Schools Report Racist Incidents In Wake Of Trump Election—Associated Press
In the wake of Donald Trump's election, reports of racist incidents are emerging from the nation's schools and universities, including students who chanted "white power" and called black classmates "cotton pickers."
Reporting by The Associated Press and local media outlets has identified more than 20 such encounters beginning on Election Day, many involving people too young to cast a ballot.
At the University of New Mexico, a Muslim engineering student said a man attempted to snatch off her hijab Tuesday while she was studying.
"I turned around and there's a really buff guy wearing a Trump shirt," freshman Leena Aggad said Friday. "He reaches his hand out to my forehead and attempts to pull my scarf off."
Oren Segal, director of the Anti-Defamation League office that monitors extremism, said young people "were watching and observing this presidential campaign as closely as anyone else." Now that the campaign is over, "the impact of what they have seen is not just going to go away."
At the University of New Mexico, Aggad said she squirmed around in her chair to avoid contact with the man and then stood to confront him. He is white and attends a class with her.
Aggad said neither faculty members nor other students came to her aid. She later filed a report with the university's equal opportunity office, and a campus wide email went out urging tolerance. She said she does not want anyone disciplined but wants her voice heard.
UNM spokeswoman Dianne Anderson says the school can't confirm or deny the case but did say the office received several reports about "hate and bias incidents" over the past two days and will be investigating and responding to the reports.
Laptop, Phone Could Shed Light On Albuquerque Girl's Killing—KRQE-TV, Associated Press
Prosecutors are seeking a judge's permission to search a computer and smartphone that belonged to an Albuquerque woman charged in the rape and killing of her 10-year-old daughter.
KRQE-TV reported Thursday that police have retrieved a phone which Michelle Martens sold weeks before Victoria Martens' death. They also recovered a laptop pawned by Fabian Gonzales, Martens' boyfriend who is also facing charges.
Prosecutors believe the items could prove that Martens solicited men online to have sex with the girl, something she admitted to in police interviews.
Investigators are seeking any images of children and relevant conversations.
Authorities found Victoria's dismembered body Aug. 24. They say she had been drugged, sexually assaulted and then killed.
Fabian Gonzales' cousin, Jessica Kelley, has also been charged.
Producers Of 'Horse Soldiers' Seek New Mexico Extras—Associated Press, Alamogordo Daily News
Producers of the upcoming Afghanistan war story "Horse Soldiers" are looking for New Mexico residents to cast as extras.
The Alamogordo Daily News reports that the movie will film in New Mexico in early December to mid-February and will need extras throughout the shoot. Extras casting director Sande Alessi says they will need to fill 2,000 to 3,000 rolls of primarily soldiers and Afghan insurgents.
"Horse Soldiers" is a Jerry Bruckheimer production that depicts a true story about a U.S. Special Forces team and their captain in a rugged, mountainous region of Afghanistan after 9/11.
Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon and Michael Pena are slated to star in the film, which is based off Doug Stanton's book "Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan."
Aggies Give New Head Coach Weir A 100-52 Win—Associated Press
Sidy N'Dir scored 14 points to lead six Aggies in double figures, and new head coach Paul Weir got his first Division I victory as New Mexico State beat Arizona Christian 100-52 on Friday night.
It was largest margin of victory for the Aggies since a 49-point win over Western New Mexico on Dec. 18, 2000, and the first time they reached 100 points since scoring 106 against UMKC on Jan. 18, 2014.
Among the Aggies to reach double figures was Ian Baker with 12 points. Baker was named to the Lou Henson Award Watch List on Wednesday. The award is named for the former head coach, who spent the bulk of his career at Illinois and New Mexico State and is now a special adviser to the Aggies.
The Aggies shot nearly 50 percent and scored 26 points off of 22 turnovers.
The NAIA Firestorm (1-1), who counted the game as an exhibition, were led by 12 points from Steven Loucks.
Television Pilot To Begin Shooting In New Mexico—Associated Press
The latest television production to film in New Mexico is expected to bring jobs for more than 125 crew members and several hundred extras.
The New Mexico Film Office says TNT-produced pilot "Monsters of God" will be shooting through December in Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
The stars will include Garret Dillahunt, Lauren Ambrose and Brian Geraghty, among others. It will be directed by Rod Lurie, who also was involved with "Straw Dogs" and "The Contender."
In "Monsters of God," savagery and violence are the cornerstones of Colonel "Terrible" Bill Lancaster's holy war against the Comanche in post-Civil War Texas. Despite the tenuous peace between the Comanche and residents of Slater, Lancaster sets out to kill off the tribe, bringing chaos to the town.