Snow And Ice Reported On Some New Mexico Highways – The Associated Press
Snow and ice are reported on sections of some highways in eastern and northern New Mexico as a winter storm moves into the state.
The state Department of Transportation says snow and ice were reported Tuesday morning on Interstate 25 near Las Vegas and on Interstate 40 near Santa Rosa.
Other highways in the regions also have snow and icy spots.
The National Weather Service says strong east canyon winds will continue today in the middle Rio Grande Valley, and the forecasters say significant snowfall is possible over much of western and central New Mexico beginning late Wednesday afternoon.
Navajo Panel Moves Forward With Gaming Compact - The Associated Press
A panel of Navajo Nation lawmakers has settled on terms that the American Indian tribe would like to see adopted as part of a new gambling compact with the state of New Mexico.
The tribe's current compact is set to expire in June, and negotiations with Gov. Susana Martinez's office have been ongoing for months.
Navajo Speaker Pro Tem LoRenzo Bates says the result is a compact that's fair for Navajos and for New Mexicans.
Under the formula outlined in the proposal, revenue sharing with the state would range from 8.5 percent to 10.75 percent depending on the amount of net winnings and the duration of the 23-year compact.
A similar effort to renew the contact failed during the last legislative session.
The Navajos operate three casinos in New Mexico and one in Arizona.
New Mexico Health Insurance Enrollment Released - The Associated Press
More than 17,000 New Mexico residents chose new health insurance plans in the first month of open enrollment in the state's health insurance marketplace, about 10,000 for the first time.
The enrollment figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Health & Human Services Department show nearly three-quarters of those choosing plans from the BeWellNM exchange were eligible for subsidies.
The report showed enrollment from Nov. 15 through Dec. 15. Plans take effect Jan. 1.
During the last open enrollment period, about 32,000 people bought insurance. Less than a third of them chose a new plan and will be automatically re-enrolled. But they may lose some subsidies if their current plan is no longer the federal benchmark plan for cost.
New and current customers can re-enroll or change plans through Feb. 15.
Feds Dock Los Alamos Lab In Performance Review - The Associated Press
The contractor that runs Los Alamos National Laboratory has lost out on millions of dollars from the federal government because of what officials call a serious performance failure.
The National Nuclear Security Administration has finished its annual evaluation of LANL and the overall results aren't positive. The fee earned by the lab for the 2014 fiscal year was slashed to $6.25 million.
The NNSA singled out a mishap in February at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in southern New Mexico. That's where a container packed with radioactive waste from Los Alamos ruptured and forced the plant's indefinite closure.
New Mexico officials have already fined Los Alamos $36.6 million for mixing incompatible waste, treating hazardous waste without a permit and failing to notify regulators about changes in the way waste was being handled.
Nuke Repository Gets Visit From Carlsbad Mayor - The Associated Press and Carlsbad Current-Argus
Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway and state Rep. David Gallegos are the first officials to visit the underground area of the federal government's nuclear waste repository since recovery efforts began earlier this year following a radiation leak.
Janway says there's still a lot of work to be done at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, but he's impressed with how far recovery teams have come since February. That's when a container of waste from Los Alamos National Laboratory ruptured and forced the plant's indefinite closure.
The U.S. Energy Department has said it could be years and cost a half-billion dollars to reopen the plant.
Janway detailed his visit to uncontaminated areas of WIPP's underground in an editorial published by the Carlsbad Current-Argus.
Proposed Fees Cause Concern Among Solar Industry - The Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal
New Mexico's solar industry is worried about fees the state's largest electric provider has proposed for its customers with rooftop solar panels.
PNM says the grid provides electricity to solar customers when the sun isn't shining and they should have to pay their fair share for the fixed costs of maintaining the system.
The fees could range from $21 to $36 a month depending on the size of a customers' system, and industry representatives say charging a monthly fee could end up undermining the economic benefits of going solar.
Kevin Goodreau of Direct Power and Water Corp. tells the Albuquerque Journal the fees represent the fight of the century for the industry.
Goodreau and other industry representatives have vowed to fight PNM's proposal before the state Public Regulation Commission.
Jicarilla Apache Reach Gaming Deal With New Mexico - The Associated Press
An agreement between the Jicarilla Apache Nation and Gov. Susana Martinez should allow the tribe to continue operating its two casinos for at least 22 more years.
The tentative deal announced Monday includes a new revenue-sharing agreement that would see the state collect 2 percent of yearly revenue up to $6 million and 8½ percent of any winnings above that amount.
The new compact will allow the tribe to continue operating its casinos in Dulce and west of Cuba and recognizes that the expiring compact didn't limit the number of sites it could operate. The tribe said in a news release the deal holds the Jicarilla Apache to the same terms as other tribes.
The agreement must be approved by the New Mexico Legislature and the federal Interior Department.
Bernalillo County Rejects Elected Official Pay Hike - The Associated Press
Bernalillo County commissioners have rejected a pay raise for elected county officials.
Commissioner Wayne Johnson says he couldn't support the pay raise proposal because the county faces a budget shortfall next year larger than this year's $24 million deficit.
Johnson and Commissioner Art De La Cruz voted against the proposal at a special meeting yesterday.
The county sheriff, treasurer, clerk, assessor and probate judge would have received raises. Commissioners did not propose pay raises for themselves.
The raises were to start in January for officials beginning new terms.
New Mexico Hunting Rules Available Online - The Associated Press
The New Mexico Game and Fish Department has posted rules and information about applying for hunting licenses on the agency's redesigned website.
The department says it will begin accepting online applications for 2015-16 big game and turkey licenses next week.
Deadlines for special permit bear and turkey hunts will be Feb. 4 and March 18 for deer, elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, Barbary sheep, ibex, oryx and javelin licenses.
Department spokesman Lance Cherry says hunters should find the new website more user-friendly. It was created to better interface with smartphones and tablets.
The website was also reorganized to allow for easier access to online license sales and applications, hunting and fishing information, off-highway vehicle programs and other publications.
NM Lakes Ramp Up For Annual Polar Plunges - The Associated Press
Storrie Lake in northern New Mexico is getting ready for its annual polar bear plunge at noon on New Year's Day.
So is Sugarite Canyon State Park, where visitors will brave the frigid waters of Lake Maloya to mark the first day of the year.
But one popular polar plunge has been cancelled. Officials at Eagle Nest State Park say the water is just too low and the ice is too thin to hold the event this year.
Instead, the park will be hosting a hike along one of the lake's flat trails followed by a round of hot chocolate.
New Mexico's lakes and reservoirs have been hammered in recent years by a persistent drought, and the latest statistics show precipitation since October has been below normal across the Southwest.
Liam, Mia Were Most Popular Names In New Mexico - The Associated Press
The most popular names for newborns in New Mexico are Liam for boys and Mia for girls.
The state Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics says the next nine most popular names for boys born in 2014 are Noah, Elijah, Jacob, Aiden, Daniel, Jayden, Josiah, Ethan and Michael.
For girls, the next nine most popular names in 2014 are Sophia, Emma, Isabella, Olivia, Emily, Sofia, Ariana, Ava and Abigail.
The department says the top 10 names accounted for only 7.3 percent of girls and 8.3 percent for boys.