New Mexico Regulators Adopt New Rules For Lyft, Uber - The Associated Press
State regulators have approved new rules to allow ride-booking services Lyft and Uber to operate in New Mexico.
The Public Regulation Commission voted 4-1 Wednesday on new regulations that clear the way for the companies to operate under guidelines separate from those that govern traditional taxi services.
Commissioners were divided on drug testing requirements for ride-booking drivers and voted 3-2 to require testing only after accidents.
It wasn't immediately clear if Uber and Lyft will apply for licenses under the new rules or continue to operate in the state without authority.
Last year, the commission ordered Lyft to cease operations in Albuquerque, where the company had launched its service. A district judge in Santa Fe refused to enforce the commission's order, allowing the company to operate in the capital city.
American Indian Actors Quit Adam Sandler Movie Over Names – The Associated Press
A group of American Indian actors have walked off the set of an Adam Sandler movie over complaints about stereotypes and offensive names.
Actor Loren Anthony told The Associated Press on Thursday that he and eight others quit the production of the satirical Western "The Ridiculous Six" after producers ignored their concerns about its portrayal of Apache culture.
Anthony says the script also included offensive names for Native American female characters. He says producers told them to leave if they felt offended.
A spokesman for Sandler's New Hampshire-based production company, Happy Madison Productions, didn't immediately return a phone message.
"The Ridiculous Six" is produced by Sandler and Allen Covert and is slated for a Netflix-only release. Production on the film began this month in Santa Fe and northern New Mexico.
New Mexico To Spend Record $2.75B On Public Education – The Associated Press
Spending on early childhood programs and public schools in New Mexico will top $2.75 billion in the coming budget year.
That's the largest amount in state history. It will include funding to implement several new initiatives by the state Public Education Department.
Education Secretary Hanna Skandera tells the Albuquerque Journal she considers the budget a success since state lawmakers had less money than expected to appropriate for the next year due to dropping oil prices.
Still, disagreement persists over whether it will be enough for the state's 89 school districts to pay teachers and cover costs such as utilities and insurance.
Public school spending makes up about 44 percent of the $6.2 billion budget passed by lawmakers and signed by Gov. Susana Martinez during the recent legislative session.
State Has Excess Office Space, Building Projects Report Says – The Associated Press
While two state government building projects in Santa Fe are stalled, a report by the Legislative Finance Committee shows there is more than enough state-owned space.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that the study shows the total amount of leased and state-owned office space has remained unchanged since 2012, while the number of state employees has dropped 12 percent since 2008.
A Health and Human Services complex and an executive office in Santa Fe have been in planning stages for more than two years, but the report suggests the state reevaluate the need for such buildings.
Landlords who lease office space to state agencies argue that building new complexes would inflate vacancy rates.
A General Services spokesman said no decisions have been made on either building project.
Calls Mount For A Special Session Of The NM Legislature – The Associated Press
A growing number of cities are urging Gov. Susana Martinez to overcome an impasse and call a special session to consider funding more than $260 million in public improvement projects around the state.
The capital outlay bill stalled on the final day of the legislative session in March.
Martinez initially resisted the call for a special session saying she wanted to make sure the outcome would be different. Her office says it has been working with leaders from both parties to find a solution.
Legislative leaders also have been talking, but there's no indication this week that any agreements have been reached.
Farmington was the latest city to join the call Tuesday.
Dozens of mayors and business groups too have urged the governor to call lawmakers back into session.
Report: Man-Made Earthquakes Shake Over A Dozen Areas In US – The Associated Press
Government scientists say more than a dozen regions in the United States have experienced a rise in man-made earthquakes in recent years.
A report released Thursday found that 17 areas in eight states have seen small quakes triggered by oil and gas drilling. They include parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas.
The U.S. Geological Survey says most of the shaking is caused by the oil and gas industry injecting wastewater deep underground, which can activate dormant faults. A few cases stemmed from hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.
The agency plans to study how often man-made quakes are expected to occur in the next year and how much shaking they would produce.
Scientists released the report at an earthquake meeting in Pasadena, California.
Regulators Inch Closer To Final Decision On Coal Power Plant - The Associated Press
New Mexico regulators are moving closer to a final decision on a plan by the state's largest electric provider to replace part of an aging coal-fired plant with a mix of more coal, natural gas, nuclear and solar power.
The Public Regulation Commission was briefed Wednesday by hearing examiner Ashley Schannauer. He's recommending that commissioners not approve the plan unless changes are made.
Schannauer reiterated uncertainties surrounding the ownership makeup of the San Juan Generating Station and the lack of a coal-supply contract beyond 2017.
Schannauer told commissioners the costs and risk associated with Public Service Co. of New Mexico's plan outweigh the benefits to customers.
Commissioners asked questions about the urgency of making a decision but took no action. A final decision could come next month.
