UNM, Sandia National Laboratories To Promote Research – The Associated Press
Sandia National Laboratories and the University of New Mexico have signed a pact to promote research and recruiting.
The memorandum of understanding signed Monday aims to explore strategies enabling the future of engineering for national security.
It also seeks innovative facility partnerships that enable collaborative research and jointly recruit and hire nationally prominent researchers for UNM faculty and Sandia technical staff.
Collaborative research will focus initially on quantum computing and information science, nanoscience and microsystems engineering, nuclear engineering, high energy density science, energy, water, cybersecurity and bioscience for national security.
About 2,400 UNM graduates work at Sandia, many in technical areas vital to national security.
PNM: Rejecting Proposal Would Force Closure Of Power Plant – The Associated Press
The state's largest electric provider says rejection of its proposal by New Mexico regulators will lead to the complete closure of a coal-fired power plant that provides power to 2 million customers in the Southwest.
Officials with the Public Service Co. of New Mexico on Tuesday reiterated the consequences if the state Public Regulation Commission does not approve a plan that calls for shutting down half of the plant to meet a federal mandate for reducing haze-causing pollution.
The utility wants to replace the lost power with a combination of coal, natural gas, nuclear and solar sources.
In filings made this week with the commission, opponents accuse PNM of exaggerating the potential fallout. They also asked regulators to make public key agreements that concern the plant's future.
New Mexico Man Among Those To Have Sentence Commuted - The Associated Press
A New Mexico man is among the dozens of non-violent drug offenders who had their sentences commuted by President Barack Obama.
John M. Wyatt of Las Cruces was convicted in federal court in Illinois on a charge of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. He was sentenced in August 2004 to nearly 22 years in prison, eight years of supervised release and a $500 fine.
His commuted sentence will expire Nov. 10, 2015.
According to court documents, police stopped an RV driven by Wyatt and discovered a large amount of marijuana. He was sentenced based on his status as a career offender.
In a failed appeal, Wyatt claimed — among other things — that he would not have pleaded guilty had his lawyer not assured him that he wouldn't be subject to a career offender sentence.
New Mexico Supreme Court To Review 'Copper Rule' – The Associated Press
The New Mexico Supreme Court has agreed to review an appellate court's upholding of regulations that govern groundwater pollution by copper mines.
The court decision was made public Tuesday, almost a month after Attorney General Hector Balderas and environmentalists filed a petition asking the court to weigh in.
The regulations were initially approved by state water regulators in September 2013. Opponents argued that the regulations violated the state Water Quality Control Act in addition to giving mining companies too much leeway to pollute groundwater.
The state Environment Department has argued that the regulations are among the most stringent of any copper-producing state in the West and strike a balance between protecting water and allowing for economic development.
The Court of Appeals upheld the regulations in a ruling issued in April.
Judge Could Halt Oil Drilling Permits In Mancos Shale – The Associated Press & The ABQ Journal
A judge is deciding whether to impose a moratorium on oil drilling permits filed for land in northwestern New Mexico.
The Albuquerque Journal reports U.S. Judge James Browning could implement a moratorium as a lawsuit filed in March by environmental organizations moves forward.
The groups want a more thorough environmental impact study from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
Two oil companies have drilled 150 wells since 2011 into the hard shale covering oil in the Mancos, an area made accessible through new techniques like horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing.
A total of five oil companies have joined the lawsuit supporting the land management agency.
Browning began hearing arguments Monday and is expected to issue a ruling in August.
The moratorium could halt production in the Mancos for years.
Technology Issues Delay ID, Driver's License Deliveries – The Associated Press & The Santa Fe New Mexican
The New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division is having trouble delivering driver's licenses and identification cards to an unspecified number of people.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports division spokesman, Ben Cloutier, said Monday he couldn't say how many applicants were affected by the delay, but that "potentially all customers" who applied for licenses and ID cards between May 25 and June 30 were at risk.
The agency says the delays are due to the implementation of a new computer system and a breakdown at the factory of MorphoTrust, the company that produces the driver's licenses. But a MorphoTrust spokesman says he's unaware of any failures in the company's operations.
While the agency gets things sorted out, Cloutier says applicants are issued temporary identification that is good for 45 days.
Gamblers Spend Less In New Mexico For 2nd Consecutive Year – The Associated Press
Gamblers are spending less at New Mexico casinos, and the state is seeing a drop in tax revenue as a result.
The Albuquerque Journal reports tribal casinos, racinos and nonprofits statewide paid $1.3 million less to the state in gaming taxes in 2014 than the year before.
Tribes paid a total of $66 million to the state in 2014.
Data filed with the New Mexico Gaming Control Board also shows a 2.6 drop in net winnings, an indicator of gambling activity that reflects how much is wagered on slots minus certain expenses.
This is the second consecutive year of declining gambling revenues in the state.
Mom Sentenced In Chase Where Police Fired At Van Of Kids - The Associated Press
A mother accused of child abuse and fleeing police after a chaotic 2013 traffic stop in which a New Mexico officer shot at her minivan full of children has been sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation.
A judge in the New Mexico tourist town of Taos on Monday also ordered Oriana Farrell, of Memphis, Tennessee, to serve 40 hours of community service and participate in a special mediation program.
