DWI CHECKPOINTS
New Mexico authorities plan DWI patrols, checkpoints 
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico State Police will be conducting sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols across the state through the month of October.
The agency said Friday that its officers are working to bring awareness in an effort to reduce alcohol-related fatalities.
According to statistics compiled by state transportation officials and the University of New Mexico, there have been a total of 237 traffic fatalities in the first eight months of the year. More than a third of those — 83 to be exact — have involved alcohol.
That figure is still less than the 112 alcohol-related fatalities reported on New Mexico roads during the same period last year.
As part of the patrols and checkpoints, officers will also be checking for valid driver's licenses as well as vehicle registrations and insurance.

MISSING INSURANCE TAXES
New Mexico reduces estimate for missing taxes
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's top insurance regulator says that an independent audit of unpaid insurance premium taxes shows far less money is owed to the state than previously thought.
State Insurance Superintendent John Franchini announced Friday that a preliminary summary of the audit shows potential underpayments to the state amount to a fraction of the $193 million previously estimated.
Franchini's office declined to provide specific dollar estimates for missing taxes under the audit by Atlanta-based Examination Resources. Agency spokeswoman Heather Widler says more information should be publicly available after documents are reviewed by the Office of the State Auditor.
The new audit examines premium tax filings from 30 companies since 2003. It is unclear how the audit addresses accusations by state prosecutors that a Presbyterian Healthcare Services subsidiary illegally avoided taxes.

ALBUQUERQUE MAYOR'S RACE
Breaking sad: Crime focus of open Albuquerque mayor's race
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Seven candidates are vying to become the next mayor of New Mexico's largest city amid rising crime and pressures to revamp the Albuquerque Police Department.
Polls show Democrat and current State Auditor Tim Keller is leading the field. Former New Mexico Democratic Party chair Brian Colon and Republican City Councilor Dan Lewis are battling for the second spot.
This marks the first mayoral campaign in 20 years without an incumbent on the ballot.
The election is Tuesday. The ballot is crowded, and if no candidate gets 50 percent, the top two vote-getters will face off in a November runoff.
The top issue has been crime. FBI statistics released this week show violent crime in Albuquerque jumped nearly 16 percent in 2016 along with a similar double-digit increase in property crimes.

ALBUQUERQUE MAYOR'S RACE-KELLER
Complaint: Albuquerque mayor hopeful, PAC working together
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A new complaint says Democratic candidate Tim Keller and a PAC supporting him are illegally working together to get him elected.
The campaign of Wayne Johnson, a Keller opponent, said Friday that documents show Keller's campaign and ABQ Forward Together both paid $15K each to the same firm within 24 hours of each other. Johnson says the documents indicated "coordinated expenditures" and a violation of various city ordinances.
The Johnson campaign filed the complaint with the city clerk's office.
Keller campaign attorney Molly Schmidt-Nowara said the accusation is completely false and a last-minute cheap shot in an attempt to district from Johnson's alleged ethics violations.
Johnson and Keller are among the seven candidates running for Albuquerque mayor.
Keller also is facing a complaint that his publicly financed campaign is accepting "in-kind" cash donations.

DEPUTY STRIKES WOMAN
Sandoval Sheriff's deputy fatally strikes woman with truck
PLACITAS, N.M. (AP) — Police in New Mexico say a 68-year-old woman died after a Sandoval County Sheriff's deputy backed his truck into her and ran her over.
The incident happened on Thursday afternoon when the deputy was investigating a burglary alarm at a home. The deputy, who has not been identified, was called to another burglary alarm and got into his marked department truck. As he backed out of the house, he struck Linda Baragiola of Placitas and ran her over with the truck's back tire.
Baragiola died at the hospital.
New Mexico State Police say Baragiola was standing behind the deputy's truck and was possibly on her cell phone when she was struck.
An investigation is ongoing.

