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Court Rules In Favor Of Medical Pot, Head Start Boost ...

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Court Rules In Favor Of Worker In Medical Marijuana CaseThe Associated Press & The Santa Fe New Mexican

The New Mexico Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of an injured worker in a medical marijuana case.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports the recent decision marks the third time in a year the court has sided with a medical marijuana patient in a workers' compensation claim.

According to the ruling issued in late June, a patient in the medical marijuana program who is injured on the job must be reimbursed by an employer for the expense of marijuana used for treatment.

Appellate Judge James Wechsler wrote that a workers' compensation judge was correct in ruling that American General Media, which owns several radio stations in New Mexico, had to reimburse Sandra Lewis of Albuquerque.

The company had argued that the state's medical marijuana law created a conflict with federal law.

Head Start Program In Las Vegas To Get Federal Boost The Associated Press

A northern New Mexico school district has been awarded a federal grant of more than $8 million to expand Head Start programs.

The funding will be awarded over a five-year period to the West Las Vegas district. It will be used to open 10 new Head Start and Early Head Start classrooms.

Officials say Head Start is one of the few early childhood education options available in the community.

Seven of the new classrooms will help the program serve 140 more children under age 5. The other classrooms will expand Early Head Start to 32 more expecting parents and children under age 3.

U.S. Sen. Tom Udall says the grant represents a down payment and more needs to be done to fully fund Head Start and other child well-being programs.

Charges Filed For Man Accused Of Firing At Albuquerque Police The Associated Press

A man accused of firing shots at Albuquerque police and trying to steal a car at gunpoint is facing federal carjacking and firearms charges.

Federal prosecutors filed a criminal complaint Thursday in their case against 21-year-old Justin Brouillette of Albuquerque.

Brouillette was arrested Wednesday and police say he's wanted on four felony warrants including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

It was unclear Thursday if Brouillette has a lawyer yet and his initial court appearance hasn't been scheduled.

A criminal complaint charges Brouillette with attempted carjacking, using and brandishing a firearm during and in furtherance of a crime of violence and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Court records show Brouillette has two felony convictions for receiving or transferring stolen vehicles in New Mexico's Bernalillo County.

New Mexico AG To Partner With Water Research Center The Associated Press

State Attorney General Hector Balderas says he doesn't want New Mexico communities to be pitted against one another as water resources dwindle and an interstate legal challenge over the Rio Grande looms.

So Balderas announced Thursday during a visit to Las Cruces that his office is partnering with the Water Resources Research Institute at New Mexico State University.

Balderas says the goal is to be more innovative when dealing with water planning and the use of water in general.

He also wants to find a reasonable resolution to the fight with Texas over the Rio Grande but still protect the rights of New Mexico citizens.

As part of the partnership, the attorney general's office is investing $1 million from its consumer protection fund in the water research institute.

Court Rejects Claim For Overtime Pay For Home-To-Work Travel The Associated Press

The New Mexico Court of Appeals has ruled that workers aren't entitled to overtime pay under New Mexico's minimum wage law for travel between their homes and job sites.

The case involved workers who were based in Artesia but who traveled at least an hour a day to and from job sites in the Permian Basin oil field in southeastern New Mexico.

The Court of Appeals' June 25 decision upheld a trial judge's pretrial ruling in favor of the workers' former employer, J.W. Drilling Inc.

The workers contended they were entitled to overtime because the travel required them to work over 40 hours a week.

The appellate court rejected the argument, ruling that it would expand the state minimum wage to include requiring employees to compensate workers for travel time.

New Mexico Auditor Investigates State Tax OfficialsThe Associated Press

State Auditor Tim Keller says allegations of wrongdoing by senior officials in the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department warrant further investigation.

Keller announced Thursday that a preliminary investigation done by an independent forensic accounting firm determined that the case merits further review concerning potential criminal and ethical violations.

The findings have been forwarded to the attorney general's office.

Keller didn't release many details, but said his office looked into whether officials used their positions to pressure employees to obtain differential treatment for a certain taxpayer.

Other questions included whether these actions were taken to protect a high-level official from individual liability stemming from previous work for the taxpayer and whether the state lost revenue as a result.

The Tax and Revenue Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The case stems from a complaint filed in February.

Judge Fines State Agency For Violation Of Open Records Law - The Associated Press

A judge has fined the New Mexico Public Education Department $485 and ordered it to pay attorney fees to a teachers union for violating the state's open records law.

State District Judge Sarah Singleton ruled last week that the Public Education Department did try to locate the records requested by the union but did not respond in a timely and thorough manner.

The National Education Association-New Mexico sued in September after the department failed to produce a study related to teacher evaluations.

The department said it strives to comply with the record law but couldn't immediately locate the study because it was arranged by an employee who subsequently left the agency.

Former Police Chief Says Firing Was Over Sexual Orientation - The Associated Press and Las Cruces Sun-News

A former police chief in southern New Mexico is saying she was fired over her sexual orientation.

The Las Cruces Sun-News reports Diana Mejia had been leading the Anthony police force for 18 months when she was fired following a closed-door meeting of four elected officials.

Trustees Betty Gonzalez, Pilar Madrid, Diana Murillo-Trujillo and James Scott voted unanimously July 1 to dismiss Mejia despite numerous comments from the public in support of the police chief.

