Albuquerque Police Still Face Heat On Staffing – The Associated Press
Albuquerque police have agreed to enter into a reform agreement with the U.S. Justice Department but the agency still faces scrutiny for keeping some leaders.
That's because Albuquerque police is reassigning command staff who oversaw troubled units to new positions.
The U.S. Justice Department and New Mexico's largest city announced an agreement last week to overhaul Albuquerque's police department amid extensive documentation of excessive force. The agreement calls for new training and protocols for investigating officer shootings.
But Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham says she's still troubled by the culture at Albuquerque police "that led to the violation of civil rights." She says it appears some of the same people who contributed to that culture will merely be moved into new positions without being held accountable.
No New Trial For Ex-Sheriff - The Associated Press
The U.S. Attorney's Office has refuted a defense attorney's claim that convicted former Rio Arriba County Sheriff Thomas Rodella needs a new trial.
Prosecutors last week filed rebuttals to Rodella's attorney's motion for a new trial over allegations that a key witness committed perjury.
Rodella was found guilty on Sept. 26 of brandishing a firearm and deprivation of rights following a four-day trial.
But his attorney said motorist Michael Tafoya lied about his employment at a care center. The motion alleges that Tafoya was fired from his job over abuse of an elderly client.
Prosecutors say Tafoya is still employed at the center and is on leave.
Rallies, Phone Banks, Ads Continue On Election Eve - The Associated Press
Candidates are making final campaign stops and last-minute appeals to voters in races from the U.S. Senate and governorship to legislative contests that could shift the balance of power for the first time in more than a half century.
Polls open at 7 a.m. on Tuesday.
More than 200,000 New Mexicans had already cast ballots heading into the weekend when early voting ended.
Republican Gov. Susana Martinez plans to campaign in southern New Mexico on Monday, with events scheduled in Hatch, Sunland Park, and Mesilla.
Democratic challenger Gary King was in Belen on Sunday for a get-out-the-vote rally. He campaigned with U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, Rep. Ben Ray Lujan and other Democratic candidates in northern New Mexico on Saturday, which was the final day of early voting.
Embattled Highlands University President To Retire - The Associated Press and Las Vegas Optic
The embattled president of New Mexico Highlands University has announced his retirement after eight years.
Jim Fries told the Las Vegas Optic last week that he announced his plans to faculty and staff after contemplating it for a year. Fries says next summer he will be 72 and he wants the opportunity to invest a lot more time in activities he enjoys.
His announcement comes less than three weeks after faculty and staff publicly criticized him and his administration at a regents meeting. Faculty accused Fries of not communicating with them and not being transparent about budget decisions, among other things.
Fries and the regents have yet to decide his last day.
His contract was scheduled to expire June 2016.
Farmington BLM Asked To Stop Issuing Oil Permits - The Associated Press and Daily Times
Environmental activists are calling on federal officials to cease giving out oil and gas drilling permits in the Farmington area until an environmental study is done.
The Daily Times reports that the U.S. Bureau of Land Management plans to issue a formal response to a 34-page letter drafted by several environmental groups.
WildEarth Guardians and the Western Environmental Law Center are among several organizations who voiced concerns in a letter sent to the BLM's Farmington Field Office about approving Mancos Shale drilling permits.
They say the "rampant approval" of drilling and fracking threatens wildlife, water and air in the region.
The groups say more than 1 million gallons of water are needed to drill just one well.
A BLM spokeswoman says the agency has formed an internal committee to respond.
Study: Teacher Shortage In Poor New Mexico Schools - The Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal
A New Mexico legislative study says the state's high-poverty schools are in dire need of hiring more teachers.
The Albuquerque Journal reports a Legislative Finance Committee report released last week says a "new approach" that includes better incentives and hiring decisions is crucial to get more effective teachers.
The study looked at education strategies in 15 schools around the state that are considered low-income and academically behind.
According to the committee's report, schools with veteran and beginning teachers performed better.
Meanwhile, struggling schools were disproportionately staffed with newer teachers who had low scores on their licensing exams.
Public Education Department officials say they agree with some of the report.
But they say the study only looked at 3 percent of the state's elementary schools.
Fossilized Turtle Excavated In Southern New Mexico - The Associated Press and Las Cruces Sun-News
Fossilized remains of a turtle believed to have lived in a swampy environment tens of millions of years ago have been recovered from a desert location in southern New Mexico.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reports that scientists and volunteers from the New Mexico Museum of Natural History excavated the fossilized turtle found on federal property near Truth or Consequences last week.
The team first scoured ground at the site for loose pieces of fossilized bone and turtle shell, which were placed in bags.
The team then carefully dug around the bulk of the fossilized turtle and applied plaster to keep the remains intact while it's transported back to the museum in Albuquerque for display.