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State Sought Medicaid Help From UNM, Los Alamos Group Seeks Japanese Input On Bomb

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Atomic plume over Nagasaki

State Asked UNM Health Sciences Center For Medicaid Help Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press

The state won't be relying on the University of New Mexico's Health Sciences Center and its $200 million in reserves for help covering Medicaid funding.

The Albuquerque Journal reports that UNM refused a request to give $50 million to New Mexico's Human Services Department to help with Medicaid.

The New Mexico Political Report first reported on the request as part of a story exploring the recent abrupt overhaul in governance over the Health Sciences Center.

UNM executive vice president David Harris says university officials heard the request at a meeting in mid-February.

He says the state indicated it could not guarantee repayment.

Human Services Department spokesman Kyler Nerison confirmed the meeting with the university but declined to comment further.

According to Harris, it's not unusual for the state to ask the university for financial assistance.

The state says the department is $86 million short of its projected need for the next 15 months.

Los Alamos Team To Research Atomic Bomb Impact In Japan Santa Fe New Mexican, Associated Press

A group from Los Alamos, once the building site for an atomic bomb, is making an unprecedented trip to a country that was devastated by the weapon.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that Los Alamos Historical Museum representatives are traveling throughout Japan to gain that country's perspective on the impact of nuclear warfare.

The team will visit several cities including the two that were targeted with the bomb — Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Museum director Judith Stauber says they will meet with a bomb survivor, researchers and leaders of two museums.

The trip has been in the works for two years.

It is partially funded by a $10,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Los Alamos, known as Atomic City, is home to Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Family Sues Jail Health Provider Over DeathAlbuquerque Journal

The family of a man who died at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque is suing the medical contractor for the jail claiming they were indifferent to his condition after he ingested a bag of drugs.

The Albuquerque Journal reported that Michael Atchison swallowed a gram of methamphetamine after being arrested and was so ill he had to be propped up for his booking photo and his heartbeat was erratic.

Atchison died about 12 hours after being arrested in November 2013. Staff with Correctional Healthcare Cos., saw him twice but did not provide treatment, according to the lawsuit.

Attempts to get the case dismissed by the company have been unsuccessful. Attorneys for Atchison’s family cite other similar incidents at facilities in other states where Correctional Healthcare or one of its affiliated companies provide care.

New Mexico Regulators Consider Horse Racing Schedules By Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press

New Mexico regulators have scheduled a special meeting to consider changes in horse racing schedules at Sunland Park and the disbursement of some $3 million in purse money in the wake of a horse herpes outbreak.

The outbreak forced the cancellation of live racing for weeks at the track near the New Mexico-Texas border. A quarantine was imposed, dozens of horses tested positive for the EHV-1 virus and several were euthanized.

Racing at Sunland Park resumed in late February, but horsemen says they lost 180 races because of the quarantine and purse money was affected as a result.

They're asking the New Mexico Racing Commission to add two races per day for the remainder of the meet along with three additional race days.

The commission is meeting Monday in Albuquerque.

Massachusetts Man Arrested After Entering Santa Fe Home Santa Fe New Mexican, Associated Press

A Massachusetts college student has been arrested in Santa Fe after drunkenly entering the wrong home.

An attorney for 22-year-old Garrett Curran said Sunday that he was working on securing bail for his client.

According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, police say Curran, of Bolton, wandered into a home around 3 a.m. Saturday.

He then fell asleep at the foot of a bed occupied by a 7-year-old girl.

The child woke up and got her father.

Curran allegedly initiated a fight with the father, who called police.

Curran, a student at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, was booked on suspicion of breaking and entering, criminal trespass and child abuse for fighting in front of the girl.

Attorney Stephen Aarons says he is disputing the allegation that Curran was fighting.

Man Wielding Shotgun Fatally Shot By Roswell Police Associated Press

Roswell police say an officer fatally shot a suspect who ignored commands to put down his shotgun.

Authorities say officers were called Saturday around 11:40 p.m. about a pickup truck driving erratically through a neighborhood.

A caller also reported seeing someone in the vehicle pointing a gun.

Police located the pickup and compelled 33-year-old Robert D. Guerin, of Roswell, to stop. A passenger than got out and told police Guerin was armed.

Guerin exited the vehicle with a shotgun and allegedly refused orders to drop it.

After 20 minutes, he pointed the weapon at three officers and was shot.

