LOS LUNAS-MISSING WOMAN
Search continues for Los Lunas woman missing for 2 weeks
(Information from: KOB-TV, http://www.kob.com)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Valencia County Sheriff's officials say they're investigating what they call "suspicious circumstances" surrounding the case of a Los Lunas woman missing for nearly two weeks.
More than 200 people helped search Saturday for 49-year-old Rita Denise Jaramillo.
Albuquerque TV station KOB reports that searchers looked along the foothills of El Cerro, Monzana mountains and outskirts of Meadow Lake.
Sheriff's investigators are calling Jaramillo's disappearance suspicious because they say her home was intentionally set on fire.
Firefighters say they found tires in each room of the house, acting as accelerators in the blaze.
Authorities say Jaramillo's car also is missing.
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POWER PLANT CLOSURE
Closing generating station could have huge economic impacts
(Information from: The Daily Times, http://www.daily-times.com)
FARMINGTON, N.M. (AP) — One of the biggest issues looming over a northwestern New Mexico county is the potential closure of a coal-fired power plant in 2022 — about 20 years before the end of its useful life.
The Farmington Daily Times reports the closure of the San Juan Generating Station, which provides electricity to an estimated two million customers in the Southwest, is expected to have severe economic consequences for San Juan County.
A study commissioned by Four Corners Economic Development estimates closing the San Juan Generating Station and the accompanying San Juan Mine will lead to more than $105 million in lost wages in San Juan County and nearly 1,500 lost jobs.
The city of Farmington, in addition to lost taxes and jobs, will have to replace the electricity that it receives from the generating station.
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NEW MEXICO-MICHIGAN MAN KILLED
Police investigating killing seek group of young people
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Santa Fe police investigating the fatal shooting of a 64-year-old Michigan man visiting the northern New Mexico city are looking for five young people.
Richard Milan of Kalamazoo died Wednesday night after being shot while walking in his dog during a stop in Santa Fe on a return trip to Michigan from California.
Police spokesman Greg Gurule says investigators believe Milan was shot during a confrontation with a group of males and females in their late teens or early 20s.
Parishioners at a nearby church used linens and their own shirts to put pressure on Milan's wounds in an attempt to stop heavy bleeding.

FATAL HIT-AND-RUN
Man killed in hit-and-run on highway in western New Mexico
QUEMADO, N.M. (AP) — Authorities say 57-year-old man is dead after being struck by a hit-and-run vehicle in a rural area of western New Mexico.
The New Mexico State Police says Joseph Wayne Stewart of Veguita was struck by a westbound vehicle on U.S. 60 early Thursday morning about 5 miles (8 kilometers) east of the Arizona-New Mexico line.
According to the State Police, Stewart stopped his vehicle on the side of the highway, got out and was standing in the middle of the westbound lane when he was struck.
The State Police says evidence suggests that the hit-and-run vehicle was a tractor-trailer rig and that alcohol apparently was a factor of why Stewart was in the traffic lane on a dark and unlit section of the highway.

FARMINGTON-COLD CASE HOMICIDE
Farmington police reopen investigation into 1992 homicide
FARMINGTON, N.M. (AP) — Farmington police have reopened their investigation into the 1992 killing of a woman in hopes that advances in forensic sciences and the possibility of receiving new information from the public can crack the case.
Police say Carla Helmer hadn't gone to work for three days before she was found fatally stabbed in her home on Oct. 28, 1992.
According to police, evidence suggested Helmer knew her attacker and indicated she tried to fight off the attacker.
Police say people of interest were identified early on in the original investigation but that the case went cold after a few years and hasn't been solved after several additional reviews over the years.
Police say investigators are reviewing what evidentiary items can be re-examined.

ALBUQUERQUE AIRPORT-SUSPICIOUS BAG-THE LATEST
The Latest: 'All clear' pronounced at Albuquerque airport
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The Albuquerque airport is pronouncing "all clear" following a security concern involving a suspicions suitcase and airport operations have returned to normal.
The incident Saturday resulted in temporary closures of street access to the Albuquerque Sunport and of the west end of the airport terminal for about two hours.
A Police Department spokesman said the incident began when the suitcase was left unattended and an explosives-detection dog signaled interest in it.
Officer Simon Drobik said the bomb squad's examination of the suitcase found nothing dangerous and that there was no threat made in the incident.

SEXUAL MISCONDUCT-NEW MEXICO
New Mexico vets harassment allegations against lawmaker
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A public hearing has been scheduled on sexual harassment accusations by a former political lobbyist against a New Mexico state lawmaker who lost his re-election primary in June.
In documents published Friday, a bipartisan ethics subcommittee of eight House lawmakers scheduled two days in December to vet allegations by Animal Protection Voters staffer Laura Bonar that Democratic state Rep. Carl Trujillo of Nambe made inappropriate advances toward her in 2013 and 2014.
Trujillo denies the allegations and said Friday he is hoping to have authority to subpoena communications records and summon witnesses to testify. Bonar's attorney could not be reached immediately.
A report from a special counsel has backed up two allegations of harassment.
Any potential reprimand, censure or expulsion is subject to a full vote of the 70-member House.

