Pronghorns Relocated From Northern New Mexico Private Ranch—Associated Press
Approximately 100 pronghorns captured on a northern New Mexico private ranch have been relocated to Santa Ana Pueblo near Albuquerque and to federal land in south-central New Mexico.
The state Department of Game and Fish says 40 pronghorns from the Express II Bar Ranch near Cimarron went to the pueblo and 66 went to Bureau of Land Management land near the Capitan Mountains.
The department says a helicopter herded the animals into a fenced area where people on the ground moved them into a corral for processing for transport.
Many of the pronghorns sent to the Capitans were equipped with radio collars so biologists can track them.
The department says it and the pueblo are working to re-establish pronghorns on historic rangeland between Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
Navajo, Hopi Nations Oppose Possible Closure Of Power Plant—Associated Press
The Navajo and Hopi tribes joined forces to oppose the possible closure of a coal-fired power plant in northern Arizona.
Leaders said Thursday that keeping the Navajo Generating Station in full operation benefits the tribes and state because it is an important economic driver.
The Navajo Generating Station is near Page and employs 500 people, mostly Navajo.
The federal Environmental Protection Agency announced in 2014 that the plant could either shut down one of its three 750-megawatt units or reduce power generation by an equal amount by 2020 to cut haze-causing pollution at places like the Grand Canyon. Additional emission control equipment would be needed by 2030 on the two remaining units.
The Navajo Nation says it has a task force that meets with SRP officials to discuss other solutions.
New Mexico Lawmakers Renew Push To Cap Payday Interest Rates—Associated Press
Legislators are taking aim at the payday and title loan industry in New Mexico once again, seeking to limit exorbitant interest rates often charged by lenders.
Similar measures introduced in the House and Senate call for capping interest rates at 36 percent on small loans issued by lenders that are not federally insured.
State regulatory data shows interest rates on title loans can range from an average of 238 percent to more than 450 percent. Installment loans can go much higher.
Democrat Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero of Albuquerque is one of the sponsors. She said legislators need to stand up to lobbyists and end what she characterized as unscrupulous lending practices.
The industry is defending itself, saying it's one of the few options for low-income New Mexicans who find themselves in a bind and are ineligible for traditional credit.
New Mexico Take Step Toward Joining Popular-Vote Compact—Associated Press
New Mexico has taken a step toward joining a movement to elect presidents by popular vote.
A Senate committee on Friday recommended approval of a bill to join an interstate compact that requires Electoral College voters to cast ballots for the national popular vote winner.
Senate bill sponsor Mimi Stewart of Albuquerque says she not only is concerned about political campaigns that focus on swing states but also how presidents govern.
New Mexico has sided with two presidential candidates that won the popular vote but lost the election — Al Gore and Hillary Clinton.
Republican Sen. Mark Moores of Albuquerque objects to the bill because it requires a plurality of votes and not a full majority.
States representing at least 270 electoral votes must join for the compact to function.
Family relieved after suspect in deadly crash arrested—Associated Press, KRQE-TV
The husband and father of a woman and teenager killed after two suspected car thieves crashed into them says he's relieved the second suspect has been arrested.
David Arredondo said in an interview with KRQE-TV that he was relieved that 24-year-old Paul Garcia was arrested, calling it the best news he's gotten since the stolen car's driver, Elexus Groves, was arrested.
Police in Edgewood on Thursday arrested Garcia after a tipster spotted him at a Walmart.
Garcia was in a stolen car that was fleeing from police when it crashed into a family, killing 14-year-old Shaylee Boling on Jan. 18. Her mother, Shaunna Arredondo-Boling, died on Tuesday.
Groves was arrested two days after the crash and charged with homicide and multiple other charges.
Marshal Service arrests suspect in 2016 fatal stabbing—Associated Press
The U.S. Marshal Service in New Mexico has arrested a man suspected of fatally stabbing another man in front of his children last year.
The Marshal Service says they arrested 37-year-old Shannon Patchell on Friday in Albuquerque on a homicide warrant.
Patchell is accused of fatally stabbing 33-year-old Alonzo Dale outside a store last June.