Governor Appoints Ruidoso Lawyer To Judgeship - Associated Press
Ruidoso lawyer Angie Schneider has been appointed to a state district court judgeship in southern New Mexico by Republican Gov. Susana Martinez.
The governor named Schneider on Wednesday to a vacant judgeship in the 12th Judicial District of Otero and Lincoln counties.
Schneider will replace District Court Judge William Brogan, who resigned in May to avoid possible disciplinary action by the state Supreme Court.
Schneider operates a private law practice and received her law degree from the University of New Mexico. She was one of two lawyers recommended as candidates for the judgeship by a bipartisan judicial nominating commission, which screened seven applicants for the position.
Seeding To Start On Burn Scar In Northern NM - Associated Press
Seeding operations to restore the Tres Lagunas burn scar north of Pecos is expected to start as early as Thursday.
Officials with the recovery team say a contractor will drop grass seed from the air over portions of the scar. A second contract will follow up by dropping straw mulch over some of the seeded area to retain moisture and slow water runoff.
The Tres Lagunas Fire was sparked May 30 by a downed power line. It charred 16 square miles along the Pecos River Canyon.
Soil, water and wildlife specialists examined the area and identified three square miles where seeding was needed to help stabilize the soil.
Summer rains have already resulted in some post-fire flooding through the canyon from the Tres Lagunas Fire and the nearby Jaroso blaze.
NM, WebMD Partner On Public Health Alert System - Associated Press
State health officials are partnering with WebMD on a message system aimed at quickly getting out public health alerts to doctors, nurses and pharmacists across New Mexico.
Health Secretary Retta Ward says the outbreak of Hepatitis A cases weeks ago demonstrates that the ability to instantly communicate with medical providers is critical. She says providers were able to vaccinate dozens of patients to prevent the disease from spreading.
The state Health Department is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention national Health Alert Network.
The network releases vital health information to local health departments, hospitals and public health partners.
The Health Department will now supply WebMD's Medscape with the information to email to its network of registered clinical members throughout New Mexico.
Flooding Closes Carlsbad Caverns National Park - Associated Press
Carlsbad Caverns National Park closed early Wednesday because of flooding along the Walnut Canyon Park Road.
All visitors and employees are being evacuated from the cave and visitor center and escorted down Walnut Canyon Park Road to Highway 62/180.
The park road is passable at this time, but more rain was expected Wednesday night.
All events including the Bat Flight Program have been cancelled.
The potential for flooding has been higher than usual in Carlsbad Caverns National Park after a large fire that burned much of the vegetation along the park road in June 2011.
Officials say the park had received more than 2 ½ inches of rain as of 4 p.m. Wednesday.