EDUCATION FUNDING-NEW MEXICO
Struggling New Mexico schools may lengthen school year
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico lawmakers are studying ways to extend the typical school year by 10 days or more, with longer summer extensions at schools catering to low-income families.
A report from the Legislature's lead budget writing committee released on Friday puts a price tag on efforts to extend instructional time and shorten long summer gaps that increase disparities in learning.
Public education reforms are taking shape as the state judiciary threatens intervene and shore up New Mexico's struggling school system — potentially by injunction if the Legislature and executive branch do not act.
A July district court ruling is under appeal by departing Republican Gov. Susana Martinez, while two candidates to replace her in November elections are showing little or no enthusiasm for disputing a judge's guidance.

SHERIFF'S DEPUTY-HOMICIDE CASE
Defense questions plans for new charge against ex-deputy
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — An attorney for a former Santa Fe County sheriff's deputy says he questions prosecutors' motivation in planning to bring a voluntary manslaughter charge against the officer after two juries cleared him of murder in the shooting death of a fellow deputy.
Tom Clark's comments Friday came a day after District Attorney Mark D'Antonio in Las Cruces said his office will seek a grand jury indictment for voluntary manslaughter against Tai Chan. Clark questioned whether justice or ego is driving the decision.
Juries twice have been unable to reach unanimous verdicts on murder charges against Chan in the 2014 shooting of Deputy Jeremy Martin at a Las Cruces hotel.
Chan maintains he opened fire in self-defense after a night of drinking and arguing.
D'Antonio says he's seeking the lesser charge after consulting with police and Martin's family.

VAL KILMER-TUMBLEWEED SCULPTURES
Artist sues Val Kilmer over tumbleweed sculptures
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A Texas artist is suing Val Kilmer, saying the actor co-opted his work.
Bale Creek Allen says in a lawsuit filed Wednesday that he had been creating golden-laden tumbleweed sculptures for years and selling them in galleries in Austin, Texas, and Santa Fe when he noticed Kilmer had begun selling "identical" pieces.
Before the discovery, Allen says Kilmer had approached him about the sculptures, which the "Batman Forever" and "Tombstone" star ultimately said he could not afford. When the artist asked Kilmer to stop selling the pieces, the actor did not respond.
Kilmer, who used to own a ranch outside of Santa Fe, began selling his own artwork a couple years ago. He could not immediately be reached late Thursday for comment.
The lawsuit filed in federal court in New Mexico seeks unspecified damages.

FATAL SHOOTING-MICHIGAN MAN
Police: Michigan man fatal shot while walking in Santa Fe
(Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.santafenewmexican.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Santa Fe police say they have made no arrests in a fatal shooting that killed a Michigan man.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports the family of Richard Milan, who fatally shot Wednesday night, says he was on a cross-country road trip with his wife from California to their home in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
The 64-year-old man was fatally shot in the leg by an unknown attacker while he walking his dog by an abandoned McDonald's.
Santa Fe police announced Tuesday that Milan died at Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center.
On Thursday, Deputy Chief Ben Valdez said officers had made no arrests in Milan's death.
Police say the motive behind the shooting and how many people were involved is unknown.
Milan is the fifth homicide victim in Santa Fe this year.
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CHILD DEATH-MOTHER SENTENCED
New Mexico woman gets 15-year prison term in infant's death
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico woman has been sentenced to 15 years in a federal prison in connection with the death of her infant daughter in 2007.
Prosecutors say 36-year-old Sophia Zayas was sentenced Thursday after her conviction on a charge of child abuse resulting in great bodily harm.
Her husband, Peter Zayas, is scheduled to sentenced Oct. 2 on a negligent child abuse conviction.
At the time of his April 2012 arrest, Peter Zayas was stationed at Holloman Air Force Base.
Authorities say Sophia Zayes and her husband caused the October 2007 death of their 2-month-old daughter, who suffered fractures in her skull, ribs and arms.
In his plea agreement, Peter Zayas admitted he left the child in his wife's care despite knowing she had a history of alcohol abuse.

NATIONAL LABS-MONITORING
New Mexico to monitor national labs under renewed grant
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico environmental regulators will continue monitoring two national laboratories in the state under a grant renewed by the U.S. Energy Department.
The renewal helps to fund ongoing environmental oversight and monitoring by the state at Los Alamos National Laboratory in northern New Mexico and Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque.
Federal officials say the five-year grant provides a mechanism for independent monitoring at the labs and assures information is made public about the health, safety and environmental effects of certain activities at the labs.
The state Environment Department and the Energy Department have a similar agreement for monitoring the federal government's underground nuclear waste repository in southern New Mexico.

NEW MEXICO FENCE FIGHT
Ranchers, National Park Service square off over fencing
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Ranchers in northern New Mexico are squaring off with federal land managers over miles of unmended fencing along the boundary of Valles Caldera National Preserve.
They say park rangers last week rounded up cattle that had crossed the boundary without posting a notice of their intention to impound the animals. They say more than 300 cows and calves were corralled without hay and with little water for days until they could make the 300-mile roundtrip to trailer the livestock home.
The ranchers say the preserve has failed to maintain fencing to keep cattle out, but officials at Valles Caldera argue that New Mexico's fence-out laws are pre-empted by federal law and the responsibility belongs to the ranchers.
The dispute comes as the region grapples with drought, which has left pastures barren and watering holes dry.

