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NM Prisons Expected To Fill Up As Population Grows, Santa Fe Pays $212K To Settle Suit Over Shooting

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New Mexico Prisons Expected To Fill Up As Population Grows- Santa Fe New Mexican, Associated Press

A forecast prepared by the state sentencing commission shows New Mexico's prison system will have more inmates in the next few years than it currently has cells to hold them.

While the growth of New Mexico's prison population has slowed, the state is bucking the national trend as its total prison population continues to grow.

The correction system is projected to hold 7,192 men by the 2024 fiscal year. That will exceed current capacity by more than five dozen. The number of women in the system also is expected to surpass capacity that year.

The forecast was presented Monday to members of a legislative committee focused on the courts, corrections and criminal justice. The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that the projections come as crime in New Mexico has risen, particularly in Albuquerque, and as the state's prisons get older.

Secretary Perry Alma Mater Says He Didn't Tilt Nuke Lab Bid- Associated Press

Texas A&M University leaders said Tuesday that Energy Secretary Rick Perry wasn't involved in his alma mater getting a $2.5 billion nuclear weapons lab contract at the birthplace of the atomic bomb, which is changing management after years of safety and security lapses.

The new director over Los Alamos National Laboratory, also defended the University of California staying on with the lab despite being part of the current team that is losing the job over a checkered record and missed goals.

At a time when the U.S. is pushing to restart production of plutonium cores for the nation's nuclear arsenal, a new consortium called Triad National Security LLC is taking over the lab that began in the 1940s as part of the Manhattan Project. Triad won the bid in June and is comprised of Texas A&M, the University of California and Ohio-based Battelle Memorial

Remington Bid Provides Insight Into US Tribe's Aspirations- NY Times, Associated Press

Remington management has turned down an offer by one of the largest American Indian tribes in the U.S. to buy the storied gun maker as the company rebuilds itself after emerging from bankruptcy.

The Navajo Nation submitted a bid in May, offering between $475 million and $525 million. The tribe planned to pay cash.

A columnist with The New York Times was first to report on the bid Monday.

The Navajos had proposed shifting away from public consumers to police and defense contracts. Profits would then be invested in research and development of "smart guns" — those outfitted with technology to ensure they can only be used by their owners.

To address high unemployment, Navajo leaders have long sought to bring manufacturing jobs to the reservation, which spans parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.

Albuquerque Woman Pleads Guilty To Assaulting Postal Workers- Associated Press

An Albuquerque woman has pleaded guilty to assaulting three U.S. Postal Service employees last December and could be facing a federal prison sentence of up to 20 years.

Prosecutors say 25-year-old Jackie Herron entered her guilty plea Tuesday without a plea agreement.

Herron was arrested in February on a three-count indictment charging her with assaulting the postal employees in Bernalillo County last Dec. 22.

According to the indictment, Herron assaulted one employee by threatening to run her over and pointed a firearm at her.

Herron allegedly threatened to run over the second employee with a car and pointed a firearm at the third employee.

A sentencing hearing hasn't been scheduled yet.

Prosecutors say Herron faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine.

State Warns Medical Pot Dispensaries On Cannabidiol Sales- Santa Fe New Mexican, Associated Press

State health officials are warning medical marijuana dispensaries against selling cannabidiol produced outside of New Mexico or from plants grown outside the state.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports Medical Cannabis Program director Kenny Vigil wrote to dispensaries June 7 that the practice is "in violation of the Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act and must cease."

The act forbids businesses licensed in New Mexico from bringing cannabis or cannabis-derived products into New Mexico. The New Mexico Department of Health says cannabidiol, or CBD, falls into that category.

Ultra Health CEO and President Duke Rodriguez says the CBD question in New Mexico is headed for further legal challenges, along with limits on the number of plants licensed growers are permitted and limits on dispensary locations.

Santa Fe Pays $212K To Settle Suit Over Police Officer Shooting- Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press

The city of Santa Fe has paid more than $212,000 to settle a lawsuit over a police officer's shooting of a neighborhood watchman when both responded to a late-night burglar alarm.

The Albuquerque Journal reports the payment settles claims against the city, Officer Charles Laramie and former Police Chief Ray Rael over Laramie's shooting of Robert Dominguez in March 2013.

Dominguez, a former Santa Fe police officer and Santa Fe County sheriff's deputy, died at age 78 the following January from what family members said were complications from his three gunshot wounds.

Court documents indicate a settlement in the wrongful death suit was reached last fall. But there was a legal tussle over who would receive the money.

Cammie Nichols, attorney for Dominguez's children, says the settlement is fair.

Flood Damages Homes, Power Line, Crops In Socorro CountyAssociated Press

Heavy flooding has knocked out part of a transmission line from Socorro to Magdalena, leaving hundreds without power.

The Socorro Electric Cooperative says about 1,560 customers in and around Magdalena are without power Monday.

