Sheriff Orders Internal Investigation Into Elderly Man’s Death – Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press
The sheriff of Bernalillo County has ordered an internal affairs investigation into the death of an elderly man after a standoff with deputies last fall.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that Sheriff Manuel Gonzales III said he wants to understand the “totality of the events that transpired” around the case of Fidencio Duran.
Duran’s family is suing Bernalillo County in state district court.
Their complaint outlines a standoff last September that ended with deputies shooting 88-year-old Duran with pepper balls before unleashing a police dog. Duran died a month later, and medical investigators classified his death as homicide.
The lawsuit says deputies should have been wearing body cameras and that the county has allowed a culture of aggression to exist within the sheriff's department.
Audio from belt recorders worn by deputies caught them disagreeing on how to handle the standoff. It also recorded family members telling the officers Duran had Alzheimer’s disease.
A sheriff's spokesman says an internal investigation cleared the deputies of any wrongdoing, but review of a criminal investigation is still pending with the district attorney's office.
Obama Budget Includes Money For Albuquerque Transit Project – The Associated Press
President Barack Obama's proposed federal budget includes support for funding for a major mass transit project in Albuquerque.
Grant funding recommended by the Federal Transit Administration would provide $69.7 million for construction of the Albuquerque Rapid Transit bus system on a nine-mile stretch of Central Avenue between Coors Boulevard and Louisiana Boulevard.
Funding for the grant recommendation announced Tuesday requires approval through the congressional budget process.
The project would include construction of dedicated bus lanes as well as new stations in the middle of Central Avenue along with wider sidewalks, new landscaping and additional traffic signals.
The project's cost is estimated at $120 million, including the grant recommended Tuesday. Federal dollars would account for most of the rest, but the city is providing some money also.
House OKs Uber, Lyft Bill Fixing New Mexico Impasse – The Associated Press
The New Mexico House has approved a bill aimed at welcoming and regulating ride-booking companies like Uber and Lyft.
The GOP-led House overwhelmingly passed Monday the proposal 58-8 a year after a similar measure died in the legislature amid partisan bickering.
Rep. Monica Youngblood, an Albuquerque Republican, sponsored the bill to allow the companies to operate legally in New Mexico.
The legal status of the companies has been in limbo in the state since they began offering services in 2014. The companies say the state's Motor Carrier Act doesn't apply to them because they don't operate as commercial taxi businesses.
Uber and Lyft offer an online service that allows people with cars to connect with people seeking rides.
Traditional taxi companies say ride-booking services still need to be regulated.
The bill now moves to the Senate.
Otero County Commissioners Approve Weapons In Workplace – The Associated Press
Otero County employees will be able to carry weapons in the workplace.
The Alamogordo Daily News reports that on Monday the Otero County Commissioners voted unanimously to approve an ordinance that will allow county employees to carry weapons either openly or concealed.
Commissioners also agreed to discuss a future training session to educate employees on workplace violence.
Commissioners say the decision was to be in compliance with the U.S. Constitution and the New Mexico Constitution.
Court Refuses To End Lawsuit Over Fatal Police Shooting – The Associated Press
A federal appeals court has refused to end a lawsuit stemming from a New Mexico State Police officer's fatal shooting of a Glorieta man.
Daniel T. Pauly sued police over the 2011 nighttime death of son Samuel Pauly. The son was shot through a window at his home by officers investigating a reported road-rage incident involving Samuel Pauly's brother, Daniel B. Pauly.
An officer shot through a window, hitting Samuel Pauly, in the chest, after his brother shot two warning shots skyward from a back door.
A state grand jury found that the shooting was justified, but a 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled Tuesday that jurors could conclude the shooting was excessive force.
The panel upheld a judge's denial of a pretrial verdict in the defendants' favor.
'Route 66' In Albuquerque Sees Fight Over Rapid Transit – Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press
An Albuquerque proposal to build a system of express buses and canopy-covered stations along its historic Route 66 is drawing opposition from shop owners.
The Albuquerque Journal reports some business owners fear the $119 million project could cost them customers and, eventually, their livelihoods.
Nob Hill Music owner Steve Schroeder says the plan risks destroying the historic pathway's charm.
But Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry says the project is an investment that will spur development along the corridor and get people on the bus. He says the buses will mimic light rail in a popular area.
The Obama Administration is set to decide soon on Albuquerque's $69 million project application.
Route 66 began in 1926 after the nation launched the first federal highway system.
State Prisons Cut Back On Visits Due To Staffing Crisis – Santa Fe New Mexican
State-run prisons in New Mexico are cutting back on visits in the face of a staffing crisis.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports corrections officials blame low pay for officers and said the limit on visitors is designed to decrease their workload.
With starting hourly pay of $13.65, New Mexico is near the bottom nationally in salaries for corrections officers, according to the New Mexican. Many seek work elsewhere, often at county jails that pay more.