Mejia filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission saying her firing was motivated by sexual discrimination because she's a lesbian.

Performance reviews have been positive for Mejia.

Mayor Arnulfo Castañeda says while he wasn't consulted about the firing, he hasn't had any major problems with Mejia's performance.

Albuquerque Police Arrest Suspect After Apartment StandoffThe Associated Press

A man who allegedly fired shots at Albuquerque police before taking a hostage and holding up in an apartment for hours has been arrested.

Police say 21-year-old Justin Brouillette was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon.

They say no officers were hit in the shooting and police didn't fire their weapons.

The hostage was able to escape before police arrested Brouillette.

A SWAT team was called to negotiate with Brouillette, who police say was wanted on four felony warrants including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Police say a man was stopped earlier Wednesday for not having license plates or tags on his vehicle.

He got out of the car and shot at officers, then carjacked another vehicle and fired more shots before breaking into a home and taking a hostage.

Nude Man Arrested After Fleeing In Deputy's Stolen Car - The Associated Press

An eastern New Mexico man has been arrested for allegedly stealing a Curry County sheriff deputy's car while running around naked.

Deputies responded to a report of a naked man along the road on July 4 and found 37-year-old Jesus Tarango behaving erratically and telling the deputy he'd been poisoned.

Deputies say they got Tarango to sit down, but he then began to walk around in traffic.

A police camera shows the suspect hopping into a deputy's car and driving away. Another deputy arrested Tarango a short time later after he pulled into a hospital parking lot.

Tarango was treated for injuries sustained before his encounter with deputies and faces several charges, including unlawful vehicle theft and aggravated fleeing. He's being held on a $12,000 bond.

Ex-City Manager Of New Mexico Border City Files Lawsuit - The Associated Press and Las Cruces Sun-News

A former city manager of a troubled New Mexico border city has filed a lawsuit alleging breach of contract and violation of the state's Whistleblower Protection Act.

The Las Cruces Sun-News reports Vernon Wilson said in recently filed court papers that the Sunland Park City Council conducted his job performance evaluations "in bad faith" and made up information to fire him.

Wilson was hired in 2013 after state officials threaten to take over the troubled border city amid an extortion case and allegations of voter fraud.

In 2012, Sunland Park drew national attention after a mayoral candidate was charged with extortion for secretly recording an opponent receiving a lap dance from a topless woman in his campaign office.

Sunland Park Mayor Javier Perea declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Man Indicted On Charges That He Falsified EMT Credentials - The Associated Press and Santa Fe New Mexican

A Rio Rancho man indicted on charges that he falsified EMT records is being asked to appear before a judge later this month for arraignment.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports 47-year-old David Phillips hasn't been arrested but is suspected of altering a certificate to pass himself off as an emergency medical technician from September 2013 to February 2014.

No phone listing could be found for Phillips in the Rio Rancho area and it couldn't immediately be determined Wednesday whether he has an attorney who could comment on the allegations.

Health Department spokesman Kenny Vigil said in an email that the Emergency Medical Services Bureau confirmed Phillips was not and had never been licensed to provide emergency medical care.

The bureau encourages agencies statewide to verify EMT licenses.

Game And Fish Department: Bear Bites Girl In Tent Near Raton - The Associated Press

State game officials say rain washed away any tracks of a bear sought after it bit a teenage girl who was inside a tent near Raton.

The Game and Fish Department the teenage girl was treated at a hospital for minor injuries to her arm and ear after the bear bit her through the tent's wall early Monday.

The incident occurred during a family gathering at a home and the homeowner fired warning shots to scare at the bear, which was described as young.

By the time officers were called to the scene later Monday morning, a heavy rainstorm had washed away any tracks and scent that might have helped officers find the bear.

The department says officers set a trap in case the bear returns.

Former New Mexico Supreme Court Judge Dead At Age 89 - The Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal

A former New Mexico Supreme Court judge is dead at age 89.

The Albuquerque Journal reports that Harry Stowers died Wednesday morning.

His widow says Stowers was in a car crash in June 2014 and doctors who treated him discovered he had cancer.

Joyce Stowers says her husband ultimately died of complications from the disease.

Harry Stowers was a native New Mexican who served on the state Supreme Court from 1982 to 1989.

He previously worked as a prosecutor and city attorney in Albuquerque, as a judge in the 2nd Judicial District and an attorney in private practice.

After leaving the Supreme Court, Stowers was elected mayor of the Village of Los Ranchos for one term.

Besides his wife, he's survived by two daughters, one son and a sister.

In Long-Predicted Shift, California Latinos Outnumber Whites - The Associated Press

The long-expected moment when Latinos surpass whites as California's largest racial or ethnic group has come and gone.

According to U.S. Census Bureau figures released in late June, Hispanic Californians began to narrowly outnumber white Californians sometime in the first half of 2014.

As of July 1, 2014, the state had about 15 million Latinos to about 14.9 million non-Hispanic whites.

Demographers had expected the shift for decades as the state's Hispanic population boomed due to immigration and birth rates. Many thought it would happen sooner than it did, but a slight decline in population pushed it to last year.

California joins New Mexico as the second state with a Latino plurality. Hawaii, with its large Asian population, is the third state where whites aren't the largest ethnic group.