Albuquerque Councilors Support Reduced Marijuana Penalties
The Albuquerque City Council has voted in favor of decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana, but that action will likely face opposition from Mayor Richard Berry, who plans to veto the legislation.
The council voted 5-4 along party lines Monday in favor of making it a civil offense to possess up to an ounce of marijuana. They also adopted a resolution declaring marijuana a low enforcement priority for police.
But Mayor Richard Berry has cited conflicts with state and federal law as reasons to veto the measure.
If enacted, the law would still be subject to discretion from Albuquerque police officers who could cite people under state law, which carries penalties of up to 15 days in jail and fines up to $100.
New Mexico's Embattled Secretary Of State Returns To Work – The Associated Press
New Mexico's embattled secretary of state has returned to work amid allegations that she funneled campaign contributions into personal bank accounts and withdrew money at casinos around the state.
Dianna Duran came to work Tuesday and planned to be in the office for most of the week, according to one of her top staffers.
The two-term Republican pleaded not guilty earlier this month to dozens of fraud, embezzlement and money laundering charges.
Despite calls for Duran to resign, her attorney has vowed to fight the charges.
Duran's office is responsible for enforcing New Mexico's election and campaign finance laws. Staffers say the current priority is determining by Oct. 1 the number of petition signatures candidates will have to file and finalizing a revamped candidate guide for the upcoming election season.
'Maze Runner' Sequel Results In Jobs, Economic Development – The Associated Press
The Motion Picture Association of America says the Twentieth Century Fox film "Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials" brought in more than $23.5 million to New Mexico's economy.
The association released new economic data Tuesday, just days after the sequel made a $30.3 million debut at theaters over the weekend.
Officials say the production resulted from 128 days of filming in and around Albuquerque last year. Nearly 1,600 local cast, crew and extras were hired for the project.
Businesses also benefited with more than $1 million being spent on hardware and lumber supplies. Transportation and truck rentals brought in nearly $700,000, and the bill for catering and food was almost as much.
Association Chairman and CEO Chris Dodd says New Mexico is continuing to solidify itself as a top destination for filmmakers.
Man's Body Recovered After Being Swept Away In Albuquerque – The Associated Press
Authorities say the body of a man has been recovered after he was swept away in an arroyo as heavy rain swept through Albuquerque.
Crews from the Albuquerque Fire Department say they tried to attempt a swift-water rescue on the man, but couldn't save the person Tuesday afternoon.
Bernalillo County Fire Department crews later recovered the body, which hasn't been identified yet.
They say the man is between the ages of 20 and 30.
Albuquerque Fire Department and Albuquerque police say they received a call earlier as the rain was moving in that a man was threatening to drive his truck into an arroyo, reportedly to commit suicide.
Callers later reported seeing a body floating in the North Diversion Channel, but authorities say it was not the same man.
Albuquerque Police Say Retiring K-9 Won't Be Euthanized - Mary Hudetz, Associated Press
Albuquerque police say a retiring K-9 that had faced the possibility of being put to sleep has escaped euthanization after the department received an outpouring of requests from former police dog handlers and animal shelters to take him.
Police spokeswoman Celina Espinoza says the department intends to turn over the K-9 named Rex to a sanctuary in California that specializes in caring for retired military dogs. She says Rex was trained as a military dog before becoming a part of the Albuquerque police's K-9 unit in 2013.
Police announced Rex's retirement Monday along with that of his handler.
They say Rex is too old at age 9 to be trained to work with another officer.
Police service dogs' specialized training means they often cannot transition to becoming a family pet.
First Lab-Confirmed Cases Of Flu Are Reported In New Mexico
The New Mexico Department of Health is reporting the first lab-confirmed cases of influenza for this season.
Health officials say there are three reported cases — all involving women from Bernalillo County.
Two of the women — ages 68 and 77 — were hospitalized for treatment and are now out of the hospital.
The other woman with the flu is 54 years old.
The first flu case last season in New Mexico was reported last September.
Each year, flu vaccine arrives in waves and health officials say many providers and pharmacies in the state have it in stock now.
Udall Announces Legislation In Wake Of Mine Waste Spill - Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press
The federal government would be required to identify the most dangerous abandoned mines in the West and make plans to clean them up under legislation introduced by members of New Mexico's congressional delegation.
Sen. Tom Udall announced the legislation Tuesday. The New Mexico Democrat says it's a response to the torrent of toxic wastewater from a Colorado mine that fouled rivers in three Western states.
The legislation also calls for compensation for communities affected by the spill and requires the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to monitor water quality of the Animas and San Juan rivers.
An EPA contractor accidentally triggered the spill of millions of gallons of wastewater in August as it was doing excavation work on the inactive Gold King mine near Silverton, Colorado.
The plume turned the Animas a sickly yellow color as the pollution tainted with heavy metals flowed downstream to New Mexico and Utah.
Experts Clash Over New Mexico Teacher Evaluation System – The Associated Press
Two experts have given different views on New Mexico's teacher evaluation system amid a challenge from two unions to scrap it.
Arizona State University professor Audrey Amrein-Beardsley testified Monday that student test scores have not been proven effective in gauging whether teachers should receive bonus pay or face disciplinary action.
Meanwhile, former Public Education Department assistant secretary Pete Goldschmidt says the state's model was carefully tailored to New Mexico's population and based on multiple years of testing data.
Both testified at a hearing in Santa Fe amid efforts to halt the use of student tests as part of evaluation.
American Federation of Teachers New Mexico and the Albuquerque Teachers Federation are seeking an injunction to halt the use of test scores while their lawsuit against the evaluation system moves forward.
New Mexico Auditor Releases Findings Of Statewide Review – The Associated Press
The Office of the State Auditor has finished examining nearly 450 government entities in New Mexico as part of a first-of-its-kind review.
The office released the findings Tuesday in an effort to make information about the financial health of state and local government more transparent and accessible to the public and policymakers.
State auditors looked at data from state agencies, cities, counties and school districts and other entities.
Only a small percentage of the entities were found to have audit opinions that didn't fairly represent their financial conditions.
Officials say the most common findings stemmed from weaknesses or deficiencies related to payroll. Others involved compliance with state law, budgets and grant programs.
Nearly half of the findings were repeated, which officials say reflects the need to focus on corrective action.