Kirkland Fuel Spill Plume Seems To Bypass Albuquerque Wells - The Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal
A fuel spill that officials worried might pollute Albuquerque drinking water seems to be bypassing the city's wells.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that leaders of the Kirtland Air Force Base jet fuel spill cleanup team say the plume appears to be headed north rather than northeast.
The direction means the fuel will likely bypass two of three nearby wells. It is unclear whether it will pollute the third.
The Air Force discovered the leak in 1999. It contaminated groundwater and is believed to have been seeping into the ground for decades.
Authorities estimate that between 6 million and 24 million gallons of fuel were leaked.
The lead scientist on the cleanup said the new monitoring data will help her map the plume and find locations to extract polluted groundwater.
New Mexico Has 14th Straight Month Of Over-Year Job Gains – The Associated Press
Officials say New Mexico has notched its 14th consecutive month of over-the-year employment growth in March.
The Department of Workforce Solutions said Tuesday that New Mexico's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.1 percent last month. That's down from 6.8 percent a year ago.
The national unemployment rate was 5.5 percent.
Between March 2014 and March 2015, education and health services added 4,400 jobs, or 3.5 percent. This is up slightly from last month's gain and accounted for just over 30 percent of total over-the-year gross job gains.
Fed Lawsuit: Albuquerque Police Violated Rights In Shooting – The Associated Press
The estate of a man who was shot and killed by Albuquerque police is suing the department in federal court over allegations of civil rights violations.
The lawsuit filed last week in U.S. District Court says infrared police helicopter video in the 2013 fatal shooting of 41-year-old Parrish Denison conflicts with an officer's account.
Authorities say Denison, whose name is spelled Dennison in police records, was shot by officers following a two-hour search and chase. Police say he had pointed a gun at officers during the chase involving stolen goods.
The lawsuit says the video shows Denison didn't point a gun before the shooting.
An Albuquerque police spokesman declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Court records showed Denison had felony convictions for burglary, drug trafficking and burglary plus other arrests that didn't result in convictions.
'Independence Day 2' To Begin Filming In New Mexico – The Associated Press
It's been an open secret around Albuquerque for months.
But the New Mexico Film Office finally announced Tuesday that filming will begin next month on the sequel to the alien invasion movie, "Independence Day."
In the sequel, the nations of Earth anticipate the invaders' return and collaborated on an immense defense program to protect the planet only to see the aliens return with vengeance.
The film will star Liam Hemsworth and Charlotte Gainsbourg. Returning from the first film will be Vivica Fox and Bill Pullman.
The announcement comes after production of the alien sequel had been known for months in Albuquerque. Yet the production crew was ordered to remain silent so the New Mexico Film Office could make the announcement.
Officer Won't Face Charges In November Shooting Death – The Associated Press
The district attorney won't file charges against a New Mexico State Police officer in the November shooting death of 27-year-old Myles Roughsurface in San Juan County.
The Farmington Daily Times reports officers were investigating a report of a man who was threatened at gunpoint in Spencerville, northeast of Farmington, when they heard shots. More officers responded to the scene, including Sgt. James Rempe.
Rempe said he saw a man behind a fence, pointing a rifle at officers. An unloaded rifle was found next to Roughsurface's body, and a revolver with two bullets in the chamber was in his pocket.
A previous investigation cleared Rempe of an August 2008 shooting on the Navajo Nation that killed Cordell Dobey.
Residents Suing Border Patrol Want Better View Of Agents – The Associated Press
Plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit against the Border Patrol over an Arizona checkpoint have asked a judge to let them get closer to agents conducting inspections so they can monitor them.
The attorney for plaintiffs from the town of Arivaca on Tuesday argued for an injunction against the Border Patrol that would allow residents to watch agents from 20 feet away.
A lawyer representing the government says Border Patrol checkpoints are not a public forum, and having civilians so close to agents would pose a public safety risk.
The request stems from a lawsuit filed last year by the two Arivaca residents, Leesa Jacobsen and Peter Ragan. The suit alleges the Border Patrol violates their First Amendment rights and harasses residents who protest and monitor the checkpoint.
The checkpoint is on a two-lane road about 20 miles north of the border with Mexico.
Albuquerque Police Unveil New Recruiting Effort - The Associated Press
The Albuquerque Police Department has unveiled a new recruiting effort aimed at bringing strong candidates on as officers.
Police Chief Gorden Eden announced Monday that the department will begin accepting candidates who can now earn 28 hours of college credit upon graduating from the academy. Those candidates will then have three years to earn 32 hours of college credit to stay on as officers.