Corrections Secretary Gregg Marcantel told lawmakers earlier this year in a letter that his department is at a breaking point and it’s losing nearly every new recruit within 36 months.
The department is seeking a 5 percent boost in its operating budget. The House of Representatives approved a bill that included that item on Saturday. But with a tight revenue picture this year, its future is unclear.
Democratic Sen. John Arthur Smith, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, said the state is putting more people in prison but not allocating funds to pay for more guards. There are a number of bills this session that increase penalties for crimes.
Bill Ending Social Promotion Stalls In New Mexico Senate – Associated Press
A bill that calls for New Mexico third graders who don't show proficiency in reading to be held back has stalled in a Democratic-controlled Senate committee.
The Senate Education Committee voted Monday to table a proposal that would have had students not reading at grade level repeat the third grade and be given intensive remediation. The move likely kills the bill this session.
Rep. Monica Youngblood, an Albuquerque Republican, reintroduced the Gov. Susana Martinez-back bill that passed the GOP-controlled House last session but failed after the Democratic-led Senate failed to take it up.
But it faced strong opposition from teachers unions and Democrats who have stopped similar legislation in the past. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez has said student retention should be based on teachers' assessments, not test scores.
Official Details Storm's Lasting Effects On Dairy Industry – Associated Press
The head of the New Mexico Department of Agriculture is warning lawmakers that it could take months to tally the true costs of a winter storm that killed an untold number of livestock and derailed the dairy industry.
Agriculture Secretary Jeff Witte testified Monday before the House agriculture committee.
He said producers have been working with the Farm Service Agency to tally losses as the state builds its case for a federal disaster declaration.
Republican Gov. Susana Martinez and members of the state's congressional delegation already have pushed federal officials for a declaration.
In late December, New Mexico was hit with more than two feet of snow and strong winds helped to form drifts that overtook corrals, buried livestock and stalled milk production. Freezing temperature then set in as part of the one-two punch.
New Mexico Bail Bond Amendment Passes House Judiciary – Associated Press
A proposed constitutional amendment to reform New Mexico's bail bond system has been approved by the House Judiciary Committee.
The committee approved the proposal from Sen. Peter Wirth, a Santa Fe Democrat, whose changes to the state constitution would allow judges to deny bail to defendants deemed a flight risk or danger to the community.
Wirth's proposal also would allow cash-strapped defendants facing non-violent, low-level charges to be released from jail as they await trial.
A competing proposal sponsored by Rep. David Adkins, an Albuquerque Republican, would only change the state constitution to allow judges to deny bail to dangerous defendants.
Wirth's measure has won approval in the Senate. If approved by the full House, it would go before voters in November.
Nation's Only Unsalaried Legislature Is Well Compensated – Associated Press
New Mexico legislators received more than $20,000 in compensation on average in 2015 even though they are not paid a salary.
More than $2.3 million was paid out to state lawmakers to offset personal expenses and travel, according to information from the Department of Finance and Administration obtained by The Associated Press through a public records request.
House and Senate members collect a daily expense payment that covers work during legislative sessions and committee meetings year-round.
They also can receive compensation for driving mileage, out-of-state legislative conferences and are eligible for retirement benefits.
Senator Lee Cotter received $43,604 in compensation. That is more than any other New Mexico lawmaker. The Las Cruces Republican said the compensation is a reflection of his dedication to year-round legislative work.
Report: Expand Mental Health Capacity In Southern New Mexico – Las Cruces Sun-News, Associated Press
A new report recommends adding 30 new hospital beds in southern New Mexico for adults with severe mental illness.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reports the study recommends partnering with a provider to take such patients while a new $15.5 million public facility is built Doña Ana County.
Currently, when district judges order involuntary psychiatric hospitalizations, patients are sent to a state-run hospital four hours away. The report says that puts a burden on local agencies responsible for transporting the patients and isn't ideal for patients or their families.
Mental health advocate Ron Gurley says he supports a building a mental health hospital as long as it's run by the state.
The study was conducted by the New Heights Group for Doña Ana County government.
Las Cruces Bishop: Diocese To Get Ciudad Juarez Pope Tickets – KVIA-TV, Associated Press
The Diocese of Las Cruces bishop says the diocese will be getting tickets to a Papal Mass in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico after all.
KVIA-TV in El Paso, Texas reports Las Cruces Bishop Oscar Cantu said the tickets will be distributed through southern New Mexico parishes and Catholic schools.
The diocese originally believed the Diocese of Ciudad Juarez would not provide them with tickets because of limited availability.
But the Juarez Catholic Diocese said last week it has designated 5,000 tickets for the Las Cruces Catholic Diocese and 10,000 for the El Paso Catholic Diocese.
Ciudad Juarez, on Mexico's northern border across from El Paso, is the last stop in the pope's schedule 5-day visit to Mexico.
Pope Francis is slated to finish his Ciudad Juarez trip with an open-air Mass on Feb. 17.
