New Mexico AG Calls On Feds To Address Natural Gas Waste
Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press
New Mexico's attorney general is calling on the federal government to move quickly in adopting new rules to curb the waste of natural gas and the resulting loss of millions of dollars in royalties that could benefit education and other public programs.
Attorney General Hector Balderas sent a letter to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell this week, saying New Mexico has lost nearly $43 million in royalties since 2009 because of leaks and the venting and flaring of gas wells on federal lands.
Balderas says the technology is available and both industry and states stand to benefit.
The Bureau of Land Management, which oversees oil and gas development on federal and Indian lands, has indicated that a proposed rule to address the issue will be released later this year.
Ex-Dona Ana County Employee Is Indicted For Embezzlement – The Associated Press
Authorities say a former Dona Ana County employee has been indicted for embezzlement.
Prosecutors in Las Cruces say 40-year-old Sylvia Dorado allegedly embezzled more than $20,000 during her employment as a compliance monitor with the Dona Ana County-Health and Human Services, Misdemeanor Compliance Program.
They say Dorado allegedly stole money orders for a number of years from clients enrolled in the compliance program for DUI charges or domestic violence offenses.
If convicted of the second-degree felony, Dorado faces a possible sentence of probation or up to nine years in prison.
It was unclear Friday if Dorado has a lawyer for her case.
BLM Won't Combine Arizona, New Mexico Offices – The Associated Press
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has ditched a plan to merge offices in New Mexico and Arizona as a cost-cutting measure.
The BLM was looking for ways to combine resources in the wake of declining budgets and sequestration.
The agency had said that joining the offices under a single director based in Santa Fe would save $1.2 million annually.
The BLM announced Friday that it decided against the plan after hearing feedback from the public. Critics had argued for maintaining local representation and boosting funding to the agency.
The Arizona office manages 12.2 million acres of surface land and 17.5 million subsurface acres.
The New Mexico office oversees 13.5 million surface acres and 42 million subsurface acres spanning four states, including Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.
Applications Sought To Replace Supreme Court Justice – The Associated Press
A panel of judges, attorneys and others is seeking applicants to fill the vacancy that will be left on the New Mexico Supreme Court with the retirement of Justice Richard Bosson.
The Judicial Nominating Commission has set an Oct. 9 deadline for applications. A public meeting will follow on Oct. 19.
The commission will forward a list of finalists to Gov. Susana Martinez, who will choose a replacement. That person would have to run for election in 2016.
Bosson first announced plans to retire in June, saying it was time for him to leave and allow "younger blood" to take over. He has been practicing law in the state since 1970. Before being elected to the Supreme Court in 2002, he served on the state Court of Appeals.
New Mexico Officers Plead Not Guilty To Murder In Shooting – The Associated Press
A police officer and retired detective facing second-degree murder charges in the on-duty shooting of an Albuquerque homeless man have pleaded not guilty in a New Mexico court.
Officer Dominique Perez and now-retired Detective Keith Sandy entered their pleas at a hearing Friday.
A judge ruled last month that there was probable cause for their case to go to trial. The decision followed a preliminary hearing in which Special Prosecutor Randi McGinn argued evidence that James Boyd was shot in the side and back indicated he posed no threat to officers when he was killed.
The 2014 shooting prompted protest in New Mexico's largest city, and led to reforms within the Albuquerque Police Department.
Defense attorneys say the officers shot Boyd because he posed a danger and had threatened officers.
State Lawmaker Says He Didn't Report $11,000 In Donations – The Associated Press
State Representative Antonio Maestas has opened up about his failure to report more than $11,000 in contributions to his re-election campaign last year.
The Albuquerque Journal reports the Albuquerque Democrat says he was first notified of his failure to report about $4,000 in contributions last week by a KOB-TV reporter. After looking into it, he says he found $11,170 in unreported donations and has since updated his campaign finance reports.
The lawmaker provided bank records Wednesday to show that the unreported contributions were deposited into his campaign account last year.
Maestas in a letter to Common Cause New Mexico and the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government said the unreported contributions were a mishap on his part.
The secretary of state's office will determine if further action is needed.
Navajo Nation To Stop Operating Gallup Detox Center – The Associated Press
A detox center needs a new operator after the Navajo Nation announced it would no longer run the facility.
The Gallup Independent reports President Russell Begaye and Vice President Jonathan Nez wrote a letter saying the Navajo National will not operate the Gallup Detox Center as of Oct. 3.
They want to work with city and McKinley County officials to find a replacement.
City Manager Maryann Ustick said it's important that services remain uninterrupted. Interested parties have until Wednesday to submit contract bids.
Na'nizhoozhi Center Inc. was funded by the Navajo Nation to operate the facility until mid-2013. The tribe's Department of Behavioral Health took over in 2014.
The facility houses individuals too intoxicated to care for themselves for 12 to 72 hours. Officials acknowledge services have been inadequate.
Albuquerque Policeman Accused Of Kneeing Student Faces Trial – KRQE-TV, Associated Press
An Albuquerque police officer accused of kneeing a University of New Mexico law school student in the groin and deleting a cellphone video of the incident will stand trial.
KRQE-TV reports a judge made that decision Thursday in the case against 39-year-old Pablo Padilla.
Padilla is charged with aggravated battery causing great bodily harm and tampering with evidence in connection with the April 2014 traffic stop.
The incident drew international attention after an attorney for the student, Jeremy Martin, said his client was forced to under emergency surgery to remove a testicle after Padilla kneed him.
Padilla says deleting the video was a mistake and poor judgment.
He says he turned in other videos of the incident, wasn't trying to cover anything up and meant to hit Martin's inner thigh.
Hardware Problem Forced New Mexico MVD Offline For Hours – Associated Press
The New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department is blaming a hardware malfunction for a computer outage that affected tax and motor vehicle offices statewide.
Agency spokesman Ben Cloutier says IT crews worked for several hours to fix the problem. He reported all programs were back up and running by late Thursday afternoon.
The outage affected websites operated by Taxation and Revenue Department and Motor Vehicle Division as well as MVD Express and other independent providers that process driver's license renewals and other motor vehicle transactions.
Taxation and Revenue Secretary Demesia Padilla issued an apology to all of those who were affected, saying the department would be putting in place a failsafe system to ensure it doesn't happen again.