New Head Of New Mexico Child Welfare Agency Lists Priorities – Associated Press
New Mexico lawmakers want the new head of the state's child welfare agency to ensure federal dollars for services are used by the state rather than be returned.
Members of a Senate panel challenged Monique Jacobson, the incoming secretary of the Children, Youth and Families Department, during a meeting Tuesday.
Jacobson outlined her top priorities for the agency. That includes tightening internal financial controls, improving communication with law enforcement and expanding services aimed at preventing abuse and neglect.
Jacobson says she's excited to tackle the challenges ahead and promised to account for every dollar. Lawmakers expressed support and asked her to act with urgency.
The agency has been hampered in recent years by staffing shortages, overwhelming caseloads and high-profile abuse cases that have drawn criticism.
Ex-Los Alamos Scientist Gets 5 Years In Nuke Spy Sting – The Associated Press
A former Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist who pleaded guilty to trying to help Venezuela develop a nuclear weapon has been sentenced to five years in prison and three years of supervised release.
Pedro Leonardo Mascheroni was sentenced Wednesday before a U.S. district judge in Albuquerque following a case that began in 2010.
Mascheroni and his wife, Marjorie Roxby Mascheroni, pleaded guilty in 2013 to offering to help develop a nuclear weapon for Venezuela through dealings with an undercover FBI agent posing as a representative of the socialist South American country.
Pedro Mascheroni, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Argentina, had faced up to 5 1/2 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release.
His wife received a year and a day in prison for conspiring with her husband to sell nuclear secrets.
The U.S. government is not alleging Venezuela sought U.S. secrets.
Historic Santa Fe Building Designated As National Treasure – The Associated Press
The Palace of the Governors is already billed as one of the oldest continuously occupied public buildings in the United States.
Now, the adobe structure bordering Santa Fe's historic plaza is being named as a national treasure.
The official announcement by the National Trust for Historic Preservation was made Wednesday afternoon. Santa Fe Mayor Javier Gonzales, cultural affairs officials and history buffs were in attendance.
Built in 1610, the palace is now part of the state history museum.
The preservation group says the building is deteriorating and there's a lack of funding for much-needed repairs.
The group says designating the palace as a national treasure should serve as a call to action for the state Legislature and supporters to raise money for restoration efforts.
Western Experts Gather For Regional Drought Forum – The Associated Press
Experts from across the West are gathering in New Mexico to discuss the effects of drought on recreation and tourism.
The Western Governors' Association is putting on the two-day forum. Experts from New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Oregon will be part of the discussion.
Gov. Susana Martinez planned to give the opening address Wednesday but her office said she was not feeling well and had to cancel her appearance.
Martinez knows firsthand what dry conditions can do to agriculture, economic development and even tourism since New Mexico is marching into its fifth straight year of what's expected to be severe drought.
In New Mexico, the lack of meaningful snowpack during the winter months and weak spring runoff has left the state's lakes and reservoirs in bad shape. Some boat ramps were forced to close in recent years.
Affidavit: Convicted Ex-NM Sheriff Still Under Investigation – The Associated Press
A northern New Mexico sheriff recently sentenced to 10 years in federal prison remains under investigation in another case.
A new public affidavit says an FBI agent concluded that "probably cause" exist that former Rio Arriba County Sheriff Thomas Rodella participated in extortion related to a traffic dismissal program.
Under the program, investigators say Rodella offered dismissal of traffic citations in exchange for donations to a scholarship find.
Rodella was sentenced last week to 10 years in prison and fined $200,000 for abusing a driver in an off-duty traffic stop.
The FBI in 2013 searched the sheriff's office to investigate the scholarship fund but never filed charges in that case.
Rodella said then that the program helped students, and he denied any wrongdoing.
New Mexico Bill Would Limit Smoking With Kids Around – Associated Press
Two New Mexico lawmakers want to make it illegal for parents and others to smoke in any motor vehicle when a child is present.
Democratic Rep. Jeff Steinborn of Las Cruces introduced the measure earlier this week. Sen. Peter Wirth of Santa Fe is sponsoring the bill in the Senate.
