Regional

  Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Wednesday announced her agenda for the second session of the 54th New Mexico Legislature.   Here is a statement from the Governor's office: The governor’s call for the 30-day legislative session scheduled to begin Tuesday, Jan. 21, encompasses the priority areas of education, the economy, public safety, health, and the environment. “Year One was a tremendous start, and I’m incredibly enthusiastic about the opportunity to keep building on that foundation over the next month – indeed, over the next year and beyond,” Gov. Lujan Grisham said. “My call for this legislative session underscores the work we are undertaking on two fronts: addressing urgent needs and strategically investing in sustainable improvements over the long term. 

ALBUQUERQUE, NM—It’s a case of good news/bad news for New Mexico’s children in the 2019 New Mexico Kids Count Data Book. Here is a statement from New Mexico Voices for Children:

The most notable change in the annual accounting of child well-being, which is being released today by New Mexico Voices for Children (see below for information on the press conference call) is an improvement in child poverty rates. The data book also shows that teen birth rates, child health insurance rates, and preschool attendance, among other indicators, have also improved over time.

But that’s countered by the bad news. While our child poverty rate has improved – from 27% in last year’s data book to 26% in this year’s report – New Mexico now ranks 49th in the nation on this indicator – that’s down from 48th. And we’ve still not fully recovered from the recession, as 5,000 more children live in poverty now than did in 2008. Young children, and Hispanic and Native American children all fare worse on the child poverty indicator (with 28%, 30% and 41% living in poverty, respectively).

WASHINGTON— U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representatives Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) and Xochitl Torres Small (D-N.M.) wrote a letter to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper requesting that the Department of Defense’s (DoD) release a plan for next steps to ensure New Mexican communities and dairy farms in close proximity to Cannon Air Force Base receive access to a clean water supply and a reimbursement of incurred filtration expenses. The delegation also requested DoD work on plans to purchase contaminated lands within proximity of the base to take responsibility for remediation.  Here is a statement from the office of Senator Tom Udall:

The letter comes after the New Mexico delegation secured provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 that include strong new authorities for DoD and Air Force to finally address the serious PFAS contamination in Eastern New Mexico near Cannon Air Force Base. Communities in eastern New Mexico surrounding the base have faced tremendous economic hardship due to contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) chemicals in the groundwater from military activities. Some of these properties directly border the base and are logical candidates for the Air Force to purchase, thus providing compensation for owners of now contaminated agricultural properties and enhancing Cannon Air Force Base’s future security, training, and growth opportunities.

U.S. News & World Report has ranked New Mexico State University programs on its Best Online Education Programs offered by U.S. National Universities.

A pair of NMSU’s online graduate programs have improved their standings. In 2020, NMSU is tied for 43rd in criminal justice online graduate programs and tied for 131st in master’s in business administration online graduate programs.

Today New Mexico Wild released an analysis of budget funding for energy, environment and public lands-related agencies in the State of New Mexico showing deep cuts and staffing vacancies over the last ten years during historic levels of energy production.  Here is a statement from the group:

The analysis, “Recovering Lost Ground: The State of Energy, Environment & Public Lands Budgets in New Mexico,” looks at agency budget appropriations dating back to FY2004 under the Richardson and Martinez administrations. It also includes recent funding increases and requests by the Lujan Grisham administration.

CARLSBAD, N.M. (AP)- The U.S. government's only underground nuclear waste repository has taken in its first large shipment in six years, following a process that involved recertification and retraining of workers.

The shipment using a special large cask came from the Savannah River Site in South Carolina and included contaminated glove boxes and other large-scale analytical equipment.

  A New Mexico jail is no longer allowing family and friends to visit detainees in person and will offer only phone or online video chats. The Farmington Daily Times reports the San Juan County Adult Detention Center made the announcement this month. The county says the change will reduce the travel burden for families. But the Massachusetts-based nonprofit Prison Policy Initiative says hundreds of jails and prisons across the United States have moved away from in-person visits. The group and Face to Face Knox found that ending in-person visitation at the Knox County Jail in Knoxville, Tennessee, made the jail more dangerous by increasing the number of assaults on other inmates or staff.

  A superintendent of a troubled New Mexico school district plagued by a teacher shortage is stepping down. Española Public Schools superintendent Bobbie Gutierrez announced this week she will not seek an extension of her contract that expires on June 30. parents and students at Española Valley High School are complaining about an online program many freshmen failed this past semester. The Rio Grande Sun reports a high number of teacher vacancies and lack of substitutes have forced some Española Valley High School to spend class time in the cafeteria taking online classes.

