Report Details Problems Impacting Teacher Retention – Santa Fe New Mexican, Albuquerque Journal
New Mexico is struggling to retain teachers and one reason is low pay.
That's according to a new report by the Legislative Finance Committee according to the Santa Fe New Mexican. Almost half of teachers nationally and in New Mexico leave the profession within the first five years. Yann Lussiez, who helped compile the study, told legislators better pay must be part of an overall plan to find and retain good instructors.
The report also found that salaries lag behind those of neighboring states and working conditions contribute to vacancies. Those include large classes and too little prep time. A system of three pay levels established in 2003 has increased the number of higher-paid, higher-qualified teachers in New Mexico, the report found, but teacher pay is not tied to increases in student achievement. However, the Public Education Department has started a pilot program of merit pay for “effective” teachers.
Starting teacher pay in New Mexico will be set at a minimum of $34,000 for the school year beginning this fall. The Albuquerque Journal reports that’s an increase from $32,000 that was approved by legislators and signed into law by Gov. Susana Martinez as part of next year’s budget.
Large Development Plan Near Albuquerque Still Undecided – Associated Press
The Bernalillo County Commission heard more arguments about a planned community west of Albuquerque that developers say could someday be home to as many as 90,000 people.
But commissioners declined Monday to give a final decision on the development known as Santolina.
Commissioners heard proponents and opponents voice their opinions on appeals concerning the project.
The nearly 22-square-mile development would rival some of New Mexico's largest cities once completed. It's the largest development master plan ever considered by Bernalillo County.
Opponents of the plan want county commissioners to vote down the development. They say the development would take away needed water resources in Albuquerque's South Valley.
But supporter say the development would be subject to water conservation efforts.
Santolina would be located along Interstate 40 and would have its own business parks and town center.
Governor spends $27,000 on travel in 3 months – Santa Fe New Mexican
Taxpayers are responsible for the $27,000 in travel expenses Gov. Susana Martinez racked up in the first three months of the year mostly related to her role in the Republican Governors Association, a national conservative group.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports state records show that the money was mostly for the lodging, food and transportation costs of state officers protecting Martinez.
Administration policy states for the safety of the governor and her staff, actual receipts or vouchers aren't included in Martinez's monthly expense report.
New Mexico Foundation for Open Government officials say these are public records that people should be able to access.
It's not unusual for taxpayer dollars to fund travel for security, like when Democrat Bill Richardson traveled to promote Barack Obama's presidential campaign in 2008.
Court Says Santa Fe Liable For Tribal Officer's Defense – Santa Fe New Mexican, Associated Press
A new court ruling says Santa Fe is responsible for the defense of a tribal officer who is being sued over actions he took to enforce state law.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that the state Supreme Court ruled Monday that Santa Fe is responsible for defending Pojoaque Pueblo tribal officer Glen Gutierrez in a 2010 lawsuit because he was given authority by the sheriff's office commission.
The Santa Fe County says the decision will at least temporarily result in less police coverage in the county and could impact mutual-aid agreements because he won't place the county in further liability from those arrangements.
Jose Luis Loya is suing Gutierrez. He says the officer physically attacked him after a traffic stop.
Guiterrez could not be reached for comment.
Mom Charged In Son's Killing Alleges Civil Rights Violations – Associated Press
The woman accused of kicking her 9-year-old son to death has filed a civil suit against Bernalillo County saying Metropolitan Detention Center staff violated her civil rights physically and medically.
KOB-TV reports that Synthia Varela-Casaus and another inmate, Gayla Gallegos, filed a civil case against the county and Corrective Care Solutions, the jail's medical provider.
The lawsuit says the inmates were injured in a prisoner transport vehicle and did not receive proper medical treatment after the incident. The complaint also says a nurse practitioner prescribed Varela-Casaus medication knowing it would cause her an allergic reaction.
County officials did not respond to requests for comment from KOB.
Varela-Casaus faces charges stemming from the December 2014 death of Omaree Varela. She has pleaded not guilty. Her trial is scheduled for October.
Two Dead After High-Speed Pursuit From Colorado To New Mexico – Associated Press
Authorities say two people who led police on a high-speed chase from southern Colorado into northwestern New Mexico are dead.
Lt. Kyle Lincoln of the San Juan County Sheriff's Office says the male and female were found with gunshot wounds inside their vehicle Monday. He says police never fired weapons but recovered a handgun from the vehicle according to the Farmington Daily-Times.
