CAMPAIGN WORKERS UNION-NEW MEXICO
Union for political campaigns expands to New Mexico
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The staff for New Mexico Democratic congressional candidate Debra Haaland has joined an upstart national labor union for election-campaign workers.
The Campaign Workers Guild announced Monday it had secured a union contract with Haaland's campaign that outlines minimum pay, working conditions and benefits for employees. The campaign currently employs four people, with an additional employee on leave for graduate studies.
Launched in February, the Campaign Workers Guild is making inroads into the often high-pressure work environments of election campaigning. It represents workers in 13 political campaigns, including nine congressional campaigns from Pennsylvania to California.
Haaland says she embraced the idea of unionizing when approached by staff members and that it fits with her support for a higher federal minimum wage and paid family leave guarantees.
NMJC-RAISES
New Mexico Junior College staff get 3 percent pay hike
HOBBS, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Junior College Board is giving staff members and hourly employees pay increases.
The Hobbs News-Sun reports the board voted last week to give staff members a three percent pay hike and hourly employees a 25 cent an hour spike.
In addition, the board extended NMJC president Kelvin Sharp's contract to June 30, 2021, and increased his salary from $223,000 per year to $229,600 per year.
Dan Hardin, NMJC vice president for finance, says the Hobbs school's finances are in good condition thanks to "conservative budgeting."
HIGHLANDS-COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
Retired military leader to speak to Highlands graduates
LAS VEGAS, N.M. (AP) — The former leader of the New Mexico National Guard is scheduled to give the commencement address to this spring's graduating class at New Mexico Highlands University.
Retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Melvyn Montano of Albuquerque will be the speaker for the May 12 commencement ceremony.
A Highlands alumnus, Montano's military career spanned more than four decades. He retired in 1999 as the adjutant general of the New Mexico Guard and was the first Hispanic to achieve this National Guard rank in the continental United States.
Montano says he's honored to speak at the commencement and plans to talk about leadership, ethics and integrity.
Montano also says education was highly valued in his family as his mother was a teacher. He earned a bachelor's and two master's degrees after returning from Vietnam.
TV-THE UNSETTLING
New television series to film in northern New Mexico
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A television series about a teenager who notices strange things in her new foster home will be filmed in northern New Mexico.
"The Unsetttling" starts filming later this month in Santa Fe and Lamy. It's produced by AwesomenessTV.
The series stars Holly Taylor, Tequan Richmond and An-Li Bogan under the direction of Chris Grismer.
The main character is a 16-year-old girl named Becca who can't identify the source of the strange activity.
The series is expected to employ 60 crew members, 10 actors and dozens for background talent in New Mexico.
BAIL REFORM-OPINION
New Mexico court issues opinion in pre-trial detention case
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Supreme Court says judges can't deny a defendant pre-trial release just because that person is accused of a crime that would have qualified for capital punishment had the state still allowed for death sentences.
The court in an opinion released Monday said first-degree murder isn't currently a constitutionally defined capital offense that would authorize a judge to categorically deny bail.
The opinion comes in the case of Muhammad Ameer, a suspect in a deadly stabbing and robbery last year in Albuquerque.
Prosecutors sought to keep Ameer in custody under the new rules that stemmed from a voter-approved bail reform amendment.
Instead, the district court ordered detention based on a 1912 constitutional provision providing an exception to the right to bail in capital offenses.
The lower court will now have to determine if Ameer should have been held under the new rules.
SOUTHERN PLAINS DROUGHT-WILDFIRES
After brief relief, forecasts indicate drought will continue
Recent showers temporarily relieved drought conditions in parts of the southwestern United States, but dry weather will persist through the summer.
Forecasters said Monday a months-long drought is considered "extreme" from southern California to central Kansas. Conditions are even worse in the Four Corners region and the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles.
The drought has contributed to numerous wildfires. Forecasters say it will last at least through July, with some improvement east of a line from Albuquerque to Denver.
The scientists said the desert-like air is responsible for some anomalies. At Alva, Oklahoma, the temperature last Tuesday climbed from 33 degrees to 101 in less than a day.
Also, Oklahoma hasn't had a tornado this year and storms aren't expected. The state hasn't had an April without at least one tornado.
OBIT-CODE TALKER HAWTHORNE
World War II Navajo Code Talker dies at 92
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — A Navajo Code Talker who used his native language to confound the Japanese in World War II has died.
The Navajo Nation says Roy Hawthorne Sr. died Saturday. He was 92.
Hawthorne enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps at 17 and became part of a famed group of Navajos who transmitted hundreds of messages in their language without error.
The code was never broken.
Hawthorne was one of the most visible survivors of the group. He appeared at public events and served as vice president of a group representing the men.
He never considered himself a hero.
Hawthorne later served with the U.S. Army.
He's survived by five children and more than a dozen grandchildren.
A funeral service is scheduled Friday.
MAYOR-WATER USE
Report: New Mexico mayor who urged saving water using a lot
(Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.santafenewmexican.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico mayor who campaigned on reducing water consumption appears to use significantly more water than most of his neighbors.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports documents show that Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber consumes way more water than the average single-family residential customer in the city he now leads.
And according to documents obtained under an open-records request, his water usage is only going up.
During certain months, the water usage at Webber's gated home is more than eight times what the average single-family residential customer in Santa Fe consumes.
Webber and his wife, Frances Diemoz, live in a nearly 5,000-square-foot home valued at nearly $1.15 million.
The mayor says he's taking steps to reduce his water usage.
The report comes as almost half of New Mexico is struggling with extreme drought conditions.
