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Headlines: Pay Hike For New Teachers And Police, Prison Riot Bill...

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NM Budget Bill To Include Pay Hike For New Teachers, PoliceThe Associated Press

New teachers and state police officers can expect pay raises in the next fiscal year as New Mexico lawmakers get closer to hammering out a spending plan in the face of declining revenues.

Most department budgets remain largely flat under the House Appropriations and Finance Committee scenarios that will become part of a budget bill members are scheduled to vote on Friday.

Still, the beleaguered Children, Youth and Families Department will get an additional $8 million to spend on early childhood and juvenile justice initiatives. As expected, K-12 schools get the lion's share of increase in spending in next year's budget proposal.

Both Gov. Susana Martinez and lawmakers have highlighted education as a priority in a state with some of the lowest performing schools in the nation.

Bill Calls For 1980 Prison Riot Officers To Be Compensated - The Associated Press

A measure that would compensate correctional officers who were swept up in one of the nation's deadliest prison riots in 1980 has cleared its first legislative hurdle.

The House Judiciary Committee on Thursday voted 10-2 in favor of the bill sponsored by Democratic Rep. Eliseo Alcon of Milan after making changes to simplify the compensation process.

The measure calls for setting aside $1.5 million to compensate those officers who are still alive and suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

The violent clash lasted 36 hours and included beheadings, amputations and burned bodies. Thirty-three inmates were killed and dozens were injured. A dozen officers were held hostage.

The panel heard from one guard who escaped as inmates rushed the prison's control center. Lawrence Lucero says nothing could have prepared him for the fire, the screaming and violence that ensued.

New Mexico Lawmakers Want To Create 500-Mile Statewide Trail - The Associated Press

New Mexico lawmakers say they want to establish a statewide 500-mile recreation trail from Colorado to Texas weaving through many of the Land of Enchantment's iconic vistas, monuments and cultural areas.

A bipartisan group of legislators introduced a bill Thursday to create a commission to define the best routes and reach necessary agreements to designate a path through the many jurisdictions along the river. The body will make recommendations for the Appalachian Trail-style multi-use pathway.

The trail would only cross land with the agreement of owners and will link pathways that already exist along the Rio Grande, including the Bosque in Albuquerque, Taos, Elephant Butte, and in and around Las Cruces.

The idea for the trail in not new but the magnitude of the project has previously deterred construction.

FBI Seeks Acoma Pueblo Man In Woman's Suspicious Death - The Associated Press

Federal authorities in New Mexico are looking for a 32-year-old Acoma Pueblo man in the suspicious death of a woman last year.

The FBI said Nathan Chavez is considered a "person of interest" in the case but FBI spokesman Frank Fisher said Thursday no warrant has been issued for Chavez.

The FBI said the woman's body was found in a residence on Acoma Pueblo on Nov. 28. Details aren't being released.

Chavez is described as 5-foot-8, approximately 165 pounds and having black hair and brown eyes.

The FBI said Chavez was last seen on Nov. 23 in the Laguna Pueblo while attempting to hide a ride to Albuquerque, where he's known to frequent homeless shelters.

Boston-Based Ad Agency Chosen To Promote Santa Fe - The Associated Press and Santa Fe New Mexican

A Boston-based advertising agency could receive a $900,000 contract to promote the city of Santa Fe despite objections from some.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that the city's Finance Committee this week unanimously recommended hiring Fuseideas LLC to pitch New Mexico's capital to the world.

Fuseideas was among 10 agencies that submitted proposals for the contract with the city's convention and visitors bureau, now known as TOURISM Santa Fe.

If approved by the full Santa Fe City Council, the contract for Fuseideas would begin March 1. It would be a multiyear contract with an option to renew for three additional years.

City Councilor Ron Trujillo says he was amazed that that there wasn't a company within Santa Fe or New Mexico that was chosen.

Authorities: Santa Fe County Employee Accused Of Embezzling - The Associated Press

A Santa Fe County employee has been accused of embezzling and tampering with public records.

