Mora County Eyes Drilling Ban Repeal – The Associated Press
A northern New Mexico county is considering repealing an ordinance that made it the first county in the nation to permanently ban oil and gas drilling.
The Las Vegas Optic reports Mora County commissioners last month began laying the groundwork to repeal the ordinance that drew national and international attention and sparked two federal civil rights lawsuits.
The commission voted to give public notice that it would take up repeal of the ordinance at a future meeting.
Opponents of the ordinance say the law is unconstitutional because it infringes on individual property rights and restricts the rights that corporations enjoy.
Mora County resident Ed Littleton says he supported the repeal and believed the county was "wasting too much time on a futile effort."
Balloon Fiesta Heads Into Final Weekend – The Associated Press
Despite a forecast that calls for cooler weather and cloudy skies, organizers of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta are expecting crowds for the final days of the event.
Hundreds of balloons are scheduled to lift off Saturday and Sunday morning. The two mass ascensions will close out the nine-day event.
One of the balloons will be taking up an Albuquerque man who was helped by visiting solo balloon pilot Christine Serra of Clinton, New Jersey, when a fire broke out in his neighborhood earlier this week.
After spotting the flames, Serra got out of her car to warn residents.
Fiesta spokesman Tom Garrity says since Serra's gondola is too small, she arranged for the man to get a ride in the balloon dubbed "Winky" from Orlando, Florida.
New Wind Farm Coming To Eastern New Mexico – The Associated Press
Eastern New Mexico is set to be the home of a new wind farm.
The Hobbs News-Sun reports the Anderson Wind Farm is under construction in Lea County — in the heart of the state's oil and gas country — and could start generating power by December.
Officials say the facility featuring nearly two dozen 264-foot-tall wind turbines will sit west of Lovington near Maljamar.
Chris Copeland, construction manager with BayWa Energy Resources, says the project will use 1.85 and 2 megawatt wind turbines.
The power generated by the farm will go directly into the Lea County Electric Cooperative's system.
Cooperative executive director Gary Hurse says the cooperative will buy power from BayWa so it can step down its dependence on Xcel Energy's network.
Santa Fe Courthouse Featured In USA TV Pilot – The Associated Press
The magic of television has transformed a vacant Santa Fe courthouse into a U.S. Embassy in the Middle East.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that crews were filming in downtown Santa Fe this week for "Stanistan," a USA Network pilot.
"Stanistan" follows CIA officers, State Department employees and journalists working out of an American compound. "Dexter" star Jennifer Carpenter is headlining the dramedy.
An entrance of the former state District Court building was guarded by gray walls topped with barbed wire on Thursday.
Showrunner Michael Duggan says the production, which started Tuesday, is also using Santa Fe Studios south of the city.
Duggan says Santa Fe has been a "film-friendly town."
The 56,000-square-foot building has remained empty since court operations moved to another building in June 2013.