrant kids after poor conditions exposed
The U.S. government has removed most of the children from a remote Border Patrol station in Texas following reports that more than 300 kids were detained there and caring for each other with inadequate food, water and sanitation.
Rep. Veronica Escobar said 30 children were at the facility near El Paso as of Monday. Her office was briefed on the situation by an official with Customs and Border Protection.
Attorneys who visited the station in Clint, Texas last week said older children were trying to take care of infants and toddlers, The Associated Press first reported Thursday. Some had been detained for three weeks, and 15 children were sick with the flu.
It's unclear where all the children have been moved. But Escobar said some were sent to another facility in El Paso.

OIL BOOM-AIRPORT EXPANSION
Booming New Mexico oil region may get daily flight to Denver
(Information from: Hobbs News-Sun, http://www.hobbsnews.com)
HOBBS, N.M. (AP) — A southeastern New Mexico county airport in the heart of New Mexico's booming oil region may include Denver to its list of growing destinations.
The Hobbs News-Sun reports Corporation of Lea County board of directors chairman Finn Smith presented a proposal at a Hobbs City Commission meeting last week to add Denver to the United Airlines contract.
Smith told the News-Sun the county is in the process of negotiating an agreement with United to add that flight. He says it would be one flight a day, direct from Hobbs, New Mexico, to Denver.
He told the commission United Airlines is ready to start the new flight to Denver on October 28. Flights to Houston began in June 2011.
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CONGRESS-IMMIGRATION
White House threatens to veto aid bill for migrant families
WASHINGTON (AP) — A White House veto threat is raising fresh questions about the fate of a House bill that would provide $4.5 billion to improve the treatment of migrant families detained after crossing the U.S. southern border.
In a letter to lawmakers Monday, the White House says the measure would hamstring the administration's border security efforts. The warning comes as Hispanic and liberal Democrats press House leaders to add provisions to the legislation strengthening protections for migrant children.
Though revisions are possible, House leaders are still hoping for approval as early as Tuesday. Congress is in recess next week.
The Senate planned to vote this week on similar legislation that has bipartisan backing, but many House Democrats say the Senate version's provisions aimed at helping migrant children are not strong enough.

ILLEGAL FIREWORKS-APPS
Albuquerque joins others to use app to spot banned fireworks
(Information from: KOB-TV, http://www.kob.com)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's largest city is joining a growing number of communities asking residents to use an app to report illegal fireworks on July 4th instead of calling 911.
KOB-TV reports city officials are directing residents to the "OneABQ" app so authorities can streamline complaints instead of dispatching first responders.
Albuquerque Fire Rescue spokesman Tom Ruiz says the app sends notices to fire enforcement units when a complaint is made instead of sending first responders going to 911 calls.
Officials say last year, when the app was used for the first time, 911 calls reporting illegal fireworks fell by 80% from the year before.
Three years ago, firefighting agencies from the Sacramento, California, area launched the "Nail 'Em" app to encourage residents to report illegal fireworks sales and usage.
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AIRPORT IMPROVEMENTS
New Mexico airports get federal funds for improvements
ROSWELL, N.M. (AP) — Several New Mexico airports have been awarded grants to make infrastructure improvements.
The funding was announced Monday by the Federal Aviation Administration as part of the agency's airport improvement program. Nearly $500 million is being awarded nationwide in a second installment of grants.
Airports can receive a certain amount of improvement funds each year based on activity levels and project needs.
Roswell's airport will get about $740,000 to rehabilitate its taxiway. Airports in Moriarty, Las Vegas and Navajo Dam also will get money for taxiway work.
Lea County's airport in Jal will use its $150,000 grant for a guidance system.
In northern New Mexico, Springer's municipal airport will get funding for a perimeter fence and for a building to house its snow-removal equipment.

METHANE FIGHT-NEW MEXICO
Methane proposal draws fire from environmental groups
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham wants the state to craft its own rules to curb methane emissions from oil and gas development as federal regulations remain stalled by legal challenges.
The industry says it has a roadmap that will help, but environmentalists argue the proposals aren't enough.
The battle lines are being drawn as regulators prepare for what could be a rancorous process in a state where government coffers ebb and flow with the pace of drilling and market prices.
The New Mexico Oil and Gas Association released its plan for reducing emissions Monday, saying its members are willing to work with government to strike a balance that will result in reduced pollution while not compromising the industry's growth.
Some other states already have adopted their own methane rules.

MILITARY DEATH-SOUTHWEST BORDER
Military service member found dead in southern Arizona
AJO, Ariz. (AP) — Authorities say another military service member assigned to help secure the U.S.-Mexico border has died in southern Arizona.
Officials at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado, said in a statement that the military service member with the Southwest Border Support Mission was found dead Sunday near Ajo, Arizona.
They say the incident is under investigation, but foul play isn't suspected.
The name of the military service member wasn't released.
It's the second such death this month.
The base previously announced the June 1 death of another military service member near Nogales, Arizona, who also was assigned to the Southwest Border Support Mission.
Base officials said foul play wasn't suspected in that death either.
President Donald Trump assigned several thousand troops to the southwest border in recent months to support the U.S. Border Patrol.

NEW MEXICO WILDFIRE
Wildfire in Lincoln Nation Forest continues to grow
ARABELA, N.M. (AP) — A wildfire in south-central New Mexico continues to grow in the Lincoln National Forest.
State and federal fire officials say the fire grew Sunday to more than 9 square miles (24 square kilometers) and is uncontained.
The blaze outside of the small community of Arabela, New Mexico, began Thursday and the cause remains under investigation.
The fire area includes multiple cabins, communication structures, archaeological and historical sites, and the unique wilderness characteristics of the Capitan Mountains Wilderness.
Around 300 firefighters are working to calm the inferno.
Arebela is about 220 miles (354 kilometers) southeast of Albuquerque.

