Valles Caldera National Preserve Gets New Superintendent – The Associated Press
The executive director of the trust that currently oversees Valles Caldera National Preserve will be taking over as the preserve's superintendent.
The appointment of Jorge Silva-Banuelos marks a milestone as the preserve's management transitions from the trust to the National Park Service.
Valles Caldera is home to vast grasslands, the remnants of one of North America's few super volcanoes and one of New Mexico's most famous elk herds.
The federal government purchased the property in 2000 with the goal of operating it as a working ranch while developing recreational opportunities for the public. The Park Service will officially take over on Oct. 1.
New Mexico's two U.S. senators — Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich — say they're confident Silva-Banuelos will be able to make the preserve more accessible for visitors.
Researchers Find Heavy Metals Along River After Mine Spill – The Associated Press
Researchers say they found scattered accumulations of heavy metals along 60 miles of riverbank in Colorado and New Mexico after the Gold King Mine spill, and any potential threat to crops and livestock should be studied further.
David Weindorf of Texas Tech University and Kevin Lombard of New Mexico State University say they found patches of discolored sludge containing elevated levels of iron, copper, zinc, arsenic and lead along the Animas River.
Weindorf says the concentrations of metals in the sludge were higher than at other sites they tested on the banks and on nearby irrigated and non-irrigated land.
About 3 million gallons of wastewater rushed out of the mine Aug. 5 after a cleanup crew supervised by the Environmental Protection Agency inadvertently breached a debris dam.
New Mexico Governor, Husband To Skydive At GOP Fundraiser – The Associated Press & The Santa Fe New Mexican
New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez and her husband are planning to skydive at a Republican fundraiser.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports House Speaker Don Tripp is hosting corporate donors, lobbyists and at least one political action committee at his home in Socorro on Saturday.
Suggested donations for the event were $75 and about 100 attendees are expected.
Martinez and her husband Chuck Franco are set to jump from a Cessna airplane flying at 10,500 feet.
Skydive New Mexico members will be jumping as well, holding American flags. The club's skydivers jumped with an American flag last year during another fundraiser at Tripp's home.
This will mark the governor's first leap from a plane.
The nation's only Latina governor and a rising political star, Martinez was re-elected in 2014 by a wide margin.
Albuquerque College Student Information Possibly Compromised – The Associated Press & KOAT
Students at an Albuquerque college could be at risk of having their personal information compromised after the college reported that a thumb drive containing students' information was missing.
KOAT-TV reports Central New Mexico Community College officials say the thumb drive with students' birth dates and Social Security numbers was reported missing in July by someone from the school's health center.
Students say they weren't notified of the mishap until a few weeks ago. The college says the delay has been due to the school's effort in tracking down students who may have been affected.
The students at risk are being offered a subscription to the identity protection company LifeLock.
US Files Notice To Appeal Immigration Family Detention Case – The Associated Press
The Department of Homeland Security has moved to possibly appeal a federal court ruling that orders the government to quickly release immigrant children from family detention centers.
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh C. Johnson said in a statement Friday that a notice of appeal had been filed.
Johnson says officials are taking steps to comply with the order by U.S. District Judge Dolly M. Gee but disagree with portions of her decision. He did not specify which portions.
He says officials have been turning family detention centers into processing centers for screenings instead of long-term detention.
Online court records did not immediately show an appeal had been filed.
Gee ruled that the government was in breach of a longstanding legal agreement stipulating that immigrant children cannot be held in secured facilities that aren't licensed to care for children.
Environmentalists Challenging Some Of West's Largest Mines – The Associated Press
Boosted by a recent victory in Colorado, an environmental group is expanding its legal campaign to try stop coal mining over climate change by challenging permits for some of the largest mines in the West.
This time, New Mexico-based WildEarth Guardians is asking a federal judge to block mining at the Antelope and Black Thunder mines in Wyoming's Powder River Basin, the El Segundo mine in New Mexico and the Bowie No. 2 mine in Colorado but it's taking the argument further.
Rather than just saying that federal regulators should take the climate change impacts of individual mines into account before approving permits, the group claims that they should be looking at the cumulative effect of mining as a whole and whether the nation should allow any more.
New Mexico Official Could Face Prison Time If Convicted – The Associated Press
One of New Mexico's highest ranking elected officials could face prison time and thousands of dollars in fines if convicted of charges that she allegedly misused campaign donations for personal gain.
The possible punishment came into focus Friday after prosecutors filed an amended complaint against Secretary of State Dianna Duran in district court.
They also submitted arguments as to why the case should be heard in Santa Fe after Duran's attorney challenged the court's jurisdiction.
The two-term Republican is accused of funneling campaign donations into personal accounts, filing false campaign finance reports and withdrawing cash at casinos.
She has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The dozens of misdemeanors she faces carry possible punishments of less than a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. The more serious felonies carry three-year prison terms and $5,000 fines.
Missing WWII Aviator To Receive Honors In New Mexico – The Associated Press
The nation's highest-ranking military officer listed as missing in action is receiving honors in his birth state of New Mexico more than 70 years after he mysteriously disappeared.
