Sheriff: Crash Didn't Cause Secretary's Death – The Associated Press
The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Department says New Mexico Health Secretary Retta Ward's death in a single-car accident today was not due to physical trauma and may have been linked to a medical episode.
Sheriff's department spokesman Juan Rios said that Ward was found alone and unresponsive in a car that apparently veered off a road on the outskirts of Santa Fe.
Rios says the accident was not violent and that the car carrying Ward went down an embankment and came to a rest.
Gov. Susana Martinez says she is heartbroken. Martinez issued a statement within hours of Ward's death.
The governor says Ward worked with a passion and quiet confidence since joining her administration in 2011 as secretary of the state's Aging and Long-term Services Department. Ward was tapped to lead the Health Department in 2013.
Navajo Judge Convicted Of Abuse Of Office Gets $25 Fine – The Associated Press
A Navajo Nation judge found guilty of abusing his office will have to forfeit his position and pay a $25 fine.
Shiprock District Court Judge Genevieve Woody released her final sentencing order this week for Roy Tso.
He was convicted in late December in a bench trial.
Prosecutors asked that Tso be sentenced to the maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $2,500 fine. They say he interfered in a burglary investigation involving his relatives and tried to bribe a prosecutor to drop the case.
Woody says the $25 fine reflects a percentage of the probation officer's recommendation and is appropriate since Tso has been on unpaid leave.
Tso has maintained he did nothing wrong. His attorney, Judy Apachee, plans to appeal the conviction.
State High Court Reprimands Taos DA, Judge For Misconduct – The Associated Press & The Santa Fe New Mexican
The New Mexico Supreme Court has reprimanded a state district attorney and a judge for their misuse of subpoena power.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that on Wednesday the court ruled that 8th Judicial District Attorney Donald Gallegos of Taos and former prosecutor Emilio Chavez violated rules of professional procedures.
The disciplinary action stems from 94 subpoenas Chavez issued from 2012 and 2013 without the approval of a judge or grand jury to gather information in criminal investigations. At the time, Chavez was a prosecutor.
Gov. Susana Martinez appointed Chavez as an 8th Judicial District Court judge last summer.
The reprimands are deferred and will be withdrawn after one year if the men do not violate the rules of professional conduct during that time.
American Beginning New Service Between Phoenix And Roswell – The Associated Press
American Airlines is beginning daily nonstop service between Phoenix and Roswell, New Mexico.
The new service scheduled to begin late Thursday was announced last November following years of negotiation with Roswell.
New Mexico Lt. Gov. John Sanchez says the new service will help economic development and the state's tourism industry, and his office said the service will provide connections to Western destinations as well as Canada and Mexico.
The Roswell Daily Record reported that the service was secured with a $1.2 million minimum revenue guarantee between American and Roswell, Artesia, Carlsbad, Ruidoso and Chavez and Eddy counties. The funding included a $450,000 federal grant.
Roswell previously provided a since-expired revenue guarantee to American for service to Dallas-Fort Worth, but it was not invoked because service generated sufficient revenue.
Santa Fe High Out Of Basketball Tournament Due To Hazing – The Associated Press
The Santa Fe High School basketball team will not be competing in the upcoming state tournament after an onboard bus incident left a player with a broken nose.
Santa Fe Public Schools Superintendent Joel Boyd says head basketball coach David Rodriguez has been placed on leave while the district investigates hazing allegations at the high school.
The investigation stems from a Feb. 5 incident while the boys basketball team rode from Rio Rancho to Santa Fe. Boyd says surveillance video from the bus ride shows young players on the team being punched repeatedly while coaches ride up front with no intervention.
Boyd says the surveillance video caused the team to be withdrawn from the tournament.
Eldorado will take Santa Fe's place in the tournament for a first-round game Saturday.
Federal Monitor Reports On Albuquerque Police Reforms – The Associated Press & The ABQ Journal
The court-appointed monitor tasked with tracking mandated reforms within the Albuquerque Police Department will report on the department's progress in reversing what the Justice Department investigation described as a culture of excessive force.
Court-appointed monitor James Ginger is expected to deliver his report before a federal judge Thursday. It is expected to cover reforms within the department between June 1 and Nov. 30.
In his report in December, Ginger said his team and APD had encountered setbacks in their negotiations for a use-of-force policy.
The Albuquerque Journal reports a policy has since been implemented, with some trainings underway aimed at emphasizing de-escalation in crisis situations.
Albuquerque police came under scrutiny starting several years ago for dozens of police shootings since 2010. It's one of several agencies nationwide under a court-ordered agreement with the Justice Department.