WIND FARM
New wind farm coming to southeast New Mexico
CARLSBAD, N.M. (AP) — A new wind farm is coming to southeast New Mexico, and the project will bring turbines and transmission lines to key counties.
The Carlsbad Current-Argus reports the San Diego-based EDF Renewables recently announced that construction on the Oso Grande Wind Project will start this year and the farm will go into full operations by the end of 2020.
The project between EDF Renewables and Tucson Electric Power will consist of 61 turbines in Chaves, Eddy and Lea counties in New Mexico.
EDF Renewables says the energy generated will be delivered to Tucson, Arizona, and the system will have a capacity of about 247 megawatts.
Tucson Electric Power President David Hutchens says the project will be his company's largest renewable energy asset and advance its goal of increasing renewable resources.

MOTHER-DAUGHTER SLAYINGS
Man suspected of killing 2 in New Mexico in custody in Texas
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A suspect in the deaths of a 19-year-old woman and her mother in southeast Albuquerque has turned himself in to police in Texas.
Albuquerque police announced Sunday that 20-year-old Jesus Cartagena Jr. is being held by El Paso police on suspicion of two counts of murder in the deaths of Shanta Hanish and her 58-year-old mother, Laura Hanish.
According to a criminal complaint, Shanta Hanish had recently broken up with Cartagena.
She was a student at the University of New Mexico while her mother was due to retire this year after 24 years as a social worker at the Public Defender's Office.
The women's bodies were found in their home Friday morning when an employer went to go check on Laura Hanish after she didn't show up for work.

BORDER-ARMED GROUP-INDICTMENT
Member of armed border group indicted for impersonation
GUTHRIE, Okla. (AP) — A man who has been a spokesman for a group of armed civilians patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border has been charged with impersonating a U.S. officer or employee.
Federal prosecutors in New Mexico say an indictment returned Wednesday by a grand jury in that state charged 44-year-old James Christopher Benvie with two counts of false personation of a U.S. officer or employee. He faces up to three years in prison if convicted.
Prosecutors said that Benvie, of Albany, Minnesota, made an initial appearance in federal court Friday in Oklahoma after the FBI arrested him there.
The indictment alleges Benvie committed the offenses in Dona Ana County on April 15 and April 17.
A detention hearing is set for Tuesday. He'll be transported to New Mexico for prosecution.

CENSUS 2020-TECHNOLOGY
US Census Bureau using aerial tech to help with 2020 count
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The U.S. Census Bureau is using new high-tech tools to help get an accurate population count next year as it faces criticism for the way it plans to reach out to people of color.
Census employees are taking images captured from satellites and planes to verify addresses in rural communities and compare them to previous maps from 2010.
It comes as the bureau is planning internet and telephone questionnaires, which advocates say would be more likely to overlook rural areas without reliable communication infrastructure.
Deirdre Dalpiaz Bishop of the bureau's geography division says employees check the data through computers and then plan how to send staff to hard-to-reach areas if census questionnaires aren't returned.
City University of New York Mapping Service director Steven Romalewski calls the technology promising.
​
INFANT'S DEATH-AUTOPSY
Autopsy: Albuquerque baby girl found dead had meth in system
(Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A recently released autopsy report shows a 1-year-old Albuquerque girl found dead in January had methamphetamine in her system.
But according to the Albuquerque Journal, the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator couldn't determine how the Anastazia Zuber died.
Police found the baby's body on Jan. 4 at an Albuquerque home, ending a search for the child that began after her father reportedly told a relative that she drowned in a bathtub.
Authorities say the infant was found wrapped in two plastic bags, stuffed inside a duffel bag and buried in a backyard.
Police say the child's parents — 26-year-old David Zuber and 23-year-old Monique Romero — have been charged with child abuse resulting in death.
The couple's cases are pending. They're out of jail while awaiting their trials.
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MILITARY DEATH-SOUTHWEST BORDER
Military service member found dead in southern Arizona
AJO, Ariz. (AP) — Authorities say another military service member assigned to help secure the U.S.-Mexico border has died in southern Arizona.
Officials at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado, said in a statement that the military service member with the Southwest Border Support Mission was found dead Sunday near Ajo, Arizona.
They say the incident is under investigation, but foul play isn't suspected.
The name of the military service member wasn't released.
It's the second such death this month.
The base previously announced the June 1 death of another military service member near Nogales, Arizona, who also was assigned to the Southwest Border Support Mission.
Base officials said foul play wasn't suspected in that death either.
President Donald Trump assigned several thousand troops to the southwest border in recent months to support the U.S. Border Patrol.

MOTHER-DAUGHTER SLAYINGS
Man suspected of killing 2 in New Mexico in custody in Texas
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A suspect in the deaths of a 19-year-old woman and her mother in southeast Albuquerque has turned himself in to police in Texas.
Albuquerque police announced Sunday that 20-year-old Jesus Cartagena Jr. is being held by El Paso police on suspicion of two counts of murder in the deaths of Shanta Hanish and her 58-year-old mother, Laura Hanish.
According to a criminal complaint, Shanta Hanish had recently broken up with Cartagena.
She was a student at the University of New Mexico while her mother was due to retire this year after 24 years as a social worker at the Public Defender's Office.
The women's bodies were found in their home Friday morning when an employer went to go check on Laura Hanish after she didn't show up for work.

BORDER-ARMED GROUP-INDICTMENT
Member of armed border group indicted for impersonation
GUTHRIE, Okla. (AP) — A man who has been a spokesman for a group of armed civilians patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border has been charged with impersonating a U.S. officer or employee.
Federal prosecutors in New Mexico say an indictment returned Wednesday by a grand jury in that state charged 44-year-old James Christopher Benvie with two counts of false personation of a U.S. officer or employee. He faces up to three years in prison if convicted.
Prosecutors said that Benvie, of Albany, Minnesota, made an initial appearance in federal court Friday in Oklahoma after the FBI arrested him there.
The indictment alleges Benvie committed the offenses in Dona Ana County on April 15 and April 17.
A detention hearing is set for Tuesday. He'll be transported to New Mexico for prosecution.

COLORADO BUS CRASH
1 dead in charter bus crash in southern Colorado
PUEBLO, Colo. (AP) — The Colorado State Patrol says one person was killed in an accident involving a charter bus in southern Colorado.
Corporal Ivan Alvarado says the bus was carrying 10 children and five adults when it went off southbound Interstate 25 and struck a bridge structure about 2:40 p.m. Sunday.
Alvarado says the accident happened about 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of Pueblo. He says one person was killed and that ambulances were at the scene.
It wasn't immediately known how many were injured. Alvarado said the bus had New Mexico plates.
The accident caused extensive backups in both directions of the interstate.