The city of Roswell is scheduled Friday to host a series of events for Brig. Gen. Kenneth Walker, an officer who helped create an air plan to defeat Hitler in World War II.
Walker and his crew from California, New York and Texas went missing after a mission over eastern New Britain Province, New Guinea, in January 1943. Their remains were never found.
The now-closed air base in Roswell was later renamed after Walker in 1948.
Walker's son, Douglas Walker of New Canaan, Connecticut, is expected to be in Roswell for the dedication of a new Walker Air Force Base historical marker.
Albuquerque School Board Oks Contract With Teacher Pay Raise – The Associated Press
The Albuquerque public school system's board has approved a labor contract for teachers and other employees.
The Board of Education approved the agreement with the Albuquerque Teachers Federation Wednesday night.
Teachers and other union-represented workers overwhelmingly approved the agreement earlier this week.
The contract for the 2015-2016 school year includes raising the minimum annual salary for teachers to $34,000 from $32,000.
Other provisions include funding for mentoring of teachers and creation of a task force to study sick leave and incentives for attendance.
In other action, the school board approved a $200,000 annual contract for acting Superintendent Raquel Reedy. She is temporarily replacing Luis Valentino.
He resigned Aug. 31 following the hiring of an administrator facing child sex abuse charges.
New Mexico Official: EPA Kept Water Data Secret After Spill - Matthew Brown, Associated Press
A New Mexico official says federal regulators refused to share water quality data for weeks following a blowout of toxic wastewater from a Colorado mine that fouled rivers across the Southwest.
Ryan Flynn, New Mexico Environment and Natural Resources secretary, said the move by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency aimed to downplay the severity of the spill, hobbling the state's response.
Flynn's comments came in statements prepared for delivery Thursday before a U.S. House committee investigating the Aug. 5 accident.
The spill was triggered by an EPA cleanup team as it was doing excavation work on an inactive mine near Silverton, Colorado. The pollution tainted with heavy metals flowed downstream to New Mexico and Utah.
EPA spokeswoman Laura Allen says water-quality test results were made public as soon as they were validated.
State Republicans Eye Seats In Democratic-Controlled Senate -The Associated Press
New Mexico's GOP chairwoman says state Republicans are eyeing four seats in the Democratic-controlled Senate for the 2016 election.
The Roswell Daily Record reports state GOP chairwoman Debbie Maestas said during a meeting Wednesday of the Chaves County Republican Women that a Republican governor and majorities in the House and Senate would create policy opportunities.
She said this election outcome would give Republicans two years to pass legislation.
Targeted Democrats include Sens. Daniel Ivey-Soto of Albuquerque, John Sapien of Corrales, William Soules of Las Cruces and Majority Floor Leader Michael Sanchez of Belen.
Sanchez is credited with derailing several GOP initiatives during the 2015 legislative session.
Maestas said five Republicans are vulnerable in the state House, but did not specify which ones.
Albuquerque Police Officer Slightly Injured In 4-Car Crash – The Associated Press
An Albuquerque police officer is recovering from injuries in a four-car crash that authorities say was caused by a man driving a stolen pickup truck.
Police say 43-year-old Rayburn Apache is being held on suspicion of receiving or transferring a stolen motor vehicle.
They say Apache allegedly crashed into another truck Thursday afternoon on Central and Zuni SE.
The truck then collided with a police patrol car and a vehicle driven by a pregnant woman.
Police say Officer Martin Smith was taken to the hospital with possible neck injuries and cuts from broken glass.
The pregnant woman was taken to the hospital as a precaution. Her name wasn't released.
Missing WWII Aviator To Receive Honors In New Mexico
- Russell Contreras, Associated Press
The nation's highest ranking military officer listed as missing in action is receiving honors in his birth-state of New Mexico more than 70 years after he mysteriously disappeared.
The city of Roswell is scheduled Friday to host a series of events for Brig. Gen. Kenneth Walker, an officer who helped create an air plan to defeat Hitler in World War II.
Walker and his crew from California, New York and Texas, went missing after a mission over eastern New Britain Province, New Guinea in January 1943. Their remains were never found.
The now-closed air base in Roswell was later renamed after Walker in 1948.
Walker's son, Douglas Walker of New Canaan, Connecticut, is expected to be in Roswell for the dedication of a new Walker Air Force Base historical marker.
Former US Sen. Domenici Weighs In On Energy Future – The Associated Press
Former U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici says oil and gas resources are blessings that will likely remain key elements of the nation's energy landscape for a long time to come.
The Republican spoke Thursday at the eighth annual Domenici Public Policy Conference in Las Cruces, a two-event that touched on energy, economic development and foreign policy.
Domenici says the United States is on the verge of becoming the largest producer of oil and gas in the world and that the lower price of hydrocarbons makes the resources excellent bridge fuels.
He also acknowledged there are global warming consequences and says efficiency should be the goal to minimize the effect of carbon emissions.