Middle Class Shrinks In Albuquerque And Santa Fe – Albuquerque Journal
The middle class in New Mexico’s largest city is shrinking, reflecting a trend happening around the country.
The Albuquerque Journal reports the Pew Research Center found that nationally the number of people in upper income brackets and lower income tiers are growing while those in the middle are dwindling.
In Albuquerque, the number of people in the upper income and middle income tiers decline while the percentage of those in low-income brackets grew.
Santa Fe saw similar shifts, with the percentage of people with middle incomes dropping just under 50 percent, while the number of those with lower incomes grew and those with higher incomes shrank.
In Las Cruces, numbers remained much the same between 2000 and 2014, but unlike the other two cities, the percentage of people with lower incomes is about the same as those with middle incomes – 45 percent. A small sliver of the population is in the higher income bracket, just about 9 percent.
Ex-Officer Pleads No Contest To Battery On Homeless Man – Associated Press
A former Albuquerque police officer has pleaded no contest to misdemeanor aggravated battery after authorities say he assaulted a man during a call.
Cedric Greer entered the plea Thursday — more than a year after a state police investigation found he used excessive force while on duty.
Greer was accused of punching the man in the head several times and striking him in the chest on March 20, 2015.
Witnesses said the individual had been cooperative before and after the battery.
A court spokeswoman says Greer was sentenced to a year-long probation, and must complete 30 hours of community service.
He also was ordered to pay $127 in fines and court fees.
Man Pleads Guilty To Grabbing, Taking Off Woman's Hijab – The Associated Press
A North Carolina man has pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanor charge after authorities say he grabbed a Muslim woman's hijab on a Southwest Airlines flight in December and pulled it off.
Federal authorities say 37-year-old Gill Parker Payne, of Gastonia, North Carolina, entered the plea Friday. He was charged with using force or threat of force to obstruct a Muslim woman in the free exercise of her religious beliefs.
The two were on a Dec. 11 flight from Chicago to Albuquerque when the confrontation happened.
Authorities say Payne approached the woman, who was sitting several rows in front of him, and told her to take off her hijab — an Islamic-style headscarf — saying, "This is America!" He then removed the hijab from her head.
University Of New Mexico Eyes Seal Amid Racial Concerns – The Associated Press
New Mexico's largest university is considering revising its half-century old seal over concerns by Native American students who say it represents the frontier's violent era.
Unlike other battles to change logos and names of buildings, the dispute over the seal is drawing defense from another minority groups — Hispanics.
Native American student groups want the University of New Mexico to drop the seal that depicts a rifle-toting frontiersman and a sword-carrying Spanish conquistador.
Ralph Arellanes, chair of the Hispano Round Table of New Mexico, said removing the conquistador would be unacceptable since it represents New Mexico's Hispanic heritage. He says he's open to taking the conquistador's sword away and putting him on a horse.
University president Bob Frank says one proposal would add a Native American to the seal.
New Mexico Jail Inmate Recaptured After Escaping From Clinic – The Associated Press
Police say a jail inmate who escaped from a New Mexico medical clinic after being arrested in a carjacking and two police chases has been recaptured.
Authorities say 24-year-old Michael Derby was apprehended Friday on a street corner in Las Cruces, the city where he escaped. A passer-by called 911 to report seeing a man stumbling and falling down.
Police spokesman Dan Trujillo says officers recognized Derby and that he was taken to a hospital. His medical condition wasn't available.
Derby escaped Wednesday night from a medical clinic where he was taken for an examination.
Authorities say Derby was arrested Sunday after fleeing a traffic stop in Las Cruces, leading to a chase and then a carjacking in El Paso, Texas. That led to another chase and Derby's arrest.
Recent Intrepid Potash Mine Layoffs Hurt Carlsbad Economy – The Associated Press & The Carlsbad Current-Argus
The recent layoffs at a potash mining facility in southeastern New Mexico are expected to slow the economy in surrounding areas.
The Carlsbad Current-Argus reports that experts expect the 300 employees laid off by Intrepid Potash Inc. on Monday will pull the economy down, though Eddy County's diverse economy should provide some shelter in the coming financial storm.
Bureau of Labor Statistic economist James Howard Jr. says Eddy County relies on mining, with more than 7,000 employees in the mining and natural resources industry in the county earning more than $13.4 million in 2015.
Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway says having a potash slump at the same time as low oil and gas prices will hurt the city, but the damage will not be irreparable. He says he hopes several planned development projects will help the job market.
New Mexico Seeks To Stop Feds From Releasing Wolves – The Associated Press
Lawyers for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish are seeking to stop federal wildlife managers from releasing more endangered Mexican gray wolves into the wild.
In a court filing Thursday, they asked for a temporary restraining order that would require the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to get state permission before releasing wildlife — including wolves — in New Mexico.
The wolf recovery program spans parts of New Mexico and Arizona.
The move comes after the federal agency released a pair of captive-born pups into a wild wolf den in southwestern New Mexico last month.
The state had previously threatened to sue over the federal agency's insistence that it continue with its wolf recovery program despite opposition over releases in New Mexico and the lack of an updated recovery plan.