CENSUS 2020-TECHNOLOGY
US Census Bureau using aerial tech to help with 2020 count
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The U.S. Census Bureau is using new high-tech tools to help get an accurate population count next year as it faces criticism for the way it plans to reach out to people of color.
Census employees are taking images captured from satellites and planes to verify addresses in rural communities and compare them to previous maps from 2010.
It comes as the bureau is planning internet and telephone questionnaires, which advocates say would be more likely to overlook rural areas without reliable communication infrastructure.
Deirdre Dalpiaz Bishop of the bureau's geography division says employees check the data through computers and then plan how to send staff to hard-to-reach areas if census questionnaires aren't returned.
City University of New York Mapping Service director Steven Romalewski calls the technology promising.

INFANT'S DEATH-AUTOPSY
Autopsy: Albuquerque baby girl found dead had meth in system
(Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A recently released autopsy report shows a 1-year-old Albuquerque girl found dead in January had methamphetamine in her system.
But according to the Albuquerque Journal, the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator couldn't determine how the Anastazia Zuber died.
Police found the baby's body on Jan. 4 at an Albuquerque home, ending a search for the child that began after her father reportedly told a relative that she drowned in a bathtub.
Authorities say the infant was found wrapped in two plastic bags, stuffed inside a duffel bag and buried in a backyard.
Police say the child's parents — 26-year-old David Zuber and 23-year-old Monique Romero — have been charged with child abuse resulting in death.
The couple's cases are pending. They're out of jail while awaiting their trials.
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ALZHEIMER'S CAFE
Santa Fe's monthly 'Alzheimer's Café' helps spark movement
(Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.santafenewmexican.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Monthly gatherings in Santa Fe focused on creative stimulus for those living with Alzheimer's or dementia are helping a growing trend nationwide.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports the city hosts an initiative called Alzheimer's Café as part of a movement to accommodate the growing number of patients with forms of dementia.
The two-hour meeting focuses on snacking together and creating crafts as a way to stimulate the mind.
Founded in Santa Fe by Alzheimer's specialist and Denmark native Jytte Lokvig in 2008, Alzheimer's Café grew out of a concept introduced more than a decade earlier in the Netherlands by a psychiatrist.
The National Alzheimer's Café Alliance says the concept caught on quickly throughout Europe, but the Santa Fe gathering was the first official Memory Café in North America.
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GEORGE ORWELL-NEW MEXICO
University of New Mexico gets rare George Orwell collection
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A longtime advocate and employee of the University of New Mexico University Libraries is donating his collection of rare George Orwell books.
The university announced last week that professor and curator emeritus Russ Davidson has agreed to donate his Orwell book collection, which includes first editions of "Animal Farm" and "1984" in various languages.
Davidson's extensive collection also includes scarce editions of many of Orwell's other books, essays and journalistic writings.
The collection will be part of an Orwell exhibit in Zimmerman Library from September 2019 through spring of 2020.
Davidson worked at University Libraries for 25 years.
The British-born Orwell was known for his allegorical novella "Animal Farm" and dystopian novel "1984," both of which tackled totalitarianism. Orwell's "1984" has become a best-seller in the U.S. again during the Trump administration.

STUN GUN-STUDENT
Certification of New Mexico deputy in stun gun flap debated
(Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.santafenewmexican.com)
ESPANOLA, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico sheriff's office is disputing a claim that a deputy under fire for using a stun gun on a teen doesn't have an active law enforcement certification.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports the Rio Arriba County Sheriff's Office said this week Deputy Jeremy Barnes had a certification that is valid and he is eligible to be a commissioned officer in the state.
Barnes has faced criticism after a video showed him using a stun gun on an Española Valley High School student with special needs in May.
Department of Public Safety spokesman Herman Lovato says Barnes had let his certification lapse for too long.
The Rio Grande Sun reported that Barnes had previously been the subject of an excessive force lawsuit as a Grants police officer.
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EMPLOYMENT-NEW MEXICO
New Mexico unemployment rate holds at 5%
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's unemployment rate in May remained unchanged from the previous month at 5%. Among states, only Alaska has higher unemployment.
The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions on Friday published the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate. It was an increase from 4.8% a year ago.
The national unemployment rate also held at 3.6% in May, down from 3.8%.
For New Mexico, mining and construction accounted for the most significant job gains. The sectors added 5,500 jobs for the year ending in May 2019. Retail sales employment fell.

CLERGY ABUSE-NEW MEXICO
APNewsBreak: 395 claims filed in church bankruptcy case
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Officials with the Archdiocese of Santa Fe say nearly 400 claims have been filed as part of a pending bankruptcy case that stems from the clergy sex abuse scandal.
The archdiocese released the numbers Friday, saying 374 claims involved allegations of sex abuse. The remaining 21 were related to other grievances.
The archdiocese shocked parishioners across much of New Mexico when it filed for Chapter 11 reorganization last year, joining other dioceses around the United States that have struggling with fallout from the abuse scandal.
Church officials say they're hopeful mediation through the bankruptcy proceeding will result in an equitable resolution for the claimants.
Lawyers will be gathering more information on the archdiocese's finances to determine how much is available to divvy up. It's expected to take many months for the case to be resolved.

NUCLEAR WASTE STORAGE
Political opposition grows to nuclear waste storage plan
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Another member of New Mexico's congressional delegation is weighing in on plans to build a multimillion-dollar facility in the state to temporary store spent nuclear fuel from commercial reactors around the U.S.
Congresswoman Deb Haaland on Friday joined the growing list of politicians in opposition, sending a letter to the U.S. Energy Department and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that detailed her concerns.
New Jersey-based Holtec International is seeking a 40-year license from federal regulators to build the complex near Carlsbad.
Holtec says the project is needed since the federal government has yet to find a permanent solution for dealing with the tons of high-level waste building up at nuclear power plants.
The topic will be up for discussion when the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee meets next week.

