Decrease In Drug Overdose Deaths In 2015 Around New Mexico – Associated Press
State health officials say drug overdose deaths around New Mexico decreased 9 percent last year.
Preliminary mortality data show the number of drug overdose deaths dropped from 540 in 2014 to 492 in 2015.
State Department of Health officials say drug overdoses are the leading cause of injury death in New Mexico and nationally, exceeding deaths from motor vehicle traffic crashes and falls.
New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez signed legislation this year that requires opioid prescribers to check the state's Prescription Monitoring Program the first time they prescribe drugs to a person and check the system every three months for repeat prescriptions.
She also signed legislation authorizing licensed prescribers to write standing orders to prescribe, dispense or distribute naloxone to community-based overdose prevention and education programs, first responders and others.
Obamas Headed To Carlsbad, Yosemite For Father's Day Weekend – The Associated Press
President Barack Obama is taking the first family on a mini-vacation to Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico and Yosemite National Park in California during Father's Day weekend.
The White House notes the trip is taking place as the National Park Service nears its 100th birthday. The administration is using the trip to highlight Obama's efforts to preserve land through the creation of new national monuments.
Yosemite has been a part of the National Park Service since it was established, with more than 4 million people visiting in 2015.
Carlsbad was established as a national monument in 1923 and contains more than 119 caves.
The White House is announcing the trip with a Facebook video of the president visiting Yellowstone and other national parks earlier in his presidency.
New Mexico Governor Disagrees With Trump Comments On Judge – The Associated Press
New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez is joining a chorus of Republicans in criticizing Donald Trump for his claim that a federal judge is not qualified to preside over a case because of his Mexican heritage.
Martinez spokesman Chris Sanchez says the governor is concerned by and strongly disagrees with the presumptive GOP presidential nominee's claim that U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel cannot preside fairly over a case involving Trump University because the judge is of Mexican heritage and Trump wants to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico. Republicans including U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan have strongly criticized Trump's remarks.
Martinez is at the forefront of GOP efforts to help elect Republican governors in fall elections, as the chairwoman of the Republican Governors Association. Martinez has not endorsed Trump.
Former Albuquerque Police Sergeant's Certification Revoked – The Associated Press
The New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy Board has voted to revoke the certification of a former Albuquerque sergeant who was involved in a deadly traffic crash in 2013.
The board made the decision in the case of Adam Casaus during its meeting Thursday in Farmington.
Casaus was off duty while driving his patrol car with its emergency lights on when he ran a red light and crashed into an SUV, killing a woman and seriously injuring her sister.
The police department fired Casaus, who initially claimed he was looking for a drunken driver. He was later convicted of misdemeanor careless driving and sentenced to 90 days in jail.
The victim's family has sued Casaus, claiming that he wasn't conducting government business when the crash occurred.
Judge Declines To Dismiss New Mexico's Nursing Home Lawsuit – The Associated Press
A state district judge has declined to dismiss a novel lawsuit filed by the New Mexico attorney general's office against one of the nation's largest nursing home chains over allegations of inadequate care.
Judge Sarah Singleton this week issued an order denying the nursing homes' motions to dismiss the case.
Lawyers for Texas-based Preferred Care Partners Management Group argued that the lawsuit was a case of greed and opportunism. They said a Washington, D.C., law firm pushed the state to sue.
Attorney General Hector Balderas vowed Thursday his office will not back down, saying some of New Mexico's most vulnerable residents suffered from a lack of care.
Prosecutors contend the company keeps staffing levels so low that it's impossible to provide good care.
A trial is scheduled for April 2018.
Mailer Seeks Defense Funds For Officer Charged In Shooting – The Associated Press & KOB
Albuquerque residents have received a mass mailer asking for donations to a legal defense fund for an Albuquerque police officer accused of fatally shooting a homeless camper.
KOB-TV reports that the letter, sent by the Virginia-based Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund, includes more details from the night officers Dominique Perez and Keith Sandy shot James Boyd in 2014.
The mailer claims to be for a group claiming to run a legal fund for Perez and includes a letter signed by his wife Tiffanie, but neither the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund nor Tiffanie Perez responded to requests for comment.
In the letter from Tiffanie Perez, Boyd is described as frantic and threatening.
Perez and Sandy are scheduled for a September trial on charges including second-degree murder.
LANL Waste Violations Carry Civil Penalties – The Associated Press & The New Mexican
New Mexico says the Los Alamos National Laboratory violated its hazardous waste permit and should expect to face civil penalties.
The New Mexican reports that the New Mexico Environmental Department found 12 violations during a June 2015 inspection, including open waste containers, failure to label containers as hazardous waste, failure to note what was inside certain drums and failure to properly package waste drums containing free liquids.
A November review of the site by the National Nuclear Security Administration in November found several issues, but it indicated that the lab had made several improvements and could receive a financial award in 2016.
The department told the lab that a civic penalty will be issued because of a past history of noncompliance and the nature of the violations.
Primary Draws Record Number Of New Mexico Democrats – Associated Press
The number of ballots cast in the Democratic presidential primary election in New Mexico outpaced previous years as overall turnout by eligible voters from both parties was above average.