___
Union for political campaigns expands to New Mexico
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The staff for New Mexico Democratic congressional candidate Debra Haaland has joined an upstart national labor union for election-campaign workers.
The Campaign Workers Guild announced Monday it had secured a union contract with Haaland's campaign that outlines minimum pay, working conditions and benefits for employees. The campaign currently employs four people, with an additional employee on leave for graduate studies.
Launched in February, the Campaign Workers Guild is making inroads into the often high-pressure work environments of election campaigning. It represents workers in 13 political campaigns, including nine congressional campaigns from Pennsylvania to California.
Haaland says she embraced the idea of unionizing when approached by staff members and that it fits with her support for a higher federal minimum wage and paid family leave guarantees.
NMJC-RAISES
New Mexico Junior College staff get 3 percent pay hike
HOBBS, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Junior College Board is giving staff members and hourly employees pay increases.
The Hobbs News-Sun reports the board voted last week to give staff members a three percent pay hike and hourly employees a 25 cent an hour spike.
In addition, the board extended NMJC president Kelvin Sharp's contract to June 30, 2021, and increased his salary from $223,000 per year to $229,600 per year.
Dan Hardin, NMJC vice president for finance, says the Hobbs school's finances are in good condition thanks to "conservative budgeting."
HIGHLANDS-COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
Retired military leader to speak to Highlands graduates
LAS VEGAS, N.M. (AP) — The former leader of the New Mexico National Guard is scheduled to give the commencement address to this spring's graduating class at New Mexico Highlands University.
Retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Melvyn Montano of Albuquerque will be the speaker for the May 12 commencement ceremony.
A Highlands alumnus, Montano's military career spanned more than four decades. He retired in 1999 as the adjutant general of the New Mexico Guard and was the first Hispanic to achieve this National Guard rank in the continental United States.
Montano says he's honored to speak at the commencement and plans to talk about leadership, ethics and integrity.
Montano also says education was highly valued in his family as his mother was a teacher. He earned a bachelor's and two master's degrees after returning from Vietnam.
TV-THE UNSETTLING
New television series to film in northern New Mexico
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A television series about a teenager who notices strange things in her new foster home will be filmed in northern New Mexico.
"The Unsetttling" starts filming later this month in Santa Fe and Lamy. It's produced by AwesomenessTV.
The series stars Holly Taylor, Tequan Richmond and An-Li Bogan under the direction of Chris Grismer.
The main character is a 16-year-old girl named Becca who can't identify the source of the strange activity.
The series is expected to employ 60 crew members, 10 actors and dozens for background talent in New Mexico.
BAIL REFORM-OPINION
New Mexico court issues opinion in pre-trial detention case
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Supreme Court says judges can't deny a defendant pre-trial release just because that person is accused of a crime that would have qualified for capital punishment had the state still allowed for death sentences.
The court in an opinion released Monday said first-degree murder isn't currently a constitutionally defined capital offense that would authorize a judge to categorically deny bail.
The opinion comes in the case of Muhammad Ameer, a suspect in a deadly stabbing and robbery last year in Albuquerque.
Prosecutors sought to keep Ameer in custody under the new rules that stemmed from a voter-approved bail reform amendment.
Instead, the district court ordered detention based on a 1912 constitutional provision providing an exception to the right to bail in capital offenses.
The lower court will now have to determine if Ameer should have been held under the new rules.
SOUTHERN PLAINS DROUGHT-WILDFIRES
After brief relief, forecasts indicate drought will continue
Recent showers temporarily relieved drought conditions in parts of the southwestern United States, but dry weather will persist through the summer.
Forecasters said Monday a months-long drought is considered "extreme" from southern California to central Kansas. Conditions are even worse in the Four Corners region and the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles.
The drought has contributed to numerous wildfires. Forecasters say it will last at least through July, with some improvement east of a line from Albuquerque to Denver.
The scientists said the desert-like air is responsible for some anomalies. At Alva, Oklahoma, the temperature last Tuesday climbed from 33 degrees to 101 in less than a day.
Also, Oklahoma hasn't had a tornado this year and storms aren't expected. The state hasn't had an April without at least one tornado.
OBIT-CODE TALKER HAWTHORNE
World War II Navajo Code Talker dies at 92
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — A Navajo Code Talker who used his native language to confound the Japanese in World War II has died.
The Navajo Nation says Roy Hawthorne Sr. died Saturday. He was 92.
Hawthorne enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps at 17 and became part of a famed group of Navajos who transmitted hundreds of messages in their language without error.
The code was never broken.
Hawthorne was one of the most visible survivors of the group. He appeared at public events and served as vice president of a group representing the men.
He never considered himself a hero.
Hawthorne later served with the U.S. Army.
He's survived by five children and more than a dozen grandchildren.
A funeral service is scheduled Friday.
MAYOR-WATER USE
Report: New Mexico mayor who urged saving water using a lot
(Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.santafenewmexican.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico mayor who campaigned on reducing water consumption appears to use significantly more water than most of his neighbors.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports documents show that Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber consumes way more water than the average single-family residential customer in the city he now leads.
And according to documents obtained under an open-records request, his water usage is only going up.
During certain months, the water usage at Webber's gated home is more than eight times what the average single-family residential customer in Santa Fe consumes.
Webber and his wife, Frances Diemoz, live in a nearly 5,000-square-foot home valued at nearly $1.15 million.
The mayor says he's taking steps to reduce his water usage.
The report comes as almost half of New Mexico is struggling with extreme drought conditions.
___
RSS Feed