UPDATE 6p - New Mexico Senate Approves Skandera As Education Secretary - The Associated Press
The New Mexico Senate has voted to confirm Hanna Skandera as education secretary four years after she took the job.
The Senate approved her nomination 22-19 Monday.
Gov. Susana Martinez's nomination of Skandera in 2011 drew criticism because of her having never been a teacher or administrator.
Senators who supported her say she is an educator who has made improvements in the Hispanic student graduation rates in the state, New Mexico's education woes predate her, and they spoke of support for her from educators from the Navajo Nation to the University of New Mexico.
And, finally, they say, the voters have spoken by ushering Martinez to a second term and thus expressed support for her policies and appointees.
New Mexico County Eyes Less Revenue Amid Falling Gas Prices – The Associated Press
A southeastern New Mexico county once booming with oil and gas production is expecting a 23 percent reduction in revenue for the next fiscal year.
The Hobbs News-Sun reports that Lea County estimates the gross receipts taxes from all levies are projected to be $3.3 million less thanks to a dramatic fall in oil prices.
Sherri Bunch, Lea County finance director, says the drop in oil and gas production has also lead to readjustments to this fiscal year's spending plan.
The plunge in crude oil prices per barrel has led to plummeting gas prices nationwide and has affected the energy industry, especially in oil-rich Lea County.
A recent audit noted how the county's main sources or revenues "are from oil and gas production tax, property tax" and other sources.
Albuquerque Police Sued Over Encrypted CDs In Shooting - The Associated Press & The ABQ Journal
An Albuquerque law firm is suing the Albuquerque Police Department over what it say is encrypted records from a police shooting probe.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that Kennedy Kennedy & Ives Law Practice recently filed the lawsuit in connection with records related to the shooting death of Armand Martin. Authorities say the 50-year-old Air Force veteran was shot by police during a standoff in May.
The law firm requested information in connection with the shooting investigation, but the firm said three of the CDs were password protected.
Albuquerque police spokeswoman Celina Espinoza said the department couldn't comment on pending litigation or the allegation that it released password-protected records.
Albuquerque police and the U.S. Justice Department recently signed an agreement to overhaul the police force.
'Very Large Array' Gets $90M Upgrade, Capture Galaxy Storm - The Associated Press
The Very Large Array has undergone a major upgrade and officials say it will now be able to reveal more of the universe.
KOB-TV reports that the 1970s-era telescopes near Magdalena, New Mexico, recently went through a $90 million technology update thanks to the National Science Foundation, Canada and Mexico.
Up until recently, the array of radio telescopes was still using technology from when they were built in the 1970s.
Officials say the new VLA is so powerful it recently discovered a star-killing storm in the core of a galaxy.
Chris Carilli, the National Radio Astronomy chief scientist, says the new VLA also may help scientists peer into the very beginnings of the universe.
New Mexico High Court Upholds Astorga's Murder Conviction – The Associated Press
The New Mexico Supreme Court has upheld the murder conviction of a man convicted of killing a Bernalillo County Sheriff's deputy.
The state's high court issued Monday its opinion and said it found no evidence that a jury was prejudice against Michael Astorga.
In May 2012, Astorga was sentenced to life in prison and avoided a death sentence for the shooting death of Deputy James McGrane. Authorities say Astorga killed McGrane during a 2006 traffic stop.
The state Supreme Court previously ruled that Astorga was eligible for the death penalty since the crime occurred before lawmakers passed the repeal.
Astorga appealed his trial on the grounds of "purported errors" during the guilt phase. He also argued that he should have been granted a change of venue during his trial.
Lawmakers Say New Mexico Campaign Finance Law Not Enforced - The Associated Press and Daily Times
Some New Mexico lawmakers say the many uncollected fines stemming from campaign finance violations show a lack of enforcement by Secretary of State Dianna Duran.
The Daily Times reports that Sen. Peter Wirth says a bill he's sponsoring that would improve campaign finance transparency may not be enough if Duran doesn't pursue fines.
Rep. Jim Smith is sponsoring the same bill in the House.
The newspaper reviewed campaign finance data obtained through a public records request. It found Duran waived more than a third of fines and more than 60 percent went uncollected.
Her office amassed only 4 percent of nearly 2,000 fines levied against candidates during the 2012 and 2014 primary and general elections.
Report: Nuke Lab Failed To Keep Some Information Classified - The Associated Press
The U.S. Department of Energy's office of inspector general says a lack of managerial oversight at Los Alamos National Laboratory led to improper disclosures of sensitive information.
In a summary of a report released last week, the inspector general says the lab's classification officer at times misclassified national security information.
The summary, which is dated Wednesday, says there were at least six incidents where lab documents were misclassified.
It also says lab officials didn't investigate any alleged violations by the classification officer.
The inspector general says it has made recommendations to boost management of information in its full report.
The investigation partly stems from last year's firing of a lab worker for an article he wrote.
Albuquerque Police Officer, Wife Charged With Child Abuse - The Associated Press and KOB-TV
A fired Albuquerque police officer and his wife appeared in court Sunday for allegedly abusing the woman's son.
KOB-TV reports that 31-year-old Skyler McClaskey and 34-year-old Jodi McClaskey were arraigned on one count each of child abuse.
A judge ordered the couple held on $15,000 cash bond and to not have contact with the boy.
New Mexico State Police say officials at Edgewood Middle School noticed several bruises on the boy's body on Friday.
According to a criminal complaint, Skyler McClaskey's stepson told police his stepfather slapped him for getting into a spat with his sister. He allegedly slapped the boy repeatedly and the mother grabbed the boy's hair.
Albuquerque police fired Skyler McClaskey after his arrest.
Albuquerque Police To Run Monthly Checks On Officers - The Associated Press
The Albuquerque Police Department will be checking every month to see if any of its officers are wanted.
Police spokeswoman Celina Espinoza said Saturday that driver's licenses of sworn employees will undergo a monthly background check for possible warrant suspensions or expirations.
The new policy stems from the weekend arrest by New Mexico State Police of Albuquerque Officer Skyler McClaskey, who is accused of abusing his stepson.
The arrest led to the discovery of an unrelated 2014 warrant for McClaskey for writing bad checks from Santa Fe County.
Espinoza says the directive will prevent similar situations in the future.
1 Dead, 1 Wounded In Las Cruces Shooting - The Associated Press
Police in Las Cruces are searching for a man suspected of shooting two people, one of whom has died.
Sgt. Roberto Gutierrez says police responded to reports of a gunshot victim around 1:45 p.m. Saturday.
Officers found two men had been shot.
Gutierrez says one victim was pronounced dead at the scene and the second was airlifted to a hospital in El Paso, Texas.
His condition is unknown.
Police say the shooter is described as light-skinned with a medium build and he was wearing all dark clothing. He was seen driving away in a black Volkswagen Jetta.
Multiple Victims Wounded In Shooting At Albuquerque Lodge - The Associated Press
Albuquerque police are investigating a shooting at a community lodge that has left several people wounded.
Police spokesman Fred Duran says the shooting took place Sunday morning at the Navajo Elks Lodge in the southeastern area of the city.
Duran did not say how many people were hurt but that all victims are stable at various hospitals.
No suspect is in custody.