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Headlines: URENCO Expansion, SW Chief Amtrak Route Stays...

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New Mexico Nuclear Enrichment Plant OK'd For Expansion – Associated Press

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has given its approval for URENCO USA to expand its nuclear enrichment facility east of Eunice.

The Hobbs News-Sun reports that the panel gave the OK last week on URENCO's most recent license amendment application.

That means URENCO can double its capacity over the course of two more phases beyond the current three-phase $4 billion facility.

It also means the company can store more raw and depleted uranium on site and can re-feed uranium tails left over after the enrichment process back through their centrifuges to recover more enriched uranium for nuclear fuel.

The facility, which is nearing a production capacity of about 5 million separative work units, or SWU, now has approval to expand to 10 million SWU.

NM Governor Criticizes Senate Dems For 'Killing' Key Bills - The Associated Press

Republican Gov. Susana Martinez says she was disappointed with the leadership of the Senate during this year's legislative session.

Martinez told attendees at a real estate luncheon Monday in Albuquerque that her call before the session for lawmakers to embrace reform and to put partisan differences aside went unheeded in the upper chamber.

She says a multi-million-dollar measure that would have funded public works projects around the state was approved in the Senate without input from the House. She called that unprecedented.

The capital outlay bill failed in the waning minutes of the 60-day session.

A number of Republicans-sponsored bills also ran aground in the Senate, including a right-to-work initiative, a ban on late-term abortions and repealing the law allowing driver's licenses for people in the county illegally.

Funeral Set For Thursday For Albuquerque Police Officer - The Associated Press

Funeral services are scheduled Thursday for an Albuquerque police officer who died from a medical issue during a training exercise last week.

KOAT-TV reports that John Kelly's funeral will be held at the Albuquerque Convention Center with burial at the Santa Fe National Cemetery.

Kelly was a detective and a field training officer.

He was stricken last Thursday morning as he and others gathered at a location in northeast Albuquerque for role-playing training on how to interact with people in crisis.

Police say Kelly's death wasn't related to the training, but the cause hasn't been released yet.

They say Kelly was in his mid-30s and leaves behind three children and three stepchildren.

He was in the U.S. Army and served in Afghanistan before joining the Albuquerque Police Department in 2006.

New Mexico AG To Unveil Changes On Hiring Private Lawyers -Russell Contreras, Associated Press

New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas is set to announce his review of hiring private lawyers to file lawsuits on behalf of the attorney general's office.

Balderas is scheduled Monday to announce new policy changes on the practice and will promise to make all documents from a bidding process available to the public.

The move comes after a New York Times story in December that showed how more attorneys general were hiring private law firms to file lawsuits. The story, which featured former New Mexico Attorney General Gary King, reported that private lawyers search public records for potential cases then approach attorneys general.

State officials hire the firms to do the necessary legwork, and in return, the firms get a percentage of any money won in court cases.

Labor Officials: New Mexico Workers Underpaid – The Associated Press

Federal labor officials say oil and natural gas workers in New Mexico and West Texas have been underpaid by more than $1.3 million.

The U.S. Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division made the announcement Monday. The findings stem from an enforcement initiative launched by the division last year.

Officials say overtime violations led to the underpayment to some 1,300 workers.

Among the problems found, employers were failing to include bonus payments when calculating overtime rates, weren't paying for time spent working off-the-clock and paying flat rates despite the hours worked by employees.

There were also instances of workers being misclassified as independent contractors.

A regional labor official, Cynthia Watson, says there's a misconception that because oil and gas workers typically earn more than minimum wage that they're being paid legally.

Hispanic Activists Pushing For 'Glorieta Pass' Recognition – Associated Press

Hispanic activists in New Mexico are pushing for state schools to teach students about an important Civil War battle involving Latino and Native American Union soldiers.

KOB-TV reports the League of United Latin American Citizens and the Hispano Round Table of New Mexico announced last week a new effort at trying to get the Battle of Glorieta Pass in classrooms.

During that battle, New Mexico's Volunteer Union Soldiers defeated two Confederate armies after three days of fighting.

The groups also want a monument at the northern New Mexico battlefield to recognize those who fought in the battle. Currently, the only thing marking the battle site is a shelter with artifacts, a few crosses, and a sign that says, "Glorieta, the Gettysburg of the West."

Federal Funding In Short Supply For Rural Water Projects – by Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press

A pipeline project intended to bring billions of gallons of water each year to a drought-stricken section of eastern New Mexico represents a lifeline to parched communities.

The lifeline, however, may not actually reach the region for more than a decade before wells dry up, and officials say some areas don't have that long before wells dry up.

The slow pace of construction underscores the challenges that many states are facing.

During the widespread drought, officials are struggling to finish large-scale projects while populations are growing, drinking water resources are dwindling and federal dollars are diminishing.

The federal government is responsible for paying about $3 billion to complete several rural water projects in the West.

The amount represents just a fraction of the more than $600 billion needed to address the nation's needs over the next 20 years.

Albuquerque Police Launch Radio Ad To Interact With Public – Associated Press

The Albuquerque Police Department has launched an advertising blitz aimed at getting residents to interact directly with officers.

KRQE-TV in Albuquerque reports the department is running a radio advertisement that directs people to the website, talkwithacop.com, where people can ask officers questions.

The website is part of the department's efforts to build a better relationship with the community while complying with a recent Department of Justice agreement.

Last year, a report from the department found that Albuquerque police have a pattern of excessive force.

Albuquerque police also had been under scrutiny for more than 40 police shootings since 2010.

The city spent $75,000 from the mayor's appropriation budget for the ads, which will continue to run on the radio.

Amtrak Says Southwest Chief's New Mexico Routes To Remain – Associated Press

Amtrak says it will stick with its existing New Mexico route of the Southwest Chief passenger train.

Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari told the Santa Fe New Mexican last week that the Southwest Chief will continue to make stops in New Mexico towns of Raton, Las Vegas, Lamy and Albuquerque.

The announcement ends more than two years of fear and uncertainty in Northern New Mexico's smaller communities about whether Amtrak would alter the route.

The Southwest Chief travels between Chicago and Los Angeles, but part of the current route was in jeopardy because of questions about maintenance and upgrades of track.

Colorado and Kansas moved aggressively last year to secure a federal grant and to allocate money for repairs on their sections of the Southwest Chief tracks.