Deming Radio
  • HOME
  • ADVERTISE
  • LOCAL
  • STATE
  • OBITUARIES
  • HOMETOWN HAPPENINGS
  • Programs
  • Slow Jams
  • FACEBOOK

New Mexico State News for Monday July 31, 2017

7/31/2017

0 Comments

 
LOCKED UP-NEW MEXICO
Lawyer: New Mexico man serving de facto life without parole

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The prison term of a New Mexico man who was convicted of rape as a teenager and remains ineligible for parole until he's at least 62 is among the cases being challenged nationwide on grounds they amount to de facto juvenile life-without-parole sentences.
Joel Ira is now 36 and petitioning for release before the state Supreme Court. His attorney say his sentence, handed down for crimes when he was 14 and 15, should be overturned in light of U.S. Supreme Court rulings that found mandatory juvenile life-without-parole terms unconstitutional.
Records show Ira is among 103 New Mexico inmates sentenced to 20 years or more for crimes they committed as juveniles.
However, corrections officials say there are no known inmates facing life terms without parole for juvenile offenses.

NAVAJO NATION-SOLAR FARM
Navajo Nation entity starts solar farm amid station closing

KAYENTA, Ariz. (AP) — A Navajo Nation entity has taken its first step to generating electricity by starting a solar farm.
The Daily Times of Farmington, New Mexico, reports the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority recently started operating the 27.3-megawatt Kayenta Solar Project on 200 acres (.8 square kilometers) near Kayenta, Arizona.
Officials say it is the first large-scale solar energy facility on the reservation.
Solar farm project manager Glenn Steiger says the closing of the Navajo Generating Station is leaving a hole in power generation in the region. He says that hole ultimately will be filled with renewable energy.
Steiger says the solar panels are equipped to position flat when wind speeds increase more than 50 mph. He says two weather stations on site monitor wind speed, temperature and humidity.

ZOMBIE FILM-CLOSING SCHOOL
Students at closing Santa Fe arts college making zombie film

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Students at a closing Santa Fe art college hope to leave a legacy with a going-away zombie film.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports students at the soon-to-be closed Santa Fe University of Art and Design are making the school's first-ever feature-length movie, and likely its last.
The zombie film is being produced by holdover film students, recent graduates and faculty.
Declining enrollment, general financial trouble and the failure of a proposed sale to a Singapore-based education company prompted college leaders to announce in April they would shutter the school after the 2018 spring semester.
Some staff members have been laid off as the school consolidates operations for the coming "teach-out" period.

NEVADA MONUMENT-ZINKE-THE LATEST
The Latest: Interior chief heading back to Washington early

BUNKERVILLE, Nev. (AP) — U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke toured two national monuments in Nevada on Sunday and canceled plans for meetings Monday in the Las Vegas area in order to head back to Washington, D.C., for what he said will be a Cabinet meeting involving President Donald Trump's top appointees.
Zinke met reporters outside a rancher's home in Bunkerville, the hometown of jailed cattleman and anti-government icon Cliven Bundy about 80 miles (129 kilometers) northeast of Las Vegas. He didn't meet with any Bundy family members.
The head of the department that includes the Bureau of Land Management made it clear he believes in small-sizing national monuments.
But he didn't say he has made any decisions about whether to downsize the sprawling Gold Butte and Basin and Range monuments created last year by President Barack Obama before he left office.

NAVAJO GIRL KILLED
Suspect in Navajo girl's killing expected to change his plea

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A man charged in the death of an 11-year-old girl in a remote part of the largest American Indian reservation is expected to change his plea.
Tom Begaye is scheduled to attend a change-of-plea hearing in federal court Tuesday, although it is not known if his lawyers and federal prosecutors have struck a deal. Begaye previously pleaded not guilty to murder, sexual abuse and other charges.
Begaye is accused of luring Ashlynne Mike into his van in May 2016. Mike was reported missing, but an Amber Alert didn't go out until the next day.
She was later found in an area near the Arizona-New Mexico border.
Her death prompted federal legislation that would expand the Amber Alert system to tribal communities.

DOMESTIC DISPUTE-SHOOTING
Man shot during domestic disturbance at mobile home

(Information from: Alamogordo Daily News, http://www.alamogordonews.com)
ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (AP) — Alamogordo police are investigating a shooting where a 36-year-old was wounded during a domestic dispute.
The Alamogordo Daily News reports officers found a man suffering from a gunshot wound outside a mobile home Saturday.
An Alamogordo Police Department spokesman says the man was taken to hospital for treatment. His injuries appear to be non-life threatening.
Lt. Dave Kunihiro says there was a domestic disturbance at the home when the man was shot.
Police are questioning multiple suspects and witnesses. Kunihiro says there may be charges after the investigation ends.

BIKER GANGS-HOSPITAL LOCKDOWN
Biker gangs shooting sparks Santa Fe hospital lockdown

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A shooting involving two rival motorcycle gangs prompted a temporary lockdown of a Santa Fe hospital.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center was placed on lockdown for more than an hour late Saturday after a member of the Vagos Motorcycle Club was taken to the hospital's emergency room.
Santa Fe police Capt. Robert Vasquez says that member was shot by a rival motorcycle gang member near Franklin E. Miles Park.
Police say visitors to the Vagos Motorcycle Club member who was shot came flooding into the emergency room, prompting the lockdown.
Hospital spokesman Arturo Delgado says patient flow was never stopped during the "brief lock-down" imposed for "precautionary measures."
No arrests were made.

SELF-DRIVING CARS-NEW MEXICO
New Mexico lawmakers may eye self-driving car legislation

(Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Self-driving cars and how they would operate in New Mexico may be an issue before state lawmaker next year.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that Transportation Secretary Tom Church told state lawmakers last week that Gov. Susana Martinez may add the topic to the agenda of the 30-day session beginning in January.
New Mexico doesn't have any legislation on the books addressing autonomous vehicles.
The federal government has proposed model legislation for states regulating the circumstances under which vehicle manufacturers can test and operate autonomous vehicles.
Church says New Mexico is one of several states that will participate in an experiment in the next few months involving trucks that communicate with one another and move in a "platoon," allowing them to stay close together on a trip.
___

0 Comments

New Mexico State News for Sunday July 30, 2017

7/30/2017

0 Comments

 
MISSING TORTOISE-RETURNED
Missing 115-year-old tortoise returned to New Mexico owner

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A 115-year-old desert tortoise that disappeared from its garden at a New Mexico senior living community was returned.
The Albuquerque Journal reports the tortoise, Diablo, was returned Friday to Manzano del Sol Village. He had ventured to the backyard of a nearby home after a family bought the shell-wearing wanderer from kids at a local park.
Millie Tjeltweed, who owns Diablo, says she doesn't know the circumstances of the tortoise's disappearance.
Tjeltweed says the family that purchased Diablo called the senior living community after seeing a news report on the tortoise's disappearance. Tjeltweed and some administrators from the facility went over to the home, and Tjeltweed was able to verify that it was her pet of 35 years.