CHILD DEATH-MOTHER SENTENCED
New Mexico woman gets 15-year prison term in infant's death
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico woman has been sentenced to 15 years in a federal prison in connection with the death of her infant daughter in 2007.
Prosecutors say 36-year-old Sophia Zayas was sentenced Thursday after her conviction on a charge of child abuse resulting in great bodily harm.
Her husband, Peter Zayas, is scheduled to sentenced Oct. 2 on a negligent child abuse conviction.
At the time of his April 2012 arrest, Peter Zayas was stationed at Holloman Air Force Base.
Authorities say Sophia Zayes and her husband caused the October 2007 death of their 2-month-old daughter, who suffered fractures in her skull, ribs and arms.
In his plea agreement, Peter Zayas admitted he left the child in his wife's care despite knowing she had a history of alcohol abuse.

VAL KILMER-TUMBLEWEED SCULPTURES
Artist sues Val Kilmer over tumbleweed sculptures
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A Texas artist is suing Val Kilmer, saying the actor co-opted his work.
Bale Creek Allen says in a lawsuit filed Wednesday that he had been creating golden-laden tumbleweed sculptures for years and selling them in galleries in Austin, Texas, and Santa Fe when he noticed Kilmer had begun selling "identical" pieces.
Before the discovery, Allen says Kilmer had approached him about the sculptures, which the "Batman Forever" and "Tombstone" star ultimately said he could not afford. When the artist asked Kilmer to stop selling the pieces, the actor did not respond.
Kilmer, who used to own a ranch outside of Santa Fe, began selling his own artwork a couple years ago. He could not immediately be reached late Thursday for comment.
The lawsuit filed in federal court in New Mexico seeks unspecified damages.

NATIONAL LABS-MONITORING
New Mexico to monitor national labs under renewed grant
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico environmental regulators will continue monitoring two national laboratories in the state under a grant renewed by the U.S. Energy Department.
The renewal helps to fund ongoing environmental oversight and monitoring by the state at Los Alamos National Laboratory in northern New Mexico and Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque.
Federal officials say the five-year grant provides a mechanism for independent monitoring at the labs and assures information is made public about the health, safety and environmental effects of certain activities at the labs.
The state Environment Department and the Energy Department have a similar agreement for monitoring the federal government's underground nuclear waste repository in southern New Mexico.

NEW MEXICO FENCE FIGHT
Ranchers, National Park Service square off over fencing
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Ranchers in northern New Mexico are squaring off with federal land managers over miles of unmended fencing along the boundary of Valles Caldera National Preserve.
They say park rangers last week rounded up cattle that had crossed the boundary without posting a notice of their intention to impound the animals. They say more than 300 cows and calves were corralled without hay and with little water for days until they could make the 300-mile roundtrip to trailer the livestock home.
The ranchers say the preserve has failed to maintain fencing to keep cattle out, but officials at Valles Caldera argue that New Mexico's fence-out laws are pre-empted by federal law and the responsibility belongs to the ranchers.
The dispute comes as the region grapples with drought, which has left pastures barren and watering holes dry.

RECORDS REQUESTS
Ruling upholds penalties for failing to produce records
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A court decision says New Mexico public agencies can be ordered to pay daily penalties of up to $100 for making incomplete or inadequate responses to request for public records.
The Court of Appeals' decision Monday overturns a District Court judge's ruling that an animal welfare activist who requested records wasn't entitled to damages after the Attorney General's Office initially failed to turn over hundreds of emails.
The Court of Appeals said the penalty is needed to provide an incentive for public bodies to properly respond to records requests.
The case now returns to District Court for further consideration.
A spokesman for the Attorney General's Office said the agency was reviewing its options.

ALBUQUERQUE GIRL KILLED
Man's trial delayed in case stemming from girl's death
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A man's scheduled trial on charges stemming from the 2016 killing of a 10-year-old girl at her family's Albuquerque apartment is being postponed because prosecutors are appealing a judge's ruling on evidence.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that the trial of Fabian Gonzales was supposed to start in mid-October but has been put on hold indefinitely pending a Court of Appeals ruling on use of evidence on alleged drug use.
Gonzales faces charges of tampering with evidence and child abuse resulting in death.
In another recent development in the case stemming from the death of Victoria Martens, a judge earlier this month rejected a plea deal for a woman charged in the case.
Gonzales is a cousin of the woman, Jessica Kelley, and was dating the girl's mother.

NAVAJO NATION-WELLS FARGO LAWSUIT
Federal judge dismisses Navajo's lawsuit against Wells Fargo
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that alleged Wells Fargo engaged in predatory and unlawful banking practices with members of the Navajo Nation.
The tribe filed the lawsuit last December in federal court in New Mexico. It sought recovery of improper fees, service charges and penalties on unauthorized cards and accounts.
Wells Fargo asked a judge to dismiss the case. The company argued many claims had been addressed through a previous consumer protection action and the tribe lacked standing to file other claims.
The judge agreed and dismissed the case Tuesday.
Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye says the tribe will consider appealing or refiling claims that were dismissed without prejudice.
Wells Fargo has five branches on the reservation that stretches into New Mexico, Utah and Arizona, and 12 others within a 30-minute drive.