  The Trump administration says it's sending Mexicans who cross the border in Arizona on flights to the central Mexico city of Guadalajara — roughly 1,000 miles away. The announcement Tuesday as more and more Mexicans have been coming to the border. Many are fleeing extreme violence and threats in southern Mexico. Mexicans accounted for half of the arrests and people stopped at the U.S. border in December, more than three times more than any other nationality and a shift from much of last year, when Guatemala and Honduras were the top countries of origin.

Lea County, NM – On January 8, 2020, the New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau was contacted to investigate a police shooting involving the Lea County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO). 

On January 8, 2020, at approximately 9:11 p.m., a Lea County Sheriff’s Deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a white 4-door passenger car with a Texas license plate. The vehicle pulled into the Eagle Ridge Apartments in Hobbs, NM, causing the deputy to temporary lose sight of the vehicle. The vehicle was reported stolen from the Hobbs Police Department.   

The deputy located the vehicle in the back of the apartment complex. The vehicle attempted to flee the scene striking the Deputy's unit head on. The suspect was able to flee after the collision striking the deputy in the leg, while it was fleeing. 

The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) identified potential emission violations of methane and other air contaminants from oil and gas operations throughout the state using forward-looking infrared (FLIR) cameras. Here is a statement from NMED:  The FLIR video footage collection is now included on the Department’s online interactive methane map. NMED created and periodically updates this map to provide the public with information on how oil and gas operations directly impact their communities.

Footage available on the map now includes FLIR videos received from citizens the Department believes depict potential violations of existing state permits or regulations. The map also contains FLIR videos documenting significant emissions from the Department’s recent flyover compliance inspections.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Members of New Mexico's congressional delegation are finding themselves in an awkward position as watchdog groups claim the U.S. government is skirting one of the nation’s key environmental laws.

Critics say the government is refusing to take a bigger look at the consequences of ramping up production of key plutonium components for the nation's nuclear arsenal.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - New Mexico Republicans say they will embark on an aggressive strategy to win over Hispanic and Native American voters in 2020 as the party experiences its most diverse primary races in recent history.

State GOP Chair Steve Pearce said Republicans will appoint Hispanic and Native American outreach coordinators in all of the state's 33 counties.

SANTA FE – New Mexico drivers voiced their concerns about US-180 between Deming and Hurley.  The asphalt is deteriorating due to weather and wear and tear. Debris is then kicked up, causing damage to drivers’ windshields.

NMDOT listened to their needs and last week, provided $1.3 million for improvements. The two lane highway frequently traveled by drivers living in southwest New Mexico is about to get a makeover with a micro-surfacing project. Workers are already on the roadway collecting debris and sweeping the area.  The re-surfacing will begin in early February and should take about three weeks to complete.

Cloudcroft, NM - On December 28, 2019, The New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau was contacted to investigate a police shooting involving the Otero County Sheriff’s Office and New Mexico Game and Fish. State Police agents learned that around 7:30 p.m., the Otero County Sheriff’s Office and NM Game and Fish responded to a domestic violence incident at 55 West Side Rd., in Cloudcroft.

When Otero County Deputy Troy Thompson and Game and Fish Officers Corey Smith and Kurtis Felix arrived at the residence, they made contact with Thomas Ryan (54) of Cloudcroft, NM who was standing on an upstairs porch.  Ryan pointed a handgun at the deputy and officers and fired at least one gunshot towards them. At this point, Deputy Thompson and Officer’s Smith and Felix discharged their duty firearms towards Ryan. A perimeter was established, and officers requested New Mexico State Police Tactical Team.

New Mexico State University, working in partnership with New Mexico Highlands University and the New Mexico Forest and Watershed Restoration Institute, has been awarded a $5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to establish the first comprehensive, New Mexico-based forestry research center in the Southwest.

Two Labrador retrievers raised by a group of students at New Mexico State University are now working as certified guide dogs.

The dogs – Shuttle and Koi – spent about 14 months at NMSU being raised and trained by NMSU Community Puppy Raisers, a student organization led by faculty member Gaylene Fasenko from the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, before graduating from the California-based Guide Dogs for the Blind in November 2019.

Next month, New Mexico State University’s Cooperative Extension Service will present a series of cooking classes designed to teach adults with diabetes how to cook healthy meals.

The four-class series, Kitchen Creations, will take place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 4, Feb. 11, Feb. 18 and Feb. 25. at Mayfield High School, 1955 N. Valley Drive, in Las Cruces. The classes are sponsored by the New Mexico Department of Health.