Bill Clinton To Campaign In New Mexico For Hillary Clinton – Associated Press
Former President Bill Clinton will be making a couple of campaign stops in New Mexico for his wife, Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton.
Campaign officials made the announcement Thursday.
The former president is expected to headline public events in Albuquerque and Espanola ahead of the state's June 7th primary. The events are scheduled for May 24 and 25.
The campaign said it would release more details soon.
Utility Line Work Underway For Transit Project Despite Lawsuits – Albuquerque Journal
Work began this week on relocating utility lines as part of the controversial bus rapid transit project in Albuquerque despite several lawsuits seeking to halt the project.
The Albuquerque Journal reports officials with the Albuquerque Bernalillo Water Utility Authority said the idea was to not conflict the city’s construction timeline for the transit project.
The $119 million Albuquerque Rapid Transit Project will create dedicated bus lines in the middle of Central Avenue and a series of canopied stops and ticket kiosks.
The project is slated to start in July but there are several lawsuits underway to try and stop it. KOB-TV reported that several lawyers have filed a complaint seeking a temporary restraining order to stop construction.
New Mexico Jail Inmate At Large After Escaping From Clinic – Associated Press
New Mexico authorities are searching for a jail inmate who escaped from a medical clinic after being accused of kidnapping a driver by gunpoint in Texas.
Las Cruces police say 24-year-old Michael Derby is dangerous and ask the public for tips on his whereabouts after he fled Wednesday night from the facility where he was taken for a medical exam.
Officials say Derby's restraints had been removed for the exam and he bolted from the clinic afterward, running to a nearby business where he stole a truck with a trailer containing three horses. The vehicle and horses later were found in a residential area.
Authorities say Derby was arrested Sunday after fleeing a traffic stop in Las Cruces, leading to a chase, and then carjacking an SUV in El Paso, Texas.
New Mexico Sees Increase In Number Of Registered Voters – Associated Press
The number of registered voters in New Mexico has increased nearly 3 percent since the start of the year as election officials process a final flurry of registration forms.
Tuesday was the cutoff date for voters to register ahead of New Mexico's June 7 primaries featuring presidential, statewide and local candidates.
A preliminary tally released on Thursday by the Secretary of State's Office shows about 32,700 additional registrations since Jan. 1. Republicans account for 31 percent of 1.2 million registered voters, and Democrats represent 47 percent.
There were 1,583 new registrations under a new law allowing 17-year-olds to vote in primaries if they will turn 18 by the date of the fall general election.
Online registration is another novelty this year, allowing almost 37,000 to register or update registrations.
UNM, Miners' Colfax In Pact To Fight Mining-Related Illness – Associated Press
The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center and Miners' Colfax Medical Center are stepping up efforts to fight mining-related respiratory diseases.
Both recently announced that a $1.5 million gift will fund an endowed chair in Mining-Related Lung Disease to be held by pulmonologist Akshay Sood.
Sood has been working with the Raton hospital for years to address pulmonary diseases associated with the coal and uranium mining industries.
Officials say Sood's appointment will sharpen the two institution's focus on black lung disease, a scourge that develops from inhaling coal dust.
Sood says the new partnership will help attract faculty to work in clinical research and community engagement aspects of miners' disease.
Emissions On Agenda For PNM Resources Shareholder Meeting – Associated Press
The holding company for New Mexico's largest electric provider has opted to host its annual shareholders' meeting in Texas this year, and on the ballot is a proposal that would require Public Service Co. of New Mexico to adopt goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The PNM Resources shareholders meeting will be Tuesday in Lewisville, where the company's other subsidiary Texas-New Mexico Power is headquartered.
Company officials say this marks the first time in the 11 years since PNM Resources acquired TNMP that the meeting will be held in Texas.
Shareholders from New Mexico will travel to Texas to present a series of proposals, including the greenhouse gas measure. They say PNM should be ready for the threat of climate change and the effects future regulations could have on ratepayers.
Lawsuit: McDonald’s Toilet Paper Dispenser Caused Eye Damage – Associated Press
A northern New Mexico woman is suing a Santa Fe McDonald's franchise after she said a toilet paper dispenser fell off a bathroom stall door and slammed into her face.
The lawsuit filed last week in Santa Fe District Court alleges that the 2013 public bathroom mayhem left Veronica Espinoza with a damaged retina.
According to the lawsuit, Espinoza reached for toilet paper in the "usual, common manner" when it "came crashing down" on her face, causing damage to her nose, face and eye. The lawsuit says the dispenser was attached to a bathroom stall door.
Espinoza is seeking an unspecified amount in damages and medical bill.
McZ Inc., which owns the McDonald's, did not immediately return a phone call.
Eastern New Mexico University Newspaper Funding Debated – Portales News-Tribune, Associated Press
A student board decision to cut funding from the Eastern New Mexico University student newspaper is drawing criticism.
The Portales News-Tribune reports that the Student Fees Board on campus recently voted to provide zero under for the student newspaper, The Chase.
They presented their recommendations to ENMU President Steve Gamble and the university's board of regents approved them last month.
Gamble says the student newspaper will still be funded, in the same amount as student fees provided a year ago. But those funds will come from the state instead of student fees.
But Chase Editor Emma Pennypacker, a first-semester graduate student, says the source of funding is the issue that has upset student media.