SANTA FE HOMICIDE
Santa Fe police: No arrest so far in homicide
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Santa Fe police say no immediate arrest has been made in a homicide on the city's southwest side.
Police say officers responding to report of shots fired found the mortally wounded victim Wednesday night near Airport Road and Lucia Lane.
The victim's identity wasn't released.

RELIGIOUS SECT-CHILD ABUSE
Judge sentences leader of New Mexico religious sect
(Information from: KRQE-TV, http://www.krqe.com)
GRANTS, N.M. (AP) — A leader of a New Mexico paramilitary religious sect has been sentenced to more than seven decades in prison after her conviction in a child sex abuse case.
KRQE-TV reports a judge handed down a 72-year sentence for Deborah Green on Wednesday in Grants, following emotional testimony from a victim in the case.
Prosecutors said the case against the 71-year-old involved an infant who was taken from Uganda and mistreated throughout her life by the leader and members of an isolated Pentecostal sect.
Last year, authorities raided the sect's secluded Fence Lake compound in New Mexico over concerns about child abuse.
On Tuesday, a jury found Green guilty of kidnapping, criminal sexual penetration of a minor and child abuse.
Her attorney said the case stemmed from former sect members' vendettas against Green.
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ENDANGERED SALAMANDER
Santa Fe forest ordered to consider impacts on salamander
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A federal judge is ordering the Santa Fe National Forest to consider how the management of roads and trails across the northern New Mexico forest will affect an endangered salamander.
U.S. District Judge Martha Vazquez in a ruling made public Wednesday upheld an earlier decision in which a magistrate judge rejected arguments from the U.S. Forest Service that it was not obligated to consider the effects of travel management on the Jemez Mountain salamander.
Environmentalists applauded the decision, saying the federal agency has the power to take action to protect the species.
The salamander breathes through its skin and spends much of its life underground. Environmentalists say the integrity of its underground habitat is vital to its survival and that the compaction of soil from vehicles is a concern.

NMSU-VALERIE JARRETT
University: Former Obama adviser to address women's event
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — A former senior adviser for President Barack Obama is expected to speak at New Mexico State University next week.
The university says its Interdisciplinary Studies Department and Gender Studies Program has tapped Valerie Jarrett to present at the Women's Leadership Salon. The event is set for Monday evening at the university's College of Health and Social Services Auditorium in Las Cruces.
Valerie Jarrett served in the Obama White House through the duration of his presidency, working on public engagement and intergovernmental affairs until early 2017 when he left office.
Patti Wojahn, who heads NMSU's interdisciplinary studies program, called Jarrett a "role model and leader for women's equality."

HOLLOMAN AFB-COMMAND SHIFT
Holloman AFB being shifted to Air Force training command
ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (AP) — Supervision of Holloman Air Force Base and the 49th Wing assigned to the southern New Mexico base is being shifted from one Air Force command to another.
Holloman officials say on the base's website that the reassignment from the Air Combat Command to the Air Education and Training Command will take place during a ceremony scheduled Friday morning with the change take effect on Monday.
Holloman hosts training units for MQ-9 Reaper drones and for F-16V fighters.

NEW MEXICO COMPOUND
Prosecutor cancels grand jury in New Mexico compound case
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A district attorney is indefinitely postponing plans to seek grand jury indictments against five adults detained in August on suspicion of child neglect at a ramshackle compound in northern New Mexico.
Toas-area District Attorney Donald Gallegos said Wednesday that plans to convene a grand jury this week were canceled in deference to federal prosecutors who are pursuing firearms and conspiracy charges against the extended family. Gallegos says the federal case should go forward first.
Authorities found 11 children living in filth at the compound and later recovered the body of a severely disabled 3-year-old boy who they say was kidnapped by his father, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, in Georgia.
Charges of child abuse resulting in death were dropped against Wahhaj and wife Jany Leveille as federal authorities pursue separate charges.

CHILD CARE-LAWSUIT-THE LATEST
The Latest: New Mexico denies claims in child care lawsuit
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Officials with New Mexico's child welfare agency are calling claims that it is illegally denying child care assistance to thousands of low-income families preposterous.
Single mothers and an advocacy group sued the Children, Youth and Families Department late Tuesday, saying the agency is using vague regulations to deny child care assistance to families.
Department spokesman Henry Varela said Wednesday that the agency has been working to expand the program for vulnerable populations and that monthly participation has increased by about 4,500 children over the last three years.
He says funding for the program has increased by more than 60 percent since 2015.
The agency also disputes claims that families are not informed of their right to appeal when assistance is denied, saying they can seek a hearing and review their case documents.