Preliminary results show one in three eligible Democratic and Republican voters — or more than 325,000 — cast ballots across the state. That's more than in each of the presidential primaries and caucuses in 2004, 2008 and 2012.
Turnout has averaged 28 percent in presidential election year primaries in New Mexico since 1996.
Albuquerque pollster Brian Sanderoff says a competitive race between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders helped fuel turnout, with a record 37 percent of Democrats casting votes.
He says there was still a lot of interest in the contest despite news that Clinton had clinched enough support from delegates.
New Mexico Democratic Party Chair Pledges To Clinton – Associated Press
The head of New Mexico's Democratic Party is pledging her delegate vote to presumptive presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
After months of being uncommitted, Debra Haaland made the announcement Wednesday in a phone call with reporters.
Haaland acknowledged that Bernie Sanders' campaign helped to inspire record turnout Tuesday among Democrats at primary polls across the state.
With Haaland's commitment, eight of New Mexico's nine superdelegates now back Clinton.
One party official remains uncommitted. Juan Sanchez III told The Associated Press: "I will commit, but not today."
Haaland said she does not have a strong opinion on the superdelegate system and Sanders' proposal to do away it. She said she would continue to follow party rules if changes are made.
Men Charged With Heroin Trafficking Accused Of User's Death – Associated Press
Two New Mexico men already charged with heroin trafficking are now accused of a death that resulted from use of the drug.
Rosendo Flores Angulo of Albuquerque and Curtis Hutchinson of Edgewood were arraigned Wednesday on an 18-count superseding indictment in federal court in Albuquerque. Both pleaded not guilty.
The indictment alleges the two on April 29, 2015 distributed heroin to a person who died as a result of its use.
The men would face between 20 years and life in prison if convicted on the "death resulting" charge added by the latest indictment.
Hutchinson defense attorney John Samore says the addition of the "death resulting" charge is inappropriate. He says treatment would be better for Hutchinson.
Angulo's defense attorney did not immediately return a call for comment.
Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas Create I-10 Coalition – Associated Press
Four states with portions of Interstate 10 are banding together to work collectively on making travel on the cross-country route safer and more efficient.
Top officials of the Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas departments of transportation recently signed an agreement creating a coalition to improve planning, expand use of technology and share best practices.
The Arizona Department of Transportation says ADOT Director John Halikowski proposed the I-10 agreement, which is modeled on one involving states along Interstate 95 on the East Coast.
Judges Must Ask About Youths' Tribal Status Under New Rule – Associated Press
A new federal rule will require judges in every state to ask whether a child is a Native American during foster-care and adoption proceedings.
Under the rule announced Wednesday by the Interior Department, judges also must ask about a child's status as a tribal member during hearings to determine whether or not a mother or father's parental rights will be terminated.
The rule goes into effect in December as part of the Indian Child Welfare Act — a law passed by Congress intended to reunite Native American families after statistics showed they were broken up at disproportionately high rates.
Larry Roberts, who oversees the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs, says the rule aims to establish more consistency within state courts in handling child welfare cases involving Native American youth.
New Mexico Prepares Recounts Of Primary Votes – Associated Press
New Mexico election officials are preparing to recount ballots in two primary elections for the state House of Representatives that were too close to call.
Kari Fresquez of the New Mexico Secretary of State's Office said Wednesday that two races finished within a margin of less than 1 percent that triggers a recount.
Based on unofficial results, Republican Vicki Chavez led Scott Chandler by 12 ballots out of 1,764 counted. The winner of that race will run against Democrat Candie Sweetser of Deming in November.
Democrat Mary Hotvedt of Piños Altos led Karen Whitlock by 31 votes out of 3,487 counted. The winner will run against Republican Rebecca Dow of Truth or Consequences.
The recounts still must be authorized by the New Mexico State Canvassing Board.
Group Says Sparse Data Exist On Native Sentencing Disparities – Associated Press
A group of judges, prosecutors and tribal officials says not enough data exists to determine whether American Indian defendants are treated similarly for crimes under state and federal law.
The Tribal Issues Advisory Group released its findings after conducting the first review in more than a decade of the effect U.S. sentencing guidelines have on tribal communities.
The group is encouraging states to collect data on American Indians' sentences.
It also has some suggestions for amending U.S. guidelines that ensure punishments for the same crime don't vary widely across federal courts.
Among them is clarification on when tribal court convictions can be considered in federal cases. Convictions in state courts automatically factor in.
The group will present its findings and recommendations to the U.S. Sentencing Commission next month.
Superfund Plan For Colorado Mines Stirs Few Protests Now – Associated Press
A proposal to deploy the powerful Superfund program to clean up leaky Colorado mines isn't stirring up much passion, despite formidable resistance in the past.
Some residents feared that a Superfund designation would scare off vital tourist traffic. Others thought it was a federal intrusion.
But by Wednesday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had received only seven comments opposing the planned cleanup in southwestern Colorado. It would include the Gold King Mine, the site of a 3-million-gallon wastewater spill last year.
Eighteen comments supported the cleanup.
The EPA says it has received just 33 comments, total, with 25 clearly for or against. Others made suggestions about specific sites and another was a duplicate.
Opposition softened after the Gold King spill, which tainted rivers in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah.