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Headlines: Scholars Challenge Gila River Studies, Update BCSO Fatal Police Shooting...

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UNM Researchers Challenge Gila River Studies - The Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal

Two University of New Mexico researchers say state water managers based their decision to pursue a multimillion-dollar diversion and storage project along the Gila River based on studies that lacked credibility.

The Albuquerque Journal reports the researchers outlined their concerns in a letter to the Bureau of Reclamation.

The Interstate Stream Commission last year informed the U.S. Interior Department that the state intends to divert water from the river should the effort be deemed economically and environmentally feasible.

Researchers Jim Brooks and Dave Propst say the commission's studies were planned, proposed and presented behind closed doors and there wasn't a transparent peer review.

The commission is defending its decision, saying there were more than 200 public meetings on the proposed diversion and that the research was exhaustive.

Bernalillo County Authorities Released More Info On Shooting - The Associated Press

The Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office has released new information on a deputy-involved shooting last weekend that left a man dead.

They say one hour and 44 minutes elapsed between the time a deputy shot 44-year-old Billy Grimm and when first responders transported the man to a hospital, where he died around 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

An autopsy shows Grimm was shot once in the chest.

Sheriff's officials say Grimm pulled out a weapon when officers responded to a report of a fight going on in a car parked in the South Valley area.

They say a loaded handgun was later found inside the truck Grimm had been driving.

Sheriff's officials say Deputy Greg Grundhoffer is on standard paid administrative leave after the shooting,

He's been with the department for three years.

Man Pleads No Contest To 2012 Double MurderThe Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal

After three years of legal battles, a man has pleaded no contest and will face up to life in prison for the 2012 slaying of his girlfriend and her nephew.

The Albuquerque Journal reports that Brian Pulliam changed his plea in District Court Thursday. His trial was scheduled to start next week. Sentencing is scheduled for next Thursday.

Prosecutors say Pulliam shot 20-year-old Kirsten Landeau and her nephew 16-year-old Dillon Cearfoss in a northeast Albuquerque neighborhood. His trial was set

The plea agreement calls for him to serve the sentences on both crimes concurrently - life, or a minimum of 30 years.

Authorities say Pulliam is a member of the Aryan Nation white supremacist and previously served a prison sentence for attempted murder.

Teachers To Get More Details On Evaluation Summaries - The Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal

New Mexico teachers are getting more detail on their evaluations under a new system that had a rocky unveiling last year.

The Albuquerque Journal reports the state overhauled its teacher evaluation system to reflect students' standardized test scores, and fewer teachers statewide were rated effective or better this year than last year from more than 78 percent to less than 74.

Teacher complaints led the Public Education Department to turn the usual one-page report into a five-page description of each rating category in an attempt to clear up confusion.

Student test scores account for half a teacher's rating and principal observations make up 40 percent. Teacher attendance and student surveys are also part of the reports the department made available Monday and that districts are distributing to teachers.

Funding To Help New Mexico's Acequias As Drought Persists  - The Associated Press

Federal officials are pumping more than $9 million into four water quality and conservation projects in New Mexico, including one aimed at revitalizing centuries-old communal canals that deliver water to farmers and ranchers.

The head of the Natural Resources Conservation Service visited northern New Mexico on Thursday to tour the oldest acequia in the nation and discuss ways the traditional irrigation canals can be used as a hedge against drought.

NRCS Chief Jason Weller says the idea is to make acequias more efficient so they can continue to deliver water to the communities that depend on them for raising livestock and growing crops.

Under the program, Weller says federal dollars are being combined with money from local and state governments, nonprofit groups and landowners to get more work done.

Senators Propose Wilderness Areas In National Monument - The Associated Press

New Mexico's two U.S. senators are proposed the establishment of two new wilderness areas within the Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument northwest of Taos.

The offices of Sens. Martin Heinrich and Tom Udall said the New Mexico Democrats on Thursday introduced a bill to establish the Rio San Antonio and Cerro del Yutta wilderness areas.

Heinrich said establishment of the wilderness areas would help preserve the culture, natural resources and economy of what he called a "stunning corner of New Mexico," while Udall said creating the wilderness areas would create jobs and boost northern New Mexico's tourism economy.

The two proposed wilderness areas would compromise about 9 percent of the 378-square-mile national monument created by President Barack Obama in 2013.

Albuquerque Program Directs Homeless To Shelters - The Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal

An initiative launched in Albuquerque hopes to steer panhandlers to services rather than the streets.

The Albuquerque Journal reports that Mayor Richard Berry unveiled a new effort Wednesday, "There's a Better Way," that focuses on getting panhandlers the help they need.

The United Way of Central New Mexico is managing a website that allows people to donate to programs that provide services to the poor. Signs are being posted around the city telling panhandlers they can call a hotline that will direct them to shelters, food and programs for substance abuse and mental health problems.

Motorists will also see signs showing them the website where they can donate.

Nearly 2 Tons Of Pot Found In Trailer At Santa Teresa Port - The Associated Press

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers have seized nearly two tons of marijuana at a U.S.-Mexico border crossing in southern New Mexico.

CBP says officers working at the Santa Teresa port of entry seized over 3,800 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of $3 million.

According to CPB, the seizure was made Wednesday when officers using an X-ray machine detected something odd about the floor of a big rig's trailer.

The agents drilled into the floor and found marijuana, leading to the dismantling of the floor and the discovery of 727 bundles of marijuana.

CPB says the truck's driver was arrested to face charges stemming from the failed smuggling attempt.

Nambe Pueblo Begins Work On Its First Tribal Casino - The Associated Press and Santa Fe New Mexican

Work has begun on the Nambe Pueblo's first casino after years of negotiation and planning.

The Santa Few New Mexican reports the small facility about 16 miles north of Santa Fe will feature 180 slot machines and no gaming tables.

An official groundbreaking ceremony will be held Friday, but construction is already underway at the site.

Albuquerque firm Development Services Group & Associates is developing the project, and CEO Matt Doyle said the facility will establish the tribe's footprint in New Mexico's 14-tribe casino industry.

Nambe Pueblo has been talking about getting into the casino business for 20 years. Initial plans were for a 50,000-square-foot building with 500 slot machines and a theme park.

The casino under construction will be a fraction of that size at 7,310 square feet.

Preservation Of O'Keeffe Home, Studio Draws Attention The Associated Press

Georgia O'Keeffe's home and studio is just the way she left it, from the record player in the living room to the pebbles the painter collected while on her walks through New Mexico's high desert.

Preservation of the property has been the responsibility of Agapita Lopez and her family for three generations.

Lopez and her brother, Belarmino Lopez, are being honored Friday in Santa Fe with lifetime achievement awards from the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division.

The awards reflect the state's efforts to draw more attention to the cultural landscapes that attracted O'Keeffe and countless other artists to New Mexico over the last century.

The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum is also working to identify more of these special locations in hopes of building a database that could bolster the state's work.

Rio Grande To Flow In Southern New Mexico Starting Monday The Associated Press

Federal officials say the Rio Grande will start flowing through southern New Mexico on Monday as releases from two reservoirs begin, marking the start of the irrigation season.

The Bureau of Reclamation says an initial release of water from Caballo Reservoir will begin at 6 a.m. Monday and be increased on May 26.

Releases from Elephant Butte Reservoir also begin Monday morning, and the bureau says that means what is now a dry river between the two reservoirs will be flooded.

Rio Grande Project water is used to irrigate lands in the Elephant Butte Irrigation District in southern New Mexico and in the El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1 in west Texas and Mexico.

Project water is also used for municipal and industrial purposes by El Paso, Texas.

PED: New Mexico Teacher Attendance Up Thanks To Evaluations The Associated Press

State officials say overall teacher attendance has jumped in New Mexico schools and they believe the increase largely is due to the new evaluation system.

Numbers released this week by the Public Education Department show an improvement in teacher attendance this school year. That includes a nearly 32 percent jump in the number of teachers who missed less than two days of work and received an "exemplary" attendance record.

Statistics also showed students saw 18,000 additional instructional hours from a licensed teacher instead of a substitute.

Public Education Secretary Hanna Skandera says attendance now can be factored into evaluation and serves as a motivational tool to keep teachers in the classroom.

However, National Education Association-New Mexico president Betty Patterson says many teachers are being forced to come to work despite illnesses.

Lawsuit Against College Becomes Class Action ProceedingThe Associated Press 

A state district court judge has ruled that a lawsuit filed by eight former Dona Ana Community College students against the school will become a class-action proceeding.

Las Cruces Sun-News reports that the initial lawsuit was filed after the students claimed they suffered turmoil and financial loss after the community college's nursing school lost its national accreditation in 2012. Students are saying that loss was a breach of contract.

According to court documents, 100 students were enrolled at that time and will now be included in the case.

Some students remained at the school after it lost accreditation, while the majority chose to transfer to New Mexico State University's nursing program.

An attorney for the students says any of the students can choose to opt out of the lawsuit.

Senate Dems Roll Out Plan For Public Works Spending The Associated Press

Senate Democrats have settled on a proposal for funding roads and public works projects around the state, but House Republicans have yet to see any of the details.

The Senate leadership issued a statement late Thursday saying the capital outlay proposal would provide funding for senior centers, higher education institutions, and tribal communities and includes a compromise on highway funding.

But House Speaker Don Tripp said Friday no agreement has been reached on how best to fund more than $260 million in public works projects around the state.

Tripp says negotiations are ongoing and House Republican leaders don't plan to meet until an agreement is reached. An agreement would clear the way for a special session to be called by the governor.

Lawmakers failed to agree on a capital outlay bill during the regular session.

City Settles Harassment Lawsuit Against Former Officer The Associated Press

City officials put a dollar amount on the settlement for eight women who filed a lawsuit in 2012 accusing former Santa Fe police officer Michael Eiskant of harassment.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports Eiskant pleaded no contest in April 2012 to charges involving women who sued him in civil court. Stalking, harassment, and two counts of unauthorized computer use were among 10 criminal charges.

The $770,000 settlement reached last week includes $55,000 the city previously agreed to pay one woman. Eiskant's accusers included a former Santa Fe police officer and two Department of Public Safety officers.

They claim Eiskant, whose lawyer didn't respond to requests for comment, stalked them, used police resources to research them, and pulled them over under false pretenses and displayed lewd and provocative behavior.

Officials Fighting To Keep New Mexico Mussel-Free The Associated Press

The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish is fighting an invasive species even though it hasn't established a population in the state.

The Daily Times reports that department officials fear out-of-state boaters could bring zebra mussels and quagga mussels to New Mexico.

Aquatic invasive species coordinator James Dominguez said the mussels are native to eastern Europe but established themselves in the Great Lakes before spreading to almost every state east of New Mexico.

The tiny animals attach to infrastructure, rocks and boats and can clog pipes that transport water to homes and agriculture.

A 2012 false positive test for mussels nearby led the city to close Farmington Lake. It was reopened to paddle boats this month.

All boats will be inspected for mussels before being allowed into the water.