BAIL REFORM-ASSESSING RISK
Supporters: Risk assessment key to bail reform in New Mexico
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The Drug Policy Alliance and others are joining in support of bail reforms in New Mexico, saying there's a need for more risk assessment tools to help judges determine whether defendants should be detained or released pending trial.
Officials with the alliance, the Laura and John Arnold Foundation and the Rio Grande Foundation gathered Friday in Albuquerque to talk about protecting the fundamental principles of New Mexico's bail reform initiative as the state Supreme Court considers possible changes.
District attorneys from across the state proposed this week that the rules include more details about what judges can consider when assessing a defendant's risk.
The recommendations also suggest that the courts not require evidence in any particular form for pretrial detention hearings. Prosecutors say the current interpretation of the rules is draining resources and adding to an already burdensome caseload.

SPACEPORT AMERICA-LAWMAKERS' CONCERNS
New Mexico legislators are concerned about spaceport's costs
(Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com)
TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico lawmakers are questioning if more state funding is necessary for the commercial spaceport in the southern part of the state.
The Albuquerque Journal reported on Thursday that members of the Legislative Finance Committee held a hearing about the future of the facility where they questioned Spaceport America CEO Dan Hicks about the business plan.
Hicks says the facility has the ability to be a commercial hub and it has advantages over competing spaceports, but it requires government funding to operate.
Republican state Sen. Sander Rue says legislators are concerned about how much money it will take to make the spaceport fully operational and more self-sustaining.
While Virgin Galactic is the anchor tenant of the spaceport, Space X, Up Aerospace and EXOS Aerospace have all used the facility.

DUAL CREDIT COURSES-NEW MEXICO
New Mexico questions spending on college courses for kids
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico officials are reconsidering whether increasingly popular college-level classes taken by high school students warrant growing public subsidies.
A progress report published Thursday by the nonpartisan Legislative Finance Committee shows that students who pursue dual-credit coursework that can count toward high school and college degrees tend to have higher academic aptitudes based on standardized testing.
In New Mexico, total state spending on dual credit education has increased 60 percent since 2012 to $54 million, as classes shift to college faculty and campuses without a reduction in high school funding.

CHARTER SCHOOLS-FEDERAL FUNDING
New Mexico gets federal grant for charter school expansion
(Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Education awarded New Mexico a $22-million grant to expand charter schools in the state.
The Albuquerque Journal reported on Thursday that the funding awarded to the state Public Education Department will be distributed over five years to launch 22 new charter schools and expand eight existing charter schools.
The grant was part of $253 million the federal government awarded to states and other entities to increase the role of charter schools.
State education officials say the funding will help it improve charter authorizing practices and the fiscal and organizational performance of the schools.
About 7 percent of all New Mexico students are enrolled in the roughly 100 charter schools authorized by the state and local districts.

PNM-RENEWABLE ENERGY
New Mexico regulators consider utility's power plan
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's largest electric provider wants to add another 50 megawatts of solar energy to its portfolio.
Public Service Co. of New Mexico also wants to boost output from its current wind and geothermal resources as part of a plan to comply with the state's renewable energy standards.
The state Public Regulation Commission wrapped up hearings on the proposal this week.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that one environmental group has taken issue with the plan, saying the utility stacked the deck to gain ownership over the new solar farms rather than considering purchase agreements with independent power producers.
Utility officials and other environmentalists dismissed those arguments, saying the plan was more cost effective.
If approved, the utility would pay Albuquerque-based Affordable Solar to build five small solar farms.

OUT OF STATE TUITION
Eastern New Mexico to drop out-of-state tuition
PORTALES, N.M. (AP) — Eastern New Mexico University says it's lowering tuition for out-of-state students next year.
The small university said Friday that its board of regents approved the drop in cost and that it will take effect in fall 2018.
Currently, out-of-state students pay 203 percent of what in-state students do. That'll be down to 150 percent.
The 2016-2017 tuition cost was roughly $6,000 for in-state students and a little over $15,000 for out-of-state students.
ENMU says it wants students to graduate with as little debt as possible and that it hopes to recruit more students from outside New Mexico.