Guerin was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Police say the officer who fired the fatal shot is now on standard administrative leave.

The shooting remains under investigation.

Drugs Found In Hair Clippers Sparks Santa Fe Jail Probe Santa Fe New Mexican, Associated Press

Authorities are investigating possible drug smuggling at theSanta Fe County jail.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that a corrections officer found 170 Suboxone strips inside a pair of hair clippers being brought to an inmate last week.

According an affidavit filed in Santa Fe County Magistrate Court, the clippers were brought by 31-year-old Lauren Herrera.

Herrera had been instructed by another woman who had spoken on the phone with an inmate.

A sergeant monitoring inmate phone calls searched the clippers and found the drugs.

Suboxone is a drug used to treat opiate dependency.

Investigators believe the delivery was for several inmates.

Herrera was arrested Monday on several charges including bringing contraband into a jail.

Sheriff Robert Garcia says detectives are questioning inmates and staff.

New Mexico Judge Takes High-Profile Case After 7 Recusals – The Associated Press

A district court judge for New Mexico is agreeing to hear criminal fraud charges against a former state senator after seven other judges recused themselves.

Santa Fe District Court documents on Monday show that Sen. Phil Griego is scheduled for a first appearance next week on charges including fraud, bribery, perjury and tampering with public records.

The case is assigned to Judge Sarah Singleton. She has been elected twice since her appointment to the bench in 2009.

Griego resigned from the Senate in March 2015 and says he did nothing wrong.

The Democratic politician is accused of using his role as a legislator to receive personal compensation from a private company in the sale of a state-owned building in Santa Fe. Charges were filed Feb. 29.

Officials Resume Work At Nuclear Dump After Safety Pause – The Associated Press

The federal government's nuclear waste repository in New Mexico is resuming work after a month-long safety pause due to poor air quality in parts of the underground facility.

Officials with the U.S. Department of Energy's office in Carlsbad made the announcement Monday morning.

Work was stopped Feb. 22 in two areas of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant after equipment detected elevated levels of carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds.

The facility has been closed since February 2014 when an inappropriately packed drum of waste from Los Alamos National Laboratory popped its lid and released radiation.

Parts of the facility were contaminated. Now, crews are working to install a temporary ventilation system and complete other recovery efforts in hopes of resuming operations by the end of the year.

Market Turbulence Hits New Mexico State Investments – The Associated Press

Managers of New Mexico retirement and permanent funds say balances are recovering somewhat this month after a punishing start of the year.

Balances of funds overseen by the Public Employee Retirement Association and Education Retirement Board fell by roughly $750 million in January.

For the Public Employees Retirement Association, that represents a 5.5 percent decline since the start of the fiscal year in July.

Legislative analysts say the retirement funds are unlikely to meet their growth targets this year. Recent declines largely reflect trends in global capital and debt markets.

Funds overseen by the New Mexico State Investment Council had a negative 3.4 percent return on investment during January and February. The council oversees nearly $20 billion, including the state's Land Grant Permanent and Severance Tax funds.

Navajo Lawmaker Faces Removal Over Misuse Of Funds – The Associated Press

Navajo Nation officials are looking into the process for removing a tribal lawmaker who has been found guilty of misusing funds.

The Farmington Daily Times reports that Mel Begay will remain on the Navajo Nation Council until the process is addressed by the Navajo Election Administration.

Begay was convicted Wednesday of 10 criminal counts related to giving more than $30,000 in tribal funds to his family.

Begay's trial was the first of two in a years-long investigation of a discretionary fund meant for Navajos facing extreme hardship. More than two dozen other current and former lawmakers have resolved criminal or ethics cases, many through plea agreements.

Begay's attorney, Jeffrey Rasmussen, says Begay wasn't given a fair trial and will appeal the conviction.

NM Officials: Flu Activity Expected For Several More Weeks – The Associated Press

New Mexico health officials say flu activity is widespread around the state and is expected to continue for several more weeks.

The Department of Health says elevated flu activity started a bit later than in the previous three seasons but that flu-related hospitalizations and deaths have increased in recent weeks.

The department also says the flu vaccine for this season appears to be a good match with strains that are circulating.

New Mexico has identified 115 influenza and pneumonia-related deaths this flu season. Of those 115 deaths, 13 were flu-related deaths among adults.

