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Police Reform Advocates Denounce Officer Ruling, Oilfield Company Lays Off Workers

Jimwmurphy
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CREATIVE COMMONS
A pumpjack on display at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM.

APD Reform Advocates Denounce Vote To Reinstate Officer Associated Press

An Albuquerque personnel board's vote to reinstate an officer who was fired for violating orders to use his lapel camera has drawn criticism from local supporters of police reform.

The coalition APD Forward said Wednesday that it was dismayed the board would overturn a decision by Police Chief Gordon Eden to fire Officer Jeremy Dear.

Dear came under scrutiny last year when he fatally shot Mary Hawkes, a 19-year-old car thief suspect. His on-body camera was unplugged at the time.

Dear says he felt he didn't get proper camera training and experienced technical issues.

City Personnel Board chairman Lee Peifer said Tuesday following the panel's 3-2 vote to reinstate Dear that there was no evidence he used his camera more or less than other officers.

Eden called the ruling unacceptable.

Oilfield Service Company Baker Hughes Lays Off 67 Workers – Daily Times, Associated Press

An oilfield service company in the Four Corner's region has laid off 67 workers, citing low oil and gas prices.

The Daily Times of Farmington reports that Baker Hughes Pressure Pumping district manager Robert "Kevin" Jones said the Farmington company announced the layoffs on Tuesday.

Baker Hughes spokeswoman Melanie Kania says after the layoffs the company will still employ around 250 workers in New Mexico.

The company sent a WARN, or Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, letter to Farmington Mayor Tommy Roberts and to the state Department of Workforce Solutions to alert them to the layoffs.

The layoffs included 39 field operators and other workers.

New Mexico Oil and Gas Association spokesman Wally Drangmeister says that the news was unfortunate but not entirely a surprise.

AP Exclusive: Colorado Disputes Key Part Of EPA Mine ReportThe Associated Press

Colorado officials are disputing a key claim by federal agencies about a massive spill of toxic wastewater from an inactive mine.

A report by the federal Bureau of Reclamation said two state mining experts signed off on an Environmental Protection Agency cleanup project that led to the Aug. 5 spill at the Gold King Mine in southwest Colorado.

But Mike King, head of the state Department of Natural Resources, says the state experts neither approved nor disapproved the operation. King made the statement in a letter to the EPA, which The Associated Press obtained through an open records request.

The letter is a blow to the EPA's contention that outside experts supported the plan.

The EPA said Thursday it's reviewing King's letter. The Bureau of Reclamation said the author of its report wasn't available to comment.

Final Settlement On Nuke Violations Have Yet To Be InkedThe Associated Press

New Mexico and the federal government have yet to sign a final agreement aimed at settling dozens of violations stemming from a radiation leak at an underground nuclear waste repository.

The state Environment Department's chief attorney briefed lawmakers on the status of the settlement during a meeting Thursday in Santa Fe.

Jeff Kendall says the debate is over the amount of money that will be funneled to New Mexico over what period of time.

The general terms of the agreement were announced in April, with the U.S. Department of Energy agreeing to spend more than $73 million on road improvements and environmental projects in New Mexico.

The state initially levied more than $54 million in penalties against DOE and its contractors for violations at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant and Los Alamos National Laboratory.

State Funds For Private Textbooks Ruled UnconstitutionalThe Associated Press

The New Mexico Supreme Court has ruled that the state's practice of buying textbooks for private and religious schools is unconstitutional.

The high court issued its ruling Thursday, reserving a previous Court of Appeals decision that said the practice was allowed.

Advocates of the program said that money for the books is governed by federal law, because the funds are provided by federal mineral leases. But half of the money the federal government receives from use of public lands is paid to the state.

Plaintiffs Cathy "Cate" Moses and Paul Weinbaum filed a lawsuit in 2012, claiming that the state's use of public money for private schools has taken money away from public schools.

Border Agency Holds Off On Widespread Use Of Body CamerasThe Associated Press

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has ordered additional study as it considers whether to equip agents and officers with body cameras.

The move came after a yearlong review at the nation's largest law enforcement agency.

Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske said Thursday the agency will use body cameras for training purposes sometime after January, but he was noncommittal on when, or even if, the devices will be distributed more widely.

He cited cost, technological challenges and need for labor union approval as concerns.

The commissioner asked staff for the additional research by the end of January on using body cameras at Border Patrol checkpoints and other locations. He also asked for a report by the end of March on the possibility of equipping agency vehicles with dashboard cameras.

Santa Fe Archbishop: 'Spotlight' To Bring Up 'Horrific' PastThe Associated Press

Santa Fe Archbishop John Wester says the upcoming release a movie detailing the Boston Globe's 2002 investigation into the church's cover-up of clergy abuse may bring up "horrific memories" for New Mexico victims.

In a recent letter to Archdiocese of Santa Fe priests and parishioners, Wester says the movie "Spotlight" is a chance for the faithful to pray for abuse victims.

New Mexico was at the center of similar scandals years before the Boston stories.

His letter comes as high-ranking leaders of the Catholic church have sent talking points to U.S. dioceses in advance of the wide release of "Spotlight."

The Boston Globe reports the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops formulated the guidance, complete with statistics, in September in anticipation of the film's Nov. 20 U.S. release.

NM Hospitals See Lower Costs Since Insurance Expansion – The Associated Press

Hospitals in New Mexico are reporting lower costs for providing care to patients without insurance since the state expanded Medicaid under President Barack Obama's health care law.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that a report by the Legislative Finance Committee shows more patients are covered with some type of private insurance or government-issued Medicaid coverage, lowering the cost of indigent care for hospitals across the state.