TRUCK STOP-FIGHT
Proposed truck stop near Santa Fe faces setback amid protest
(Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.sfnewmexican.com)

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A proposed truck stop near Santa Fe that is drawing opposition from some residents has suffered a setback.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that Santa Fe County rejected the developer's application Friday, finding it incomplete. That means partners in the venture would have to file a new application next month.
County spokeswoman Kristine Mihelcic says the Pilot Flying J Co. application lacked a plan and profile stamped by a New Mexico-registered engineer for site access.
The proposal to construct a 24-hour travel center southwest of the Interstate 25 interchange with New Mexico 14 has inflamed nearby residents.
They have packed meetings held this summer by the national truck stop giant and hope to establish a firewall of community opposition early in the development review process.

ALBUQUERQUE POLICE SHOOTINGS
Family of woman shot by Albuquerque police eye DNA gun test

(Information from: KOB-TV, http://www.kob.com)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The family of a woman shot and killed by an Albuquerque police officer is asking a court to force him to take a DNA test.
KOB-TV in Albuquerque reports the family of Mary Hawkes believes former officer Jeremy Dear planted the gun police say Hawkes was holding when Dear shot her.
Lawyers for the family say Hawkes' DNA didn't show up on the gun.
The court is expected to rule in late August on whether Dear will have to take a DNA test or not. The request comes as part of a wrongful death lawsuit the family has filed against Dear and the city of Albuquerque.
Dear's lapel camera turn off before he shot and killed her three years ago.

GIRL KILLED-SHOOTING
Teen girl dies in Las Cruces shooting

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (AP) — Police in Las Cruces are investigating the shooting death of a teenage girl.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reports she died after at least one shot was fired from the street toward a home on Monte Vista Street.
The girl was pronounced dead at the scene. Her age and name were not immediately released.
The street was closed for the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call police.

UNIVERSITY CHANCELLOR CUTS WEEDS
NMSU chancellor gets on tractor to cut weeds

(Information from: Las Cruces Sun-News, http://www.lcsun-news.com)
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — The chancellor of New Mexico State University got so tired of looking at weeds on campus he decided to remove them himself.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reports the university's grounds crew took Chancellor Garrey Carruthers on his offer this week to take out a tractor and a disk to cut some weeds. He told the university's grounds crew that if they didn't have time to cut those weeds he'd do the job.
University spokeswoman Justin Bannister says Carruthers hopped into a John Deere tractor and spent almost an hour cutting weeds in the field to the west of the Las Cruces Convention Center.
The former New Mexico governor tweeted he was having "great fun" and could "do this all day.
His family owns a farm in northwest New Mexico.

LAS CRUCES POLICE CHIEF
Las Cruces Police Chief Jaime Montoya to retire on Dec. 23

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — Las Cruces Police Chief Jaime Montoya has set his retirement date for later this year.
City Manager Stuart Ed announced Friday that Montoya will retire on Dec. 23.
He was named police chief in December 2013.
Montoya is a 26-year veteran of the Las Cruces Police Department.
He holds a bachelor's degree from New Mexico State University and graduated from the Las Cruces Police Academy in 1991.
During his career, Montoya served as a patrol officer, traffic officer, detective, sergeant, lieutenant and deputy chief in charge of the department's operations and budget.

NATIONAL MONUMENTS-NEW MEXICO
Zinke tours New Mexico to review monuments

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke steered clear of a heavily attended public forum about the future of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument in southern New Mexico, as he traveled the state in a nationwide review of 27 national monument designations by previous presidents.
The meeting at the Las Cruces Convention Center on Thursday evening was heavily attended by supporters of the nearby national monument as well as some critics.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reported that Zinke held closed-door conversations with local residents and officials. He did not overtly state support or opposition for reducing the size of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks monument.
Zinke is scheduled Friday to meet with supporters of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument in northern New Mexico that is credited with boosting tourism.

HEALTH CARE OVERHAUL-MARTINEZ
Gov. Martinez urges Congress to keep trying on health care

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez is urging Congress to keep trying to fix the Affordable Health Care Act.
Martinez spokesman Joseph Cueto said Friday the Republican governor believes lawmakers need to find a solution that abolishes the "damaging fees" imposed on working families and businesses by Obamacare.
Cueto said Martinez also wants taxes on medicine and medical devices removed.
He said Martinez still believes that the Affordable Health Care Act "has been a complete disaster" because it raises premiums on families and businesses.
The U.S. Senate failed early Friday to pass a measure aimed at repealing parts of the health care law passed under President Barack Obama.
0 Comments

New Mexico State News for Saturday July 29, 2017

7/29/2017

0 Comments

 
UNIVERSITY WEEDS
NMSU chancellor gets on tractor to cut weeds 

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — The chancellor of New Mexico State University got so tired of looking at weeds on campus he decided to remove them himself.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reports (https://goo.gl/e2tNVf) the university's grounds crew took Chancellor Garrey Carruthers on his offer this week to take out a tractor and a disk to cut some weeds. He told the university's grounds crew that if they didn't have time to cut those weeds he'd do the job.
University spokeswoman Justin Bannister says Carruthers hopped into a John Deere tractor and spent almost an hour cutting weeds in the field to the west of the Las Cruces Convention Center.
The former New Mexico governor tweeted he was having "great fun" and could "do this all day.
His family owns a farm in northwest New Mexico.

​NATIONAL MONUMENTS-NEW MEXICO
Zinke tours New Mexico to review monuments

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke steered clear of a heavily attended public forum about the future of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument in southern New Mexico, as he traveled the state in a nationwide review of 27 national monument designations by previous presidents. 
The meeting at the Las Cruces Convention Center on Thursday evening was heavily attended by supporters of the nearby national monument as well as some critics.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reported that Zinke held closed-door conversations with local residents and officials. He did not overtly state support or opposition for reducing the size of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks monument.
Zinke is scheduled Friday to meet with supporters of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument in northern New Mexico that is credited with boosting tourism.

BAIL-LAWSUIT
New Mexico Supreme Court sued over pre-trial detention rules

(Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Supreme Court is being sued over its recently issued pre-trial detention rules that allow defendants to be held without chance of bond.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that a group that includes five state legislators and the Bail Bonds Association of New Mexico filed the lawsuit Friday.
The suit seeks injunctive relief and damages plus a preliminary injunction to block the Supreme Court rules pending outcome of the litigation.
According to the lawsuit, the state's high court has restricted "the liberty of presumptively innocent defendants without offering the one alternative to substantial pre-trial deprivations that the Constitution expressly protects — monetary bail."
The Journal reports state Sens. Richard Martinez, Bill Sharer and Craig Brandt plus state Reps. Bill Rehm and Carl Trujillo are plaintiffs in the suit.

HEALTH CARE OVERHAUL-MARTINEZ
Gov. Martinez urges Congress to keep trying on health care

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez is urging Congress to keep trying to fix the Affordable Health Care Act.
Martinez spokesman Joseph Cueto said Friday the Republican governor believes lawmakers need to find a solution that abolishes the "damaging fees" imposed on working families and businesses by Obamacare.
Cueto said Martinez also wants taxes on medicine and medical devices removed.
He said Martinez still believes that the Affordable Health Care Act "has been a complete disaster" because it raises premiums on families and businesses.
The U.S. Senate failed early Friday to pass a measure aimed at repealing parts of the health care law passed under President Barack Obama.

