Snow Dusts Northern New Mexico - The Associated Press, The Santa Fe New Mexican
Santa Fe authorities are warning drivers tread carefully due to light snow making roads slippery.
The Santa Fe Office of Emergency Management said Sunday that icy conditions have already caused several minor accidents on roadways.
Officials say snow is expected to continue falling through the afternoon and temperatures will likely be below freezing.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that an inch of snow has fallen in Lamy and between 3 and 6 inches is being reported by residents in Edgewood.
Mountainous areas surrounding Santa Fe have gotten at least 2 inches.
According to the National Weather Service in Albuquerque, snow will fall across northern New Mexico and spread southward throughout the day.
New Mexico Boys Behind Girls In Academics - The Associated Press, The Albuquerque Journal
New Mexico boys are falling behind girls in academic achievement.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that the state Public Education Department has found that girls are graduating from high school at a higher rate statewide than their male counterparts.
The graduation rate for girls in 2013 was 74.9 percent, compared with 65.9 percent for boys.
Furthermore, the report has found that girls scored 9.9 percentage points above boys in reading on the most recent standardized test. The two groups were about the same in math.
School officials at the local level say they are trying to find ways to address the gap, especially among boys who are also minorities.
Experts say classroom behavioral policies and cultural norms likely have contributed to the gender disparity.
Farmington Police To Boost Evidence Room Security - The Associated Press, The Farmington Daily Times
FARMINGTON, N.M. (AP) — An independent review has found the Farmington Police Department is in need of changes to how it stores evidence, especially in the wake of a former technician's tampering.
Police Chief Steve Hebbe told The Daily Times on Saturdaythat the assessment of the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies is in line with the department's own findings.
The group's recommendations include hiring two full-time evidence technicians, establishing a new drug room and getting more security features.
The assessment was given in advance of a formal review set for February.
Ashley Goodvoyce was charged last month for allegedly stealing pills and cash from a police storage facility.
Prosecutors say her conduct impacted more than a dozen drug cases.
Goodvoyce is expected to be arraigned in district court Monday.
New Mexico Gets Flexibility From US Education Law - The Associated Press
The U.S. Department of Education is granting New Mexico flexibility from some requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
Federal officials notified Public Education Secretary Hannah Skandera by letter Friday that New Mexico's request for a one-year extension of flexibility was approved.
Assistant Education Secretary Deborah Delisle says flexibility from provisions has been effective in allowing the state to carry out reforms to improve student achievement.
Some of the reforms include the New Mexico Public Education Department conducting data reviews to support low-performing schools.
The extension will last through the 2014-2015 school year.
The ESEA, also known as No Child Left Behind law, expired in 2007. The Obama administration allowed states to apply for waivers from some provisions in exchange for proposals for improving student achievement.
Ruling Expected Soon On Navajo President Challenge – The Associated Press
A Navajo Nation presidential candidate says his loyalty to the tribe is unquestionable and he would defend his nation at all costs.
Russell Begaye's comments came during a hearing in a case challenging his candidacy. Navajo law requires that presidential candidates have unswerving loyalty to the tribe.
Onetime presidential hopeful Myron McLaughlin says Begaye doesn't meet the requirement because he sued in federal court to overturn a ruling by the tribe's high court.
Begaye says the lawsuit filed on behalf of shareholder representatives for the Navajo Nation Oil and Gas Company wasn't aimed at the tribal government.
The decision on whether he remains in the race now lies with Richie Nez of the Navajo Office of Hearings and Appeals. Arguments in the case wrapped up Friday.
Nez says he'll issue a decision next week.
No Charges For Officers In March Police Shooting - The Associated Press
Bernalillo County's district attorney says a New Mexico State Police officer and Albuquerque police officer won't face charges in connection with the shooting death of a 22-year-old man during a standoff.
District Attorney Kari Brandenburg said Friday that there was no probable cause to bring charges against either of the officers.
Authorities say New Mexico State Police SWAT officer Shane Todd shot and killed Kendall Carroll during a four-hour standoff in March at an Albuquerque apartment complex.
Albuquerque officer Michael Hernandez also exchanged gunfire with Carroll but did not hit him.
Investigators believe that Carroll previously had deliberately shot an Albuquerque officer in the lower back after the officer responded to an assault call.
New Mexico Democratic Chairman To Step Down – The Associated Press
The chairman of New Mexico's Democratic Party, who led the party during its recent historic loss of the New Mexico House, won't seek a second term.
Sam Bregman announced in a recent email that he was taking full responsibility for losses among Democrats.
Republicans gained control of the New Mexico House for the first time in six decades and Gov. Susana Martinez was re-elected by a wide margin.
The Albuquerque attorney wrote that despite the losses he was still proud the state's Democratic candidates.
No new chairman candidates have come forward.
State Teams Up With Tribe For Restoration Project – The Associated Press
The State Forestry Division has teamed up with the Mescalero Apache Tribe to begin work on a 600-acre watershed restoration project in southern New Mexico.
The goal is to thin areas on the reservation to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire and boost the health of the watershed.
The work is being funding with state severance tax dollars that were set aside during the last legislative session. In all, $6.2 million was approved for the treatment of thousands of acres in more than a dozen high-priority areas around the state.
The Mescalero project is expected to be complete in two years.
Crews will use equipment to mechanically clear overly dense stands of trees. Smaller diameter trees will be cut and scattered through the area to prevent erosion.
Albuquerque Man Gets Prison Term For Bank Robbery – The Associated Press
An Albuquerque man has been sentenced to nearly 13 years in federal prison for robbing a bank in 2012.
Prosecutors say 46-year-old Abran Felipe Armijo received a 151-month prison term Thursday followed by three years of supervised release.
Armijo was arrested hours after the BBVA Compass Bank branch was robbed on Jan. 4, 2012.
Authorities say Armijo entered the bank and demanded money from a bank teller with threat. He fled on foot after the teller gave him an undisclosed amount of cash.
Acting on a tip, police located Armijo in a southeast Albuquerque apartment where he was hiding in a closet with a plastic bag containing money.
He pleaded guilty in July 2013. Prosecutors say Armijo's sentence was enhanced because he had at least two previous violent crime convictions.