UBER-DATA BREACH-SETTLEMENT
New Mexico to get $760K under states' settlement with Uber
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas says the state will receive approximately $760,000 under a $148 million nationwide settlement between 50 states and Uber.
The settlement announced Wednesday by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan stems from the ride-hailing company's yearlong delay in reporting a data breach to its affected drivers about the theft of their personal information.
Uber learned in November 2016 that hackers had accessed personal data, including driver's license information, for roughly 600,000 Uber drivers in the U.S. The company acknowledged the breach in November 2017, saying it paid $100,000 in ransom for the stolen information to be destroyed.
The states sued Uber, saying the company violated laws requiring it to promptly notify people affected by the breach.
​
GUNS-STATE LEGISLATURES-NEW MEXICO
New Mexico election provides stark choice on gun issues
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Two candidates for governor of New Mexico are offering starkly different visions on issues of gun control and public safety in a state where the Democrat-led Legislature has been reticent to approve major restrictions on firearms.
Republican Steve Pearce says new gun restrictions wouldn't necessarily improve safety, while Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham wants a ban on assault weapons more background checks on sales. The election is thrusting New Mexico back into a proxy battle between national groups on gun issues.
An Associated Press review of all firearms-related legislation in all states this year shows largely predictable and partisan patterns, with the exception of Florida and Vermont.
New Mexico lawmakers increased the penalty for illegal gun possession by violent felons and set aside about $40 million for school safety improvements.

SPACEPORT-NEW MEXICO
Spaceport in New Mexico seeks additional state subsidies
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's spaceport for vertical rocket and runway launches is asking for a 72 percent increase in funding from the state's general fund for the coming fiscal year.
Spaceport America CEO Dan Hicks was scheduled Wednesday to brief state lawmakers about operations and finances for the southern New Mexico facility.
The Legislature's lead budget-writing committee says the New Mexico Spaceport Authority is seeking a $700,000 increase, starting in July 2019, to its $976,000 annual allowance from the state general fund.
Virgin Galactic is the lead tenant at the spaceport and has tripled its lease payments this year. The company led by British billionaire Richard Branson plans to eventually use the spaceport to carry tourists on suborbital hops into the lower reaches of space.
That project has experienced numerous setbacks.

CLERGY SEX ABUSE-PRAYERS
Clergy sex abuse scandal prompts Gallup prayer gatherings
(Information from: Gallup Independent, http://www.gallupindependent.com)
GALLUP, N.M. (AP) — The Sisters' Council of the Diocese of Gallup is planning weekly prayer gatherings in response to the ongoing sex abuse scandal within the Catholic Church.
The sisters in a statement said they will commit themselves to praying the rosary either privately or with community members every Wednesday.
The Gallup Independent reports two local prayer gatherings are scheduled this Wednesday.
Sister Pat Bietsch, chair of the Sisters' Council, suggested the community prayer gatherings. She is among more than 60 Catholic sisters currently working in the Gallup Diocese.
She called the abuse "a grave sin," saying it has affected the diocese and the church immensely. She also said investigations in New Mexico and elsewhere must be transparent and that the council wants survivors to know the sisters will be praying for them.
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NAVAJO TECH-JOB TRAINING
Navajo Tech gets $1M for new workforce training center
CROWNPOINT, N.M. (AP) — More than $1 million is being awarded to Navajo Technical University to build a training center to help displaced workers from the energy sector develop new skills.
The Metrology and Materials Center at the Crownpoint campus will specialize in industries that include 3D metal printing, machining, robotics and advanced manufacturing.
The funding comes from the U.S. Commerce Department's Economic Development Administration. Officials there estimate that the effort could attract $15 million in private investment.
U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan says it's important for Navajos have high-tech tools within their communities to train the next generation of workers.
U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich said the center has the potential to bolster job training across the region, which has been home for decades to oil and gas development and mining.

EL MALPAIS-BAT FUNGUS
El Malpais soil tests positive for fungus lethal to bats
EL MALPAIS NATIONAL MONUMENT, N.M. (AP) — Test results indicate the presence of a fungus that has been linked to a disease lethal to bats in cave soil at El Malpais National Monument.
Officials at the monument said Tuesday tests done by an Arizona laboratory turned up low levels of the fungus that causes white nose syndrome, which has resulted in the deaths of millions of bats in other states.
Infected bats are roused from hibernation repeatedly, which forces them to consume winter fat stores and starve to death before awakening in the spring,
Managers at El Malpais say they're taking action to protect the bats that live in the many caves within the monument's lava formations. That includes requiring permits and setting up decontamination stations at cave trailheads for staff, researchers and visitors.

BORDER PATROL-CHIEF
Border Patrol's first female chief hopes to inspire women
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Border Patrol Chief Carla Provost says she hopes she can inspire other women to sign up with the agency, which has just one female agent for every 20 men.
Provost tells The Associated Press in an interview, "If you're a woman in law enforcement, I don't care where you're at, you're a minority."
Provost joined the agency in 1995 and became its acting chief in April 2017. She took over last month as the first female chief in its 94-year history.
The Border Patrol and its 19,000 agents have been under a constant spotlight and faced sharp criticism for its policies. Curbing immigration remains at the top of President Donald Trump's priorities, and the administration plans to add 5,000 Border Patrol agents.

LAWMAKER-DRUNKEN DRIVING-THE LATEST
The Latest: New Mexico lawmaker found guilty in DWI case
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico lawmaker has been found guilty of aggravated drunken driving.
The verdict was announced Tuesday following an hours-long bench trial in metro court for Monica Youngblood.
The three-term Albuquerque Republican was arrested in May on suspicion of aggravated DWI during a checkpoint stop.
Youngblood, who is running for re-election in November, has yet to be sentenced.
Police video of the stop shows she complied with a field sobriety test but refused a blood-alcohol test. After an officer told her he could smell alcohol, she responded by saying she hadn't consumed any since the day before.
She also mentioned she was a lawmaker who advocates for police, saying "I fight for you guys every time I get the chance. Seriously."