Spokesman Jimmy Capps says water rushed through an arroyo late Sunday, uprooting poles and anchors along the transmission line.

He says crews expect to restore power late Monday.

Socorro County manager Delilah Walsh says the floodwaters also damaged 18 homes in San Antonio, broke water lines, destroyed crops and washed out a section of rail line.

No one was injured.

She says residents in San Antonio reported hearing rumbling before seeing what looked like a river flowing through their property. She says a walk-in freezer and a propane tank floated away.

Sexual Assault Charge Dropped Against Former Hobbs PriestHobbs News-Sun, Associated Press

The case against a former Hobbs Catholic priest accused of criminal sexual contact has been dismissed.

The Hobbs News-Sun reports the criminal charge against former St. Helena Catholic Church priest Ricardo Bauza was tossed last week just days before he was slated to stand trial.

Fifth Judicial District Attorney Dianna Luce declined to comment Thursday about the dismissal.

Bauza voluntarily surrendered to Hobbs police in February more than three months after a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Bauza had been wanted by authorities since last October following allegations that he got into a shower with an adult male, and washed the victim's body with a loofah in the church rectory at St. Helena in Hobbs.

His attorney, Jason Bowles, says the dismissal was "the appropriate decision."

Lawmakers Hold Hearing On Ice Detention In New Mexico -  Associated Press

State lawmakers have heard testimony about conditions inside federal facilities that house migrants in New Mexico, where the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has entered into agreements with counties and private companies to operate two detention centers.

About 200 people filled a state capitol room for the legislative committee hearing Monday in Santa Fe.

Adriel Orozco, an attorney for the New Mexico Immigrant Law Center, urged lawmakers to enact a measure that would prohibit counties from entering into new agreements with ICE to expand or add immigrant detention centers in the state.

The ICE facilities in New Mexico are in Otero and Cibola counties.

Orozco said immigrants at the Cibola County facility have complained of medical neglect.

An ICE spokeswoman did not immediately provide comment in response to an emailed request from The Associated Press.

Storied Route 66 Hotel In Albuquerque Set To ReopenKOB-TV, Associated Press

A seminal Albuquerque motel along the historic Route 66 is set to reopen after an $18 million upgrade.

KOB-TV reports the El Vado Motel is preparing for its grand opening and will start renting rooms this week.

The face-lift of the storied El Vado motor lodge in Albuquerque includes a boutique motel, a new mixed-use building next door and an events center.

The lobby of the pre-World War II motel will have a taproom that will feature local brews.

General Manager Carrie Confair says construction took about a year and a half to complete.

The original motel opened in 1937. It's among the sites highlighted by the National Park Service as a historically significant example of the automobile tourism that sprouted up along Route 66.

Tribe Begins Negotiations With Possible New Coal Plant OwnerAssociated Press

Leaders from the Navajo Nation say they've begun negotiations with a potential new owner of a coal-fired power plant on their land.

The Navajo Generating Station near Page is scheduled to shut down in December 2019.

The plant's coal supplier has been leading an effort to find a new owner.

Navajo President Russell Begaye says the tribe is negotiating with New York-based Avenue Capital for ownership and one of its subsidiaries, Middle River Power, as an operator.

Begaye told lawmakers Monday that an agreement could be ready for them to consider by October. He acknowledged it's an ambitious timeframe for a process that generally takes years.

Environmental groups have said the coal plant is not worth saving and have urged tribal officials to focus on renewable energy projects.

Complaint Seeks $34K From Former Navajo Nation Legal CounselGallup Independent, Associated Press

Investigators with the Navajo Nation are seeking more than $34,000 from the tribe's former legal counsel after she crashed a tribal vehicle and was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving.

The Gallup Independent reports that investigators have filed a complaint with the Navajo Nation Office of Hearings and Appeals. The complaint was made public Friday.

Karis Begaye, the daughter of Navajo President Russell Begaye, resigned last month.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety arrested her April 22 after a crash south of Flagstaff. Police records show she had a blood-alcohol content of more than double the legal limit for driving.

No formal charges have been filed, but tribal investigators are seeking an administrative hearing. The damages cited in their complaint include the cost of the wrecked SUV, towing charges and other expenses.

Investigation Into Weeping Virgin Mary Statue ContinuesLas Cruces Sun-News, Associated Press

The Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces continues to investigate a Virgin Mary sculpture in a Hobbs church that appears to be weeping.

The Las Cruces Sun-News reports Bishop Oscar Cantu of the diocese said Friday a sample of the fluid collected from the sculpture was sent for chemical analysis and it was determined that it was olive oil.

That fact doesn't preclude the occurrence from being deemed a church miracle. But an investigation is still underway.

Cantu says the investigation entails trying to determine whether there was a natural cause behind the liquid found on the hollow bronze sculpture.

Cantu says the diocese also examined the interior of the statue and determined nothing irregular.