With all the research related to the dangers of second hand smoke, Steinborn says smoking with a child strapped in the back seat really amounts to a form of child abuse.
The legislation would amend the state's motor vehicle code to prohibit smoking in any motor vehicle when a minor is present. Smoking would include anything from cigarettes, cigars and pipes to e-cigarettes.
The penalty for a first offense would be a $300 fine. Subsequent violations would cost $500.
New Mexico Jobless Drops To 6.1 Percent In December – Associated Press
New Mexico's unemployment rate dipped for a second straight month.
The state Department of Workforce Solutions reported Monday that that the state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for December was 6.1 percent.
That's down from 6.4 percent in November and down from 6.6 percent a year ago.
The department says the state's economy added 13,500 jobs during the year ending in December 2014, making it the one of the greatest year-over-year monthly increase since the Great Recession.
Bill Would Create Alert System For Certain Missing People – Associated Press
New Mexico lawmaker is proposing legislation that would create a notification system for law enforcement when a person with severe physical, mental or developmental disabilities goes missing.
Sen. Jacob Candelaria introduced the Brittany Alert legislation on Tuesday.
The Albuquerque Democrat says he named the legislation after Brittany Redford-Gonzales, a developmentally disabled 25-year-old woman who disappeared for nearly three weeks. She was finally found 200 miles from home.
Candelaria says the woman's family had significant difficulty in attracting attention to her disappearance in the absence of a statewide alert system.
Ex-Los Alamos Scientist In Nuke Spy Sting To Be Sentenced - Russell Contreras, Associated Press
A former Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist who pleaded guilty to trying to help Venezuela develop a nuclear weapon is set to be sentenced.
Pedro Leonardo Mascheroni is scheduled to appear before a U.S. district judge in Albuquerque on Wednesday.
Mascheroni and his wife, Marjorie Roxby Mascheroni, pleaded guilty in 2013 to offering to help develop a nuclear weapon for Venezuela through dealings with an undercover FBI agent posing as a representative of the Venezuelan government.
The wife, a former lab contractor, was sentenced to a year and a day in prison for conspiring with her husband to sell nuclear secrets.
Pedro Mascheroni faces up to 5 1/2 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release. He is a naturalized U.S. citizen from Argentina.
The U.S. government is not alleging Venezuela sought U.S. secrets.
Governor Wants To Go Big With Highway Projects – Albuquerque Journal
Gov. Susana Martinez is calling for state lawmakers to set aside up to $300 million for highway repair and construction projects around New Mexico.
Martinez told the Albuquerque Journal the plan would speed up work on unsafe roads while also boosting the state’s economic prospects.
The governor rolled out the highway initiative during her State of the State address last week. It is modeled on the Paseo del Norte/Interstate 25 project. That $93 million makeover was just completed in Albuquerque.
Skeptics of Martinez’s road proposal claim it would mean less money for other state infrastructure needs and say there are other ways to address the state’s dilapidated highways. The administration does not support one bill that would raise the gas tax to pay for highway projects.
Gov. Martinez To Talk Drought At Regional Forum – Associated Press
Gov. Susana Martinez knows firsthand the effects dry conditions can have on agriculture, economic development and even tourism as New Mexico heads into its fifth straight year of what's expected to be severe drought.
Martinez is scheduled give the opening remarks this morning at the Western Governors' Drought Forum in Santa Fe.
The focus of the two-day event will be on how dry conditions have affected recreation and tourism around the West.
Review Finds Los Alamos Lapses On Keeping Secrets Secret - Associated Press
Federal investigators say Los Alamos National Laboratory misclassified information that should have been kept secret but instead was made public.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that a review by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Inspector General found that an official at the bomb-building lab didn't adequately protect classified information in six instances.
Those included an employee's remarks to a public gathering in which the employee unknowingly included material that should have been classified. Another involved an employee's article that included material that should have been classified but wasn't.
The review said the classification officer was lax about keeping his staff current on guidelines for determining what information must be kept secret.
The lab said it's taking steps to address the issues.