89.9 FM Live From The University Of New Mexico
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Former Superintendent Sues Mora School District, Governor Seeks Tougher Penalties for Drunk Driving

John Hartman via Flickr
/
Creative Commons License

Ex-School Chief Sues Troubled Northern New Mexico DistrictThe Associated Press

A northern New Mexico school district whose superintendent resigned in disgrace over allegations of faking credentials is facing a lawsuit from another former superintendent.

Dora Romero is suing the Mora Independent School District and board member George Trujillo over allegations she was let go because of her gender and because Trujillo wanted to give his nephew a job.

The complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque says the board, led by Trujillo, fired Romero so the board could hire Charles Trujillo.

Charles Trujillo was arrested in August on forgery and fraud charges connected to his Mora position.

Trujillo resigned following an October investigation by the Las Vegas Optic that Trujillo faked his credentials to obtain his administrative license.

Mora Interim Superintendent Ella Arellano did not immediately return an email from The Associated Press.

New Mexico County Takes Another Step Toward Spaceport Road – The Associated Press, The Las Cruces Sun-News

Officials say construction of a southern road to Spaceport America could begin in late spring or early summer.

The Las Cruces Sun-News reports that improving the southern route to the remote desert outpost would dramatically cut travel time from Las Cruces, the nearest large city.

The existing dirt route crosses a combination of state, federal and private land.

Dona Ana County commissioners recently approved an agreement with several government entities involved in the road project that spells out parameters and how historical and cultural sites will be protected during construction.

Officials say one more authorization is expected later this month that will clear the way for the county to issue a request for bids for the construction contract.

The county will be in charge of overseeing construction.

Martinez Proposes Tougher Penalties for DWI Offenders - The Albuquerque Journal

New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez is seeking tougher penalties for drunk driving.

The Albuquerque Journal reports Martinez yesterday unveiled a package of proposals meant to combat the state’s longstanding drunk driving problem.

The governor’s proposed changes to state DWI laws would increase jail or prison sentences for certain repeat DWI offenders. They would also make it easier for police to testify at DWI hearings.

Republican Reps. Tim Lewis of Rio Rancho and Sarah Maestas Barnes of Albuquerque are backing the legislation.

State Police Confirms Criminal Investigation Of County Commission Election – KOB-tv

New Mexico State Police have opened a criminal investigation into allegations of fraud surrounding the Bernalillo County Commission District 2 race. 

The agency said the investigation involves claims against the Bernalillo Commissioner-elect. In November, commissioner-elect Steven Michael Quezada's Republican opponent, Patricia Paiz, served him with a lawsuit claiming he didn't fill out or sign his own candidacy paperwork.

KOB-tv reports Albuquerque attorney Blair Dunn is representing Paiz, the former police officer who lost her GOP-backed run for Bernalillo County Commission to Quezada in November.  A suit filed by Dunn claims Quezada never signed key election documents, and that his wife Cherise signed the paperwork instead. 

Quezada's camp responded with photos said to show Quezada holding his election paperwork the day it was signed. 

Dunn said he was unaware of the state police criminal investigation before KOB told him about it Tuesday. But he said he wasn't surprised the allegations had been reported to law enforcement. 

A preliminary hearing date for the civil lawsuit contesting those election results has not yet been scheduled. 

Nuke Dump Disposes Of First Drums Of Waste In 3 Years – Associated Press & Carlsbad Current-Argus

Employees at the federal government's only underground nuclear waste repository have resumed disposal work after a nearly three-year hiatus that was prompted by a radiation release.

The Carlsbad Current-Argus reports that two pallets of low-level radioactive waste were emplaced Wednesday in one of the underground disposal rooms at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in southern New Mexico.

Rick Fuentes, a local union president and a waste handler at the site, says the transfer of the drums from an aboveground storage building went well.

Fuentes says employees are excited to be back at work.

It's still unclear when shipments of waste from other national laboratories and defense sites around the country will resume.

U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and other officials are expected to celebrate the reopening with a ribbon-cutting event Monday.

Feds: 14 Endangered Mexican Wolves Confirmed Dead In 2016 – Associated Press

More than a dozen endangered Mexican gray wolves were killed in 2016, including two at the hands of wildlife officials who were capturing and collaring the animals as part of an annual survey of the struggling population.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed this week that 14 wolf deaths were documented last year, marking the most in any single year since the federal government began reintroducing the predators in New Mexico and Arizona in 1998.