JUDGE-SECRET RECORDINGS
New Mexico judge faces criminal complaint for secret tapings

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A criminal complaint has been filed against a suspended New Mexico magistrate court judge accused of secretly recording private conversations at a courthouse.
The New Mexico Attorney General's Office confirmed Friday the office filed a criminal complaint and summons against Connie Johnston in the Eleventh Judicial District Court in San Juan County.
The complaint accuses Johnston of six counts of reading or copying a telegraph or telephone communication of another and violating the Governmental Conduct Act.
The New Mexico Supreme Court suspended Johnston in 2015 from her position as an Aztec Magistrate Court judge.
In March, a district court judge found Johnston in contempt after she failed to provide recordings and transcripts of private conversations captured in the Aztec Magistrate Court building.
Johnston's attorney, Sean Olivas, did not immediately return an email from The Associated Press.

MILITARY-TRANSGENDER-STATES
19 attorneys general seek military transgender protections

HONOLULU (AP) — The top legal officers in 18 states and the District of Columbia are asking Congress to pass legislation prohibiting discrimination against transgender service members.
Hawaii Attorney General Douglas Chin sent the letter dated Thursday. It asks the chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate Armed Services committees to include transgender protections in the National Defense Authorization Act. Eighteen other attorneys general also signed the document.
The letter says President Donald Trump's policy banning transgender service members from the military "violates fundamental constitutional and American values."
Attorneys general from the following joined Hawaii in signing the letter: California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.

FRAUD RESTITUTION
Las Cruces man to pay about $371K restitution in fraud case

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — A Las Cruces man accused of defrauding two elderly persons since 2015 has been ordered to pay more than $371,000 in restitution.
Prosecutors say Raiden Castro pleaded no contest Thursday to 18 counts of fraud.
Castro was accused of defrauding a 79-year-old Las Cruces woman out of more than $300,000 in 2015 and 2016 and a 93-year-old Las Cruces man out of more than $60,000 in December 2016 and January 2017.
He was arrested in January.
According to police investigators, Castro approached potential customers as the owner of landscaping and detailing businesses and befriended them before embezzling cash from them.
Castro has been ordered to undergo a 60-day diagnostic evaluation before sentencing.
Prosecutors say they intend to ask for 25 years in prison, with all but 10 years suspended.

ANIMAL SHELTER-NEW MEXICO
Bernalillo County's animal shelter set to open summer 2018

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Bernalillo County's first animal shelter is scheduled to be completed the by the end of summer 2018.
The Albuquerque Journal reports the shelter will be 17,140 square feet (1,600 square meters) and will have room for about 120 dogs, 67 cats and several other types of animals, including larger ones like horses.
It will also offer veterinary care, pet adoption, microchipping, spaying and neutering in addition to other services.
Misha Goodman, the animal care services director for Bernalillo County, says the county plans to have several other volunteer and recreational opportunities made available to residents, including a possible camp for children.
County Commissioner Steven Michael Quezada says the project will cost $7.8 million. It was approved by voters through bonds that were on the ballot in 2012, 2014 and 2016 general elections.

POLICE SHOOTING-BERNALILLO COUNTY
Bernalillo County Sheriff's Dept.: Carjacking suspect dead

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department says a carjacking suspect was fatally shot in an encounter with deputies after abducting two people and injuring a deputy.
The Sheriff's Department says the incident happened Friday morning in the Isleta Pueblo area as law enforcement officers sought a man who initially was sought for attempting to steal a golf cart.
According to the department, the suspect broke into a home and abducted two people who then were seen and heard pounding on a window of their car and screaming for help.
The department says shots were fired by at least one pursuing deputy after the stolen vehicle was stopped but then pinned a deputy who was on foot.
The deputy was hospitalized with at least one broken bone. The hostage weren't hurt.
0 Comments

New Mexico State News for Friday July 28, 2017

7/28/2017

0 Comments

 
ESCAPED INMATE
New Mexico inmate mistakenly released caught in Albuquerque

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Authorities say an inmate who mistakenly was released from a central New Mexico county jail by posing as another inmate has been caught.
New Mexico State Police said Ryan Griffin was caught earlier Thursday morning in northwest Albuquerque, more than 12 hours after he walked out of a Sandoval County jail.
Sandoval County spokesman Sidney Hill says Griffin was released by mistake when he posed as another inmate.
His escape paralyzed the city of Bernalillo and the bedroom community of Enchanted Hills in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.
Residents were urged to lock their doors and not go outside Wednesday evening. The Sandoval County Sheriff's Office erected check points and searched cars leaving the area.
Griffin faces charges related to credit card theft.

ARTESIA-WATER
Water troubles in Artesia may not be over after E. coli find

(Information from: Carlsbad Current-Argus, http://www.currentargus.com/)
ARTESIA, N.M. (AP) — Water problems may continue in a southeastern New Mexico community despite the lifting of a boil-water alert in the wake of the discovery of E. coli.
The Carlsbad Current-Argus reports state experts say the chlorine flushing used to disinfect Artesia's water of E. coli could create even more concerns for the rural city's distribution system.
That chlorination could cause poisonous levels of lead and copper to leach into the system.
The city could be required to either stop the chlorine treatment, which could bring back the bacteria or find another avenue for treatment.
Officials in Eddy County lifted a boil water advisory on Monday that was issued nearly 10 days after E. coli was found.
Artesia Municipal Water System and Morningside Water Users Cooperative customers were affected.

MARTINEZ-UTAH-BUSINESS
Gov. Martinez in Utah for economic development fishing trip

(Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has traveled to Utah in an effort to draw businesses to her state.
The Albuquerque Journal reports the Republican governor landed to Salt Lake City on Thursday for what her team described as an economic development fishing trip.
The two-term governor took similar trips last year to Chicago and California. The Governor's Office says a 2015 trip to California helped pave the way for Facebook to pick New Mexico for the site of a massive new data center.
Martinez spokesman Joseph Cueto says Martinez will meet with business leaders and executives with the Outdoor Industry Association while in Utah.
The Outdoor Retailer show, a twice-yearly expo that's tied to the Outdoor Industry Association, announced earlier this year it was leaving Utah due to disagreement over public land issues.

NEW MEXICO CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES
Another Democratic lawyer jumps in New Mexico Congress race

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Another Democrat is jumping into an already crowded race for an open congressional seat in central New Mexico.
Annie Chavez, an attorney and Sandia National Laboratories government relations official, announced Thursday she will become the eighth Democrat to join a crowded primary to succeed U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham.
Lujan Grisham is seeking the Democratic nomination for New Mexico governor.
Chavez served aide to former Sen. Jeff Bingaman and previously taught middle school.
She said in Congress she would seek to create new high-tech jobs.
Chavez is running against former U.S. Attorney Damon Martinez, former state Democratic Party Chairwoman Debra Haaland, Albuquerque City Councilor Pat Davis, physicist Dennis Dinge, Edgewood Mayor Pro Tem John Abrams, attorney Damian Lara and former law professor Antoinette Sedillo Lopez.
Attorney Michael Hendricks and former state lawmaker Janice Arnold-Jones are seeking the GOP nomination.

