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Headlines: DWI Convictions Bernalillo County, Navajo Nation Has Extra Funds ...

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DWI Conviction Rate Decreases In Bernalillo County - The Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal

A state report says convictions for drunken driving cases in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court have been falling sharply, with fewer than half of 2014 cases ending in a conviction.

The Albuquerque Journal reports that the state Administrative Office of the Courts report says the conviction rate has dropped below 50 percent for the first time in at least 17 years.

District Attorney Kari Brandenburg's office says that more than half of the DWI cases that ended in dismissals were dismissed because officers didn't appear in court or for interviews with defense lawyers or because of problems obtaining lapel camera video of the arrests.

Albuquerque Police Department officials had no comment.

Navajo Nation Chapters Have More Than $77M In Unspent FundsThe Associated Press

An audit of the Navajo Nation revealed that the tribal government's 110 chapters had more than $77 million in unspent funds.

The Gallup Independent reports last week Tribal Auditor General Elizabeth Begay reported that the chapters hadn't spent $77.6 million as of December 2014.

Since the report's release, the Navajo Nation council has been looking into the impact of allowing the chapters to carry over their unspent annual budget into the next year.

Begay says an average of $650,000 annually had been appropriated to the 110 chapters from 2006 to 2013.

Council delegate Leonard Tsosie says the unspent funds show that chapters don't need funding.

The Resources and Development Committee accepted the audit report and have announced they will hold a work session with certified chapters on July 8.

Archaeologists Call On Feds To Protect Chaco Canyon AreaThe Associated Press

Archaeologists from universities and organizations around the nation are calling on the U.S. Interior Department to protect the area around Chaco Culture National Historical Park from oil and gas development.

Nearly 30 archaeologists sent a letter to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell on Tuesday to highlight their concerns. It comes a day after Interior Deputy Secretary Mike Connor and U.S. Sen. Tom Udall toured the area in northwestern New Mexico.

The archaeologists say communications and road systems that once linked the canyon to other sites as far away as southeast Utah are still being identified, but the construction of roads, pipelines and well pads are causing damage.

They're pushing for a master plan to ensure future development doesn't compromise the area, some of which is designated as a World Heritage site.

New Mexico Corrections Halts Halfway House ConnectionThe Associated Press

The New Mexico Department of Corrections says it will no longer send female inmates to a halfway house named in a sexual-assault lawsuit.

Corrections spokeswoman Alex Tomlin said Monday the agency is ending its relationship with New Life Recovery House in Alamogordo out of safety concerns.

The move comes after three women last year sued a motel owner and the halfway house's director, saying they were sexually assaulted at work and threatened with being returned to prison when they complained.

The Corrections Department pulled 31 women out of the New Life Recovery House in October after the allegations surfaced.

New Life Recovery owner Vickie Clark says a former contractor named in the lawsuit no longer is affiliated with the house. She says allegations made against the center were later dismissed.

New Mexico Road To Spaceport Hits Snag Due To Planning ErrorThe Associated Press & The Las Cruces Sun-News

Officials say start of construction on an improved southern New Mexico road to Spaceport America will be delayed around three months thanks to a planning error.

The Las Cruces Sun-News reports that Dona Ana County staff told commissioners last week surveying work for the proposed construction didn't align with a corridor that was studied as part of a key environmental review.

County Engineer Robert Armijo says he didn't know why that happened but staff has to redesign the roadway to match the corridor.

Armijo says he's hoping construction will begin at the end of the year.

Spaceport, located 60 miles north of Las Cruces, is where Virgin Galactic plans to launch its first space-tourism flights at a cost of $200,000 per person.

New Mexico Reports 'All-Time High' Tourism Numbers For 2014 - The Associated Press

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has announced close to 33 million visited the state last year, making it a record-breaking year for tourism.

Martinez said Monday that half a million more people visited New Mexico than in 2013 and credited the state's New Mexico True campaign. That campaign features the state's famous outdoor locations and New Mexico celebrities, such as mixed-martial arts fighter Carlos Condit.

In 2014, officials say the New Mexico True campaign helped lead to an all-time high in marketable overnight trips, or vacations, with a 40.6 percent increase since 2010.

Tourism Department Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Latham says an advertising budget increase allowed the state to aggressively pursue those types of trips.

First Woman Chosen To Lead New Mexico State Parks - The Associated Press

For the first time in the more than 80-year history of the New Mexico State Parks Division, a woman has been selected to run its operations.

The state Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, which oversees the parks division, announced Tuesday that Christy Tafoya will take over immediately.

She replaces Tommy Mutz, who retired after three decades with the parks division.

Tafoya is an archaeologist by training. She began her career with State Parks when she was selected as the division's first archaeologist nearly 17 years ago.

Since 2007, she has managed the statewide Outdoor Classroom Program, which has provided hundreds of thousands of students with hands-on experiences in state parks.

The State Parks Division manages nearly three dozen parks encompassing more than 307 square miles of land and water.

