NM Water Panel Accused Of Violating Meetings Act – The Associated Press
The former head of the Interstate Stream Commission is accusing the agency of violating the New Mexico Open Meetings Act in its deliberations regarding the future of the Gila River.
Norm Gaume filed a lawsuit in state district court in Santa Fe yesterday. He's seeking a restraining order to prevent the commission from taking any action related to proposals discussed by a subcommittee that has been considering Gila River diversion proposals.
A commission spokeswoman declined to comment on the lawsuit .
The commission faces a December 31st deadline for deciding whether to accept federal funds to build a diversion and storage system along the Gila.
Critics say the project would be a waste of money. Supporters say New Mexico shouldn't miss out on a chance to develop its share of the river.
Virgin Galactic Nears Final Phase Of Test Flights - The Associated Press
Virgin Galactic has reached another pair of milestones as it works toward the goal of beginning commercial flights from Spaceport America in southern New Mexico.
The Federal Aviation Administration this week released its approval for the permit that will enable Virgin Galactic to restart powered flights.
The company has also completed qualification firings for its rocket motor.
With the motor and crew in place, Whitesides says the company will soon be moving into the final phase of its test flight program, where it will reach for increasingly higher altitudes for its carrier aircraft and spaceship.
Some of the final tests will take place in New Mexico. Others will be in the Mojave Desert.
Plague, Tularemia Remain Active In East Mountains - The Associated Press
Bernalillo County and Albuquerque health officials are advising people living in the East Mountains area that plague and tularemia continue to remain active.
They say the increased rainfall New Mexico has seen over the last two years has allowed for more vegetation growth and increased rodent populations.
Health officials say a larger number of rodents often lead to more occurrences of both plague and tularemia.
There have been no human cases of plague so far in Bernalillo County in 2014.
However, three dogs, one cat and one rabbit have been confirmed with plague infection.
The most recent plague confirmation was made on Oct. 6.
Tularemia has been confirmed in six dogs, three rabbits, two cats and one human.
That person was treated with antibiotics and fully recovered from the infection.
New Albuquerque Police Oversight Members Eyed - The Associated Press
A new civil panel aimed at monitoring Albuquerque's troubled police department is seeking members.
Today city councilors are scheduled to announce the application process for residents to serve on the nine-member Police Oversight Board.
Last month, councilors approved a measure creating the new civilian agency independent of the mayoral administration and council. It will investigate and decide citizen complaints against police, analyze trends and provide policy recommendations.
The new panel is part of a pending Justice Department blueprint for reforming the city's police department.
Hatch Man Accused Of Selling Beer To Kids In Crash - The Associated Press
Deputies in Don Ana County say they've arrested a 65-year-old Hatch man on charges he sold beer to teens who later were involved in a fatal crash that killed two people.
Alfredo Alaniz was charged with unlawful sale of alcoholic beverages, selling or giving alcohol to a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Deputies say in a news release that Alaniz was operating a makeshift store at his home and sold eight cans of beer to a 13-year-old boy for $10 Tuesday night.
The boy and two 16-year-old girls were later involved in a crash when their pickup veered into oncoming traffic. One of the girls and the driver of another car were killed.
The girl driving the pickup is jailed without bond and facing numerous charges.
New Mexico Gets OK For Gallup Veterans Cemetery - The Associated Press
The federal Department of Veterans Affairs has given the green light to establish a state-owned veterans cemetery in Gallup.
State Veterans' Services Secretary Timothy Hale says the federal agency plans to award a grant to finance the cemetery. A final grant award hinges on Congress and the president reaching an agreement on a federal budget.
Hale says groundbreaking could start next spring and the goal is to open the cemetery in the spring of 2016.
The cemetery will meet standards for a national cemetery and is expected to cost at least $5 million. The federal government will pay to develop the cemetery but the state will cover its operations.
The state has pending applications for similar cemeteries at Angel Fire, Carlsbad and Fort Stanton.
Judge: Free Speech Lawsuit Against UMN Can Proceed - The Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal
A federal judge is allowing a former student's free speech lawsuit against the University of New Mexico to proceed.
Monica Pompeo's lawsuit alleges she was ostracized by her professors for making anti-gay remarks in a critique she wrote for a class.
The Albuquerque Journal reports in Thursday's editions that Chief U.S. District Judge M. Christina Armijo denied the university's request to have the lawsuit dismissed.
Pompeo claims she was kicked out of a class in 2012 for describing lesbianism as perverse in a critique of a lesbian romance film.
Armijo's Sept. 29 order found that Pompeo's claims were enough to make a plausible case that the university violated her First Amendment rights.
New Mexico Ex-Jail Administrator Files New Lawsuit - The Associated Press and Clovis News Journal
A former jail administrator has filed a new lawsuit against Curry County under the state Whistleblower Protection Act.
The Clovis News Journal reports that Gerry Billy filed the lawsuit Friday in state district court just days after a federal judge rejected his claim of wrongful termination.
According to the new lawsuit, Billy says he was fired for complaining that = 86 percent of jail inmates were Hispanic and for demanding an expensive jail kitchen renovation.
Billy claims since his departure there have been documented cases of use of excessive force and allegations of a jail officer dealing drugs in the juvenile unit.
Curry County Manager Lance Pyle declined to comment on the lawsuit.
The new lawsuit seeks specific damages.