FOSTER CARE-LAWSUIT
New Mexico agencies, which claim foster care improving
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Officials at the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department and the state's Human Services Department dispute a critical federal class-action lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed Saturday by 13 children in state foster care, Disability Rights New Mexico and the Native American Disability Law Center, alleges that the Children, Youth and Families Department has failed to recruit, license and train an adequate number of people needed to ensure safe, supportive homes for foster youth.
The departments, in a joint emailed statement Monday, say they have made "significant (sic) progress in improving the foster care system and are constantly working to improve services for the children and families of New Mexico."
The lawsuit says children are being repeatedly uprooted and cycled in and out of short-term emergency placements.
The departments say the lawsuit is "out of step with reality."

NEW MEXICO-CRIME RATE
FBI: Crime increased in New Mexico in 2017
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The FBI's latest crime statistics show New Mexico again ranks among the most dangerous states.
The FBI's report released Monday shows the rates of violent crime and property crime in the state increased in 2017.
The state ranked first in the country for burglary and robbery and second in the country for motor vehicle theft behind Alaska — an improvement from 2016.
The same report shows the violent crime and murder rates declining nationally for the first time since 2014. And even after steady increases from 2015-16, the murder rates have remained at an overall rate not seen since the 1960s.
The FBI's annual statistics can include inconsistent data or at least make for difficult comparisons between communities due to the various ways different police departments gather and categorize information.

CLERGY SEX ABUSE
Feds: Priest blamed sex abuse on cancer he didn't have
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Prosecutors say a former New Mexico priest who fled the U.S. decades ago amid allegations of child sex abuse enticed victims with gifts, and once blamed his behavior on a cancer diagnosis he didn't have.
Arthur Perrault is scheduled Tuesday to appear in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque for a detention hearing as prosecutors seek to hold the 80-year-old until his trial for aggravated sexual abuse.
Court documents filed in federal court say victims described Perrault showering them with gifts and meals before abusing them.
Documents also said the Connecticut-born Perrault wrote an apology letter to the parents of one victim in 1971 and blamed his actions on cancer, which prosecutors say he never had.
Perrault was extradited to New Mexico last week from Morocco.
He has pleaded not guilty.

DWI CHECKPOINTS-POVERTY
Records: Most Santa Fe DWI checkpoints staged in poor areas
(Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.santafenewmexican.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Documents show most of the drunken driving checkpoints conducted by Santa Fe police since 2016 have been staged in the poorer parts of the city.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports documents obtained under a public records request found that 22 of the 27 DWI checkpoints conducted by the Santa Fe Police Department were dispatched in the in the south and southwest areas.
That's an area of the city where poorer residents and Mexican immigrants live as opposed to the more affluent areas of the city.
Documents show another eight checkpoints were planned in those poorer areas but canceled because the department didn't have enough officers to meet minimum staffing requirements.
Police Capt. Marvin Paulk says the department isn't discriminating but that the data tells police the poorer areas are where the checkpoints should be staged.
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BED BUG INFESTATION-LAWSUIT
Lawsuit: New Mexico apartments plagued by rats, bed bugs
(Information from: Las Cruces Sun-News, http://www.lcsun-news.com)
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — A southern New Mexico apartment complex has been hit with a class-action lawsuit by former tenants who say the place was plagued with bed bugs and rats.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reports a lawsuit recently filed in state district court by three former tenants said Desert Palms Apartments in Las Cruces, New Mexico, did nothing to stem the tide of bed bugs, rodents and roaches.
Former tenant Erica Olivas says rats were living in her stove. Olivas says she and her 13-year-old son injected rat feces from food cook in the stove.
Jeff Curry, who manages the property with JL Gray Company, says he feels terrible for former tenants and the complex is working with tenants who are experiencing issues.

STATE FINANCES-NEW MEXICO
New Mexico gets low marks for from debt watchdog group
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A group that emphasizes financial accountability in state government is giving New Mexico a poor grade based on the state's debt burden.
The group Truth in Accounting estimated Tuesday that New Mexico would need about $9,000 per taxpayer to pay off its bills — a debt load largely attributable to public pension and retiree health care liabilities.
Truth in Accounting CEO Sheila Weinberg says New Mexico ranks near the middle of the pack among states when outstanding bills are compared to assets that readily can used to pay off those obligations.
The group gave New Mexico a "D'' grade because obligations exceeded $5,000 per taxpayer as of in mid-2016. She says the state's audited financial reports include a rare disclaimer about reliability, and are consistently published later than most states.

REPUBLICAN LAWMAKER-DWI
DWI trial set to begin in Albuquerque for GOP state lawmaker
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The trial for a New Mexico lawmaker charged with aggravated drunken driving is scheduled to begin Tuesday in metro court in Albuquerque.
Monica Youngblood, a Republican from Albuquerque, was arrested in May on suspicion of aggravated DWI during a checkpoint stop.
Police video of the stop shows she complied with a field sobriety test but refused a blood-alcohol test. After an officer tells her he can smell alcohol, she responds by saying she hasn't consumed any since the day before.
She also mentions she is a lawmaker who advocates for police, saying "I fight for you guys every time I get the chance. Seriously."
Youngblood has pleaded not guilty. Her bench trial has been delayed twice in recent months.