Lincoln says authorities in Montezuma County, Colorado, were called after the two stole gasoline in Cortez. Investigators say shots were fired from the suspects' vehicle during the pursuit, hitting two law enforcement vehicles and the car of a vacationing couple from Germany.
The suspect's vehicle crashed on a dead-end road in Shiprock on the Navajo Nation. Lincoln says authorities called out to the suspects, but no one responded. Police then broke out a window and found the two dead.
New Mexico Attorney General To Review Police Training Goals – The Associated Press
New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas has announced he will review the much-debated curriculum of the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy.
Balderas said Tuesday as chair of the board that oversees the academy he also will examine if the academy is following state transparency laws and wants to make sure officer discipline is handled appropriately.
The announcement comes as the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy Board is set to meet in Espanola on June 9 and 10.
The eight-member board came under scrutiny in September 2013 after it voted to give complete control over the curriculum to director Jack Jones.
Jones shortened classes to 16 weeks from 22 and changed use of deadly force training.
Balderas says the review is needed amid police protests in Ferguson and Baltimore.
Preliminary Hearing Set In Fatal Shooting Involving Officers – The Associated Press
A hearing has been scheduled for a judge to decide whether a current and a former Albuquerque police officer will stand trial in the 2014 fatal shooting of a homeless man.
The preliminary hearing for Officer Dominique Perez and former Detective Keith Sandy in the killing of James Boyd will be held Aug. 3.
A judge will hear testimony and then decide whether there is sufficient evidence to bind the men over for trial.
Special prosecutor Randi McGinn has requested additional testing to address defense attorneys' question about which of the two officers fired the third shot into Boyd's back that may have killed him during an hourslong standoff.
McGinn expects to announce her charging decision after the test results come back in a few weeks.
New Mexico Regulators Approve Dairy Agreement – The Associated Press
New Mexico regulators have signed off on an agreement brokered by dairy farmers, state officials and environmental groups.
The Water Quality Control Commission voted unanimously to approve the agreement during a meeting Tuesday in Santa Fe. It marks a compromise over how best to protect groundwater from potential contamination from dairy operations.
Settlement talks began earlier this year as regulators prepared for a public hearing to consider changes to New Mexico's dairy regulations.
Attorney General Hector Balderas says the agreement is critical to southern New Mexico's economy and water quality. He pointed out that the dairy industry has an economic impact of about $1.4 billion.
The new regulations require monitoring wells, and dairies will be allowed to line their waste ponds with clay liners so long as there's no contamination.
New Mexico Public Defender Shortfall May Spark Legal Action – The Associated Press
The public defender state office says a budget crisis is preventing it from providing contract defenders for indigent defendants who aren't jailed.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that Chief Public Defender Jorge Alvarado recently notified chief judges statewide that the predicted budget crisis had materialized for his office.
Contract defenders typically are hired when there is more than one defendant in a case, or in rural areas such as Lincoln or Cibola counties. Those are places where the Law Office of the Public Defender doesn't have staff.
The move could lead to a lawsuit.
The New Mexico Public Defender Commission has a special meeting on Wednesday in Albuquerque at the University of New Mexico School of Law.
Residents Complain About Cruisers On Central Avenue – The Associated Press
Albuquerque Police are blocking off downtown Central Avenue on weekend evenings after complaints from residents and business owners about noisy behavior from cruisers in the area.
KRQE-TV reports that Albuquerque Police Department Lt. Scott LaFayette says complaints about the cruisers have specifically focused on drinking in the parking lots. Videos from KRQE also show cars doing late-night tire burnouts and making slow loops in the middle of an intersection.
Albuquerque City Councilor Klarissa Peña says she's worried that officers will lump all cruisers together unfairly.
Peña says cruising is a part of the area's culture. She says there may be "a few bad apples" but that most are trying to enjoy their Sunday afternoon.
New Mexico Regulators To Enforce Natural Gas Labeling Rule – The Associated Press
New Mexico petroleum regulators are about to start enforcing a new state rule on retail sales of natural gas for vehicles.
The Department of Agriculture says the new rule requires that sellers of compressed and liquefied natural gas label the product by mass or gallon equivalent.
According to the department, the rule stems from increases in the number of vehicles that can run on natural gas and of fueling stations to serve those vehicles.
Agriculture Secretary Jeff Witte says the requirement for a standard unit of measurement for most fuels enables drivers whose motors can run on more than one type of fuel to make decisions based on economic sense.