Her lawyer and prosecutors reached a plea agreement last week in which a misdemeanor drug charge was dropped.
The 41-year-old Farrell was traveling through New Mexico when she sped away from police twice. An officer fired three shots toward Farrell's van carrying her five children when she drove away the second time.
No one was injured.
The officer, who said he was aiming at a tire, was fired.
Roswell Police Apologize After Body Found After Their Search – The Associated Press
Police in Roswell have apologized to a family after officers failed to locate a body during a search of a missing woman's home only to find it days later.
The police department issued a statement Tuesday that steps will be taken to ensure future searches are carried out in a thorough manner.
Police also apologized to the community, pledging "to take the necessary internal actions to prevent such an unfortunate situation from happening again."
Margarita Diaz was reported missing by her family on Thursday.
Her home was searched Friday by police, who reported that nothing was found.
However, a body was located at the residence Sunday.
The New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator is conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of death and positively identify the body.
Youngest Suspects In Deadly Crime Spree Appear In Court - The Associated Press and KRQE-TV
The youngest of six teenagers accused in the shooting death of an Albuquerque man during a crime spree last month made their first appearance in court Monday.
Albuquerque television station KRQE reports that a judge set bond for the two 14-year-old suspects at $250,000 cash. The same bond was set for the other teens during a hearing last week.
The Associated Press is not identifying the suspects because of their ages.
One of the teens is accused of gunning down 60-year-old Steve Gerecke while police say the group burglarized cars and homes.
Police found Gerecke dead in his driveway the night of June 26.
The victim's wife, Vinnie Gerecke, was in court Monday. She told the judge that she believes she would be dead if her husband had not intervened.
Albuquerque Police Look For Shooter Who Killed Motorcyclist - The Associated Press
Authorities still are searching for a driver who allegedly chased down a motorcyclist and shot him dead on an Albuquerque street.
Albuquerque police on Monday identified the victim as 29-year-old Vincent Francis Mcaneney and say they are investigating the case as a homicide.
A witness called 911 around 6 a.m. Saturday and reported a person driving a truck at a high rate of speed on Central Avenue.
The caller told police that truck driver was holding a gun out of the window and shooting at a motorcyclist.
The witness says the motorcyclist stopped and fell over. One of the occupants of the truck then got out and grabbed the motorcycle before fleeing.
Authorities say Mcaneney was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead from apparent gunshot wounds.
Man Who Threw Banana Peel At Dave Chappelle Appears In Court - The Associated Press and Santa Fe New Mexican
The black attorney for the man accused of throwing a banana peel at comedian Dave Chappelle during a performance in Santa Fe says his client isn't a racist and that Chappelle should have to testify in the case or drop it.
Attorney Rod Thompson made the comments to The Santa Fe New Mexican following a status hearing Monday in magistrate court.
His client, Christian Englander, who is white, is facing charges of disturbing the peace and battery after the fruit-throwing incident in March.
At the time, Chappelle's agent declined to comment on the situation.
Thompson says prosecutors haven't found any other witnesses or complainants in the case. If Englander is tried and found guilty, Thompson says his client maintains the right to file for a new trial in district court.
Los Alamos Lab Finds Record Number Of Spotted Owl Chicks - The Associated Press
Los Alamos National Laboratory officials say biologists have located a record number of federally protected Mexican spotted owl chicks on the lab's property in northern New Mexico.
Nest surveys conducted last month found seven chicks, which wildlife biologist Chuck Hathcock says is encouraging because it indicates the lab's efforts to protect the species is making an impact.
The previous record under monitoring started in 1993 was three chicks.
The lab has a habitat management plan for protection of species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
Those species include the Mexican spotted owl and the Jemez Mountain salamander.
The Las Conchas Fire in 2011 destroyed much of the owls' primary habitat in the Jemez Mountains.
ARCA Space Corporation Bringing 100 New Jobs To Las Cruces - The Associated Press
Gov. Susana Martinez says ARCA Space Corporation will build a testing and manufacturing facility at the Las Cruces Airport.
That will create 100 high-paying jobs over three years with an average annual salary of $52,000.
The aerospace company originally started in Romania and located its headquarters to Las Cruces in 2014.
It will produce electric-powered unmanned aerial systems.
The New Mexico Economic Development Department will contribute $500,000 in Local Economic Development Act funds toward the construction of ARCA Space's new 14,000-square-foot hangar and manufacturing space.
Monday's announcement came just days after the U.S Department of Commerce ranked three New Mexico cities among the top five U.S. metro areas for export growth with Las Cruces topping the list.
Case Of Tularemia Confirmed In A Los Alamos County Man - The Associated Press
The New Mexico Department of Health has confirmed that a 51-year-old man in Los Alamos County contracted tularemia.
The case was confirmed Monday at the Department's Scientific Laboratory Division.
Health officials say the man was hospitalized, but has recovered and gone home.
There have also been 33 cases of tularemia this year in pet dogs and cats from Bernalillo, Los Alamos, Santa Fe, Taos, and Torrance counties.
Tularemia is a potentially serious illness in people that occurs in many parts of the country.
It's caused by a bacteria found in animals — especially rodents, rabbits and hares.
Tularemia can also make dogs and cats sick and they can give the disease to people.
Last year, there were five human cases of tularemia in New Mexico. They all recovered.