The department says many of the pneumonia-related deaths may have been related to complications from having flu because pneumonia is a known complication of influenza infection.

New Mexico Officer Administers Drug To Reverse Drug Overdose – The Associated Press

New Mexico State Police for the first time has had one of its officers successfully use a drug to treat a person for an overdose.

According to the police agency, an officer administered the drug to an unresponsive woman at a home in Taos County last week after the officer noticed signs of drug usage.

The agency says the officer was trained in the administration of Narcan under an initiative between state police and the New Mexico Department of Health.

The drug completely or partially reverses an opioid overdose.

The woman administered the drug in the Taos County incident was transported for medical treatment after she regained consciousness.

Feds: Risk Of 2016 Quake Increases, Especially In Oklahoma – The Associated Press

Federal scientists say the chance of damaging earthquakes hitting east of the Rockies has increased significantly, much of it a man-made byproduct of drilling for energy. Oklahoma now has a 1 in 8 chance of damaging quakes in 2016, surpassing California as the state with the highest probability.

In a first-of-its-kind effort, the U.S. Geological Survey Monday released a map for damaging quakes in the current year.

USGS seismologists said 7 million people live in areas where the risk has dramatically jumped for earthquakes caused by disposal of wastewater, a byproduct of drilling for oil and gas. That is mostly concentrated in Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, Colorado and Arkansas.

Natural earthquake risk also increased around the New Madrid fault in Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas and Illinois.

Teen Arrested In Theft Of Model Spaceship From UFO Museum – The Associated Press

A teenage boy has been arrested in the theft of a fiberglass and metal version of a spaceship from outside the UFO Museum in Roswell.

Police say they're still searching for two other suspects.

The model spaceship has been a fixture in downtown Roswell, where it was long mounted outside the UFO museum before a recent snowstorm damaged it.

It was being stored behind the museum before it was stolen March 19.

Police say surveillance video showed three people hauling the spaceship off in a pickup truck.

The saucer was found in pieces two miles west of Roswell last Wednesday.

Police say tips led them to the teenager, who was arrested Saturday at his home in south Roswell. His name wasn't being released.

Roswell still stirs debate about extraterrestrials seven decades after the 1947 crash of a flying object.

New Mexico Governor Heads To California To Woo Businesses – The Associated Press

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez and other officials are headed to Southern California to woo business leaders.

Martinez, state Economic Development Secretary Jon Barela and officials from Albuquerque and Rio Rancho will be in California through Wednesday.

The governor's office says they'll be meeting with business executives and site selectors to talk about New Mexico's manufacturing and business competiveness.

The governor made a similar trip to the San Francisco area last year.

The expenses of the governor and her chief of staff, Keith Gardner, are being paid for by the New Mexico Partnership, the marketing arm of the state Economic Development Department.

New Mexico Men Get Penalties In Meth Money-Laundering Case – The Associated Press

A judge has assessed $605,000 in civil penalties against two brothers accused of running a methamphetamine-trafficking operation between New Mexico and Arizona.

Prosecutors say Alamogordo judge James W. Counts assessed the penalties Monday against Joe Chavez and Robert Chavez.

The brothers were convicted in 2014 of felonies including racketeering, conspiracy, drug trafficking, and multiple counts of money laundering. Both are serving prison terms.

The New Mexico Attorney General's Office jointly prosecuted criminal cases with the Twelfth Judicial District Attorney's Office.

Prosecutors say the civil penalties, sought by the Office of the Attorney General, are believed to be the first ever assessed in New Mexico following money laundering convictions.

Joe Chavez was assessed a penalty of nearly $480,000 while Robert Chavez got a penalty of more than $125,000.

Authorities Identify Man Killed In Casino Shooting – The Associated Press

Authorities have identified the man killed in a shooting outside a New Mexico casino that also injured a tribal police officer.

The shooting happened last Thursday outside the Route 66 Casino just west of Albuquerque as the officer was investigating reports of a stolen vehicle. Authorities released surveillance video that showed the vehicle pulling into the parking lot and the officer approaching two suspects.

FBI spokesman Frank Fisher confirmed Monday that Mario Sandoval was killed. Laguna Pueblo Officer Peter Tanzilli sustained non-life threatening injuries and is expected to recover.

Authorities are still searching for another suspect who ran from the scene.

No description of the wanted person was released and authorities have yet to provide any details about the circumstances of the shooting.