Official Apologizes For Prescribed Burn That Start Wildfire – The Associated Press & The Gallup Independent
A Cibola National Forest official has apologized for approving a prescribed burn that started a wildfire that has burned 14.5 square miles (37.56 sq. kilometers) on a northwestern New Mexico mountain.
The Gallup Independent reports that District Ranger Alvin Whitehair apologized during a Tuesday evening community meeting with residents for deciding to conduct the burn.
Whitehair said his staff was involved in the decision but that residents deserve to know that he had "the ultimate yea or nay."
The fire is burning timber and grass on Mount Sedgwick northwest of Grants. Containment reached 91 percent Friday.
Fire management officer Anthony Pacheco said officials on April 11 halted the burn because of a windy forecast but that blowing debris from the burn started the wildfire the next day.
Albuquerque Revives Native American Homeless Task Force – The Associated Press
New Mexico's largest city has revived a task force to address Native American homelessness after a homeless man was shot and killed last month.
Mayor Tim Keller announced Friday that he was resurrecting the Albuquerque Native American Homeless Task Force and would ask city councilors to pass an ordinance to expand its reach.
The task force was initially formed during former Mayor Richard Berry's tenure in response to the 2014 beating deaths of two Navajo men while they slept in a vacant lot.
In the latest case, police said two Hispanic teenage boys shot 50-year-old Ronnie Ross "for fun." Ross was from the Navajo community of Shiprock.
A criminal complaint doesn't identify a motive, but it says the teen suspects bragged to friends about the shooting.
Keller says he believes it was a hate crime.
Ex-Candidate Paid By Rival Before Exiting Race – The Associated Press & The ABQ Journal
A former candidate for New Mexico governor was paid $14,000 by a Democratic rival a day before announcing his exit from the race, according to campaign finance records.
Candidate Peter DeBenedittis told the Albuquerque Journal on Thursday that rival Jeff Apodaca had paid him for an email list and to be a campaign spokesman after he had decided to drop out of the race. He said he wasn't paid to leave.
Apodaca's campaign finance reports show the $4,000 and $10,000 payments to "Peter D and Company" of Santa Fe on March 13.
DeBenedittis announced his departure the next day.
DeBenedittis said he decided to endorse Apodaca after speaking with all the candidates about the issues.
Grand Jury Indicts Former University Of New Mexico Staffer – The Associated Press & KOB
A former University of New Mexico basketball staffer has been indicted on a charge of embezzling money by making unauthorized purchases on a university credit card.
KOB-TV reports Cody Hopkins is accused of embezzling more than $63,000 by altering or forging receipts in 2015 from multiple entities.
The Bernalillo County District Attorney's office says the indictment stems from a university audit conducted in 2015.
Hopkins is being represented by attorneys Jessica Hernandez and Paul Kennedy.
Hernandez says her client "looks forward to finally being able to defend against the allegations and vindicate himself in court."
University officials declined to comment on the case.
New Mexico Inmate Faces 111 Years After Wild Furlough – The Associated Press
A New Mexico inmate who was granted a brief furlough before an expected seven-year sentence now faces 111 years in prison after authorities say he returned late following a slew of new crimes.
The Eastern New Mexico News reports Brandon Wagner was arraigned this week on new charges of shoplifting and aggravated assault. Those charges came after prosecutors say the 33-year-old Wagner returned over 16 hours late to the Curry County jail following a March 27 plea conference.
A judge had granted a five-hour furlough so Wagner could visit his family before being sentenced for identity theft and forgery convictions.
Prosecutors say during his furlough Wagner stole $5,000 in rings, tried to smuggle heroin into jail and attacked a health care worker.
Wagner's attorney, Benjamin Herrmann, says his client's right may have been violated during a search.
Albuquerque Decriminalizes Pot On 420 Holiday – The Associated Press
Possessing marijuana in small amounts will no longer be a crime in Albuquerque starting Friday, the same day as the unofficial 420 pot holiday.
A spokesman for Albuquerque City Councilman Pat Davis says the recently passed ordinance decriminalizing pot possession in small amounts takes effect Friday.
The ordinance was signed into law this month by Mayor Tim Keller. It amends the city's criminal code to make possessing an ounce of pot or less a citable offense that can come with a $25 ticket but no jail time.
Previously, possession of one ounce or less of marijuana was a criminal offense punishable by up to a $50 fine or 15 days in jail for a first offense, although data shows such arrests were becoming increasingly rare.
Davis and fellow Councilman Isaac Benton were sponsors of the measure.
Killing Renews Concerns For Homeless Native Americans – The Associated Press
The killing of a homeless man from the Navajo Nation in Albuquerque is again exposing the heightened threats and dangers many say Native Americans coping with homelessness can encounter in New Mexico's largest city.
Police said this week that two teenage boys shot 50-year-old Ronnie Ross, of Shiprock, New Mexico, "for fun" in March in a case reminiscent to a 2014 Albuquerque attack that killed two Navajo men and led to the creation of a task force on Native American homelessness.
Native Americans make up only 4 percent of the city's population, but an outsized percentage of its homeless population.
A 2017 count of the city's homeless population shows Native Americans represented 44 percent of people living unsheltered on the streets, or in other places without shelter, like a park or a car.
