New Mexico Gubernatorial Candidate Calls For Legalizing Pot – The Associated Press
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jeff Apodaca is calling for the expansion of New Mexico's medical marijuana program and for legalization of recreational use.
Apodaca released his plan Thursday, saying New Mexico is losing out on jobs and tax revenues that could be generated by the industry.
New Mexico's medical program has grown exponentially and now has more than 50,000 patients. Record sales were also reported in 2017.
At a recent forum, Republican Congressman and gubernatorial candidate Steve Pearce expressed reservations about legalization.
Among the other Democratic candidates, U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham says she would support a measure that includes adequate health and enforcement measures to prevent underage use and workplace problems.
State Sen. Joseph Cervantes has sponsored unsuccessful legislation to decriminalize possession of small quantities of pot but has said the state isn't ready yet to legalize.
Forecasters: Storm To Worsen New Mexico Wildfire Conditions – The Associated Press
Forecasters say a storm system approaching New Mexico will produce dangerous wildfire conditions in western New Mexico Thursday afternoon and evening and that blowing dust will reduce visibility along east-west oriented routes such as Interstate 40.
The National Weather Service says key impacts from expected strong winds is that existing or new wildfires will likely spread rapidly and be hard to control and may send burning embers long distances.
A briefing paper issued Thursday morning says isolated dry thunderstorms may start new fires across central New Mexico with the threat worsened by gusty and erratic winds.
Meanwhile, snowfall accumulations in New Mexico's northern mountains are forecast to range from 2 to 6 inches with slick road conditions expected in the mountains.
FAA Orders Fan Blade Inspections After Jet Engine Explosion – The Associated Press
U.S. airline regulators have ordered inspections on engine fan blades like the one that snapped off a Southwest Airlines plane, leading to the death of a woman who was partially blown out a window.
The Federal Aviation Administration's announcement late Wednesday comes nearly a year after the engine's manufacturer recommended the additional inspections, and a month after European regulators ordered their airlines to do the work.
Pressure for the FAA to act grew after an engine on a Southwest plane blew apart on Tuesday, showering the aircraft with debris and shattering a window. A woman sitting next to the window was partially blown out and died of her injuries. The plane, which was headed from New York to Dallas, made an emergency landing in Philadelphia.
New Mexico Reaches $3.4M Settlement With Credit Card Firms – The Associated Press
The New Mexico Attorney General's Office has reached a $3.4 million settlement with two credit card companies over excessive fees charged during credit and debit card transactions.
Attorney General Hector Balderas announced the settlement with Visa and MasterCard on Thursday. He says the agreement provides compensation and helps to enforce the state's consumer protection laws.
Balderas says his office also will host a series of financial literacy workshops to better educate consumers.
The settlement stems from a lawsuit filed in 2014 over the fees that are imposed on merchants each time a cardholder swipes a Visa or MasterCard. The state claimed the fees were improper and that New Mexico merchants were being harmed.
Prosecutors also said merchants were passing a portion of the fees on to customers in the form of higher prices.
Picnic Shooting Suspect Found After Plate Check – The Associated Press
A former Las Vegas Strip casino dealer accused of a deadly shooting at a company picnic was captured in Texas after a sheriff's deputy ran a routine registration check on a car.
The Oldham County sheriff's office said in a statement Thursday that the car with a Utah license plate was parked at a highway rest stop not far from the New Mexico border.
The registration check revealed the plate had been stolen. The deputy learned the car was linked to Anthony J. Wrobel, who was found asleep in the vehicle.
Las Vegas police say Wrobel initially grabbed a 9mm handgun but then surrendered. They say he also had two high-capacity magazines.
Wrobel was awaiting extradition to Nevada to face charges in Sunday's shooting that killed a casino executive and critically wounded another worker.
Feud Erupts Between Utility, US States Over Colorado River – The Associated Press
Tension over the drought-stressed Colorado River escalated into a public feud when four U.S. states accused an Arizona utility of manipulating supply and demand, potentially threatening the river's future.
The four states said the Central Arizona Project was trying to avoid a reduction in its share of the river while others are voluntarily conserving to avoid a crisis amid a prolonged drought.
The accusation was made by Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, along with Denver's water utility.
The Central Arizona Project denied the allegations. The project serves Phoenix, Tucson and other cities.
The Colorado River supplies water to nearly 40 million people in the U.S. and Mexico. It's under increasing strain because demand is rising while the river is shrinking.
Researchers blame an 18-year drought and climate change for the decline.
Federal Immigration Authorities Criticize Measure To Strengthen Immigrant Friendly Policies In Albuquerque – The Associated Press
Federal immigration authorities are criticizing an Albuquerque measure to strengthen immigrant friendly policies, saying the proposal would undermine public safety and make New Mexico's largest city a safe haven for people living in the country illegally.
The Albuquerque City Council voted Monday to bar federal agents from prisoner transport centers without a warrant and prevent city workers, including police, from asking about people's immigration status.