Many of the cases remain under investigation. But federal officials have acknowledged that illegal killings have been a problem over the years and will likely continue as the wolf population grows and the animals disperse into other areas of the Southwest.

There are currently about 100 wolves in the wild in New Mexico and Arizona, and environmentalists say that's not enough to ensure the species' survival.

While many of last year's cases are still under investigation, Michael Robinson with the Center for Biological Diversity called the illegal shooting of wolves an "unacceptable ongoing loss to the population."

He also said the greatest threat continues to be the freeze on wolf releases and voiced concerns about any potential federal legislation that would call for limiting or removing protections for the wolves.

Sheriff's Department: Man Fatally Shot In Albuquerque AreaAssociated Press

Bernalillo County authorities say a man was killed in a shooting in Albuquerque's northern outskirts.

Sheriff's Deputy Felicia Romero says deputies responding to reports of shots fired Tuesday night found 61-year-old Charles Ulery dead at the scene.

Romero says one person is in custody.

Other details were not immediately released.

Anti-DWI Memes, Social Media Posts Aimed at Santa Fe YouthThe Associated Press, The Santa Fe New Mexican

Advocates are using memes and social media posts to help spread the message among teenagers about the dangers of drunken driving.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that the most recent risk study for the area found that one in five Santa Fe students in grades 9-12 reported being in a car at least once in the previous year with a driver who had been drinking.

While that percentage has been dropping, advocates say it's still too high.

They say teens often get into a car with an adult drunken driver because they don't see any other option for getting home and are afraid to address the issue with an authority figure.

Education efforts are aimed at teaching children and teens about their options and helping to instill confidence.

Former Lt. Gov. Jack Stahl Remembered for Public ServiceThe Associated Press

Former New Mexico lieutenant governor and real estate executive Jack Stahl has died. He was 82.

Family and friends said Stahl died Dec. 29 in Albuquerque, where he had lived for six decades.

Stahl was being remembered this week for his public service and his dedication to his family and clients. A memorial service will be held Saturday in Albuquerque.

After graduating from the University of New Mexico and teaching math for a few years, he entered the real estate business. He founded The Jack Stahl Company in 1977 and was one of the state's first real estate instructors.

He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1968 and served as chairman of the state Republican Party before being elected to the state Senate in 1984. He was elected lieutenant governor in 1987.

New Mexico Father Who Abducted Son SurrendersThe Associated Press

Authorities say a 23-year-old father who was wanted after abducting his 2-year-old son has surrendered.

Dona Ana County sheriff's deputies say Sergio Guadalupe Jacquez turned himself in at the main station Tuesday afternoon. He was accompanied by his attorney, and authorities said he was cooperating with investigators.

Authorities planned to book him on charges of arson, aggravated burglary, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, child abuse and battery.

Jacquez was accused of fleeing with the toddler after allegedly beating the child's grandfather and torching his mobile home.

Monday night's incident triggered an Amber Alert, but the boy was later left unharmed with his paternal grandmother in southern New Mexico.

Authorities initially suspected that Jacques may have fled to Mexico.

Albuquerque Man Accused in Old Navy Arson Case Pleads Not GuiltyThe Associated Press, KOB-TV

A man accused of starting a fire inside an Old Navy store in Albuquerque in November has pleaded not guilty in the case.

KOB-TV reports that David Hickman entered his plea in court Tuesday.

He remains in federal custody and prosecutors say Hickman could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

A federal grand jury indicted the 28-year-old Hickman last month.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Albuquerque says the indictment alleges Hickman used fire in an attempt to maliciously damage the store.

Hickman was arrested on Nov. 28, two days after the fire.

The Old Navy blaze was among several fires and acts of vandalism that damaged multiple businesses around Albuquerque in late November.

The FBI still is investigating those cases.

Public Education Gets Boost From New Mexico Permanent Funds – The Associated Press

Funding for public education will get a boost this year from New Mexico's two major sovereign wealth funds thanks to strong investment results.

A spokesman for the State Investment Council says disbursements will increase by $60 million dollars to about $896 million next fiscal year from New Mexico's Land Grant Permanent Fund and Severance Tax Permanent Fund.

Charles Wollmann says the value of the two funds climbed to nearly $20 billion at the end of 2016, with a return on investment of just over 7 percent during 2016.

Supported by oil and mining royalties, the Land Grant Permanent Fund pays out 5 percent of its value each year mostly to public schools as well as schools for the blind and deaf, state universities and hospitals.