News

Fri. 4/5 10a:  Spencer Beckwith speaks with writer and aural historian Jack Loeffler.  For the last 13 years, along with UNM Professor Enrique Lamadrid, Jack has curated "Nuestra Musica" at the Lensic Performing Arts Center in Santa Fe.  On April 19, the 2013 concert brings together local musicians, including Roberto Mondragón, Cipriano Vigil,  Frank McCulloch and Antonia Apodaca, for a celebration of New Mexico’s musical heritage.

  The Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced a plan to help resolve a problem with leaky storage tanks holding nuclear waste at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington state. Their solution- ship the waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico. The problem is WIPP has been prohibited from receiving Hanford tank waste for nearly a decade. Now, New Mexicans are debating whether to reverse course and accept some of the waste.

The muddy waters of the Rio Grande are still flowing through Albuquerque. But New Mexico is in the grip of long-term drought and there’s little water left in upstream reservoirs. That means this summer will probably be like last year—when 52 miles of the Rio Grande dried up south of Albuquerque.

Laura Paskus headed out to take a look with one of the world’s leading experts on desert rivers and sent us this audio postcard.

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Gov. Susana Martinez is up against a deadline for dealing with bills approved by the Legislature, including a measure that would boost pay for state workers and educators for the first time since 2008.

The governor must finish signing or vetoing bills on Friday. Among the pending measures is a nearly $5.9 billion state budget, which Martinez has said she'll sign but may reject some spending provisions with line-item vetoes.

 It's been more than two months since a federal wildlife specialist reported shooting an animal in southwestern New Mexico that upon closer inspection looked like a Mexican gray wolf, but officials remain tightlipped about the case.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services confirmed Thursday that the shooting is under investigation.

Officials say they're awaiting lab results to determine whether the animal was an endangered wolf.

They're also refusing to comment on why the employee shot the animal.

New Mexico State Police are investigating after an explosive device was found at a famous diving spot in eastern New Mexico.

Sgt. Emmanuel Gutierrez said the state police bomb squad was called out to the Blue Hole on Thursday after a visitor noticed a suspicious device in the fresh-water spring.

The park was evacuated, and the bomb squad determined that the device was in fact an explosive.

Gutierrez says there were no injuries or property damage.

State police divers also conducted a sweep of the water in Blue Hole as a precaution.

An Albuquerque minister is facing federal child pornography charges.

Authorities say 34-year-old Derek Schwartzrock was arrested Wednesday by New Mexico State Police and federal Homeland Security agents.

A criminal complaint alleges that Schwartzrock had accessed at website containing sexually explicit images of children. A search of his computer and other electronic devices turned up more than 12,000 images that investigators said were consistent with child pornography.

Thurs. 4/4 10a:  On April 5 at the Outpost Performance Space, ten of the top performance poets in Albuquerque compete for a spot on the 2013 ABQ Poetry Slam Team, which will represent the city at the National Poetry Slam in August.  Spencer Beckwith speaks with ABQSlams Co-Slam Master, three-time ABQSlams City Champion, Damien Flores.

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico has filed a freedom-of-speech lawsuit against the Albuquerque Police Oversight Commission.

The ACLU contends that the civilian board limited the public comment period during a meeting in mid-December. The board reviews allegations of police misconduct and excessive force.

The police department has been plagued by a number of high-profile cases alleging excessive force. Since 2010, the city also has had a string of officer-involved shootings.

Officials with the Middle Rio Grande Irrigation District say the river is running considerably lower than normal for this time of year.

The district is warning farmers in central New Mexico that diversions have already started along the river but there's barely enough water to meet current irrigation demands.

The district is responsible for delivering water to about 70,000 acres of cropland in the Middle Rio Grande Valley.

Gov. Susana Martinez plans to sign a measure into law to lower taxes on corporations as an economic development incentive.

The governor's office said Martinez will sign the legislation on Thursday.

Key provisions will reduce the state's corporate income tax rate from 7.6 percent to 5.9 percent over five years, and provide a tax break to manufacturers that sell most of their goods and services outside of New Mexico.

Supporters say the tax changes can help New Mexico in recruiting businesses or encouraging them to expand, potentially bringing more jobs to the state.

Gov. Susana Martinez has signed legislation that will require convicted sex offenders who move to New Mexico to register with authorities for the crimes they committed in other states.

The governor said Wednesday the new law closes a loophole that had allowed some out-of-state sex offenders to avoid registration in New Mexico. The measure also will require offenders to supply authorities with more information, including their email addresses and monikers used on social networking site.

The new law takes effect in July.

The Public Education Department says state aid to school districts is increasing by the largest amount in five years.

Public Education Secretary Hanna Skandera said Wednesday the "unit value" next year for New Mexico's school funding formula will increase by 3.9 percent to $3,817 — up $144.

The higher amount should mean most districts receive additional state money in the 2013-14 school year, although the impact will vary for each district.

Jeff Bingaman, the former head of the U.S. Senate energy committee, is headed to back to Stanford Law School.

The New Mexico Democrat and Stanford alumnus will be joining the Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance as a distinguished fellow. The fellowship will last a year.

The law school says Bingaman will be reviewing the status of renewable energy standards in dozens of states to determine what policies can be adopted to improve the programs.

Bingaman says part of the mission is to find cost-effective solutions for advancing clean energy.

 Bernalillo County authorities say they won't seek charges against an Albuquerque police officer who was involved in a fatal shooting.

County District Attorney Kari Brandenburg and Chief Deputy District Attorney Deborah DePalo sent a letter of findings to Albuquerque Police Chief Ray Schultz on Wednesday.

The prosecutors say they found no probable cause to believe that officer Byron "Trey" Economidy acted unlawfully when he shot Jacob Mitschelen in February 2011. They determined the shooting was justified.

