Japanese Government Gifts New Mexico Vets Memorial With Tree -The Associated Press
The Japanese government has given a tree to honor New Mexico veterans to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II.
KOB-TV in Albuquerquereports the cherry tree was planted during a ceremony at the New Mexico Veterans' Memorial on Saturday.
Officials say the gift is intended to commemorate 70 years since Japan's formal surrender.
Gov. Susana Martinez says the cherry tree will symbolize the lasting friendship between the people of Japan and New Mexico.
The Consulate-General of Japan in Denver was there to offer the tree.
NM Officer Accused Of Kneeing Law Student Pleads Not Guilty – The Associated Press
An Albuquerque police officer accused of kneeing a law student in the groin and deleting a cellphone video has pleaded not guilty to charges in New Mexico's Second District Court.
Pablo Padilla appeared Monday during a brief arraignment hearing on charges of aggravated battery causing great bodily harm and tampering with evidence. He was released on his own recognizance.
An attorney for University of New Mexico law school student Jeremy Martin says his client was forced to undergo emergency surgery to remove a testicle after Padilla kneed him during an April 2014 traffic stop.
Albuquerque Police Chief Gorden Eden later gave Padilla a 240-hour suspension.
The 39-year-old officer is currently on administrative leave.
Padilla's attorney, Erlinda Ocampo Johnson, did not immediately return a phone call from The Associated Press.
New Mexico Wildlife Group Protest Game Commission Decisions - The Associated Press
The Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter has launched a radio campaign targeting New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez and the Game Commission's decisions to allow trapping of cougars and increased bear-killing by trophy hunters.
The chapter says Martinez appointed every commissioner on the panel.
The chapter's ads ask New Mexicans to urge Martinez to direct the Game Commission to reverse the cougar and bear votes.
Chapter officials say the ad will appear on radio stations in central, northern and southern New Mexico and will run in concert with online ads throughout the state.
They say commissioners voted Aug. 27 to allow cougar-trapping on private and state trust land, increase the bag limit on cougars to four from two in some units and increase the bear quotas by 26 percent.
Albuquerque Family Reunited With Missing Dog After 7 Years - The Associated Press & KOB
An Albuquerque family has been reunited with their missing dog seven years after it had vanished.
KOB-TV reports that Kiki the Pomeranian went missing in 2008. Owner Celeste Madrid says she got a call Friday that someone had found their dog wearing her original collar.
James Madrid says Kiki was found on the side of the road in Moriarty. When a motorist almost hit the dog, she took Kiki to the vet. The vet ran a microchip test and confirmed it was the Pomeranian who has disappeared so long ago.
Kiki was dehydrated, missing teeth and had a mouth injury that made it hard for her to eat, but seems to be recovering.
James Madrid says they don't know how long Kiki was on the street, but they believe initially she was stolen.
State Obesity Rates Hold Steady But An Increase In New Mexico – The Associated Press
New government data shows that in most states, the rate of adult obesity is not moving.
Results from a telephone survey show obesity rates stayed about the same in 45 states last year. There were small increases in Kansas, Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio and Utah.
Some experts said they are glad, overall, that obesity rates aren't getting worse.
The 2014 survey found that in 22 states, 30 percent or more of the population was obese. They were mostly in the South and Midwest. Three states — Arkansas, Mississippi and West Virginia — had obesity rates over 35 percent.
The government Monday released the rates, which were analyzed in a separate report by the advocacy group, Trust for America's Health.
Pojoaque Pueblo Alleges Gaming Board Held Secret Meeting –The Associated Press
A northern New Mexico tribe is accusing state gaming officials of holding a closed-door meeting to plot out ways to stop its casino operations.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that the Pojoaque Pueblo complained to the state Attorney General's Office late last week, accusing the state Gaming Control Board of illegally holding a closed door meeting on their gaming activities.
Pueblo officials say the July 15 meeting violates the Open Meetings Act.
They are accusing board members of discussing retaliation tactics against any entities doing business with them.
Board acting executive director Donovan Lieurance denied the allegations Friday.
Pojoaque has filed a lawsuit in federal court, asking that state gambling regulators be prohibited from taking any action against licensed vendors who do business with the tribe.
City Forced To Cancel Santa Fe Triathlon -The Associated Press
The Santa Fe Triathlon has run its course before even starting.
KRQE-TV in Albuquerque reported Sunday that city officials have decided to cancel this year's triathlon.
The Genoveva Chavez Community Center, which has served as the venue over the years, is undergoing maintenance work.
Organizers had been working the past several months to find an alternative route.
They say the race would have to be in a busier, high-traffic area of Santa Fe around Sal Perez.
The city says there is no course that would guarantee participants' safety in the bike and running portions of the triathlon.
Parks and Recreation Department director Robert Carter says organizers will start planning next year's race.
Police shooting contest draws protests in Albuquerque -The Associated Press
Police were called to escort guests into an Albuquerque hotel amid protests of a national police shooting contest.
KOB-TV reports that police were called to assist when a 13-year-old girl protesting tried to enter the hotel Saturday evening.
However, no arrests were made and 50 demonstrators continued protesting the National Rifle Association's National Police Shooting Championships.
Organizers say the five-day contest glorifies police shootings and should not be in a city with a police department undergoing reforms.
City spokeswoman Rhiannon Schroeder says Albuquerque welcomes the opportunity to host law enforcement from around the world.
The city is contracted to host through 2017.
A message seeking comment from the NRA was not immediately returned Sunday.
Shift In US Firefighting Prioritizes Sage Grouse In West - Scott Sonner, Mead Gruver, The Associated Press
Federal agencies deciding how to deploy firefighters during one of the West's worst wildfire seasons are considering a new factor in their deliberations: an imperiled bird that inhabits a vast stretch of sagebrush from California to the Dakotas.
Officials have already mapped out the greater sage grouse's habitat west of the Rockies, where wildfire is considered a primary threat to the bird. They've positioned semi-trailer sized water containers in areas that need protecting.
And wildlife biologists are advising firefighters.
While fire officials note that human life is the first priority, the shift in strategy comes as a Sept. 30 court-imposed deadline looms for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to decide whether to list the bird as a threatened or endangered species.
New Mexico PED To Defend Teacher Evaluation System In Court -The Associated Press
Lawyers for the New Mexico Public Education Department are set to defend a teacher evaluation system facing a challenge from teachers unions.
Attorneys are scheduled today to defend the system before a Santa Fe County judge amid efforts to halt the use of student tests as part of evaluation.
American Federation of Teachers New Mexico and the Albuquerque Teachers Federation are seeking an injunction to halt the use of test scores while their lawsuit against the evaluation system goes through the court system.
The unions say the evaluation system is forcing veteran educators to retire or have their licenses jeopardized. They want the evaluation system tossed.
Public Education Department spokesman Robert McEntyre says the suit a "disappointing distraction" from the agency's mission of providing a quality education to every child.