Local News

Western New Mexico residents say federal officials need to either move the tailings from an abandoned uranium mill near Milan or relocate the owners of about 75 nearby homes.

The Albuquerque Journal reports (http://bit.ly/14hXzJK) that residents told a top U.S. Environmental Protection Agency official Tuesday that a cluster of cancer cases in subdivisions near the Homestake Mining Co. uranium mill show a need for immediate action by the agency.

Legislation that would transfer management of the Valles Caldera National Preserve in northern New Mexico to the National Park Service has passed one of its first hurdles.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted in favor of the legislation Tuesday.

Under the proposal, hunting, fishing and grazing would continue on the 89,000-acre preserve.

The preserve is home to vast grasslands, the remnants of one of North America's few super volcanoes and one of New Mexico's most famous elk herds.

State wildlife and agriculture officials are teaming up with a nonprofit group to help New Mexico ranchers defray the extra cost of hauling and pumping water during the drought.

The Department of Game and Fish has made a one-time allotment of $40,000 to the Department of Agriculture as part of an effort to provide the state's wildlife with water.

The money will pass through the New Mexico Association of Conservation Districts, where ranchers can apply for up to $350 to pay for things such as fuel to haul or pump water.

The Albuquerque Police Department is holding a water drive for the village of Magdalena, whose well has gone dry.

The effort, which runs through Thursday night, will collect bottles and jugs of water at the Prisoner Transport Center, across the street from the main police station in downtown Albuquerque.

All of the donated water will be transported to the town of Magdalena in south-central New Mexico Friday morning.

Federal auditors are recommending that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recover more than $6 million in grant funding from New Mexico.

The EPA's Office of Inspector General says three bureaus within the New Mexico Environment Department did not always comply with federal requirements when it came to charging labor, fringe benefits and indirect costs to federal grants.

UPDATE 6/18 9a: The Silver Fire grew to over 30,000 acres overnight. 

***

New Mexico's largest wildfire this year is expected to grow significantly today. The Silver Fire, which is burning in the Gila National Forest, is threatening the small historic mining town of Kingston, although so far fire crews have been successful at protecting the town.

Smoke from the blaze created a 30,000 foot column of smoke on Tuesday that was visible from El Paso, Texas, over 100 miles away.

One out of every five senior citizens in New Mexico isn't getting enough to eat, according to a report from United Health Foundation. New Mexico ranks 49th in the nation for food insecurity.

The America's Health Ranking Senior Report looks at general health and food insecurity, among other issues facing the aging population.

The number of people in New Mexico receiving disability payments through the Social Security system has exceeded even the increasing national trend.

The Albuquerque Journal reports (http://bit.ly/11I1zzV) that a review of data from the Social Security Administration showed that the number of former workers in New Mexico getting Social Security Disability Insurance grew by nearly 66 percent from 2002 to 2011.

During the same period, the growth nationally was nearly 55 percent.

Three state biologists are being honored for their work rescuing threatened and endangered species.

Department of Game and Fish herpetologist Charlie Painter, fisheries manager Kirk Patten and recently retired Gila Trout Recovery Coordinator David Propst received the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Recovery Champions awards for their work rescuing threatened and endangered species.

The mayor of Las Cruces is seeking help from Los Angeles' mayor and Albuquerque's former mayor to erase outstanding debt from his re-election campaign two years ago.

The Las Cruces Sun-News reports (http://bit.ly/11jh9Xm) that Mayor Ken Miyagishima is working to convince Los Angeles mayor Anthony Villaraigosa and former Albuquerque mayor Martin Chavez to participate in an upcoming fundraiser.

Miyagishima says Villaraigosa is working on his schedule and Chavez may join too.

Villaraigosa is Los Angeles' mayor until July 1.

The Senate has confirmed New Mexico U.S. Attorney Ken Gonzales to be the state's next federal judge.

Senators voted unanimously in favor of Gonzales Monday evening, and the state's two senators immediately recommended that President Barack Obama appoint one of his assistants, Damon Martinez, to replace him.

Martinez has served as an assistant U.S. attorney since 2001 and currently supervises the Organized Crime and Gang Section in Albuquerque.

Gonzales says he is "humbled by the opportunity to continue to serve the public in a judicial capacity."

More than 30,000 state and local government workers face a 15 percent increase for their health care insurance starting next month, but it could be only the beginning of higher costs as New Mexico's self-insurance program digs out of a financial hole.

There have been no premium increases for workers for the past five years when government budgets were squeezed. Yet, the fund covering health benefits was projected to be almost $70 million in the red in the upcoming budget year if the state did nothing to the insurance program to deal with rising health care costs.

New details have emerged about changes that were made to a grant proposal the state submitted to the federal government related to the state's Health Insurance Exchange.