GILA RIVER FIGHT
New Mexico regulators punt on Gila River plan
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's senior U.S. senator says plans for diverting water from the Gila River are fatally flawed and residents are rightly concerned about the cost of the proposed project.
Democrat Tom Udall made his comments Thursday after a panel of state regulators delayed action on a work plan that details environmental reviews, legal services and other activities needed as part of the project.
It could be September before the Interstate Stream Commission considers the plan again. Commissioners indicated they want to review a draft environmental impact statement prepared for the project.
Officials are facing a deadline this year to have the reviews completed. It would then be up to the U.S. Interior Department to grant approval.
Environmentalists have been fighting the proposal for years, suggesting that millions of dollars would be spent for little return.

ARIZONA WILDFIRE-THE LATEST
The Latest: Precautionary evacuations mount in Arizona fire
SUPERIOR, Ariz. (AP) — A wildfire in rugged country east of Phoenix that has forced evacuation orders for about 700 homes.
Gila County spokesman Josh Beck said Friday evening that those evacuations occurred stretching south from Roosevelt Lake in the Tonto National Forest.
There were no reports of structures burning, and fewer than a dozen people sought shelter at public facilities.
The fire was about 42 percent contained on Friday evening as its footprint extended across more than 100 square miles (260 square kilometers).

MS WHEELCHAIR NEW MEXICO-CROWN
Thief steals crown of Ms. Wheelchair New Mexico
(Information from: KOB-TV, http://www.kob.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A crown belonging to Ms. Wheelchair New Mexico was stolen just days before a national competition.
KOB-TV reports that Irene Delgado says someone broke into her car in Santa Fe and took the crown.
Delgado is set to compete in the Ms. Wheelchair America competition in Little Rock, Arkansas, during the week of July 1.
The contest seeks to educate and advocate for people with disabilities.
Delgado says she left the crown in her car overnight because she needed to wear it at an out-of-town event the next day.
No arrests have been made.
M&J Bridal Boutique in Santa Fe announced it was donating a new crown for Delgado.
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FATAL SHOOTING-ARREST
Lawyer says client fatally shot neighbor in self-defense
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — The lawyer for a Las Cruces man arrested in the death of his neighbor says the shooting was in self-defense.
Corban Serna is facing a voluntary manslaughter charge in Saturday's death of 28-year-old Nathan Froseth. Serna was arrested Wednesday and is being held at the Dona Ana County jail.
Serna's attorney, C.J. McElhinney, tells the Las Cruces Sun News that Serna saw Froseth attack a woman before turning on Serna. McElhinney says Serna had warned Froseth that he was armed.
Las Cruces police say Froseth was shot multiple times in his torso. He was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at a local hospital.
Police say Serna left the scene and initially denied being involved in the shooting.

FATAL CAR CRASH
New Mexico State Police: 2 Arizona residents killed in crash
MAXWELL, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico State Police say two Arizona residents have died in a car crash north of Maxwell.
They identified the victims Thursday as 81-year-old Neal Ciocchetti and 70-year-old Christine Ciocchetti, both of Scottsdale.
State Police didn't say how the two were related.
They say the SUV driven by Neal Ciocchetti left the roadway on Interstate 25 last Sunday afternoon for unknown reasons and crashed.
The two victims were pronounced dead at the scene.
According to State Police, alcohol doesn't appear to be a factor in the crash and seat belts appeared to have been properly utilized.

GILA RIVER FIGHT
New Mexico regulators punt on Gila River plan
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's senior U.S. senator says plans for diverting water from the Gila River are fatally flawed and residents are rightly concerned about the cost of the proposed project.
Democrat Tom Udall made his comments Thursday after a panel of state regulators delayed action on a work plan that details environmental reviews, legal services and other activities needed as part of the project.
It could be September before the Interstate Stream Commission considers the plan again. Commissioners indicated they want to review a draft environmental impact statement prepared for the project.
Officials are facing a deadline this year to have the reviews completed. It would then be up to the U.S. Interior Department to grant approval.
Environmentalists have been fighting the proposal for years, suggesting that millions of dollars would be spent for little return.

ALBUQUERQUE-GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY
Municipal boards, commissions raise transparency questions
(Information from: KRQE-TV, http://www.krqe.com)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Open government advocates say the city of Albuquerque is shirking some open meeting requirements despite pledges from Mayor Tim Keller and other officials to push for transparency.
The city has 60 boards and commissions that focus on specific things, from golf courses and balloon fiesta park to landmarks and conservation.
They all fall under the Open Meetings Act, but television station KRQE reports one-third of them aren't compliant.
The agenda for the airport advisory committee wasn't posted in time, and the agendas for the arts board were nowhere to be found. The Mayor's Youth Advisory Council also was behind on posting agendas.
Melanie Majors with the New Mexico Foundation of Open Government says the act has certain requirements so the public knows how money is being spent and what officials are doing.
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CONGRESS-BORDER CRISIS
AP Interview: Border official says aid needed to save lives
WASHINGTON (AP) — The acting head of Customs and Border Protection says passing emergency funding is necessary for the health and well-being of migrants crossing the border.
John Sanders tells The Associated Press that Congress must act swiftly. The funding request passed a Senate committee Wednesday with bipartisan support and will be up for a floor vote next week.
Sanders says Border Patrol stations are not meant for long-term care. He says the death of a teenager in custody last month affected him profoundly.
There have been four other deaths in custody since late last year.
Border officials are overwhelmed by a surge in migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. They have opened a tent in Donna, Texas, and are building another in Yuma, Arizona, to help house people.