INMATE ART
New Mexico inmates donate their art to hospital
HOBBS, N.M. (AP) — Inmates of the ministry program at southeastern New Mexico jail have donated art they created to a hospital.
The Hobbs News-Sun reports six inmates at the Lea County Correctional Facility in the University of the Southwest ministry program presented their paintings last week to Lea Regional Medical Center.
Center CEO Tim Thornell says the hospital has a gallery and the inmates' work will be a complement to art.
Inmates of the program created the canvases they painted out of sheets and recycled wood.
The University of the Southwest's prison ministry program started in 2015 and trains inmates to become pastors to peer inmates.

BLM-RANCHERS' CONCERNS
New Mexico ranchers worry about possible land restrictions
(Information from: Carlsbad Current-Argus, http://www.currentargus.com/)
CARLSBAD, N.M. (AP) — Some New Mexico ranchers are worried they could lose their way of life as the U.S. Bureau of Land Management revises its resource management plan.
The Carlsbad Current-Argus reports land could be subject to wilderness characterizations, which ranchers worry could restrict their land from commercial uses such as farming or ranching.
The Bureau of Land Management hosted a public meeting last week in Hope to solicit feedback from the public on the resource management plan's revision.
The resource management plan when finalized directs the bureau's Pecos District's management of federal lands in the region, which contains Eddy, Lea and Chaves counties.
In total, the resource management plan would affect nearly 3,300 square miles (about 8,600 square kilometers) of federally-managed surface, considering the needs of numerous industries, while balancing the need to conserve resources and wildlife.
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POTTERY STOLEN-CARJACKING
$8,000 in pottery stolen from SUV in Albuquerque
(Information from: KOB-TV, http://www.kob.com)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico couple says their prize-winning pottery collection worth an estimated $8,000 is missing after their SUV was carjacked in Albuquerque.
Ben Toya of Jemez Pueblo told KOB-TV he was in southeast Albuquerque last weekend looking for a client to deliver some of the works when the thieves jumped in his vehicle and drove away.
He says he was looking for directions when the thieves opened the door, punched him and dragged him down the street alongside his SUV.
The couple found the vehicle the next day but it was trashed inside and 40 pieces of pottery were missing.
They say the pieces can be identified by their ringed flower logo intertwined with signatures "B.G." Toya" along with "Jemez, New Mexico."
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HOMICIDE PROBE-PAJARITO MESA
1 teen suspect arrested, another sought in NM homicide
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico sheriff's deputies have arrested one teenage suspect and are searching for another in connection with a suspected homicide northwest of Santa Fe.
The Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office said Sunday they've issued a warrant for the arrest of 18-year-old Jonathan Herrera.
He's wanted in connection with the death of 30-year-old Ivan Bocanegra, whose body was found Sept 18 in an abandoned Chevrolet truck in the Pajarito Mesa.
Deputies arrested a 15-year-old suspect in the killing on Friday.
No other details have been released.
Anyone with any information regarding the whereabouts of Herrera, is urged to contact detectives at 505-975-9598 or call 505-843-STOP.

OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING-LAS CRUCES
Las Cruces police officer fires weapon; no one hurt
(Information from: Las Cruces Sun-News, http://www.lcsun-news.com)
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — Las Cruces police say an officer fired his weapon at the scene of an early morning domestic disturbance but the bullet didn't strike anyone.
No one was hurt. The suspect was taken into custody and criminal charges are pending.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reports the teenage daughter of a couple involved in the domestic disturbance called police at about 3:30 a.m. Sunday. She said a man armed with a pistol was threatening others in the 1300 block of Lees Drive.
Police say the suspect was ignoring their commands so one officer fired at least one round that didn't hit anyone.
The officer who discharged his weapon has been placed on administrative leave while the multi-agency officer-involved Incident Task Force investigates.
It marks at least the fifth officer-involved shooting in Las Cruces this year. Three previous incidents were fatal.
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LAW ENFORCEMENT-RECRUITING
Company launches new recruiting tools for law enforcement
(Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico advertising agency is marketing new social media-based recruiting tools in hopes of helping law enforcement agencies nationwide expand their ranks.
The Albuquerque Journal reports Boomtime went live with two new interactive websites and apps last month to boost New Mexico State Police and Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center efforts to connect with a younger generation of potential recruits. Now, the company is using those platforms as a model for other agencies across the country.
Boomtime marketing strategist Justin Butler says the company is "bringing police into the modern era of communications."
State Police Capt. Jesse Williams says Boomtime's tools are opening a new channel of communication to help resolve a chronic labor shortage that keeps the force well below the 704 officers authorized by the Legislature.
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ELECTION 2018-GOVERNORS
In governor's races, Trump emerges as a defining issue
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Governor's races are on the ballot in 36 states this year, and the common thread running through many of them has nothing to do with state policy: It's President Donald Trump.
Most of the races expected to be competitive in November are in states where Republicans now serve as governor. Trump's relative unpopularity presents another challenge for Republicans trying to defend those seats.
In Michigan, Trump has supported Republican Attorney General Bill Schuette in his run for governor against the Democrat, former legislative leader Gretchen Whitmer.
That may have helped Schuette in a competitive GOP primary, but it could cost him some support in the general election.
A similar theme is playing out in other states.