VOTING COMMISSION-NEW MEXICO
New Mexico rebuffs 2nd Trump voter data request

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's secretary of state says she is refusing to release any personal information about voters in response to a second request for voter data from President Donald Trump's commission investigating alleged voter fraud.
Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said in a news release Thursday she will never release to the commission personal voter information that is protected by law such as social security numbers and birthdates. She says sharing the information likely would discourage voter registration.
The commission repeated its request for voter data first made in June after a federal court rejected a legal challenge by a privacy advocacy group.
Election officials in at least 17 states have refused to comply. Some say providing the data would undermine voters' privacy and worry the commission is politically motivated.

NATIONAL MONUMENTS-NEW MEXICO
Zinke tours New Mexico to review monuments

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke steered clear of a heavily attended public forum about the future of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument in southern New Mexico, as he traveled the state in a nationwide review of 27 national monument designations by previous presidents.
The meeting at the Las Cruces Convention Center on Thursday evening was heavily attended by supporters of the nearby national monument as well as some critics.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reported that Zinke held closed-door conversations with local residents and officials. He did not overtly state support or opposition for reducing the size of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks monument.
Zinke is scheduled Friday to meet with supporters of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument in northern New Mexico that is credited with boosting tourism.

AP-US-BORDER-MAYORS
US-Mexico border mayors convene amid high-stakes debates

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The first meeting of the U.S.-Mexico Border Mayors Association since Donald Trump became president of the United States begins Thursday as the stakes of debate in their nation's capitals could hardly be higher for the region of 12 million people stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.
Trump is moving ahead with plans to build a border wall and the U.S., Mexico and Canada are preparing to overhaul the 23-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement, a favorite Trump punching bag.
Trump is moving ahead with plans to build what he has called a "big, beautiful wall" separating the two countries and to add 5,000 Border Patrol agents, despite uncertainty about how much Congress will agree to pay.
Also, the U.S., Mexico and Canada are preparing to overhaul the 23-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement, one of Trump's favorite punching bags.

NEW MEXICO REPUBLICANS-VANDALISM
2 protesters accused of vandalizing New Mexico GOP office

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The Republican Party of New Mexico headquarters has been hit with spray paint, and officials say two protesters are responsible.
New Mexico GOP spokesman Dominic Pacheco said Thursday a receptionist saw the demonstrators paint a red "A'' on the Albuquerque headquarters building sign before fleeing.
The protesters arrived Thursday afternoon and held signs accusing Republicans of promoting "hatriotism." The two female protesters told a reporter with The Associated Press they were from the group Betsy Riot.
The group's website says members are "neosuffragists and punk patriots" whose mission is the rescue the country from President Donald Trump. The group says it engages in "street theater, disruption, and creative acts of trumpculture sabotage."
No arrests have been made.
Betsy Riot said in a statement the protesters used red energy drink and the "A'' stood for an expletive.

0 Comments

New Mexico State News for Thursday July 27, 2017

7/27/2017

0 Comments

 
CHILDREN IN HOT CAR-ARRESTS
1 of 2 kids left in hot car dies; day care workers arrested

PORTALES, N.M. (AP) — Authorities in Portales say two in-home day care workers who are mother and daughter were arrested on suspicion of child abuse after two young children were left in a hot car. One child is dead and the other clinging to life.
Police say responding officers found the children not breathing Tuesday afternoon. The children's ages weren't released.
Deputy District Attorney Brian Stover says police believe the two children were left in the vehicle after one of the workers returned from taking six children to a park.
Neighboring Clovis' high Tuesday was 95 degrees.
Police say 67-year-old Mary E. Taylor and 31-year-old Sandi Taylor were arrested and jailed on suspicion of child abuse and jailed pending court appearances. It's not immediately known if they have attorneys

NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR'S RACE
Emily's List propels Congresswoman's bid for governor

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The president of Emily's List says the advocacy group for Democratic female candidates who support abortion is determined to help Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham win the race for governor of New Mexico in 2018.
Emily's List President Stephanie Schriock said Wednesday during a visit to New Mexico that her organization already is helping to raise money for Lujan Grisham's campaign and providing strategic support.
Emily's List contributed $66,000 to New Mexico state legislative candidates and $100,000 to the Democratic caucus in 2016 elections as Democrats took back majority control of the Statehouse.
Schriock says the organization is backing Lujan Grisham in the Democratic primary as it seeks to increase the number of Democratic female governors beyond two, and ensure Democratic influence over the upcoming legislative redistricting process.

BUDGET CRUNCH
New Mexico extends surge in state tax revenues

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico state government is reporting a fourth straight month of increased tax revenues compared with last year.
Revenue figures published on Wednesday show the state's fiscal footing growing stronger in May. The Legislative Finance Committee says government income from taxes, fees and investments increased by 32 percent in May to $589 million over the same month last year.
The recent rebound in state revenues is being led by taxes, rents and royalties from the oil and natural gas industries, along with sales-style taxes on business receipts.
Revenues from personal and corporate income taxes have fallen as high paying oil oilfield jobs dissipate and the state gradually reduces corporate tax rates.
The state has struggled to avoid a budget deficit over the past year amid a stagnant economy.

NATIONAL MONUMENTS-NEW MEXICO
Interior secretary to visit Las Cruces amid monuments review

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is scheduled to visit Las Cruces this week in connection with the Trump administration's review of Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument.
Zinke is slated Thursday to meet with supporters and opponents after touring the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument by helicopter. He is not scheduled to attend a town hall meeting at the Las Cruces Convention Center.
The Rio Grande del Norte National Monument and the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument are among 27 monuments where a review ordered by President Donald Trump might remove protections previously considered irreversible.
The review is rekindling a fierce debate about oversight of lands marked by ancient petroglyphs and towering mountain spires.
The New Mexico Cattle Growers Association is urging Trump to eliminate certain large-scale national monuments.

ESCAPED INMATE
Federal inmate escapes from a New Mexico detention facility

BERNALILLO, N.M. (AP) — Authorities say a federal inmate has escaped from the Sandoval County Detention Facility in New Mexico.
County Sheriff's officials say Ryan Griffin was being held on undisclosed federal charges at the time of the escape.
They didn't immediately provide details about the escape Wednesday, saying only that it is under investigation.
Sheriff's officials say Griffin has cut his hair and is clean shaven now.
Authorities say they are searching for Griffin in an area of Bernalillo.

PUBLIC DEFENDER SHORTAGE-THE LATEST
The Latest: No quick decision on public defender caseloads

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Supreme Court is taking no immediate action on a petition from public defenders who say they are overwhelmed by cases from poor defendants, indicating that more than a day is needed to deliberate complex issues.
In oral arguments before the court on Wednesday, Assistant New Mexico Attorney General Regina Ryanczak said evidence is insufficient to prove that public defense attorneys are stretched too thin to provide effective legal representation.
Supreme court justices peppered Ryanczak and others with questions about what might be done to ease pressure on busy public defenders. Ryanczak suggested easing requirements for a speedy trial.
David Henderson of the Law Offices of the Public Defender says caseloads for public defenders in Lea County last year vastly exceeded recommended limits. He says poor defendants were left without legal representation at bail proceedings.