County Sheriff's officials say 32-year-old Carolyn E. Montano, of Rowe, is facing felony charges in the case. It was unclear Thursday if she has a lawyer yet.

Sheriff's criminal investigators began a probe last month into missing funds from the Santa Fe County Adult Detention Facility.

They say $3,745 was supposed to be deposited into a county-held inmate trust fund at Los Alamos National Bank in Santa Fe last Dec. 24, but was never made.

On Tuesday, investigators were notified that a night deposit was made at the bank for the missing amount and surveillance video showed a woman making it.

But authorities say the money denominations deposited didn't match the original deposit information.

Navajo Court Rejects New Primary Presidential ElectionThe Associated Press 

The Navajo Nation Supreme Court struck down legislation to allow a do-over of last year's presidential primary election.

In an order Friday, the high court said it was rejecting the Navajo Nation Council's "feeble attempt" to confound the election process.

The justices asked the council speaker to hold a special session as early as possible to appropriate funding for a general election.

The court ordered the director of the Navajo Election Administration to hold the presidential contest between Joe Shirley, Jr. and Russell Begaye without further delay.

The presidential election was thrown into turmoil after a candidate was disqualified because he failed to prove he was fluent in the Navajo language.

Ben Shelly has been serving as the tribe's top leader until the mess gets sorted out.

Study: Data Lacking About The True State Of Border Security The Associated Press

A new study found that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's inconsistent reporting of data can lead to a skewed perception of the state of border security.

The study by the Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank in Washington, was released this week.

The report found that inadequate data collecting and reporting practices at the parent agency of the U.S. Border Patrol creates a misperception about the true state of border security.

The study's authors argue DHS should collect and report more data to get a clearer picture about what's happening at the border. That would include better tracking how many people cross the border and how many overstay their visas, among other issues.

Customs and Border Protection spokesman Michael Friel said the department is reviewing the report but not answering any questions.

Nearly 52K New Mexicans Sign Up For Health Exchange – The Associated Press

Officials with the state's health insurance exchange say nearly 52,000 New Mexicans signed up for coverage before the final open enrollment deadline last weekend.

Exchange CEO Amy Dowd says the goal was to enroll at least 50,000 New Mexicans. She says outreach and enrollment partners, agents and brokers around the state put in countless hours to help those looking to sign up.

Some New Mexicans selected their plans while others were automatically re-enrolled as of Feb. 15. Once they their first premium, they will have coverage starting March 1, 2015.

Dowd says people who missed the deadline because of issues with either the federal website or the call center may still have options for enrolling during a special sign-up period that ends Sunday.

New Mexico House Committee Considers 2 Abortion Bills The Associated Press

Medical students, gynecologists and other pro-abortion rights advocates have gathered at the State Capitol to denounce two abortion-related bills being considered by a New Mexico House panel.

The House Regulatory and Public Affairs Committee began taking testimony Friday as more than 250 people packed the room.

The committee is expected to vote on a bill to ban late-term abortions and another that requires minors to notify parents within 48 hours before ending a pregnancy.

Republican legislators say the ban is designed to bring New Mexico in line with 42 other states by restricting abortions after five months' gestation and if the doctor determines the fetus is viable.

Opponents say that decision should be left to a woman, her family and her doctor. They say women need safe access to abortions.

US Border Agents Test Body Cameras In Field The Associated Press

Some U.S. border agents have started wearing body cameras in a test of the technology in the field.

U.S. Border Patrol Assistant Chief Donna Twyford said Friday roughly three dozen cameras are being worn by personnel on a volunteer basis during a 90-day test period at locations in New Mexico, Texas, Florida, Michigan and Washington state.

Twyford says the test will help Customs and Border Protection determine whether cameras can be used in the field.

Authorities previously tried out the cameras at academies where border agents are trained.

The agency tasked with manning the country's borders, ports and airports announced the plan to test out cameras after fielding complaints about the use of force.

Union officials have raised concerns about how the cameras may be used.