The bill's sponsors describe it as an attempt to reaffirm the city's "immigrant friendly" status at a time when the Trump administration is seeking to crack down on unauthorized border crossings.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement official said Wednesday that the agency seeks "straightforward cooperation" from law enforcement agencies to enforce immigration laws, and that "misguided municipal directives" undermine those efforts.
The bill still must be approved by Mayor Tim Keller.
Española Reconsiders Tribute To Spanish Conqueror – The Associated Press
A northern New Mexico city nestled among tribal lands is reconsidering its annual commemoration of the 1598 arrival of Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate.
Oñate is both revered as a Hispanic founding father and reviled for brutality against Native Americans.
Newly elected Española Mayor Javier Sanchez has made clear that changes are in store for the community’s annual festival that includes a pageant depicting an armored Oñate on horseback.
Sanchez has appointed a fresh slate of organizers to guide the next Española Fiesta — including women from the adjoining Santa Clara and Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo Indian reservations — with the goal of designing a more inclusive celebration of the valley's history and culture.
That has set off alarm bells among traditionalists in the community who fear Oñate legacy might be forsaken. To American Indians, Oñate is known for having ordered the right feet cut off tribal warriors after his soldiers stormed Acoma Pueblo.
New Mexico politicians are grappling with how to address rising criticism over tributes and monuments to Spanish colonial conquerors.
Report: New Mexico Improves Quality Of Childhood Education – The Associated Press, The Santa Fe New Mexican
A new report credits New Mexico with continuing to improve the quality of its early childhood education programs and investing more money in the initiatives.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reported Tuesday that many experts believe the programs are the key to boosting educational measures and helping combat poverty.
The National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University says New Mexico is meeting nine of 10 benchmarks for providing high-quality prekindergarten education. And, for the second year in a row, the state ranks 20th in the nation for how much it spends per preschool student.
The report says New Mexico falls short only when it comes to teacher qualifications, with just 60 percent of its pre-K teachers holding a bachelor's or higher degree.
New Mexico Pension Board Censures, Reprimands Member – The Associated Press, The Santa Fe New Mexican
The board that oversees New Mexico's public pension system has reprimanded and censured one of its members, citing a list of violations and disruptive behaviors.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports the board of the Public Employees Retirement Association approved a resolution Tuesday to censure Loretta Naranjo Lopez, stripping her of committee assignments and barring her from traveling out of state on pension business for a year.
The board accuses Naranjo Lopez of seeking improper reimbursements, harassing pension staff, filing criminal complaints because of board seating arrangements and engaging in other unethical behavior.
Naranjo Lopez says the allegations are baseless, retaliatory and a diversion from the state pension's unfunded liabilities.
The state pension system manages more than 30 retirement plans for public employees.
Authorities Wrapping Up Inquiry Into Deadly School Shooting – The Associated Press
Authorities say they're wrapping up a months-long investigation into a school shooting that left two students dead and rocked a rural community in northwestern New Mexico.
The San Juan County Sheriff's Office said in a statement issued Wednesday that there are theories as to why the gunman opened fire inside Aztec High School, but the only factual conclusion investigators have made is that the shooter had what they called "serious issues."
The 21-year-old gunman, William Atchison, killed Francisco "Paco" Fernandez and Casey Jordan Marquez before firing randomly in a hallway and a computer lab, forcing students and teachers to take cover. He then killed himself.
The gunman left behind notes that detailed his plans.
The shooting has resulted in ongoing discussions about ways to bolster security on campuses around the state.
University Of New Mexico Enrollment Down From Last Year – The Associated Press, The Albuquerque Journal
A University of New Mexico administrator says fewer students enrolled at the Albuquerque institution this year compared to last year.
University Provost Chaouki Abdallah told the Board of Regents on Tuesday that full-time students are down by about 500 students from last year to 21,467.
The total enrollment including part-time and other students in 2018 was 25,661.
The Albuquerque Journal reports even with the decrease, enrollment at the University of New Mexico is still at a level above that at the beginning of the Great Recession.
Abdallah says measuring enrollment through credit hours instead of tracking the number of students by full-time and part-time students provides a better count.
Under that method, the school logged 313,418 student credit hours, down from 320,954 in 2017.
Postal Service: Pie Town Will Keep Full Postal Services – The Associated Press
The Postal Service is providing assurances that it is committed to providing full services in Pie Town, a tiny western New Mexico community where the current post office is closing.
Postal Service spokesman Peter Hass says operations are being temporarily suspended at the current location because of a loss of lease but he says officials are working to move the services to a new location.
Hass says officials also are working with residents to identity a place for temporary group mailboxes to serve post office box customers in the meantime.
Members of the state's congressional delegations had expressed concern about the situation, asking that the Postal Service keep a permanent location in Pie Town.
Pie Town is 100 miles southwest of Albuquerque.