MINE WASTE SPILL-HEALTH RISKS
EPA: No serious health risk from southwestern Colorado mines
(Information from: Durango Herald, http://www.durangoherald.com)
DURANGO, Colo. (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency says contamination from nearly 50 mining sites in southwestern Colorado doesn't pose a serious risk for human health.
The Durango Herald reports that the Bonita Peak Mining District Superfund site assessment released Thursday didn't find any risks to people working or hiking, hunting or fishing there. However, it found a risk of exposure to lead or arsenic for children at four camping sites along the Animas River and at three mine sites used as recreational staging areas.
Most of those sites are set to be worked starting this summer.
The agency designated the Superfund site after it inadvertently triggered a spill at the Gold King Mine in August 2015. The spill released 3 million gallons (11.4 million liters) of wastewater, polluting rivers in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah.
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IMMIGRATION-CHILDREN DETAINED
Lawyers claim dangerous situation at border detention site
EL PASO, Texas (AP) — A legal team that recently interviewed over 60 children at a Border Patrol station in Texas is warning that a dangerous and traumatic situation is unfolding for some 250 infants, children and teens locked up for up to 27 days without adequate food, water and sanitation.
They say kids are caring for each other in the Customs and Border Protection station near El Paso: Three girls, ages 10 to 15, told attorneys they've taken turns keeping watch over a 2-year-old boy.
CBP did not immediately respond to the allegations about the conditions, but has said in recent weeks that it is overwhelmed and needs more money and help from the gridlocked Congress.
The lawyers visited the facility in Clint because they are involved in a legal case that governs detention conditions for migrant children and families.

AGENCY-QUESTIONABLE SPENDING
Pro-Los Alamos group loses federal grant amid spending probe
(Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.santafenewmexican.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — An agency of New Mexico municipalities surrounding Los Alamos National Laboratory has lost $100,000 in federal funds amid a federal investigation into its spending.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports the Regional Coalition of LANL Communities has seen half of its budget evaporate as the U.S. Department of Energy continues to investigate the handling of a five-year grant to the beleaguered organization.
The coalition became embroiled in controversy last year amid revelations of improper travel reimbursements, including for expensive alcohol and Major League Baseball tickets. It also was the subject of a stinging state audit.
Eric Vasquez, the coalition's executive director, says the group has adopted control measures the state auditor recommended and is now ready to resume working with the Department of Energy.
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CONGRESS-BORDER CRISIS
AP Interview: Border official says aid needed to save lives
WASHINGTON (AP) — The acting head of Customs and Border Protection says passing emergency funding is necessary for the health and well-being of migrants crossing the border.
John Sanders tells The Associated Press that Congress must act swiftly. The funding request passed a Senate committee Wednesday with bipartisan support and will be up for a floor vote next week.
Sanders says Border Patrol stations are not meant for long-term care. He says the death of a teenager in custody last month affected him profoundly.
There have been four other deaths in custody since late last year.
Border officials are overwhelmed by a surge in migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. They have opened a tent in Donna, Texas, and are building another in Yuma, Arizona, to help house people.

DEATH AND DISAPPEARANCE-CONGRESS-THE LATEST
The Latest: Senators press feds on response to Native safety
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Lawmakers are pressing the Trump administration to respond with urgency in addressing violence against Native American women and children after two officials arrived at a key U.S. Senate hearing unprepared to take concrete positions on legislation.
Sen. John Hoeven, a Republican from North Dakota, says the federal officials failed to meet a deadline for written testimony ahead of the hearing.
Tracy Toulou, director of the Justice Department Office of Tribal Justice, apologized for the delay, saying the bills are complex and require wide review within the department.
Charles Addington, the director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Office of Justice Services, also apologized and said it got held up during a clearance process.
Sen. Tom Udall, a New Mexico Democrat, expressed "utter frustration" over the situation.

OIL BOOM-AIRPORT EXPANSION
Booming New Mexico oil region to get $5M in airport upgrades
(Information from: Hobbs News-Sun, http://www.hobbsnews.com)
LOVINGTON, N.M. (AP) — A southeastern New Mexico county has approved more than $5 million in upgrades to an airport in the heart of New Mexico's booming oil region.
The Hobbs News-Sun reports the Lea County Commission gave the green light last week to improvements to the Lea County Regional Airport — most funded by federal and state grants.
The improvements call for doubling the expansion of the holding area for flight patrons and renovating the apron area on the airside of the terminal. They also including upgrading a runway safety area and extending the primary runway.
Officials say increased ridership is spurring the recommended improvements.
The Lea County Regional Airport is located in Hobbs — a key city in the booming Permian Basin.
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NUCLEAR WASTE STORAGE
New Mexico land boss concerned with nuke waste proposal
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard says southeastern New Mexico isn't the right place to build a temporary storage facility for spent nuclear fuel.
She sent a letter Wednesday to the New Jersey-based company that wants to build the facility, saying the proposed site would be in the middle of the Permian Basin — one of the world's most productive oil and gas regions.
Nearly 2,500 wells and other mine sites are operated by dozens of businesses within a 10-mile (16-kilometer) radius of the site. Garcia Richard contends that storing the high-level waste above active oil, gas and mining operations raises serious safety concerns.
Fellow Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham also has voiced opposition to the plan by Holtec International.
The company is seeking a federal license for the proposed facility.

SENIOR GAMES-103 YEAR OLD
At 103, 'Hurricane' Hawkins takes titles at US Senior Games
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — At 103, Julia "Hurricane" Hawkins has cemented her title as the oldest woman to compete on an American track after finishing the 50- and 100-meter dashes at the National Senior Games in New Mexico.
Event organizers say the Louisiana resident holds the world record for her age group of 100 and over in the 100-meter dash.
She didn't beat her previous time Tuesday but crossed the line in just over 46 seconds in Albuquerque.
On Monday, she was clocked at 21.06 in the 50-meter event, which appears to be a new Senior Games record for the women's 100-plus age division. There's no record of a past female competitor in that contest.
The retired teacher says staying active keeps her sharp and she hopes she can serve as an inspiration to others.

CORRECTIONS SECRETARY-NEW MEXICO
New Mexico picks corrections secretary after false start
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Career state corrections officer Alisha Tafoya Lucero has been named Cabinet secretary to oversee New Mexico's combination public-private prison system.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced the appointment Wednesday and praised Tafoya Lucero for her toughness and dedication to the state prison system.
The governor initially appointed former Florida prisons chief Julie Jones to lead the New Mexico Corrections Department but saw Jones withdraw in February.
Tafoya Lucero began serving as a corrections officer in 2001 and later became deputy warden at the state penitentiary outside Santa Fe. She was promoted to interim corrections secretary in May.
The governor and Tafoya Lucero emphasized efforts to improve accountability at privately run prisons and expand inmate programs that can reduce recidivism. The state is limiting but not eliminating solitary confinement.