The report shows that the rate of uninsured adults has declined from 18 percent in 2013 to 13 percent this year, significantly affecting uncompensated care.

According to the report, since the health care reforms were put in place, uncompensated care costs have dropped 21 percent across all states and 26 percent in states like New Mexico that expanded Medicaid coverage.

2nd Heavy Transformer Being Moved On New Mexico HighwaysThe Associated Press

Travelers are being warned to expect delays on several northwestern New Mexico highways as trucks continue hauling extremely heavy loads of electrical transformers headed for Utah.

One transformer weighing more than 1.7 million pounds completed its route through New Mexico on Oct. 30, setting the stage for movement of a second one.

Thursday's first day highway travel of the second transformer weighing more than 1.6 million pounds is to take it from Thoreau to Navajo Route 9 near Crownpoint.

The hauling outfit will travel Navajo Route 9 on Friday to U.S. 491 near Twin Lakes.

It will travel on U.S. 491 to U.S. 64 near Shiprock and on U.S. 64 to the Arizona-New Mexico line on Sunday.

The transformers are part of a project at a substation in Monticello, Utah.

Governor Dedicates New Veterans Cemetery In Fort Stanton Associated Press

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has dedicated the new $5.7 million Veterans Cemetery in Fort Stanton that's expected to be completed in 2017.

The cemetery is the first of four proposed by Martinez for veterans who live in rural areas throughout the state.

The federal grant to establish the cemetery in Fort Stanton followed the $600,000 in initial funding the governor secured in the 2014 capital outplay bill.

The money will be used to plan, design and construct the Fort Stanton Veterans Cemetery and others in Angel Fire, Carlsbad and Gallup.

Wednesday's dedication took place at the existing Fort Stanton Merchant Marine and Military Cemetery. The new cemetery will be constructed on vacant land nearby.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs approved the Fort Stanton application earlier this year.

Lawmaker Would Keep Seat If Chosen For County Attorney Job Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press

A state representative in New Mexico says he would continue to serve in the Legislature even if he lands a job as an attorney for Bernalillo County.

The Albuquerque Journal reports that Rep. Ken Martinez, a Grants Democrat, is one of seven finalists for the county job. If selected, Martinez says he would like to fill the position while continuing to serve as a lawmaker, at least until his term ends in 2016.

He says he wants to finish what he started.

Bernalillo County commissioners plan to interview candidates Thursday, and Chairwoman Maggie Hart Stebbins says the issue will probably come up.

While holding both positions is legal, Republican Commissioner Wayne Johnson says he doesn't think it's easy to "serve two masters," for Martinez or anybody else.

Sheriff's Department: 1 Dead In Albuquerque-Area ShootingAssociated Press

The Bernalillo County sheriff has identified a 31-year-old man as the person killed in a deputy-involved shooting.

Sheriff Manny Gonzales says Joseph Jaramillo was hit by gunfire Wednesday morning in southwest Albuquerque when three deputies shot at the vehicle, killing him and wounding a woman inside the truck he was driving.

She and another woman in the vehicle who reportedly sustained cuts and scrapes were treated at a hospital for non-life threatening injuries and released.

No sheriff's deputies were injured in the shooting.

Sheriff's Sgt. Aaron Williamson says the shooting occurred when deputies located and tried to stop a vehicle that had fled from an earlier traffic stop.

Authorities say Jaramillo rammed a sheriff's vehicle during deputies' second attempt to pull over his truck.

The deputies who opened fire have been placed on standard paid leave.

Navajo Nation Opens San Juan River For Livestock Gallup Independent, Associated Press

Livestock will again be able to use the San Juan River now that Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye says the river is safe again.

Watering activity was suspended in the wake of the Gold King Mine spill in southern Colorado in August.

The Gallup Independent reports that the Navajo Environmental Protection Agency Water Quality Program advised the president that the river was safe for livestock based on samples collected from the river.

Officials are monitoring the river for potential long-term effects of the mine waste. Testing in August found heavy metals in the water that were at levels above what is recommended for humans or livestock.

State High Court To Review Timeline For Criminal Cases Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press

The New Mexico Supreme Court will consider proposed changes to rules it set for Bernalillo County this year to help expedite criminal cases.

The court imposed rules in February to force the busy 2nd Judicial District Court to work through its backlog. The Supreme Court required prosecutors to share evidence upon which charges are based with defense lawyers at the time of arraignment, which can happen several days after an arrest. The cases must then be completed in 6 to 12 months.

The Albuquerque Journal reports that the Bernalillo County Criminal Justice Oversight Committee has proposed changes to the rule that include doubling the time for police to provide initial evidence to prosecutors in some cases.

Correction: This story corrects stories from Nov. 11 and Oct. 27 when the Associated Press reported, and KUNM broadcast, inaccurate information about the timing of arraignments. The rules in question call for arraignments within 7 to 10 business days – depending on whether the accused person is in jail - not the 48 hours originally reported. We regret the error.

New Mexico Community Marks Opening Of Manhattan Project ParkAssociated Press

Residents of a once secret government city in northern New Mexico are marking the beginnings of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park with the opening of a visitor center.

A crowd of Los Alamos County elected leaders, military veterans, history buffs and officials with the National Park Service and Los Alamos National Laboratory gathered outside the new visitor center for an unveiling ceremony Wednesday.

The event follows a signing ceremony in Washington, D.C., that established the park at sites in New Mexico, Washington and Tennessee.

Federal officials say the goal is to preserve the places where the atomic bomb was developed and share the stories of the scientists, soldiers and communities that were involved in the top secret work.

Events also were being held this week at the other sites.