MEDICAID FRAUD-ELDER ABUSE
New Mexico's AG cracking down on Medicaid fraud, elder abuse

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas has unveiled new public service announcements designed to crack down on statewide Medicaid fraud and elder abuse.
The AG's Office announced Wednesday that Balderas plans to contact state agencies and Medicaid providers regarding the new initiative and asking for the partnership of both the providers and agencies in the new initiative.
Balderas also will be reaching out to the community for information through two new public service announcements.
He says the new commercials will help New Mexicans better identify and report Medicaid fraud, and neglect and abuse in facilities.
Approximately 40 percent of New Mexicans access Medicaid benefits and Medicaid dollars pay for seven in 10 babies born in the state.

0 Comments

New Mexico State News for Wednesday July 26, 2017

7/26/2017

0 Comments

 
DOCTOR-SEXUAL ASSAULT
Farmington doctor arrested on sexual assault charges

(Information from: The Daily Times, http://www.daily-times.com)
FARMINGTON, N.M. (AP) — A Farmington doctor is facing charges after police say he sexually abused a female patient multiple times last year.
The Daily Times of Farmington, New Mexico, reports that Alan Emamdee was arrested last week and charged with six counts of criminal sexual penetration and five counts of criminal sexual contact.
Authorities say the 40-year-old Emamdee was a psychiatrist at the San Juan Health Partners Behavioral Health office along with his wife, Nausika Prifti.
San Juan Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Laura Werbner says Prifti is no longer employed at the hospital.
San Juan Regional said in a statement an investigation is underway, and the hospital is cooperating with law enforcement.
It was not known if Emamdee had an attorney.

PUBLIC DEFENDER SHORTAGE

New Mexico Supreme Court weighs burden on public defenders

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Supreme court is considering whether public defense attorneys are being stretched too thin to provide an adequate defense to poor people confronting possible jail time.
The Law Offices of the Public Defender wants the court to help defense attorneys keep up with overwhelming case numbers by dismissing some nonviolent citations, recruiting volunteer attorneys and taking other emergency measures. Oral arguments take place Wednesday.
State and local prosecutors say the concerns are overblown. A district judge rejected attempts by defense attorneys to turn down cases in southeastern New Mexico.
The American Bar Association and other national advocacy groups warn that excessive caseloads deprive some poor defendants of a competent defense. Local defense attorneys say caseloads again are spinning out of control, this time in rural Lincoln County.

DARK MONEY RULES
New Mexico adjusts rules for dark-money groups in politics

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico campaign finance regulators are making some adjustments as they move forward with a proposal for more detailed financial disclosures from nonprofit advocacy groups that attempt to influence elections.
In response to public comments, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver on Tuesday released revised rules aimed at so-called dark money groups that can spend unlimited amounts to influence elections and ballot measures when acting independently.
Several conservative-backed groups with a statewide and national presence say Toulouse Oliver is overstepping her authority by requiring that independent expenditure groups disclose their contributors.
Toulouse Oliver says New Mexicans have a right to know who is paying for ads that attempt to influence their vote. Revisions rules would raise the spending threshold to $2,500 before independent expenditure groups must reveal their contributors.

TEST SCORES-NEW MEXICO
Larger New Mexico high schools continue to struggle on PARCC

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New results show many high schools in New Mexico's four largest cities continue to struggle with upper-level math and reading tests.
An analysis by The Associated Press of data released this week on PARCC tests showed a majority of high school students in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Rio Rancho and Santa Fe combined didn't score proficient or better in math and reading in 2017.
And while some high schools in the four cities have proficiency rates above the state average, others have meager rates.
At Highland High School in Albuquerque, for example, only 20 percent of 11th graders tested proficient in reading.
Rio Rancho high schools had some of the best 11th-grade reading scores in the state, but around 75 percent still didn't test proficient in Geometry and Algebra II.

NEW MEXICO-I-25 SHOOTING-THE LATEST
The Latest: State Police: No injuries in shooting on I-25

ALGODONES, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico State Police spokeswoman says gunfire between an armed robbery suspect and law enforcement officers on Interstate 25 left a stolen truck and police vehicles shot up with bullet holes but that nobody was injured and the suspect is in custody.
Lt. Elizabeth Armijo says the suspect stopped on the freeway in Algodones (ahl-goh-DOHN'-ehz) after pursuing State Police and Santa Fe County officers returned fire when the suspect shot at police vehicles on southbound I-15 north of Albuquerque.
Armijo says the pursuit began when a sheriff's deputy in southern Santa Fe spotted a pickup stolen Tuesday morning during an armed robbery in southern San Miguel County.
The State Police spokeswoman says officers returned fire because the suspect was putting their lives and the public in danger and needed to be taken into custody.
Algodones is 25 miles (40.23 kilometers) north of Albuquerque.

ZIKA VIRUS-MOSQUITOES
More mosquitoes capable of transmitting the Zika virus found

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Authorities say mosquitoes capable of transmitting the Zika virus have been found in New Mexico's Otero and Hidalgo counties.
New Mexico Department of Health officials say there have not been any identified human cases of Zika virus in either county to date.
Ten cases of Zika virus disease were reported in New Mexico last year.
Aedes mosquitoes previously have been trapped and identified in eight counties around New Mexico.
Zika virus can be transmitted to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito.
The mosquitoes become infected when they feed on a person already infected with the virus.
Infected mosquitoes can then spread the virus to other people through bites.

WAGON MOUND SCHOOLS-FIGHT
Optic probe: Wagon Mound schools had ineligible board member

(Information from: Las Vegas Optic, http://www.lasvegasoptic.com)
WAGON MOUND, N.M. (AP) — A northeastern New Mexico school district is locked in a legal battle with its superintendent after an ineligible board member voted on her contract.
A two-month Las Vegas Optic investigation found the Wagon Mound Public Schools board had two ineligible board members within the past three years, further complicating the ongoing court fight.
Wagon Mound Public Schools Superintendent Sheryl McNellis-Martinez recently sued the school district of roughly 70 students after the board voted to invalidate a previous board vote on her contract because of an ineligible board member.
The Optic discovered former board member Tammie Avent was never a registered voter in Mora County, where the district is located. Another former board member, Debbie Coca, was told she was ineligible to serve because she lived in another town.

POLICE SHOOTING-BERNALILLO COUNTY
Bernalillo County Sheriff's Dept.: Deputy wounds suspect

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department says a deputy shot and wounded a suspect during a struggle.
Few details on the circumstances have been released but the department says the deputy was responding to a call about a crime when the shooting occurred in the Albuquerque area early Tuesday morning following a foot pursuit.
The department says the wounded suspect is hospitalized and that the deputy is uninjured and has been placed on standard administrative leave.


0 Comments

New Mexico State News Tuesday July 25, 2017

7/25/2017

0 Comments

 
TEST SCORES-NEW MEXICO
New Mexico student reading scores up, math stagnant

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New results show New Mexico student reading tests scores across the state rose slightly, but math scores remain stagnant.
Numbers released Monday show around 29 percent of students tested this spring are proficient or better in reading, and about 20 percent are proficient or better in math.
That was a slight jump for reading scores in 2017 while math results fell .2 percentage points.
Still, the results revealed that since the introduction of assessments developed by the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC, less than a third of all New Mexico students are proficient.
The tests are designed to show how well schools helped students meet Common Core standards.
State Education Secretary Christopher Ruszkowski says more than 15,000 students are reading and doing math at grade-level since the test was introduced in 2015.