SENATE-PINTO REPLACEMENT
Commissioners name nominees for New Mexico Senate seat
(Information from: The Daily Times, http://www.daily-times.com)
GALLUP, N.M. (AP) — Two former New Mexico county commissioners have been nominated to fill the seat of state Sen. John Pinto, who died last month at the age of 94.
The Farmington Daily Times reported Monday that the San Juan County Commission nominated its former commissioner Wallace Charley.
McKinley County commissioners nominated their former commissioner Carol Bowman-Muskett.
Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham will choose one of the nominees or appoint someone else from the northwestern New Mexico district.
Pinto's term was set to expire next year, so the person appointed would have to run in 2020 election.
Pinto, a Democrat and a Navajo Code Talker in World War II, was the longest-serving state senator in New Mexico history.
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OPIOIDS-NEW MEXICO
New Mexico requires co-prescription of opioid reversal drug
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico is requiring that many opioid prescriptions for pain relief come with a second prescription that can reverse possible overdoses.
A law that went into effect this month requires co-prescriptions of opioid overdose-reversal medication such as naloxone to accompany any opioid prescription that last five days or more.
Lindsay LaSalle of the Drug Policy Alliance said Tuesday the law may save lives by increasing distribution of overdose-reversal medications that are unfamiliar to many people.
New Mexico already makes naloxone available at pharmacies without prescriptions. The new law takes a more aggressive approach by requiring safety briefings to first-time opioid patients about overdose risks.
Thom Duddy of Emergent BioSolutions that produces a naloxone nasal spray called Narcan says opioid prescriptions are likely to decrease in New Mexico as a result.

OIL ALLIANCE-NEW MEXICO
Nonprofit oil alliance spends on grant writer for New Mexico
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A nonprofit alliance of energy companies has spent $80,000 on a grant writer to help New Mexico's Transportation Department pursue federal grants.
The state's Legislative Finance Committee announced in a newsletter Tuesday the support from the Permian Strategic Partnership.
The partnership is an alliance of energy companies that operate in the Permian Basin that straddles the Texas-New Mexico state line. It has pledged to invest in community development projects Texas and New Mexico.
Surging oil and natural gas production in the Permian Basin has produced a windfall of income for New Mexico state government. Lawmakers are attempting to diversify the state economy with financial incentives for film production, outdoor recreation and renewable energy.

NAVAJO NATION-ELECTRICITY
Power project on Navajo Nation connects 233 homes to grid
FORT DEFIANCE, Ariz. (AP) — More than 230 homes on the Navajo Nation have been connected to the electric grid as part of a pilot project.
The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority worked with volunteer utility crews from across the country on the project that wrapped up last month.
The goal had been to connect 300 homes on the reservation where 15,000 homes don't have power.
Tribal utility spokeswoman Deenise Becenti said Tuesday the final tally was 233 homes.
The volunteer crews from 13 states also ran more than 50 miles (80.5 kilometers) of electric line from April through May.
The tribal utility worked with the American Public Power Association to design the project that both are hoping can be used as a model in the future.

SANTA FE-SUPERINTENDENT
Santa Fe school board extends superintendent's contract
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The Santa Fe school board has extended the contract for its superintendent and gave the former New Mexico secretary of education a pay hike.
The board voted Monday to extended Superintendent Veronica García's contract by a year to June 2021 and approved a 6% raise.
According to state numbers, test scores from the 2018 school year showed that district results in math and reading were below statewide averages.
The 67-year-old García dismissed the importance of scores from the state's standardized test, which the Public Education Department is revamping.
García served as the public education secretary under former Gov. Bill Richardson.

LAS VEGAS OPTIC-EDITOR
Las Vegas Optic names new editor
(Information from: Las Vegas Optic, http://www.lasvegasoptic.com)
LAS VEGAS, N.M. (AP) — The Las Vegas Optic has named former Los Alamos Monitor sports editor as the newspaper's new editor.
The Las Vegas Optic announced Sunday that Phil Scherer has been chosen to lead the 140-year-old newspapers. He replaces Jason W. Brooks, who has taken a position in Arizona.
The Missouri native takes over this week as editor of the Optic.
In Los Alamos, Scherer covered the high school sports, worked doing color commentary on radio sports broadcasts, and helped with many other duties at the paper.
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LAS CRUCES-FATAL SHOOTOUT
Las Cruces police ID man killed in shootout with authorities
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — Police in Las Cruces say they've identified a man who was killed in an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement officers.
Police say 35-year-old Francisco "Paco" Tarin was pronounced dead at the scene of Monday's incident.
Tarin, who lived in Las Cruces and Roswell, allegedly shot at a marked Las Cruces police unit.
He then allegedly shot at several officers who were attempting to take him into custody.
Officers from four law enforcement agencies returned fire at Tarin, who was hit multiple times.
Authorities say two Las Cruces police officers and a Dona Ana County Sheriff's deputy suffered minor injuries in the shootout.
They say the handgun Tarin allegedly used was recovered by police.

ENDANGERED WOLVES-PUPS
Pup fostering gives genetic boost to wild Mexican wolves
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A dozen Mexican gray wolf pups are being raised by wild packs in Arizona and New Mexico as biologists mark another season of playing matchmaker to bolster the genetics of the endangered species.
The foster program involves placing captive-born wolves into the dens of established packs as part of an ongoing effort to return the wolves to their historic range in the American Southwest.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Maggie Dwire says this marks the most pups to be fostered in a single season since the technique was first used in 2014.
A zoo in Kansas and breeding programs operated by conservation centers in Missouri and New York helped this year.
For fostering to work, the timing has to be just right. The pups are usually less than two weeks old when they're placed with a surrogate pack.
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BEDROOM BOMB PLEA
Albuquerque man pleads guilty to planting bomb in ex's home
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — An Albuquerque man has pleaded guilty to planting an explosive device under the bed of his former girlfriend.
Federal prosecutors say a sentencing date for 20-year-old Ethan Guillen hasn't been set yet.
Guillen was earlier indicted for possession of an unregistered destructive device and malicious attempt to destroy property by means of fire or explosives.
Prosecutors say Guillen entered his ex-girlfriend's apartment in May 2017 while she was away.
He allegedly planted an explosive device consisting of a pressure cooker with black powder, napalm and metal bolts inside.
Prosecutors say Guillen connected the device to a timer and electrical outlet and set the device to explode early the next morning.
But the device didn't go off and the woman found the device a few days later and police were notified.

