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Ex-Inmate Settles Solitary Confinement Lawsuit , Officer Accused Of Kneeing Student Resigns

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Ex-Inmate Settles Solitary Confinement Lawsuit For $750K - Mary Hudetz, Associated Press

A Tennessee man has reached a $750,000 settlement with a New Mexico county over how he was treated while held in solitary confinement at a local jail.

Michael Faziani's lawsuit filed earlier this year said he suffered from bipolar disorder and was denied his medication while left untreated in a filthy cell at the Sierra County Detention Center.

Online court records show he faced charges of driving under the influence and a traffic violation that were dismissed about a year after his arrest. A complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque said he was held for more than a year.

His attorney Matthew Coyte filed a motion Tuesday for the case to be dismissed after he said the two parties reached a settlement.

Officer Accused Of Kneeing Student Resigns From Force – The Associated Press

An Albuquerque officer has resigned from his job three months after a judge ruled he would stand trial on charges of aggravated battery and tampering with evidence.

The charges against Pablo Padilla stem from a traffic stop in April 2014 in which authorities say he kneed a University of New Mexico law school student in the groin.

The student's attorney says he was forced to undergo emergency surgery to remove a testicle after the encounter.

Padilla says he was aiming for student Jeremy Martin's knee after he pulled him over on suspicion of drunken driving.

Padilla also was accused of deleting a cellphone video linked to the incident.

The Albuquerque Police Department told KRQE that Padilla resigned Friday.

He has pleaded not guilty to charges.

New Mexico Regulators Suspend Proposed Rate IncreaseThe Associated Press

State regulators have voted to suspend a proposed rate increase for customers of a northern New Mexico electric utility.

The Public Regulation Commission made the decision Wednesday to suspend Kit Carson Electric Cooperative's proposed increase given that more than 100 protests were filed.

According to the commission, the increase would have taken effect Jan. 4 had no protests been filed.

Kit Carson Electric contends about half of the protests don't meet the commission's standards, including many that are signed by people who don't have accounts with the utility.

Under the proposed increase, Kit Carson's average residential customers would see an increase in their monthly bills of nearly 19 percent.

The co-op serves more than 22,000 customers throughout Taos, Colfax and Rio Arriba counties.

New Mexico Dem Delegation: State Can Get REAL ID ExtensionThe Associated Press

New Mexico's Democratic congressional delegation says the state may get an extension on federal REAL ID enforcement if Gov. Susana Martinez and lawmakers come to an agreement to revise state law.

Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich with Reps. Ben Ray Lujan and Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has assured them New Mexico would get the extension after the governor's office informs federal authorities.

Udall spokeswoman Jennifer Talhelm said Martinez and state lawmakers have to tell Homeland Security officials they've agreed on a specific proposal and promise to pass it.

State lawmakers are expected in January to begin on revising a state law that allows immigrants regardless of status to obtain New Mexico driver licenses.

The GOP-controlled House and the Democratic-led Senate both have "two-tier" proposals.

Police Recordings Haunt New Mexico GovernorThe Associated Press

Audio recordings of an awkward exchange between police and New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez at a holiday party could spell trouble for an emerging star of the Republican Party.

Voice recordings released on Tuesday show that Martinez waved police off a complaint of rowdy behavior at the hotel where the governor was hosting a holiday party for staff.

A Santa Fe Police sergeant says Martinez was inebriated and her political opponents say she tried to bully police and 911 dispatchers.

The governor has apologized as the recordings set off a wave of criticism on social media. Martinez has said she had one and a half drinks over the course of several hours at the party.

Vandals Do At Least $80K Damage To Albuquerque Middle SchoolThe Associated Press & The ABQ Journal

Albuquerque Public Schools officials say the damage caused by vandals to Wilson Middle School may exceed $80,000.

The Albuquerque Journal reports (http://bit.ly/1m6QtqC) a small group of vandals threw paint, broke glass and toppled tables, shelves and computers in eight classrooms at the school Tuesday.

APS's director of maintenance and operations says the $80,000 damage estimate doesn't include the expense of replacing laptop computers, large smart screens, projection cameras and science lab materials smashed in the attack.

Police are investigating how the vandals got into the rooms, noting there were no signs of forced entry through window or doors.

School officials say the rooms should be in usable condition by the time students return on Jan. 5.

New Mexico Republican Eyes 2nd Bill Ending Social Promotion -Russell Contreras, Associated Press  

An Albuquerque House Republican will try again to push a bill aimed at ending the social promotion of third-graders who aren't proficient readers.

Rep. Monica Youngblood recently reintroduced a similar proposal that passed the GOP-controlled House last session but failed after the Democratic-led Senate failed to take it up.

The bill calls for retaining third-graders who are not reading proficiently and for giving them intensive remediation.

The legislation was backed by Republican Gov. Susana Martinez. But her plan to end social promotion faced opposition from Democratic Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, who said student retention should be based on teachers' assessments, not test scores.

Opponents also said retaining students damages them psychologically and intervention can be done without retention.

Suspect Dies In Shooting Involving Albuquerque Police The Associated Press

Albuquerque police say a man has been shot and killed in a confrontation with officers.

Police spokeswoman Celina Espinoza says officers responded to a call reporting an attempted carjacking on Tuesday morning near Central Avenue in northeast Albuquerque.

When officers arrived, they started searching for the suspect and gunfire erupted after officers found him.

A gun was found at the scene.

So far this year, there have been more than a half-dozen shootings by police officers in Albuquerque. Three have been fatal, including Tuesday's shooting.

Two officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave.

The man who died has not been identified.

Last year, six people were killed in confrontations with Albuquerque police as the Justice Department conducted an investigation and entered into a consent-decree with the city following allegations over excessive use of force by police.

US Formally Announces Recent Deportation Figures - Alicia A. Caldwell, Associated Press

The Obama administration says Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported 235,413 people between October 2014 and September 2015.

It is the fewest number of immigrants sent home by ICE since 2006.

The Homeland Security Department says during that same period 337,117 would-be immigrants were caught crossing the border illegally.

The arrests at the border included roughly 79,800 people traveling as families and children traveling alone, mostly from Central America.

The Associated Press first reported in October that ICE had deported about 231,000 people as of Sept. 28.

Homeland Security has previously said deportations have declined in part because arrests at the border have dropped.

La Plata Agrees To $2.4M Federal Mine Spill Cleanup Deal – The Associated Press

The federal government will pay La Plata County $2.4 million to help clean up after the Gold King Mine spill.

The Durango Herald reports that county commissioners unanimously agreed to the deal Tuesday.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has assumed responsibility for an August breach at the abandoned mine portal that sent 3 million gallons of mining wastewater into the Animas and San Juan rivers.

EPA officials have until Feb. 1 to sign off on the agreement. The agreement includes eight tasks for ensuring the future health and safety of the county's citizens and environment.

Those include a real-time water monitoring system to alert the county of changes in water quality.

Commissioners postponed until January a vote on supporting a Superfund designation.