Previously, Albuquerque police required candidates to have at least 60 hours but Eden says that requirement was causing the department to lose good recruits.
The move comes as the police department faces a shortage of around 120 officers.
Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry says the department has funding for 1,000 officers total.
The Department of Justice and Albuquerque police recently signed an agreement to overhaul the force amid excessive force claims.
Nuclear Waste Drums Appear Stable After Signs Of Reactions - The Associated Press
Federal officials say dozens of drums of radioactive waste at one of the nation's premier weapons laboratories are stable after some showed signs of chemical reactions over the past year.
The drums are being closely monitored after a container with similar contents broke open in 2014, resulting in a radiation release and the indefinite closure of the country's only underground nuclear waste dump.
The U.S. Energy Department says there have been some chemical reactions in the containers at Los Alamos National Laboratory, but the gases building up inside have decreased over the past several months, indicating the reactions have reached a steady state.
The drums are packed in protective waste boxes and stored inside a temperature-controlled facility with filters.
Los Alamos is working on a plan to dispose of the drums.
Navajo High Court Says Voters Will Choose President Tuesday - The Associated Press
The Navajo Nation Supreme Court has overturned a lower court's ruling that called for Tuesday's presidential election to be canceled.
The high court justices issued the brief order Monday and said they would elaborate on their decision later.
Window Rock District Judge Carol Perry had granted a request last week to halt the election, saying a referendum on language requirements must be held before Navajos choose their next leader.
The Navajo Election Administration appealed to the tribe's Supreme Court, which said Tuesday's election will proceed as scheduled.
Joe Shirley Jr. and Russell Begaye are facing off to become president of the nation's largest American Indian reservation.
Tribal President Ben Shelly addressed lawmakers gathered for their spring session for the final time Monday. His successor will be sworn in next month.
Northern New Mexico Sewage Lagoon To Be Removed - The Associated Press and Daily Times
A sewage lagoon that has threatened to spill into the San Juan River will be eliminated.
The Farmington Daily Times reports that San Juan County in northern New Mexico will break ground on the project Tuesday following six years of concern.
The San Juan River flows into the Colorado River. A San Juan County official said raw sewage entering the river would be "catastrophic."
The lagoon was built in 1957 to serve 25 homes but now handles twice as many.
A local contractor received nearly $2.6 million to decommission the lagoon. It will install a pumping station near the site to take sewage to the nearby city of Farmington.
The project could be completed in four months.
Boy Arrested In Fatal Shooting Of A Teenager In Red River - The Associated Press and KOB-TV
Authorities say a teenager is in custody in connection with the shooting death of a 17-year-old boy near Albuquerque.
Red River Marshal David Smith says the name of the 15-year-old suspect isn't being released.
Smith says the boy is being held in the Juvenile Detention Center on suspicion of second-degree murder.
The marshal tells KOB-TV that Daniel Caleb Williams was in a home with two other people when the suspected shooter became agitated, grabbed a shotgun from the table and shot Williams.
The suspect was found 45 minutes later hiding in a parking lot.
Police say the teen discarded the shotgun before being arrested, but it has since been located.
Movie About Corrupt Police Officers To Film In Albuquerque - The Associated Press
A movie about two corrupt police officers in New Mexico who set out to frame every criminal unfortunate enough to cross their paths is set to be filmed in Albuquerque.
New Mexico Film Office Director Nick Maniatis announced Monday that director John Michael McDonagh's action-comedy "War on Everyone" has started principal photography in Albuquerque.
The film stars Michael Peña, Alexander Skarsgård, and Theo James.
"War on Everyone" will film in and around Albuquerque, from early April until mid-May 2015, before the production moves to Reykjavik, Iceland, for its final week of filming.
Feds, Navajos Partner For Land Buy-Back Program - The Associated Press
The Navajo Nation is partnering with the federal government to educate tribal members about the U.S. Interior Department's land buy-back program.
The agency and tribe entered a cooperative agreement Monday. The agreement outlines the resources that will be provided to the tribe to reach out to the owners of fractionated interested in reservation land.
Under the billion-dollar program, willing landowners sell the government their land allotments to be consolidated and turned over to the tribes. The land stays in trust for uses benefiting the tribes and their members.
The program aims to consolidate as many parcels as possible by a 2022 deadline.
Since it began making offers in December 2013, the program has paid nearly $370 million to individual landowners and restored more than 900 square miles to tribal governments.