New Mexico Senate Has Backlog Of Confirmations – The Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal
The Democratic-led New Mexico Senate will convene in January with a backlog of pending confirmation decisions on dozens of appointees of Republican Gov. Susana Martinez.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that Martinez's office says the 85 first-term appointees awaiting confirmation votes include numerous members of state boards and commissions as well as three Cabinet secretaries.
Spokesmen for Martinez have accused Senate Democrats of playing politics by slowing the pace of confirmations.
Senate Rules Committee Chairwoman Linda Lopez denies that. The Albuquerque Democrat says the process being used is the same as was used under Martinez's predecessor, Democrat Bill Richardson.
Cabinet secretaries can remain in their jobs even without being confirmed but they must leave office immediately if rejected by the Senate on up-or-down votes. That happens only rarely.
Albuquerque Officer In Shooting Fired - The Associated Press
A lawyer says an Albuquerque officer who fatally shot a 19-year-old woman and did not record the encounter has been fired.
Attorney Thomas Grover, who represents Officer Jeremy Dear, told reporters Monday that his client was terminated after an internal investigation. Grover says the probe centered on Dear's lapel camera use and the type of gloves he wore.
Dear had been on administrative leave since he fatally shot suspected truck thief Mary Hawkes following an April 21 chase.
Authorities say Dear shot Hawkes after she pulled a weapon on him. An autopsy showed Hawkes died from three gunshot wounds to the head, neck and chest.
A toxicology report later showed Hawkes had methamphetamine in her system.
An Albuquerque police spokesman did not immediately return an email from The Associated Press.
Naming Rights To The Pit In New Mexico Go For $5M - The Associated Press
The beloved name of New Mexico's legendary basketball arena has changed.
A local restaurant chain donated $5 million to the University of New Mexico, securing the naming rights for The Pit for the next 10 years. It will now be called WisePies Arena.
The donation is the largest cash gift ever made to the athletics department. The money will be used to pay off $60 million in renovations.
The WisePies Pizza & Salad logo will appear on signs outside the arena, on the court and on tickets.
Naming rights generate big revenue for colleges, but changing the name of The Pit spurred a steady stream of profanities and disbelief on social media after the announcement was made Monday.
The arena built in 1966 is one of college basketball's most famous buildings.
NM Health Exchange Seeks Comments On Financing - The Associated Press
New Mexico's health insurance exchange is looking for suggestions and comments as it develops a plan to become financially stable over the long term.
The exchange will need to be fully self-sustainable by Jan. 1, 2016. That's when federal grant funds for operations will no longer be available. Starting this January, the exchange will also need to fund its program for small business health insurance options.
Officials say the exchange has been working on its plan over the past year and the goal is to have minimal impact on New Mexicans and insurance companies.
The plan calls for imposing assessments on insurers to raise revenue.
The exchange board of directors will accept written comments through Dec. 19. The board has also scheduled a meeting that same day in Santa Fe.
Census To Hire Field Representatives In New Mexico - The Associated Press
The U.S. Census Bureau will be embarking on a massive hiring campaign starting this week.
Officials say they will begin interviewing and testing candidates for temporary field representative jobs Wednesday at the New Mexico Workforce Connection office in Albuquerque.
The interviews will continue every Wednesday and Friday through March 27.
Those who are hired will help with the 2015 American Housing Survey. Their duties will include conducting telephone interviews with selected households from May through August.
The jobs are temporary and the pay rate is $13.55 an hour.
The workers will also get paid for mileage, which means they must have a valid driver's license and a reliable vehicle with insurance.
Attorney Wants Records From Franciscan Friars - The Associated Press
An attorney for victims who claim they were sexually abused by priests in the Diocese of Gallup wants insurance and financial records from the Franciscan Friars.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that attorney James Stang has filed motions asking a federal bankruptcy judge to force two Franciscan provinces to hand over the records.
An attorney for one of the provinces filed a motion saying the action shouldn't be required because the alleged abuses happened years before the province was established.
The diocese filed for Chapter 11 reorganization in November 2013 because of mounting claims of clergy sex abuse.
The diocese includes parishes in six counties in New Mexico, three counties in Arizona and seven American Indian reservations.
More Atari Games From Landfill Put On eBay - The Associated Press and Alamogordo Daily News
Another batch of Atari game cartridges unearthed in a New Mexico landfill is going up for auction.
The Alamogordo Daily News says between 300 and 400 games uncovered in an Alamogordo dump in April are now open for bidding on eBay.
Joe Lewandowski, a consultant for the film companies that documented the dig, says the offerings include "Yars' Revenge," ''Super Breakout" and "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial."
Lewandowski says 50 games at a time will be posted on eBay over the next couple of weeks.
He says there's no telling how much money the games will bring in. He says he is still surprised an auction last month generated $37,000.
Library Acquires 18th-Century New Mexico Map - The Associated Press
A hand-drawn, 18th-century map of part of New Mexico now officially belongs to the New Mexico History Museum's research library.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that the Fray Angelico Chavez History Library has acquired the 12-by-15-inch map from an antiques dealer.
Librarian Tomas Jaehn says endowments and donations from people who attend his regular lectures helped the Santa Fe library reach the negotiated $35,000 price.
The map, titled Provincia de Nuevo Mexico, is dated 1778 and includes the Rio Grande and the locations of mountains, towns and native tribes.
No decision has been made about where the map will be displayed.
The map appears to have been compiled by a soldier and explorer from Alicante, Spain.
Navajo Nation Council Welcomes New Delegate - The Associated Press
The Navajo Nation Council has sworn in a new delegate.
The Daily Times reports that the Office of the Speaker says Leonard Haskie was confirmed Wednesday in Window Rock, Arizona.
Haskie replaces former delegate David Tom.
Tom resigned after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery. Prosecutors allege Tom had funneled $95,000 in tribal funds to his wife and children.
Fellow defendant Johnny Naize resigned as council speaker and lawmaker after pleading guilty to the same charge.
Haskie will represent seven chapters in the Northern Agency and serve Tom's remaining term, which ends in January.
Haskie is an assistant superintendent of support services for Gallup-McKinley County Schools. He also served as interim Navajo Nation president in the early 1990s.
Navajo Energy Company Names New CEO - The Associated Press and Daily Times
An energy company owned by the Navajo Nation has named an executive whose last project sparked conflict with Oregon tribes as its new CEO.
The Daily Times reports that Clark Moseley has been chosen as CEO of Navajo Transitional Energy Co. LLC after a nationwide search.
The company says in a press release that Moseley has 40 years of experience in mining and energy development.
Moseley was the CEO of Morrow Pacific, a proposed coal export terminal in east Oregon that would facilitate shipments of coal down the Columbia River and to Asia.
Umatilla tribes argued the terminal's dock would interfere with their fishing rights.
NTEC last year purchased the Navajo Mine in Farmington, which is the sole coal provider to the Four Corners Power Plant.
NM Governor To Light Christmas Tree Monday - The Associated Press
Gov. Susana Martinez will help kick off the rest of the holiday season in New Mexico with the lighting of the state Christmas tree today.
The ceremony will take place outside the state capitol in Santa Fe.
The governor's office says hot apple cider and biscochitos will be served.