TRUMP-IMMIGRATION
Trump threatens to deport millions beginning next week
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is threatening to remove millions of people in the country illegally.
In a late-night tweet Monday, Trump says U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will begin the removal process next week. He tells his Twitter followers, "They will be removed as fast as they come in."
An administration official says the effort will focus on people who have been issued final deportation orders by federal judges but remain at large in the country.
Trump has threatened a series of increasingly drastic actions as he tries to stem the flow of Central American migrants crossing the southern border, which has risen dramatically on his watch.
Immigration is expected to be a central issue of Trump's 2020 reelection campaign, which officially launches Tuesday.

JAIL GUARD-INMATE-SEX
Ex-New Mexico jail guard accused of sex with inmate
(Information from: Hobbs News-Sun, http://www.hobbsnews.com)
HOBBS, N.M. (AP) — A former corrections officer in southeastern New Mexico is facing charges after authorities say she had sex with an inmate.
The Hobbs News-Sun reports Amelia Alvarado was arrested Thursday and charged with criminal sexual penetration following a statement by a male inmate at the Lea County Detention Center.
According to a criminal complaint, the inmate said he impregnated Alvarado while in the Lea County jail, resulting in a baby girl. He reported he had had sex with Alvarado three times at the jail while she worked as a Lea County corrections officer.
Police said the relationship between Alvarado and the inmate continued long after he was moved from the Lea County Detention Center to Otero County to Santa Fe correctional facilities.
It was not known if Alvarado had an attorney. 
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LULAC-STATE DIRECTOR
Latino group names new director for New Mexico chapter
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The head of development and external affairs at New Mexico State University Alamogordo has been named state director of the New Mexico League of United Latin American Citizens.
The university announced Juan Garcia's selection Monday.
Garcia says he began working with LULAC two decades ago after the organization awarded him a scholarship that allowed him to buy books and pay tuition.
Since then, he has served as a president of local councils, national vice president for young adults and a district director in New Mexico.
In his new position, he will work to advance the educational opportunities for Latinos in New Mexico. He says he'll be looking to create new programs and scholarships.
Founded in 1929, LULAC is the oldest Hispanic civil rights group in the U.S.

ETHICS COMMISSION-NEW MEXICO
Governor appoints former judge to state Ethic Commission
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A professional mediator in civil and commercial court cases has been named to serve on New Mexico's new state Ethics Commission.
Former state district court judge William Lang was appointed Tuesday by New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to serve on the commission when it convenes next year to consider ethics complaints against public officials, lobbyists and public contractors.
Voters overwhelmingly approved the creation of the commission in 2018 elections in the wake of a series of high profile corruption scandals involving public officials.
Criminal matters will continue to fall under the authority of state and local prosecutors.
Four members of the commission are appointed by leading state legislators from the Republican and Democratic parties.

TRUMP-NATIONAL MONUMENTS
GAO to probe Interior moves on lands cut from Utah monument
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A government watchdog will investigate whether the U.S. Interior Department broke the law by making plans to open up lands cut from a Utah national monument by President Trump to leasing for oil, gas and coal development.
U.S. Sen. Tom Udall of New Mexico said Monday in a news release that the Government Accountability Office informed his office last week that it has agreed to his request that it look into whether the Interior violated the appropriations law by using funds to assess potential resource extraction in the lands cut from the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
GAO spokesman Charles Young confirmed the inquiry. The Interior Department didn't immediately return an email seeking comment.
Udall is the ranking member of Senate's subcommittee for the Interior Department.
President Bill Clinton created the monument in 1996. Trump downsized it by nearly half in 2017.

CHILDHOOD WELL-BEING
Report: Childhood poverty persists in fast-growing Southwest
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A report on childhood well-being shows improved overall chances for U.S. children to thrive based on broad measures of economic circumstances, education and community support.
Released Monday, the annual Kids Count report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation also finds that the number of children living in poverty has swelled over the past three decades in fast-growing, ethnically diverse states such as Texas, Arizona and Nevada as the nation's population center shifts south and west.
About 18% of the nation's children live in poverty, down from 22% in 2010 during the Great recession.
Since 1990, however, the national rate of childhood poverty has remained unchanged as the number of impoverished children swelled border and Southwest states.

CLERGY ABUSE-NEW MEXICO
Deadline arrives for clergy abuse claims in New Mexico
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Monday marks the deadline for filing sexual abuse claims as New Mexico's largest Roman Catholic diocese wades through bankruptcy proceedings.
Lawyers for the hundreds of people who will be submitting forms are hopeful the proceedings will shed more light on the decades-old scandal that shaken the church.
The Archdiocese of Santa Fe filed for bankruptcy in 2018, with Archbishop John Wester saying it was the equitable thing to do as church reserves dwindled. The archdiocese has said $52 million in insurance money and its own funds have gone to settling 300 claims over the years.
Officials expect to make public this week the total number of claims filed as part of the bankruptcy case.
Wester on Friday issued a request for prayers, acknowledging the need for emotional and spiritual healing.
​
RIDE-SHARE SHOOTING
Report: Man killed by Uber driver had drugs in system
(Information from: KOB-TV, http://www.kob.com)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A toxicology report says a New Mexico passenger shot and killed by a ride-hailing driver had drugs and high levels of alcohol in his system.
KOB-TV reports an autopsy report released Monday showed James Porter had in his system a blood alcohol concentration level of .23 and traces of the drug known as ecstasy.
Court documents show a March 17 fatal shooting in Albuquerque stemmed from "a large amount of vomit" in an Uber vehicle.
Police say a driver Clayton Benedict shot and killed 27-year-old Porter along Interstate 25 following an argument. Benedict has not been charged and has declined to comment.
District Attorney's Office spokesman Michael Patrick says a charging decision may come in the next few weeks.
In April, Porter's family filed a lawsuit against Uber and Benedict.
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CHACO CANYON-DRILLING
Senators push for hearing on Chaco protection legislation
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Members of New Mexico's congressional delegation are pushing for a Senate hearing on legislation that would withdraw federal holdings from oil and gas development around Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
The legislation was reintroduced earlier this year as environmentalists and Native American tribes seek to make permanent a 10-mile (16-kilometer) buffer around the park.
Supporters say it would protect culturally significant sites located beyond Chaco's boundaries.
Most of the land surrounding the park belongs to the Navajo Nation or are allotments owned by individual Navajos. The legislation would not affect development of those lands.
U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich are asking that the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee take up the bill at its next meeting. Once the committee acts, the full Senate could consider the measure.