A dry winter, strong winds, and above average temperatures have caused the U.S. Department of Agriculture to declared much of the state to be in a drought emergency.
Jeff Witte with the New Mexico Department of Agriculture says that farmers with the ability to pump groundwater will be able to plant some crops this year. However, Witte says he's optimistic that farmers and ranchers in New Mexico will be able to continue providing viable crops to the state

A report released Wednesday from the Center for American Progress, ranks New Mexico the 10th worst state in the nation for gun deaths.

The report, called "America Under The Gun," puts New Mexico's gun-death rate, 40% higher than the national average, and looked at 10 key indicators like homicide, firearm violence against women, as well violence against law enforcement officials.

A nearly 500 mile run taking place this week will commemorate 100 years since the release of Chiricauhua Apache prisoners of war. At the same time, Apaches in New Mexico - the runners end destination - will be preparing a celebration to honor relatives that did not return home, while celebrating the generations born from those that survived.

The Archdiocese of Santa Fe is being sued over sex abuse allegations stemming from the 1980s at a parish in northern New Mexico.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in state district court on behalf of a 37-year-old man identified as "John Doe." It seeks unspecified damages from the archdiocese and St. Anthony parish in Questa.

The lawsuit states that the plaintiff's parents wanted him to be an altar boy. When he did, the now-deceased Rev. Michael O'Brien allegedly groomed him with what he called "massage time." That escalated into sexual abuse.

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has signed legislation aimed at saving the state's quarter-billion-dollar spaceport and retaining Virgin Galactic as its anchor tenant.

Martinez says the new law protecting commercial space travel companies will prevent lawsuit abuse and make it easier for the industry to thrive in New Mexico.

Officials at Virgin Galactic and Spaceport America have been fighting for years to get the legislation enacted, saying commercial space companies have passed over New Mexico in favor of states with more lenient liability exemptions.

A gun-rights group has won a preliminary injunction that will keep New Mexico from enforcing part of its concealed handgun carry law.

The Second Amendment Foundation sought the injunction on behalf of Rio Rancho resident John Jackson, a legal immigrant who was denied a concealed carry permit. Under New Mexico law, permits are granted only to U.S. citizens.

The ruling handed down late last week by Chief U.S. District Judge Christina Armijo blocks the state from enforcing the citizenship provision when it comes to qualified applicants who are legal residents.

  KUNM Call In Show Thu. 4/4 8a: In 2012, New Mexicans elected the first Latina to represent the state in Congress. Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham represents Albuquerque and the 1st district. This week on the KUNM Call In Show we'll speak with Rep. Lujan Grisham for a full one-hour radio town hall.

We'd like to hear from you!  What have the first few months in Washington DC been like for her? What do you think about her performance so far? And what would you like to see her prioritize?

Department of Agriculture officials will be in Pecos Tuesday to present funding for an upgrade to the village's aging drinking water system.

The USDA's rural development director for New Mexico, Terry Brunner, will present a certificate of obligation to the mayor and community promising to pay the project's $600,000 construction costs.

The Village of Pecos applied for the funding through the federal Community Program, which targets federal investments to rural communities of less than 10,000 people with serious drinking water quality, quantity and dependability problems.

Gov. Susana Martinez is scheduled to visit the southern New Mexico city of Truth or Consequences on Tuesday afternoon to sign a bill that will shield commercial space travel companies from some damage lawsuits.

The goal of the legislation is to keep Virgin Galactic as the anchor tenant at Spaceport America and to attract more commercial space companies to the state.

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez plans to sign legislation into law to finance more testing of race horses for illegal drug use and impose tougher penalties for violations.

The governor's office said Martinez is to sign the legislation Tuesday in Las Cruces

One measure is to provide an estimated $700,000 a year for testing by the State Racing Commission. The money will come from an existing tax on pari-mutuel wagering at horse racing tracks.

Monday marks the beginning of daytime watering restrictions in Bernalillo County.

Those who use sprinkler irrigation systems between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. will be subject to fines.

Katherine Yuhas of the Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority says only about half of the water reaches the ground when residents water during the hottest and windiest part of the day. The other half evaporates.

Outdoor irrigation accounts for 40 percent of the water authority's overall use.

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — Las Cruces' public schools plan a new program to enable students to provide school officials with anonymous reports on bullying, drugs, potential suicides and other trouble.

The Las Cruces Sun-News (http://bit.ly/XywxOx ) reports that the program will enable middle and high school students to use text messages, photos, video and a mobile app to anonymously send messages to school officials.

University of New Mexico Libraries is celebrating the three million volumes in its collection with a rare book on Billy the Kid.

The 1892 book, donated by the William A. Keleher Family, was written by Pat Garrett, the Lincoln County Sheriff who shot and killed the famous outlaw. The book is signed by Garrett and will become part of the Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections at University Libraries.

A judge has put New Mexico's lawsuit against the federal government over Rio Grande water management on hold while the U.S. Supreme Court decides whether to take up a separate lawsuit by Texas against New Mexico.

The Albuquerque Journal reports that U.S. District Court Judge James Browning ruled Friday that Texas' lawsuit might render the issues in the state-federal lawsuit moot.

The litigation revolves around water flowing out of Elephant Butte Reservoir to farms and cities in southern New Mexico and northwest Texas.

 New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez says Pope Francis blessed a photo of her late mother when the governor traveled to Rome earlier this month for the installation of the Catholic Church's new top leader.

Martinez traveled to Italy with a delegation led by Vice President Joe Biden to attend the pope's inauguration Mass on March 19.

The Albuquerque Journal reports that the photo Martinez carried to the ceremony was of her mother, Paula Aguirre, at the time of her mother's First Holy Communion.