The sculpture, which stands in the Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, has been attracting attention since visitors first reported the fluid in May.

3 Patients Improve Following Deadly New Mexico Bus CrashAssociated Press

The conditions of three patients have been upgraded following a deadly crash involving a commercial passenger bus and three other vehicles on a New Mexico highway early Sunday.

Twelve people remained hospitalized Tuesday, and officials at University of New Mexico Hospital say three of the four who were initially listed in critical condition have improved.

Authorities said three people were killed and a total of 24 were injured. Investigators have yet to positively identify the dead.

One of the people killed was in a car that struck a pickup truck from behind about 2 a.m. Sunday on Interstate 25 north of Albuquerque. The bus driver took evasive action to avoid the disabled car but lost control. The bus rolled and was sideswiped by a semi-truck.

The wreck forced the closure of the interstate for hours.

Folk Art Market In Santa Fe Sets Sales RecordSanta Fe New Mexican, Associated Press

Officials say the International Folk Art Market ' Santa Fe set a record for sales in 2018.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports CEO Jeff Snell says the market had tallied at least $3.28 million in sales as of Sunday night. Snell says that's up from last year's record of $3.14 million.

Snell says the market had record sales despite an hour-long internet outage on Saturday, caused when monsoon rains and lightning took out one of the market's main routers and forced organizers to reboot the system.

Snell says market workers had to switch to recording credit card information manually during the outage because their point-of-sale system was out of order.

According to its website, the International Folk Art Market ' Santa Fe celebrates the humanity of the handmade that empowers communities through monumental earnings.

Campfires, Smoking Now Allowed On Carson National ForestAssociated Press

Campfires, smoking and chain saws now are allowed on the Carson National Forest.

Higher humidity and recent rain led to the decision to lift fire restrictions Monday throughout the northern New Mexico forest.

Officials say visitors still should be cautious and ensure campfires are drowned with water and cool to the touch.

Target shooting is allowed in some dispersed areas. Fireworks always are banned.

An area around Sardinas Canyon remains closed because of a wildfire, as do some roads and campgrounds.

Annual Horse Ride Honors Past Navajo Nation LeadersAssociated Press

Navajo Nation lawmakers gathering for the start of their weeklong summer session were greeted by a small group of horseback riders.

The annual tradition honors past tribal leaders who traveled by horse or wagon to gather input from their communities on the way to the tribal capital. Several people rode in Sunday and Monday.

Council delegate Walter Phelps led a group from Cameron. Delegate Steven Begay led another group from Tohatchi, New Mexico.

The legislative session in Window Rock begins Monday with an address from the tribal president and other reports.

Lawmakers begin considering bills Tuesday. The session is scheduled to end Friday.

State's Chief Deputy Defender Resigns Amid Harassment ClaimsSanta Fe New Mexican, Associated Press

The chief deputy of New Mexico's Offices of the Public Defender is resigning amid allegations of sexual harassment.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports the office confirmed last week Chief Deputy Defender Chandler Blair notified the agency he was leaving to go into private practice.

Two female attorneys who filed sexual harassment complaints against Blair are still pursuing their claims after the New Mexico Disciplinary Board declined to take action. Jocelyn Garrison, who had worked with Blair in the Public Defender's Office in Clovis, accused him of coming up behind her in her office and choking her, grabbing her genitals and whispering vulgar comments in her ear.

Blair has denied the allegations. He did not immediately return an email from The Associated Press.

Baur said he thought Blair's resignation was effective "sometime before the end of the month."

Discussion To Focus On Native American Voting RightsAssociated Press

Access and barriers to the political process across Indian Country will be the focus of an upcoming discussion in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, vice chair of Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, will be leading Tuesday's conversation about Native American voting rights.

Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye, representatives with the National Congress of American Indians, the Native American Rights Fund and top election managers from New Mexico will be among those participating.

Earlier this year, the Native American Voting Rights Coalition held a field hearing in Albuquerque at which people shared their experiences with voter registration and voting in federal, state and local non-tribal elections.

The group has been working to document the needs and challenges faced by Native American voters and to identify successes that can be replicated.

El Paso Shelter Says U.S. Flying Kids For ReunificationsAssociated Press

A shelter for immigrants in El Paso, Texas, says the U.S. government has begun transporting children in a "tremendous amount of airline flights" to be reunited with their parents in some cities.

Annunciation House Director Ruben Garcia told reporters Monday that the shelter received a father and son on Sunday who were back together after being separated at the U.S.-Mexico border.

He says the facility is preparing to take in as many as 100 families each day as a July 26 court-ordered deadline approaches to reunite children ages 5 to 17 with their parents.

Garcia says he's learned that future reunifications will happen inside select Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities before families are released together pending deportation and asylum proceedings.

Two immigrants living at an Annunciation House shelter are expressing heartbreak and frustration that their children are still detained just blocks away.