DOE Names Acting Field Office Manager At Nuclear Repository - The Associated Press

The U.S. Department of Energy has named one of its longtime employees as the acting director of the field office that oversees the federal government's troubled nuclear waste repository.

Dana Bryson is replacing Joe Franco, who recently took another job with the agency at the Hanford site in Washington.

The department says Bryson has more than 30 years of experience in the nuclear industry and has served as the deputy manager of the Carlsbad Field Office since 2013.

Bryson previously worked at the DOE's Richland Operations Office, where he was responsible for cleanup and restoration of 220 square miles of the Columbia River corridor.

DOE officials say they're confident he's up to the challenge at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, which has been closed since a February 2014 radiation leak.

Udall, Interior Deputy Secretary Tour Chaco Canyon Area - The Associated Press

U.S. Sen. Tom Udall says a hike through Chaco Canyon marks an important first step toward ensuring that oil and gas development in the region is carefully planned.

The New Mexico Democrat was joined Monday by Interior Deputy Secretary Mike Connor.

After touring areas beyond the park where drilling is proposed, they met with residents and local officials with the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The visit comes after Udall sent a letter to the Interior Department in which he highlighted constituent concerns development and potential effects on archaeological sites in the region.

Udall has said federal leasing activities should take into consideration the cultural, historical and ecological values of the area. Chaco Canyon is designated as a World Heritage site.

Authorities ID Boy Scout Who Died In New Mexico Flash Flood - The Associated Press

Authorities have released the name of a Boy Scout who died after being swept away by a flash flood on a northern New Mexico camping trip with his troop.

New Mexico State Police announced Monday that the victim was 13-year-old Alden Brock of Sacramento, California.

Police say Brock was one of eight Boy Scouts participating in a 12-day trek at the Philmont Scout Ranch.

Floodwaters came through North Ponil Canyon where they were camping around 4:30 a.m. Saturday.

The water over-ran their camp site, taking four boys down the canyon.

Ranch employees were able to rescue three of the boys.

Brock's body was recovered about a mile from where he was swept away.

Philmont Scout Ranch is located in Cimarron, roughly 50 miles south of the Colorado state line.

2 Former Officers Plead Not Guilty In Holding-Cell Beating - The Associated Press

Two former Las Cruces police officers charged with aggravated battery in the beating of a man in a holding cell have pleaded not guilty.

The District Attorney's Office said ex-officer Danny Salcido entered his plea during an arraignment Monday in state District Court, while an attorney entered the plea for Richard P. Garcia on his behalf.

Salcido and Garcia were indicted in the Dec. 23 beating in a holding cell at the Las Cruces Police Department.

Lawyers for Ross Flynn have said he was severely beaten while handcuffed in the cell.

Flynn was later hospitalized with a skull fracture.

He had been arrested after allegedly pointing a rifle at his neighbor over a parking space and then ignoring officer's commands at the scene.  Salcido and Garcia were fired in May.

Alamogordo Police Officer Accused Of Pointed Gun At Workers - The Associated Press

An Alamogordo police officer has been arrested for allegedly pointed his gun at rental center employees last month.

The employees were trying to retrieve a leased laptop from a person living at Warren Whittington's home.

Authorities say the 43-year-old Whittington is accused of two counts of unlawful assault with a deadly weapon.

They say Whittington was off duty at the time of the May 11 incident.

Whittington allegedly told police he did point the gun at the rental center employees, but didn't threaten them.

He turned himself in Monday afternoon to New Mexico State Police and was released on his own recognizance by a judge. A court date is pending.

Alamogordo police say Whittington has been on administrative leave since May when the case was handed over to state police.

MVD Branch Office Planned For Southern New Mexico Town - The Associated Press and Las Cruces Sun-News

A southern New Mexico town is getting a Motor Vehicle Division field office this year.

The Las Cruces Sun-News reports the town of Anthony straddles the border between New Mexico and Texas, with most of its retail on the Texas side. Anthony Mayor ArnulfoCastañeda says the new office will boost revenue for the town.

The office is projected to process 1,300 transactions each month, amounting to a $50,000 contribution to the town in its first year.

Currently, many residents have to drive 20 to 40 miles to DMV offices in other cities.

A section of Anthony City Hall has been gutted to house the field office. Remodeling is set to start in a month and the office will be offering services by December.

Body Of Mexican Man Found In Desert Area Near Santa Teresa - The Associated Press

Authorities say the body of a 36-year-old Mexican man has been found in a remote desert area near Santa Teresa while two other suspected border crossers have been rescued.

Dona Ana County Sheriff's officials say the body was discovered Saturday evening and is being sent to Albuquerque for an autopsy.

U.S. Border Patrol agents were patrolling about 12 miles northwest of Santa Teresa when they discovered footprints.

Agents followed the prints for about a mile and found the body just before 6 p.m.

An empty water bottle was found 15 feet from the body along with a pair of boots that reportedly belonged to the unidentified man.

Agents suspect all three people were traveling together but somehow got separated, ran out of water and fell victim to the triple-digit heat.