Court Won't Immediately Decide Gay Marriage Case - Associated Press
New Mexico's highest court says it won't issue an immediate decision in a case that could decide whether gay marriage is legal statewide.
The state Supreme Court will hear two hours of arguments from lawyers in the case on Wednesday.
The court clerk told lawyers last week that the court won't make a decision on the day of the hearing but will take the case under consideration.
The justices will hear one hour of arguments on constitutional issues and an hour on issues about state statutes involving marriage.
New Mexico law doesn't explicitly authorize or prohibit gay marriage, but a state district court in Albuquerque has ruled it's unconstitutional to deny marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Eight of New Mexico's 33 counties are issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
NM Steps Up Efforts To Detect Invasive Mussels - Associated Press
Officials with the New Mexico Game and Fish Department say they've been successful in keeping invasive mussels out of the state's reservoirs and waterways.
The department says four boat inspectors were added at checkpoints at Ute and Navajo lakes, and almost 9,000 watercraft inspections were conducted this summer.
Officials say several boats that were inspected had recently been in out-of-state lakes known to be contaminated by the mussels. One boat with adult mussels was intercepted and decontaminated before being launched.
Testing for aquatic invasive species will continue through the fall, and officials say an updated education and awareness campaign is planned for this spring.
Zebra and quagga mussels multiply rapidly and can clog water intake and delivery pipes used to supply drinking water, irrigation to farmlands or water for hydroelectric power stations.
Workshop Offered On Paseo Construction - Associated Press
The New Mexico Department of Transportation is offering a free workshop next week for businesses affected by the Paseo Del Norte/I-25 Interchange Reconstruction Project.
The workshop is designed to help businesses figure out how to keep customers coming back while the notoriously clogged intersection suffers through lane closures.
Gov. Susana Martinez says the interchange serves well over 100,000 people a day. She says the state wants to do everything it can to support businesses in the area, and to minimize as much as possible any lasting effects on their business and customer base.
Construction on the project is expected to be complete in December 2014.
Regents Clear Way For NMSU To Seek Liquor Licenses - Associated Press
The Board of Regents has cleared the way for New Mexico State University to apply for governmental licenses to sell liquor at the Pan American Center and its school of hotel and restaurant management.
The board's approval came in two separate votes Monday. Regent Kari Mitchell voted no regarding the Pan American Center application and Regent Isaac Pino abstained from both votes.
University officials say the regents will discuss the use of the proceeds from alcohol sales at the Pan American Center and other NMSU venues during the budget process.
Beer and wine have been served or sold for years in the Pan American Center at concerts, boxing matches, ballets, fundraisers and a variety of receptions and luncheons. If the university obtains a governmental license, it will consider expanding alcohol sales to other events, such as athletic events.