SURPRISE MEDICAL BILLS
New Mexico survey highlights surprise medical billing

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico health insurance regulators say nearly one-third of medical patients have received large surprise bills over the past two years for services that were outside an individual's insurance provider network.
Preliminary results of a statewide survey by the Office of the Superintendent of Insurance on surprise billing show that 31 percent of respondents were charged for medical care that they thought was in-network at more expensive out-of-network rates.
State Insurance Superintendent John Franchini says the federally sponsored poll highlights the need for consumer-protection reforms modeled after legislation in other states.
His agency will gather comments from consumer groups, medical providers and the insurance industry at a stakeholder meeting Thursday. A failed bill this year would have helped resolve charges for out-of-network medical care provided without a patient's consent.

VOLKSWAGEN-NEW MEXICO
New Mexico to get $18M from Volkswagen emissions settlement

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico is set to receive $18 million following a settlement connected to the Volkswagen smog device emissions scandal.
The New Mexico Environment Department announced Monday that the agency will disburse $18 million in settlement funds, most likely for projects that will reduce nitrogen oxide levels.
Volkswagen Group of America acknowledges rigging 11 million of its vehicles with software used to cheat on vehicle emissions tests.
Environmental regulators say some of the VW vehicles emitted up to 40 times the allowed levels of unhealthy nitrous oxides when on the road.
The settlement also requires Volkswagen to invest $2.9 billion in an independently administered environmental trust for all 50 states.

NAVAJO NATION-COLORADO LAND
Navajo Nation eyes possible purchases of Colorado ranchland

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation has created a committee to look into the purchase of ranchland in Colorado that's home to two sacred mountains.
The Gallup Independent reports Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye believes the purchase of prime land in Colorado would make the citizens of the Navajo Nation whole.
Begaye said on Wednesday that the executive office committee found about 26 square miles (67 square kilometers) of land on the Wolf Springs and Boyer ranches, which are in south-central Colorado.
The price tag for the property is $23 million.
Begaye says the ranch has 200 head of cattle and more than 300 head of bison, which the tribe could use to expand the Navajo beef business and produce bison meat, which sells for about double the price of beef.

GIRL SCOUTS-NEW BADGES
Robots, race cars and weather: Girl Scouts offer new badges

NEW YORK (AP) — The Girl Scouts of the USA is unveiling a major push this week into furthering the interest of girls in science, engineering, technology and math through 23 new badges.
Scouts as young as kindergarten will be able to dig deep into robotics, with help in the younger age groups from the girl-focused toy company GoldieBlox. Other offerings among the new badges focus on the outdoors, including meteorology and conservation.
Next year, "Cybersecurity" badges will be offered.
Scouting Vice President Jennifer Allenbach oversaw the new programming effort. She says engaging girls in STEM before second grade goes a long way in nudging them into those fields for schooling and careers.

FLOODING-SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO
30 people evacuated from homes due to New Mexico flooding

HATCH, N.M. (AP) — Authorities say approximately 30 people in southern New Mexico were evacuated from their homes overnight due to flooding in the Hatch and Garfield areas of northern Dona Ana County.
County officials say a temporary shelter has been set up at the Hatch Community Resource center and that drones are being used to help assess damage to roads and structures.
Heavy equipment is being used to shore of the banks of several arroyos and additional sandbags have been ordered to augment supplies at fire stations in the area.

KIRTLAND-JET FUEL SPILL
Canceled Kirtland jet fuel spill meeting irks activists
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Environmental activists are expressing anger at Kirtland Air Force Base for canceling a meeting on the cleanup of a jet fuel spill in Albuquerque.
Advocates from Citizen Action New Mexico and the Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice say they don't see why the air force base and state environmental officials canceled the meeting scheduled for Thursday aimed at giving residents an update on cleanup efforts.
Kirtland Air Force Base and the New Mexico Environmental Department announced last week they were canceling the quarterly community meeting so officials could review two reports. They say reports give more information on the extent of fuel contamination and an evaluation of exposure risk.
First detected in 1999, the fuel leak is believed to have been seeping into the ground for decades.

ARTESIA-WATER ADVISORY
Week-long Artesia water boil advisory may end soon

(Information from: Artesia Daily Press, http://www.artesianews.com)
ARTESIA, N.M. (AP) — Residents in a southeastern New Mexico community are hoping that a week-long water boil advisory will be lifted soon.
The Artesia Daily Press reports that test results of 10 water samples tested negative for any bacteria in Artesia this weekend. If state officials come up with the same results, the boil advisory could be lifted as early as Monday.
The New Mexico Environment Department issued the boil advisory last weekend, which includes the city of Artesia as well as surrounding homes that rely on the Morningside Water Users Cooperative.
State officials said the presence of E. coli indicates that the water may have been in contact with sewage or animal wastes and could contain disease-causing organisms.
The Artesia municipal water system serves about 14,000 people.

0 Comments

New Mexico State News for Monday July 24, 2017

7/24/2017

0 Comments

 
ARTESIA-WATER ADVISORY
Week-long Artesia water boil advisory may end soon

(Information from: Artesia Daily Press, http://www.artesianews.com)
ARTESIA, N.M. (AP) — Residents in a southeastern New Mexico community are hoping that a week-long water boil advisory will be lifted soon.
The Artesia Daily Press reports that test results of 10 water samples tested negative for any bacteria in Artesia this weekend. If state officials come up with the same results, the boil advisory could be lifted as early as Monday.
The New Mexico Environment Department issued the boil advisory last weekend, which includes the city of Artesia as well as surrounding homes that rely on the Morningside Water Users Cooperative.
State officials said the presence of E. coli indicates that the water may have been in contact with sewage or animal wastes and could contain disease-causing organisms.
The Artesia municipal water system serves about 14,000 people.

KIRTLAND-JET FUEL SPILL
Canceled Kirkland jet fuel spill meeting irks activists

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Environmental activists are expressing anger at Kirtland Air Force Base for canceling a meeting on the cleanup of a jet fuel spill in Albuquerque.
Advocates from Citizen Action New Mexico and the Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice say they don't see why the air force base and state environmental officials canceled the meeting scheduled for Thursday aimed at giving residents an update on cleanup efforts.
Kirtland Air Force Base and the New Mexico Environmental Department announced last week they were canceling the quarterly community meeting so officials could review two reports. They say reports give more information on the extent of fuel contamination and an evaluation of exposure risk.
First detected in 1999, the fuel leak is believed to have been seeping into the ground for decades.

ALASKA NATIVE POET
Alaska Native poet Joan Naviyuk Kane coming to Santa Fe

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Alaska Native poet Joan Naviyuk (nah-VEE'-YUK') Kane is coming to Santa Fe to give a public reading.
Kane is scheduled to read from her work on Tuesday at the Institute of American Indian Arts as part of the school's "Summer Readers Gathering."
The Inupiaq (inn-oo-PEE'-AHK') poet will be joined by poet Carolyn Forché and short story writer Toni Jensen.
Kane grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, with family from King Island and Mary's Igloo, Alaska. She is the author of the poetry collections "Hyperboreal."