New Mexico Students Walk Out And Rally For Gun Violence Prevention - KRQE, The Santa Fe New Mexican
Some New Mexico students will participate in a Day of Action bringing awareness to victims of schools shootings Fridauy, on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting.
KRQE reports walkouts are planned at 10 am at the University of New Mexico, and at least two high schools and a middle school in Albuquerque. Some schools will hold voter registration and letter-writing events.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports students from Santa Fe Public Schools have organized a panel discussion on gun violence at 10:30 am and a rally at 1.
More than 2,500 schools around the U.S. are expected to hold similar events Friday.
National organizers are calling for “commonsense” solutions to gun violence in honor of lives lost in Parkland Florida and other school shootings.
New Mexico Gubernatorial Candidate Calls For Legalizing Pot – The Associated Press
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jeff Apodaca is calling for the expansion of New Mexico's medical marijuana program and for legalization of recreational use.
Apodaca released his plan Thursday, saying New Mexico is losing out on jobs and tax revenues that could be generated by the industry.
New Mexico's medical program has grown exponentially and now has more than 50,000 patients. Record sales were also reported in 2017.
At a recent forum, Republican Congressman and gubernatorial candidate Steve Pearce expressed reservations about legalization.
Among the other Democratic candidates, U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham says she would support a measure that includes adequate health and enforcement measures to prevent underage use and workplace problems.
State Sen. Joseph Cervantes has sponsored unsuccessful legislation to decriminalize possession of small quantities of pot but has said the state isn't ready yet to legalize.
New Mexico Reaches $3.4M Settlement With Credit Card Firms – The Associated Press
The New Mexico Attorney General's Office has reached a $3.4 million settlement with two credit card companies over excessive fees charged during credit and debit card transactions.
Attorney General Hector Balderas announced the settlement with Visa and MasterCard on Thursday. He says the agreement provides compensation and helps to enforce the state's consumer protection laws.
Balderas says his office also will host a series of financial literacy workshops to better educate consumers.
The settlement stems from a lawsuit filed in 2014 over the fees that are imposed on merchants each time a cardholder swipes a Visa or MasterCard. The state claimed the fees were improper and that New Mexico merchants were being harmed.
Prosecutors also said merchants were passing a portion of the fees on to customers in the form of higher prices.
Cannabis Provider Unveils Plans For Major Cultivation Facility In Southern NM – The Associated Press
New Mexico's top medical marijuana producer is buying farmland in southern New Mexico where it plans to build what it says will be the largest cannabis cultivation facility in North America.
Ultra Health announced the acquisition Thursday, unveiling a three-dimensional rendering of what the facility will look like via social media.
The property spans nearly one-third of a square mile (81 hectares) in Otero County. It will include 20 acres (8 hectares) of indoor cultivation, 80 acres (32 hectares) of outdoor cannabis fields and another 100 acres (40 hectares) of outdoor hemp fields.
Ultra Health president and CEO Duke Rodriguez says the company is preparing for a future in which New Mexico stands to benefit from an expanded medical marijuana market and legalized recreational use.
Legalization is shaping up to be among the campaign issues in the gubernatorial race.
The company says the grow facility is expected to employ about 100 people.
Man Pleads No Contest In 2008 Beating Of An Albuquerque Teen – The Associated Press, The Albuquerque Journal
A man accused of beating an Albuquerque teenager with a shovel in 2008 has pleaded no contest to charges of attempted murder and aggravated burglary.
The Albuquerque Journal reports 34-year-old Justin Hansen entered his plea Thursday as his trial date neared.
Prosecutors say Hansen faces up to 18 years in prison when he's sentenced July 25.
Brittani Marcell was a 17-year-old senior at Cibola High when she was attacked.
She has since undergone numerous surgeries, had to relearn to eat, walk and speak and remains blind in one eye and deaf in one ear.
In October 2016, Marcell remembered a man she used to chat with at a store where she worked and reported that information to police.
Hansen was arrested and later linked to the case by DNA evidence.
Man Gets Jail Time For Santa Fe Crash That Killed Friend – The Associated Press, The Albuquerque Journal
A Santa Fe man will spend nearly a year in jail for the car crash that killed his friend last year.
The Albuquerque Journal reports 25-year-old Dominic Friedlein was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to homicide by vehicle in January.
Authorities say Friedlein consumed three beers before driving with 29-year-old Stefan Siegmann in the passenger seat. Friedlein's SUV was struck when attempting to make a left turn in April 2017.
Friedlein told the court that by accepting responsibility, he hopes to bring closure to the family.
Friedlein was given a three-year sentence but was credited for the year he spent in jail or on electronic monitoring since the crash.
Friedlein will have a year of house arrest and five years of supervised probation following his release from jail.
Police: More Than 1,000 Guns Stolen After Being Left In Cars – The Associated Press
Authorities say more than 1,000 guns were either stolen from cars or left in cars that were stolen in Albuquerque during a 22-month span.
A new Albuquerque Police Department analysis found that thieves stole 882 firearms from inside a vehicle while another 153 firearms were stolen during an auto theft since July 2016.
Albuquerque police say last Tuesday two auto theft suspects fired at officers and barricaded themselves inside an apartment for hours. Police say the gun used to fire at police was stolen during a carjacking less than two weeks prior.
Albuquerque Police Department Cmdr. Joe Burke says officers are going to the community and urging residents to avoid leaving their guns in their cars and make sure their weapons are secured.