NM Among Leading Oil Producing States – The Associated Press
Federal statistics are showing what many people in New Mexico already know: The state is in the midst of an oil boom.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration released figures yesterday that show behind the Gulf of Mexico, New Mexico, North Dakota and Wyoming were the largest crude oil producers on federal and tribal land during the 2013 fiscal year.
And despite steady decreases since 2003, New Mexico remained among the top producers of natural gas.
The boom has also been felt by oil and gas developers working on state trust lands.
The State Land Office says the nearly $817 million in revenues earned during the 2014 fiscal year marks a record for New Mexico. The previous record of $653 million was set in 2012.
Taos Council Rescinds Decision On Kit Carson Park - The Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal
The Taos Town Council has rescinded its earlier decision to rename Kit Carson Memorial Park to Red Willow Park.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that the existing park instead will be split into two parts.
The cemetery where Kit Carson is buried will continue to be named after him.
Carson, who died in 1868, was known as a scout and explorer.
Taos Pueblo Gov. Clyde Romero Sr. told the council at a hearing yesterday that the pueblo elders don't want the park named Red Willow because that name belongs to the pueblo.
The Taos Pueblo people call themselves the Red Willow People.
A committee consisting of representatives of the pueblo, town government and the public will be formed to come up with a new name for the recreational park area.
City Official IDs Man Fatally Shot By US Deputy - The Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal
An Albuquerque official has identified an alleged probation violator fatally shot by a deputy U.S. marshal in Albuquerque last week.
Deputy City Attorney Kathryn Levy told the Albuquerque Journal that Deputy Marshal Kenneth Daniel shot and killed Anthony Chavez July 2nd at a home.
Levy says Chavez was on probation on a conviction for transporting people illegally in the United States. The conviction resulted from a 2010 arrest in Luna County.
Officials previously said a deputy marshal fatally shot a man sought on a probation violation arrest warrant but did not identify either man.
The Albuquerque Police Department is leading the investigation into the shooting. Albuquerque officers also were working with Daniel on a federal fugitive task force when the shooting occurred.
World's Largest Folk Art Market Opens In Santa Fe - The Associated Press
Santa Fe's famed summer market season opens this weekend with the International Folk Market, the world's largest folk art market and one dedicated to helping artisans from impoverished nations start their own businesses.
And as the popular market celebrates its 11th anniversary, it is drawing more than just tourists and locals. Organizers say designers from some of the most prestigious fashion brands are headed west to find inspiration for ethnographic prints and one-of-a-kind handmade pieces that are increasingly popular in the fashion world.
Market founder Judith Espinar says the event is a creativity hotspot.
This year, more than 160 artists from 62 countries will be selling their work. It is expected to draw 25,000 visitors from Friday to Sunday.
Partial Traffic Closure Of Santa Fe Plaza Delayed - The Associated Press and Santa Fe New Mexican
Santa Fe's partial closure of its downtown plaza to traffic is taking longer to implement than planned.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that purchases of flowers and planters to be used to block traffic on streets on two sides of the historic square were snagged by the city's transition to a new fiscal year.
The street closures were supposed to have taken effect within a week of the council's June 25 approval but now won't happen until next week.
Public Works Director Isaac "Ike" Pino says expenditures were put on hold while the city ended one fiscal year and began another.
Pino says the city plans to use existing planters as barriers beginning Monday.
Mayor Javier Gonzales proposed the closure, saying it'd help make the plaza more family-friendly.
Administration To Offer 5-Year Film Plan - The Associated Press
The Martinez administration is expected to detail plans for helping the film industry thrive in New Mexico.
Economic Development Secretary Jon Barela and New Mexico Film Office Director Nick Maniatis are scheduled to appear before the legislature's Economic and Rural Development Committee in Albuquerque this morning to present a five-year plan for the industry.
The state's film industry slumped after Gov. Susana Martinez took office in 2011 and tried to cut an incentive program that helped lure major productions here to film.
Lawmakers reached a compromise that kept the program but capped the state's annual payouts, and the state has been seeing a steady uptick in projects over the past two years.
WNMU To Honor Silver City LULAC Council - The Associated Press
Western New Mexico University is honoring a Latino civil rights group for their work in Grants County.
WNMU President Joseph Shepard is scheduled later this month to present the 2014 President's Award to the Silver City League of United Latin American Citizens Council 8003 for its long history of community service.
Shepard said the group's passion for service and education has changed the lives of thousands in Silver City and in New Mexico.
Founded in 1929, LULAC is the oldest Latino civil rights organization in the country.
LULAC Council 8003 has offered local scholarships for more than three decades.
Minor Earthquake Rattles Arizona-New Mexico Border - The Associated Press
A minor earthquake has struck near the Arizona-New Mexico border.
The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude-3.6 quake struck about 2:15 a.m. this morning in southeastern Arizona, about 26 miles northwest of Lordsburg, New Mexico. There was no immediate word of damage from the quake.
The USGS says the temblor is an aftershock of the magnitude-5.2 quake that struck the region on June 28. The area could see aftershocks for a month.