Calls Mount For A Special Session Of The NM Legislature – The Associated Press
A growing number of cities are urging Gov. Susana Martinez to overcome an impasse and call a special session to consider funding more than $260 million in public improvement projects around the state.
The capital outlay bill stalled on the final day of the legislative session in March.
Martinez initially resisted the call for a special session saying she wanted to make sure the outcome would be different. Her office says it has been working with leaders from both sides of the aisle to find a solution.
Legislative leaders also have been talking, but there's no indication this week that any agreements have been reached.
Farmington was the latest city to join the call Tuesday.
Dozens of mayors and business groups too have urged the governor to call lawmakers back into session.
Universities, Health Center Participate In Obesity Project - The Associated Press
Teams from three states are participated in a federally funded project to combat childhood obesity along the U.S.-Mexico border.
New Mexico State University announced Tuesday that its involvement in the project will be funded by $1.5 million of a five-year $4.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Other participants in the project include Texas A&M University, Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and Mariposa Community Health Center in Nogales, Arizona.
Health researcher Jill McDonald of New Mexico State says preventing childhood is a priority because it leads to dramatic increases in child-onset diabetes and other chronic conditions late in life.
Professor Joe Sharkey of Texas A&M says the project will use a family-centered approach to reduce childhood obesity through research, education and services.
New WIPP Boss Headed Site Where Radiation Release Occurred - The Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal
The man appointed to lead the company that oversees the federal government's troubled nuclear waste repository in southern New Mexico previously ran a facility in Idaho where a radiation release contaminated workers in 2011.
Philip Breidenbach was named president and project manager of the Nuclear Waste Partnership last week. The company manages the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, which has been closed since last year due to a radiation release.
The Albuquerque Journal reports Breidenbach used to run a plutonium facility at Idaho National Laboratory, where a radiation accident contaminated 16 workers.
The incident was blamed on a lack of safety precautions and worker training, much like the WIPP mishap.
Despite the criticisms of watchdogs, Nuclear Waste Partnership says Breidenbach has a track record of turning around a troubled operation.
Former Rio Arriba Sheriff Must Remain In Federal Prison - The Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal
A former Rio Arriba County Sheriff will remain in federal prison in Texas while awaiting his appeal charges of violating a person's civil rights while using a handgun.
Former Sheriff Tommy Rodella was sentenced in January to 10 years in federal prison for abusing a driver in an off-duty traffic stop that prosecutors described as road rage.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that Rodella's attorneys were unable to secure his release from prison.
U.S. District Judge James O. Browning denied the appeal and said Rodella has no exceptional circumstances that would warrant release.
Rodella's request said he should be released because he has a strong appeal, is in poor health and has status as a law enforcement officer, among other reasons.
Santa Fe Auditor Says Full Audit Would Waste Money - The Associated Press and Santa Fe New Mexican
Santa Fe might not conduct a full audit after a report found that $30.3 million parks bond was mismanaged.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that the city's internal auditor Liza Kerr said Tuesday such an audit could be a waste of taxpayer money.
Kerr says too many records are missing to conduct a thorough review. She said there is no reason to pay a team "to come in and look at boxes of nothing."
The bond was supposed to pay for trail and park improvement projects, but many were never carried out or left incomplete.
City officials say they money was managed correctly but have not explained how it was spent.
An accounting firm found several flaws in the city's spending but only examined half the projects.
Roswell Obstetrician Found Responsible For Mother's Death - The Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal
An Albuquerque jury found a Roswell obstetrician and nurse at fault in the death of a mother from high blood pressure during the birth of her third child.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that the jury returned a $3 million verdict against obstetrician Eric Peterson on Tuesday.
The jury found Peterson 70 percent at fault and intensive care unit nurse Kemischa Anderson 30 percent at fault.
Attorneys representing the family of Sarahy Fierro said the 28-year-old's blood pressure reached as high as 222/115 during delivery.
Peterson successfully delivered the baby boy and diagnosed his mother.
But her blood pressure remained dangerously high and caused a stroke.
Fierro never regained consciousness.
Peterson's attorney argued that the obstetrician acted to save the baby's life.
Police Find Dead Body In Car After Driver Flees, Crashes - The Associated Press and KRQE-TV
Authorities say a driver is in custody after he allegedly fled a traffic stop north of Albuquerque and crashed his car, killing his mother who was backseat passenger.
New Mexico State Police say 54-year-old Monica Papuyo, of Isleta, died from injuries suffered in Tuesday afternoon's accident.
A State Police officer tried to stop the car, but the driver drove off before crashing into a concrete barrier and several cars about a mile away on Highway 550.
Police initially thought the woman in the backseat was dead before the crash before an autopsy was performed Wednesday.
They say 29-year-old Anthony Lucero, of Isleta, told investigators he was drinking alcohol throughout the day before the crash.
Lucero is jailed on suspicion of homicide by vehicle, aggravated fourth offense DWI and other charges.