MANHATTAN PROJECT-TOURS
Manhattan Project park to offer tours of Los Alamos site
LOS ALAMOS, N.M. (AP) — Federal officials will be offering tours of portions of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park in Los Alamos.
The National Park Service has teamed up with Los Alamos National Laboratory and the National Nuclear Security Administration to organize tours during a weekend in July.
Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Each day will consist of two tours of 25 people each, each lasting three hours.
Not all sites that make up the park are open to the public.
On the tours, visitors will see Pond Cabin, which served as an office for the scientists who were studying plutonium; a bunker used to protect equipment and staff during explosives testing; and the building where a deadly plutonium accident took place.
Officials say more tours will be planned later this year.

DEATH AND DISAPPEARANCE-MURAL
New Mexico mural focuses on missing Native American women
(Information from: Las Cruces Sun-News, http://www.lcsun-news.com)
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — A new mural in southern New Mexico seeks to honor missing and slain Native American women amid a nationwide push to bring more attention to the issue.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reports artist Sebastian VELA Velazquez recently erected the mural in Las Cruces in conjunction with the city's eighth annual "Illegal" graffiti art show.
The work is part of a large-scale mural wrapping around the entirety of the Cruces Creatives building.
Last month, federal lawmakers re-introduced legislation that calls for the Justice Department to review how law enforcement agencies respond to cases of missing and murdered Native Americans.
The legislation is named Savanna's Act for 22-year-old Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, whose body was found in a North Dakota river in 2017.
Velazquez says the mural also honors missing indigenous Mexican women.
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OIL REVENUE WINDFALL
Money from oil, gas revenues gushing into state coffers
(Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.santafenewmexican.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — State Senate Finance Committee Chairman John Arthur Smith says if the price of oil doesn't drastically change, the state could receive more than $1 billion in additional tax dollars next year.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that the oil boom in southeastern New Mexico still going strong and money from oil and gas revenues continuing to gush into state government's coffers.
Smith told an interim legislative subcommittee on transportation that a windfall of $1.1 billion to $1.3 billion will occur unless the international scene changes and the revenues fall.
Crude oil prices dipped earlier this week to less than $50 a barrel, partly credited to fears of a trade war with China.
But oil prices rallied late in the week to more than $52 a barrel.
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FILM BOOM-ABORTION
New Mexico film industry up amid abortion fights elsewhere
(Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's film industry appears to be on the brink of a boom thanks to abortion law controversies in other states.
The Albuquerque Journal reports a recent rise in film productions in the state as Hollywood targets Georgia and Louisiana over recently passed restrictive abortion laws.
The jump comes as New Mexico is set to more than double its annual state spending cap on film incentives.
The New Mexico Film Office says the coming Amazon TV series production "The Power" reached out to New Mexico because of Georgia's political climate.
New Mexico has on its books a 1969 state law that banned abortion in most cases.
But the law became unenforceable after it was superseded by the landmark Roe vs. Wade ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court.
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NAVAJO-LAND BUYBACK
Navajo signs agreement for second phase of buyback program
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation again is trying to consolidate land that has multiple owners within the reservation.
The tribe recently signed an agreement with the Interior Department for a second phase of the land buyback program.
The program is part of a legal settlement that found the federal government squandered billions of dollars it held in trust for tribes from energy development or other uses of tribal land.
Federal officials agreed to spend $1.6 billion to purchase so-called fractionated parcels and transfer the land to tribes. About $322 million remains. The buyback program expires in November 2022.
In an initial phase, the Navajo Nation sent offers to more than 25,000 landowners and consolidated about 242 square miles (627 square kilometers).
About 50 tribal nations have participated in the program.

PEOPLE-JENNIFER GARNER
Actress Jennifer Garner visits migrant shelter in New Mexico
(Information from: Headlight, http://www.demingheadlight.com)
DEMING, N.M. (AP) — Actress Jennifer Garner has paid a visit to an emergency migrant shelter in southern New Mexico to meet with migrant families.
The Deming Headlight reports the actress visited the Southwestern New Mexico State Fairgrounds in Deming, New Mexico, Wednesday and was later seen playing with the children.
Luna County Detention Center Director Chris Brice, who is overseeing operations, confirmed her appearance during a regular county meeting on Thursday. Brice said the actress is a national board member of Save the Children, a charity organization that helps children.
Garner is best known for the television series "Alias." Garner also starred in "Daredevil" and its spin-off "Elektra."
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SANTA FE-AIRBNB FIGHT
Report: Santa Fe losing millions thanks to Airbnb, others
(Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.santafenewmexican.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A new report says Santa Fe is missing out on about $3.8 million in lodger and gross receipts taxes annually thanks to short-term rental units.
The Albuquerque Journal says the report issued Wednesday by the nonprofit group Homewise Inc. says hosts from apps like Airbnb aren't following city's ordinances and the city should do more to enforce the laws.
Homewise CEO Mike Loftin says Santa Fe should enforce its registration requirements for short-term rentals and require them to contribute their fair share of taxes.
The report says that the number of short-term rentals skyrocketed from roughly 300 to 1,444 in four years from 2015 through 2018.
A spokeswoman for Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber acknowledged the city needs to do a better job with enforcement and educating the public.
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