TAX REFUND LOANS-LAWSUIT
Business sued over tax-refund-anticipation loans

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — In a federal class-action lawsuit, an Albuquerque law firm accuses a loan company with offices in Gallup, Farmington, Shiprock and Chinle, Arizona, of making predatory tax-refund-anticipation loans to people living in and around the Navajo Nation.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports the lawsuit claims the plaintiffs representing the class were charged an "unconscionable" 385 percent annual interest rate on a $1,250 loan they obtained in November 2014.
The suit also accuses the defendants of violating the Truth in Lending Act, willful breach of contract and unjust enrichment.
According to the complaint, the three defendants in the case — T&R Market Inc., Tancorde Finance Inc. and T&R Tax Service Inc. — are all part of business venture that makes thousands of tax-refund-anticipation loans each year.

SHOOTING RAMPAGE-SUSPECT
Shooting rampage suspect twice tried to escape from jail

(Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.sfnewmexican.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Authorities say a man accused of killing five people in a shooting rampage in northern New Mexico last month has twice attempted to escape from the Rio Arriba County jail and also assaulted a guard.
County Sheriff James Lujan told the Santa Fe New Mexican authorities are hoping to get 21-year-old Damian Herrera transferred to a New Mexico Department of Corrections facility.
Lujan calls Herrera a danger and a menace to the county jail.
Herrera remains held without bond as he faces five open counts of murder.
He's accused of shooting his stepfather, younger brother and mother at their La Madera home and then fleeing in the family's vehicle.
Authorities say Herrera later fatally shot a Tres Piedras man and killed a man at a gas station in Abiquiu.

SHADY DEAL-SANTA FE
Shady deal? Santa Fe shade tents chided for lack of shade

(Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.sfnewmexican.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A shady deal in Santa Fe is drawing scrutiny because it's not a complete cover up.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports a $320,000-state-funded project that installed 94 prefabricated shade structures around New Mexico's capital is being criticized for not covering playground equipment or picnic tables. And depending on the time of day, the shade cast is minimal.
Resident Elisa Boyles says the tent-like, 12-foot by 12-foot tarps mounted on metal poles were useless. That's because she says the structures don't seem to provide much shade where the kids play as intended.
Santa Fe County commissioner Anna Hansen defended the shade structures and says they are "quite attractive" and do provide at least some shade when the sun is in the right spot.

NAVAJO CHIEF JUSTICE-RESIGNING
Acting chief justice for Navajo Nation to resign over health

(Information from: The Daily Times, http://www.daily-times.com)
FARMINGTON, N.M. (AP) — The acting chief justice for the Navajo Nation is stepping down.
The Daily Times of Farmington, New Mexico, reports the Navajo Nation Judicial Branch recently announced Allen Sloan is resigning at the end of July.
Sloan told the Daily Times that health concerns prompted his retirement.
Sloan, who is originally from Coalmine Canyon, Arizona, has worked with the branch for 28 years. He has been acting chief justice since July 2015.
Sloan's retirement leaves Associate Justice Eleanor Shirley as the only permanent member of the high court on the largest American Indian reservation in the country.
The Supreme Court consists of a chief justice and two associate justices.

ENDANGERED FISH-RECOVERY
Scientists find 'salmon of the southwest' in San Juan River

FARMINGTON, N.M. (AP) — A fish that federal officials say was once widely known as the "salmon of the southwest" is showing signs of recovering its diminished population in the San Juan River basin.
The Farmington Daily Times reported Monday scientists say they have found evidence the Colorado pikeminnow is reproducing in the San Juan River, and the offspring are surviving.
This conclusion is based on data gathered last year following the spring peak release from Navajo Dam.
A release by the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife Services says scientists found more Colorado pikeminnow in the San Juan River than in previous years. They also found 23 yearling fish. Prior to last year, only one juvenile fish had been caught by scientists since work began in the 1990s to restore habitat.

0 Comments

New Mexico State News for Sunday July 23, 2017

7/23/2017

0 Comments

 
SHADY DEAL-SANTA FE
Shady deal? Santa Fe shade tents chided for lack of shade

(Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.sfnewmexican.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A shady deal in Santa Fe is drawing scrutiny because it's not a complete cover up.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports a $320,000-state-funded project that installed 94 prefabricated shade structures around New Mexico's capital is being criticized for not covering playground equipment or picnic tables. And depending on the time of day, the shade cast is minimal.
Resident Elisa Boyles says the tent-like, 12-foot by 12-foot tarps mounted on metal poles were useless. That's because she says the structures don't seem to provide much shade where the kids play as intended.
Santa Fe County commissioner Anna Hansen defended the shade structures and says they are "quite attractive" and do provide at least some shade when the sun is in the right spot.

NAVAJO CHIEF JUSTICE-RESIGNING
Acting chief justice for Navajo Nation to resign over health

(Information from: The Daily Times, http://www.daily-times.com)
FARMINGTON, N.M. (AP) — The acting chief justice for the Navajo Nation is stepping down.
The Daily Times of Farmington, New Mexico, reports the Navajo Nation Judicial Branch recently announced Allen Sloan is resigning at the end of July.
Sloan told the Daily Times that health concerns prompted his retirement.
Sloan, who is originally from Coalmine Canyon, Arizona, has worked with the branch for 28 years. He has been acting chief justice since July 2015.
Sloan's retirement leaves Associate Justice Eleanor Shirley as the only permanent member of the high court on the largest American Indian reservation in the country.
The Supreme Court consists of a chief justice and two associate justices.

ENDANGERED FISH-RECOVERY
Scientists find 'salmon of the southwest' in San Juan River

FARMINGTON, N.M. (AP) — A fish that federal officials say was once widely known as the "salmon of the southwest" is showing signs of recovering its diminished population in the San Juan River basin.
The Farmington Daily Times reported Monday scientists say they have found evidence the Colorado pikeminnow is reproducing in the San Juan River, and the offspring are surviving.
This conclusion is based on data gathered last year following the spring peak release from Navajo Dam.
A release by the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife Services says scientists found more Colorado pikeminnow in the San Juan River than in previous years. They also found 23 yearling fish. Prior to last year, only one juvenile fish had been caught by scientists since work began in the 1990s to restore habitat.

ALBUQUERQUE-THREE SHOT-THE LATEST
The Latest: Albuquerque police: 14-year-old fatally shot

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Albuquerque police say a 14-year-old boy was the person fatally shot when two other people were wounded in the parking lot of a pizza parlor.
The family of Martin Recio says he was at the restaurant for dinner with friends when he was shot Friday night. The other victims are said to be in serious but stable condition.
Sister Amanda Recio tells the Albuquerque Journal https://goo.gl/y95JM4 ) that hearing of her younger brother being shot ripped her heart from her chest.
Police say they haven't made an arrest but previously said witnesses told of seeing somebody run away after multiple gunshots were fired.

PUBLIC RECORD-SCHOOL DISTRICT
School district spent $90K in fight over records on probe

GALLUP, N.M. (AP) — The school district serving the Gallup area spent $90,000 successfully fending off a legal challenge to its decision to withhold documents associated with an investigation of a former superintendent.
The Gallup Independent reports that Gallup-McKinley County Schools spent the money through May 31 on legal fees leading up to a judge's ruling that the documents sought by the newspaper were not public under the state Inspection of Public Records Act.
The district said it withheld the documents because they contained personal information of an employee or employer, and District Judge Lyndy Bennett said the documents were exempt because they were "rife with opinion regarding the employer/employee relationship and performance assessments."
The district has not disclosed why Frank Chiapeti was fired as superintendent.