NAVAJO WATER-SETTLEMENT FUND
$9.1M project to deliver more water to Navajo communities
GREASEWOOD, Ariz. (AP) — Work has started on a $9.1 million project to improve access to water in several Navajo communities.
Navajo President Russell Begaye signed legislation last year to fund dozens of water and sanitation projects across the reservation.
Officials gathered in Greasewood on Friday for a groundbreaking ceremony for one of the projects. It's being funded partly through a $554 million settlement the tribe reached with the federal government over management of natural resources revenue.
Rex Kontz of the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority says the project will double the water capacity for several communities, including Ganado, Greasewood, Dilkon and Teesto. A new well and a water filtering plant are planned.
The work is expected to take 18 months.
Other funding sources include federal grants and the tribal utility.

COURT OF APPEALS-APPOINTMENT
Martinez makes court of appeals appointment
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has appointed Emil John Kiehne to the New Mexico Court of Appeals.
Martinez announced the appointment Friday.
Kiehne is from Los Lunas and is replacing Judge James Wechsler, who retired.
Kiehne is on the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government board and until now has been a partner at a private firm.

CHACO CANYON-DRILLING
Archaeologists: More protections needed for Chaco region
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Archaeologists and other researchers are calling for more protections of an expansive area surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
In a report released Friday, they say increased oil and gas development in northwestern New Mexico has the potential to destroy parts of the landscape that could provide a better understanding of the ancient civilization that once inhabited the area.
The report comes as federal officials revamp a management plan that will guide development as more companies look to tap the region's shale deposits.
A world heritage site, Chaco and its outlying archaeological remnants have become the focus of the fight over expanded drilling.
Outside park boundaries, scientists say new technology has uncovered indiscernible sections of ancient roads. They also pointed to less tangible features that could be at risk, such as views of distant buttes or mountain peaks.

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION BAKE SALE
University students set up Affirmative Action Bake Sale
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Some University of New Mexico students held a campus bake sale, charging students based on their race.
A group called Turning Point USA set up an "Affirmative Action Bake Sale" on campus Thursday to question affirmative action practices.
Turning Point USA regional director William Witt set up a table of cookies and a sign with advertised prices of $1.50 for Asians, $1 for Caucasians, and 50 cents for black or Hispanic people.
Witt said certain groups get different opportunities than others and Turning Point USA believes affirmative action doesn't give equal opportunity.
Students called for Witt and the group to leave. They did. Their sign was destroyed.
A university spokeswoman said Turning Point USA is not recognized as an official student group on campus, but has applied to become one.

SENATOR-FRAUD CASE
Judge strikes prosecutor from witness list in fraud case
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — An unusual effort to call New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas as a witness in a high-profile corruption trial being prosecuted by his office has been rejected by a district court judge.
General Counsel Ken Stalter of the attorney general's office said that Judge Brett Loveless on Friday found that Griego's defense attorney had not been able to adequately justify calling Balderas as a witness.
A trial date is approaching for former Sen. Phil Griego on allegations he used his position as a state senator to profit from the 2014 sale of a state-owned building in Santa Fe without proper disclosure. Griego resigned from the Senate in 2015 amid an ethics investigation.

HEALTH OVERHAUL-NEW MEXICO
New Mexico insurance regulator opposes GOP health overhaul
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's top insurance regulator says a Republican drive to erase the Affordable Care Act would cripple the state's efforts to provide health coverage to the poor.
Insurance Superintendent John Franchini says the so-called Graham-Cassidy bill would greatly hinder New Mexico's efforts to provide health care to individuals and families living just above the federal poverty level. He hopes the initiative fails.
Senate Republicans continued a final push Thursday to repeal much of President Barack Obama's health care law. Their bill would end the Medicaid expansion and subsidies for people buying private insurance and combine the money into new block grants for states.
Meanwhile, New Mexico Medicaid officials have proposed adding monthly premiums and expanding co-payments to more patients to limit state expenses. Currently only isolated copayments are collected.