Endangered Bat, Cacti Subjects Of New Federal Lawsuit - Russell Contreras, Associated Press
Agricultural groups in New Mexico and Texas want two cacti and a rare bat thrown off the federal endangered species list.
A lawsuit recently filed in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque seeks to have five species reclassified under the Endangered Species Act.
Among those the groups want reclassified are the lesser long-nosed bat, which lives in New Mexico's Bootheel and southern Arizona, and the black-capped vireo, a bird that roams Texas and Oklahoma.
The groups also want the Kuenzler hedgehog cactus, the Tobusch fishhook cactus and the gypsum wild-buckwheat reclassified.
According to court documents, the groups say the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services failed to act on previous requests to relist the species.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokeswoman Lesli Gray says officials are evaluating the lawsuit.
Lawyer Says Police Shooting Suspect Mistreated In Prison – The Associated Press
The attorney for a man accused of killing an Albuquerque police officer says his client is being mistreated in prison.
Davon Lymon's attorney Marc Robert wrote in a court filing that Lymon has been assaulted by corrections officers, given food he is allergic to and held in solitary confinement.
Robert wrote that Lymon's treatment amounts to "torture" and asked that the man be moved to a halfway house.
Lymon is facing four federal gun charges and is being held without bond at the Penitentiary of New Mexico's "Level 6" facility, the most secure prison in the state.
Department of Corrections spokesman Jerry Roark says Lymon was put in the most secure facility he has a potential to act in predatory ways and also to be victimized.
New Mexico AG Calls For More Spending On Law Enforcement – The Associated Press
New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas says the state faces g a public safety crisis and his agency needs resources to respond to everything from police officer shootings to consumer fraud.
Balderas has joined the chorus of state officials seeking more money in what's sure to be another slim budget year. He testified recently before the Legislative Finance Committee in Santa Fe and later reiterated his concerns in a letter.
His office wants a 4.8 percent increase over last year's spending. That would help pay for raises as well as a new assistant attorney general and two special agents. He also wants to avoid layoffs.
Balderas says he's concerned lawmakers will try to sweep money from the consumer protection fund to pay other bills.
New Mexico AG Calls For Reinvestment In Law Enforcement - Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press
New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas says the state is facing a public safety crisis and his agency needs resources to respond to everything from police officer shootings to consumer fraud.
Balderas has joined the chorus of state officials seeking more money in what's sure to be another slim budget year. He testified recently before the Legislative Finance Committee in Santa Fe and reiterated his concerns in a letter this week.
His office is asking for a 4.8 percent increase over last year's spending. That would help pay for raises as well as a new assistant attorney general and two special agents. He also wants to avoid layoffs.
Balderas says he's concerned lawmakers will try to sweep money from the consumer protection fund to pay other bills instead of reinvesting that money in litigation and law enforcement.
F-16 Fighter Jet Crashes On Training Mission; Pilot Safe – The Associated Press
Authorities say an F-16 fighter jet from an Air Force base in Arizona crashed while on a training mission in New Mexico, but the pilot safely ejected.
The Fighting Falcon went down about 8:45 a.m. Wednesday near Salinas Peak, some 45 miles northwest of Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico. Officials from Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, Arizona, say emergency response teams found the pilot in good condition.
An Air Force team will investigate the cause of the crash. Officials say the pilot is from the New Mexico base and the F-16 was part of the 54th Fighter Group at the Arizona base.
Luke is making room for F-35 jets and shifting many F-16s to Holloman for training missions.
The name of the pilot wasn't immediately released.
Dona Ana County Commissioners Will Not Censure Sheriff – The Associated Press
Dona Ana County commissioners will not pursue a censure of County Sheriff Enrique "Kiki" Vigil, based on findings of a personnel investigator.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reports that County Commission Chairman Billy Garrett said on Tuesday that the investigation cleared the sheriff of allegations made against him by an employee who has since resigned.
A censure is a public reprimand by county commissioners.
Vigil filed a federal lawsuit last month alleging that the commissioners had started the personnel investigation in retaliation and in an attempt to interfering with his First Amendment rights.
Vigil's attorney says Garrett's statement on Tuesday does not change the sheriff's pursuit of the lawsuit.
Not Guilty Plea In Albuquerque Policeman's Shooting Death – The Associated Press
An ex-convict accused of fatally shooting an Albuquerque police officer last month has pleaded not guilty to violating federal firearm laws.
Prosecutors say 34-year-old Davon Lymon was arraigned in federal court Tuesday.
He was indicted by a federal grand jury last week and remains in federal custody pending trial.
Lymon was arrested several hours after Officer Daniel Webster was shot multiple times during an Oct. 21 traffic stop outside a pharmacy.
The 47-year-old former Army Ranger died eight days later in a hospital, having suffered gunshot wounds to his upper body and jaw.
Authorities say Lymon has been in and out of the court system for years and pleaded guilty more than a decade ago to voluntary manslaughter.
The Albuquerque resident was facing misdemeanor battery charges when Webster was shot.
House Democrats Outline Campaign Finance Reforms - Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press
House Democratic leaders are rolling out their proposals for reforming New Mexico's scandal-plagued campaign finance reporting system.
They also want to create an independent ethics commission and revamp a pension forfeiture law aimed at corrupt elected officials.
Democrats outlined their plans during a news conference outside the secretary of state's office in Santa Fe on Tuesday.
The announcement comes just a month after Dianna Duran tendered her resignation as the state's top elections official and pleaded guilty to embezzlement and other charges.
Duran's case thrust New Mexico's campaign finance reporting system into the spotlight and rekindled calls for more transparency.
The next legislative session begins in January and will focus on the budget. It's unclear whether Gov. Susana Martinez will add the transparency and ethics issues to the agenda.
Depositions: Superintendent Investigated After Complaints – The Associated Press
As Albuquerque news outlets fight for records pertaining to the resignation of Albuquerque Schools Superintendent Winston Brooks, depositions show he was investigated after a number of complaints.
Brooks resigned from the post in August after the board bought out the last two years of his contract.
KOB-TV and the Albuquerque Journal filed a public records lawsuit in January to obtain records that contain the reason for Brooks' resignation and buyout. Filings from that lawsuit show that the school board began investigating Brooks after nine employees reported they felt their rights were violated and that they felt intimidated or feared retaliation.
According to testimony those complaints came in for months. School board president at the time Dr. Analee Maestas says she kept the reports to herself at first before finally notifying the board that claims had been made against Brooks.