FATAL TUBING ACCIDENT
2 people die in separate tubing accidents in Colorado
GOLDEN, Colo. (AP) — Authorities say two people have died in tubing accidents in Colorado this week.
Golden police say a 48-year-old woman, whose name has not been released, flipped off of her inner tube and went underwater Friday afternoon. She resurfaced downstream and was pulled from the water.
Firefighters and park rangers performed CPR, but the woman died at a hospital.
Meanwhile, The Durango Herald reports https://goo.gl/gwrpwF 31-year-old Manuel Gallegos, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was taken off of life support Thursday. Gallegos, who was not wearing a life jacket or helmet, was critically injured when he fell out of his inner tube at the Animas River Whitewater Park in southwestern Colorado on Sunday.
His death has been ruled an accident.

FIRE RESTRICTIONS LIFTED
Monsoon ends fire restrictions in Cibola National Forest

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — No fire restrictions remain in effect in the Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands as fire danger has been reduced due to monsoon precipitation.
Forest officials say restrictions that were in place on two ranger districts that include the Sandia and Manzano mountains near Albuquerque and its environs have been canceled.
Fire Management Officer Anthony Martinez of the Mountainair Ranger District says most people have respected the fire restrictions and that there have been a few abandoned campfires.

OJ SIMPSON-RACIAL DIVIDE
'Let 1994 go': Simpson case's racial symbolism now a relic

Millions of Americans watched O.J. Simpson's parole hearing last week, but audiences were not as emotionally invested in the ex-football player's fate as they were a generation ago.
Simpson's 1995 acquittal in the deaths of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman bitterly polarized Americans around race.
But interest in Simpson has waned as attitudes have changed and black Americans are wrestling with more familiar injustices.
Simpson is expected to be released from a Nevada prison in October after he was granted parole Thursday.
His 2008 conviction on robbery and assault charges carried a maximum sentence of 33 years and was largely seen as payback for the acquittal verdict.
While the issues around race and policing remain today, Simpson's racial symbolism is largely seen as a relic.
0 Comments

New Mexico State News for Saturday July 22, 2017

7/22/2017

0 Comments

 
FIRE RESTRICTIONS LIFTED
Monsoon ends fire restrictions in Cibola National Forest

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — No fire restrictions remain in effect in the Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands as fire danger has been reduced due to monsoon precipitation.
Forest officials say restrictions that were in place on two ranger districts that include the Sandia and Manzano mountains near Albuquerque and its environs have been canceled.
Fire Management Officer Anthony Martinez of the Mountainair Ranger District says most people have respected the fire restrictions and that there have been a few abandoned campfires.

UNEMPLOYMENT-NEW MEXICO
New Mexico marks private-sector job growth

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico labor officials are touting the largest gain in private-sector job growth in over a decade.
Figures released Friday by the Department of Workforce Solutions show a 3 percent increase in the private sector, representing 18,900 jobs.
Much of the growth was fueled by a boost in private service-providing industries, particularly the leisure and hospitality sectors. State officials say the increase of 4,300 jobs in those sectors from May to June was unusual.
Overall, 11 industries have added jobs since December 2014.
Officials say the uptick has put New Mexico at No. 7 in the nation when it comes to private-sector growth.
As for unemployment, the seasonally adjusted rate for June decreased to 6.4 percent.
The state has struggled with high unemployment numbers, only recently ending its stretch at the top of the nation's jobless rankings.

TAXI DRIVER KILLED-THE LATEST
The Latest: Stabbing suspect paranoid about "Illuminati"

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Police say a man suspected of fatally stabbing a cab driver in Albuquerque believed he was being followed by the Illuminati.
Police say 46-year-old Victor Ortiz believed he was being watched and that someone was going to steal his money and drugs.
Ortiz then attacked the driver with a sword. Police haven't identified the victim.
They say a witness took the cabdriver to the hospital but that he died of his wounds.

CHILDREN-PROTECTIVE CUSTODY
New Mexico hopes to ease transition for children in custody

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Teddy bears, blankets, crayons, games and a safe place to sleep.
New Mexico's top officials wanted to pack as much as possible into a new center designed to ease the trauma often experienced by children when authorities are forced to remove them from their homes and place them in state custody.
Gov. Susana Martinez and Children, Youth and Families Secretary Monique Jacobson on Friday toured the center in Albuquerque. They showed off a brightly-colored play area and separate rooms for sleeping, relaxing and playing.
Previously, social workers had few emergency options other than unaccommodating office space.
As many as 900 children a year require the services now offered at the center. Statewide, that number tops 2,600 and officials say improvements are being made at other locations.
The center in Albuquerque is outfitted thanks to donations from businesses and volunteers.

IMMIGRANT STUDENTS-UNCERTAINTY
Democratic attorneys general urge Trump to keep DACA

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas has joined 19 other attorneys general to urge President Donald Trump to keep a program that gives temporary status to young immigrants who are in the country illegally.
The attorneys general sent a letter to Trump on Friday and it comes after 10 other attorneys general urged the president to end the program.
The new letter says the 800,000 immigrant students covered under the program have been a "boon" to universities and employers.
Earlier this month, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly told Hispanic lawmakers that the program that protects young immigrants from deportation is likely illegal, though he is personally supportive.
The Obama-era Deferred Actions for Childhood Arrival Program, or DACA, gives hundreds of thousands of young people brought into the country as children protection from deportation and a work permit.

SANTA FE-POLICE SHOOTING
New Mexico police release officer-involved shooting details

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Santa Fe police say a man who was shot by an officer at an apartment complex had thrown homemade explosives at officers and stabbed a social worker during a standoff.
State police identified the man as 24-year-old Anthony Benavidez. Lt. Elizabeth Armijo said in a written statement he had recently been evicted from apartment complex he broke into on Wednesday. Officers had been negotiating with Benavidez before he threw the explosives. Armijo says two SWAT officers shot Benavidez after they entered the apartment to arrest him.
Benavidez and the caseworker were taken to the hospital, where Benavidez died. The caseworker was later released.
The names of the officers involved in the shooting were not released. Santa Fe Police Department Spokesman Greg Gurule says five officers have been placed on leave.

FLASH FLOODING-NEW MEXICO
Forecasters: Flooding likely in New Mexico through weekend

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Forecasters say flash flooding is likely in New Mexico through the weekend due to monsoon moisture and a weather disturbance moving westward across the state.
The National Weather Service says thunderstorms are expected over central and western New Mexico into Friday evening and then become more numerous Saturday, Sunday and into early next week.
According to the weather service, the likelihood of flash floods is strongest Friday in western New Mexico and across New Mexico from the southwest to the northeast Saturday.
The forecasters say there's also a possibility that multiple instances of flash flooding will occur across central and eastern areas on Sunday.
Also, the potential for flash flooding may linger over the south-central mountains and the eastern plains on Monday as the disturbance moves into Texas and Mexico.
0 Comments
<<Previous
    Picture

    Author

    All rights reserved.
    Copyright 2017                     The Associated Press

    Archives

    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Copyright 2019 | Deming Radio - All rights reserved.