State Officials Ask To Keep German Military at Holloman Base – The Associated Press & The Alamogordo Daily News
New Mexico congressmen have asked President Barack Obama to advocate keeping the German Air Force presence in the United States at Holloman Air Force Base.
The Alamogordo Daily News reports that U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich and Tom Udall, and U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce on Wednesday sent a letter highlighting the mutually beneficial arrangement the base currently has with Luftwaffe.
The Chief of Staff of the German Air Force has recommended consolidating its two operational Tornado wings in Germany and to not renew the contract with Holloman due to increasing budget constraints.
The letter was sent in advance of the president's meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Secretary of Defense Ash Carter's meeting next week with German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen.
Navajo Nation Discretionary Fund Cases Drawing To Close – The Associated Press
A long-running saga stemming from allegations that Navajo tribal officials schemed to give money to family members is drawing to a close.
Two legal cases remain after nearly 80 current and former tribal lawmakers initially were accused of illegally drawing money from a fund meant for Navajos facing extreme financial hardship.
Prosecutors say requests from tribal officials ranged from college tuition for a toddler to what turned out to be fake medical expenses. Money even went to a fictitious child.
Navajo lawmakers had access to more than $30 million.
Prosecutors ended up filing criminal charges against 18 officials and brought ethics complaints against another 12. In most cases, defendants pleaded guilty or no contest, or admitted ethics violations.
The tribe's Supreme Court put a halt to the spending in 2011.
New Mexico Hispanic Ranchers Travel To Washington – The Associated Press
A delegation of Hispanic ranchers from New Mexico is in Washington, D.C., to meet with congressional leaders about alleged discrimination and civil rights violations.
The ranchers talked with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus on Wednesday, a day before the caucus was scheduled to meet with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
The caucus had asked for a meeting with Vilsack in October, saying members had reports from constituents indicating significant civil rights violations and discrimination by the agency.
The caucus also pointed to a 2013 review that found noncompliance with civil rights requirements and regulations by U.S. Forest Service offices in New Mexico and Colorado.
The USDA contends civil rights have been a priority under the Obama administration and that errors have been corrected over the last several years.
New Mexico Allows 17-Year-Olds To Vote In Primaries – The Associated Press
New Mexico is allowing 17-year-olds to vote in primary elections as long as they turn 18 by the date of general elections.
Gov. Susana Martinez signed the measure into law yesterday.
Proponents of the legislation from Las Cruces Democrat Jeff Steinborn say it will encourage civic engagement. The law also is designed to ensure that people who turn 18 just before the general election have time to get registered.
State election officials say the change does not conflict with federal law because a primary vote is part of the nomination process.
Primary elections in New Mexico take place June 7 this year and the general election is on Nov. 8. The law goes into effect immediately.
ew Mexico Approves Use Of Lodger's Tax On Air Service – The Associated Press
A new law will allow New Mexico communities to use lodger's tax revenue to underwrite passenger air routes.
New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez signed legislation yesterday that allows the use of lodger's tax dollars to meet minimum guarantees for securing passenger air service.
The taxes are applied to motel and hotel stays by counties and municipalities and are often used to promote tourism or pay for local services.
The governor's office says the new law may help attract commercial flights to communities such as Hobbs, Santa Fe, Farmington and others.
Ex-Santa Fe Corrections Officer Gets Probation In Drug Case
A former corrections officer in New Mexico has been sentenced to three years of probation in a drug trafficking case.
Prosecutors say 21-year-old Edward Owens, of Santa Fe, was sentenced Wednesday in federal court in Albuquerque.
He was accused of participating in a conspiracy to distribute Buprenorphine — more commonly known as "Suboxone" — in August 2014 while he was a corrections officer at the Santa Fe County Adult Correctional Facility.
Owens allegedly agreed to smuggle 47 sublingual Suboxone strips into the jail in exchange for payment from an inmate.
Owens was taken into custody in February 2015 after being indicted in the case.
The inmate involved also was charged and was sentenced last October to 366 days in federal prison.
Audit: Los Alamos Lab Has Poor System For Fixing Problems – The Associated Press
An audit has found that the Los Alamos National Laboratory's system for solving management problems is lacking.
The report, released Tuesday by the Department of Energy's Office of the Inspector General, suggests the lab's corrective action program does not address issues or prevent their recurrence, including on health and safety issues.
The audit looked at almost 200 management issues between January 2009 and February 2014 and found that almost half were closed without addressing the root cause.
The audit wasn't all bad. The report praised a program that allows employees to raise concerns and have them investigate without retaliation.
A Los Alamos spokesman says the lab is working with the National Nuclear Safety Administration to address the issues found in the audit.