Libertarians Pick Ex-New Mexico Gov. Johnson For President – Associated Press
Libertarian Party has nominated former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson as its presidential candidate just as it did in 2012.
Delegates to the party's convention in Orlando on Sunday picked Johnson on the second ballot over Austin Petersen, the founder of The Libertarian Republic magazine, and anti-computer virus company founder John McAfee.
Johnson got about 1 percent of the popular vote in 2012.
But the party is hoping for a strong showing in November because of the deep unpopularity polls show for presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.
The 63-year-old Johnson was governor of New Mexico from 1995 to 2003 as a Republican.
Albuquerque's Homeless Won't Be Target Of Reverse Drug Sting – Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press
Albuquerque police say they will no longer set up reverse drug stings involving the homeless.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that while police spokeswoman Celina Espinoza defended the use of such a tactic, she says the department will refrain from using it on homeless people.
City officials have voiced concerns about undercover operations luring homeless people to buy drugs in order to arrest them.
The decision comes as Mayor Richard Berry is highlighting city programs under his administration aimed at panhandlers and the homeless.
Berry says his office did not have any input in the reverse drug stings.
Police say reverse stings can reduce crime and the demand for drugs in an area.
Pueblo Shield Withdrawn From Paris Artifacts Auction – The Associated Press
A French auction house has withdrawn a Pueblo shield from a contested sale of Native American artifacts after protests from the United States.
U.S. Embassy spokesman Phil Frayne called it a "small victory in a larger battle" to repatriate tribal artifacts. Frayne told The Associated Press the U.S. government believes the 19th-century mask might have been taken illegally in the 1970s, and so it was withdrawn by Drouot just before the auction Monday pending further examination.
It was one of 314 items slated for sale Monday in Paris. Protesters waved banners outside Drouot that read "cultural genocide" and "sacred not for sale."
Past sales of tribal artifacts in Paris have been opposed by Native American representatives who consider them sacred and believe they were once stolen from tribes.
Repairs Underway On Pipeline That Waters Big Navajo Farm – The Associated Press
A break in a massive pipe that supplies irrigation water to the largest farm on the Navajo Nation is a step closer to being repaired with the delivery of a new section of concrete piping.
The decades-old pipe broke May 13, cutting water to 72,000 acres of farmland in northwestern New Mexico. Many of the crops on the land managed by the Navajo Agricultural Products Industry had just been planted.
Officials said Monday that the delivery of the 17-foot-diameter pipe from a manufacturing plant in Yuma, Arizona, means they are on track to finish repairs by June 11. The pipe was trucked from Yuma and arrived Sunday afternoon. Installation is already underway.
The canal and pipe system delivers water to the farm from the San Juan River through Navajo Dam.
Fewer Students Opting Out Of PARCC Tests – Albuquerque Journal
Fewer students in Albuquerque Public Schools opted out of a standardized test this year and there have been no large-scale demonstrations against the Partnership of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC test.
The Albuquerque Journal reports 1,561 students refused to take the PARCC test this spring, compared to 3,307 a year ago. The state first made the test mandatory in 2015.
In 2015, more than 1,000 students walked out of their schools to protest the new exam, but such opt-outs are down across the state this year, according to the Journal.
APS created an online portal to help parents opt out, but other districts, such as Farmington and Las Cruces, do not allow students to opt out unless they have a valid medical issue.
Rose-Ann McKernan, executive director of the APS Office of Accountability, speculated families and students have grown more comfortable with the PARCC test.
I-40 In Albuquerque Reopens After Man Taken Into Custody – KRQE-TV, Associated Press
An Albuquerque interstate reopened after police say they took into custody a man on an overpass threatening to take his life.
East and westbound lanes of I-40 at Wyoming Boulevard were closed about 2:30 p.m. as officers tried to talk to the man, the Albuquerque Journal reports.
Police say the man was taken into custody about 6 p.m., KQRE-TV reports.
Police also told KQRE that the same man has threatened to jump off a bridge onto the interstate before.
Police had set up a security perimeter around the scene. They expanded it to Juan Tabo Boulevard because of disruptive motorists. APD said some were encouraging the man to jump.
Police Look For Suspect Who Injured Boy In Hit-And-Run Crash – Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press
Authorities are looking for a driver who struck and injured a boy crossing a street in Albuquerque and then fled the scene.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that Officer Simon Drobik says the 4-year-old victim was left in critical condition after the Saturday night incident. He was reported in stable condition on Sunday.
Police say the boy and his grandmother had been walking across the street when he was struck by a tan car, which could have been a Toyota Corolla or Camry. The two had not been using a crosswalk at the time of the incident.
Drobik says the driver could face felony charges for leaving the scene of an accident.
Treasure Hunters To Gather For Celebration In New Mexico – Santa Fe New Mexican, Associated Press
Searchers fixated with finding a treasure hidden in the mountains north of Santa Fe will converge in the city.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that people are expected to gather Saturday for "Fennboree" and a screening of the documentary, "Fenn's Searchers."
The annual gathering is inspired by author Forrest Fenn, who stated in his 2010 memoir that he had hidden a chest containing nearly $2 million in coins.
The treasure has drawn interest for years.
Randy Bilyeu, of Colorado, disappeared in January after telling family he planned to search for it.
Some critics have said the search should be stopped because of the dangerous terrain.
Organizers of "Fennboree" say they will honor Bilyeu with a moment of silence.
Armed Man Shot And Killed By Albuquerque Police – Associated Press
Police say an armed man has died after he was shot during a standoff with officers at an Albuquerque home.
Police spokeswoman Celina Espinoza says officers were called Saturday night after reports of a possibly intoxicated person wielding a gun.
They located 58-year-old Dennis Humphrey, who allegedly made numerous threats at them with a high-powered gun.
Officers fired several rounds after Humphrey retreated to a garage, turned the lights out and pointed the weapon at them.
He later died at a hospital.
Navajo Mine Owner To Research Possible Methane Leaks – Daily Times, Associated Press
Researchers will look at whether methane is escaping from Navajo Mine.
The Daily Times reports the study is also intended to find ways to capture any methane that does escape and use it for energy.
Navajo Transitional Energy Company oversees the mine that provides all coal used at Four Corners Power Plant near Farmington.
A NASA and University of Michigan report in 2014 said there was a hot spot of methane above the Four Corners.
CEO Clark Moseley said in a statement that the research is intended to answer questions about the company's role in the methane debate.
The Navajo energy company and Colorado-based Koveva Ltd. agreed to conduct the study, which ends in January.
A handful of Navajo Technical University and Diné College students will help with research.
Officials Say Acoma Shield Was Stolen Years Ago – Associated Press
U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell is asking French authorities to prevent the auction of a ceremonial shield from a New Mexico Native American community, saying the item was believed to have been stolen decades ago from its rightful owners.
In a letter Friday to the auction house regulator in France, Jewell detailed specific reasons why the Acoma Pueblo shield should be removed from Monday's planned sale in Paris.
The letter included an affidavit from the granddaughter of one of the tribe's traditional leaders who cared for the shield. She testified that the item went missing during the 1970s when the family's home was broken into.
Jewell's correspondence also included documents from the tribe's legal counsel and preservation officer attesting to the importance of the shield and its status under tribal customary law.