MORMON CHURCH-SEXUAL ABUSE LAWSUITS
Tribal members settle abuse cases against Mormon church
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — A lawyer says four Native Americans who claimed they were sexually abused while enrolled in a now-defunct Mormon church foster program decades ago have filed paperwork to dismiss their cases after reaching financial settlements.
Craig Vernon, an attorney who represented the tribal members, says the terms are confidential and include no admission of wrongdoing.
Allegations have been made against the church by more than a dozen tribal members from the Navajo Nation and Crow Tribe of Montana.
Four cases recently were settled, three were settled last year and others reached agreements out of court.
One case remains in Washington state.
A spokesman for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Eric Hawkins, declined comment. He says the settlement agreement prohibits any discussion about the terms.

POLICE SHOOTING
Las Cruces police officer fires weapon; no one hurt
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — Las Cruces police say an officer fired his weapon at the scene of an early morning domestic disturbance but the bullet didn't strike anyone.
No one was hurt. The suspect was taken into custody and criminal charges are pending.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reports the teenage daughter of a couple involved in the domestic disturbance called police at about 3:30 a.m. Sunday. She said a man armed with a pistol was threatening others in the 1300 block of Lees Drive.
Police say the suspect was ignoring their commands so one officer fired at least one round that didn't hit anyone.
The officer who discharged his weapon has been placed on administrative leave while the multi-agency officer-involved Incident Task Force investigates.
It marks at least the fifth officer-involved shooting in Las Cruces this year. Three previous incidents were fatal.

SKY DATA
Companies taking the future of IT services to the skies
(Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.santafenewmexican.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Two New Mexico companies are hoping to use solar-powered, fixed wing unmanned aerial vehicles to create a service that gathers data from the sky.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reported earlier this month that Wildflower International's CEO Kimberly deCastro sees the future of information technology taking off to the skies, and has partnered with Silent Falcon, which monitors wildfires for the U.S. Forest Service with its solar-powered, fixed wing UAV to get there.
Her company specializes in providing IT services and hardware for the federal government.
The first project the two will work on is a program with Pojoaque Pueblo that gives the Wildflower flight team needed experience.
Their aircrafts will fly over areas of the pueblo and locate and count bison. They will also help provide emergency services, such as lost hiker searches, and identify archaeological sites.
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CLERGY SEX ABUSE-THE LATEST
The Latest: Fugitive priest pleads not guilty to sex abuse
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A fugitive priest suspected of child abuse decades ago in New Mexico has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of abuse.
Arthur Perrault entered his plea Friday in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque following his arrest in Morocco and return to the U.S.
The 80-year-old Perrault is facing charges of criminal aggravated sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact in incidents that federal authorities say happened at Kirtland Air Force Base and Santa Fe National Cemetery in the 1990s.
Perrault vanished in 1992, just days before an attorney filed two lawsuits against the archdiocese alleging Perrault had sexually assaulted seven children.

ELECTION 2018-NEW MEXICO-VOTER REGISTRATION
Voter registration reminders mailed to 55,000 in New Mexico
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico election regulators are mailing nearly 55,000 postcards to eligible voters who are not yet registered.
Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said Friday in a news release that the notices include the Oct. 9 registration deadline to participate in elections that conclude on Nov. 6.
She said 17-year-olds who turn 18 by Nov. 6 were included in the mailing. Recipients are encouraged to register and update expired registrations online at NMvote.org .
Absentee voting begins Oct. 9. New Mexico residents are electing candidates for governor, secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer, attorney general, the Legislature, Congress and U.S. Senate.
Also on Friday, authorities began sending ballots to the qualified voters living abroad who previously submitted absentee applications.

NUCLEAR REPOSITORY
Public comment period ends on eyed nuke repository expansion
(Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.santafenewmexican.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The public comments period has ended on a proposal to expand the amount of radioactive and hazardous waste allowed at an underground nuclear waste repository in southern New Mexico.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports critics, however, are accusing the state Environment Department of rushing the approval process.
The criticism comes after a petition by 21 environmental groups to extend the public comment period to 90 days was rejected.
The U.S. Department of Energy and Nuclear Waste Partnership LLC, a private contractor that manages the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in Carlsbad, submitted a request early this year to change the way radioactive waste at the site is measured.
A measurement change could lead to a 30 percent increase in the amount of new waste allowed at the site.
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BLOOMFIELD-POLICE OFFICERS
Bloomfield considers combining law enforcement departments
(Information from: The Daily Times, http://www.daily-times.com)
BLOOMFIELD, N.M. (AP) — Bloomfield is considering getting law enforcement and fire protection support from the San Juan County Sheriff's Office as the city's police department continues to struggle with recruitment and retention.
According to an emailed statement by Mayor Cynthia Atencio drafted after consulting with city councilors on Thursday, the Bloomfield Police Department has lost five officers since January, bringing the number of officers down to 13.
The Farmington Daily Times reports Atencio says combining the police department with the sheriff's office could reduce costs, develop economies of scale and reduce duplication of functions.
She also thinks the merger would allow for better training, recruitment and retention because it would provide more money for more officers.
She says the city will hold community discussions on the proposal once it finishes collecting facts and figures.