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AG Says Keep Protections For Sex Assault Victims, 27 DWI Fugitives Caught

U.S. Air Force, Staff Sgt. Christopher Boitz
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Creative Commons

Martinez: 27 DWI Fugitives Caught In Aggressive Push - The Associated Press
 
New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has announced that 27 "most wanted" drunken driving fugitives have been captured since the state launched a new initiative two years ago.

Martinez said Wednesday that in addition to the fugitives more than 250 absconders with drunken driving issues have been taken into custody.
 
The announcement comes after the Martinez administration launched an aggressive drunken driving initiative in December 2015.
 
All of the 27 drunken driving fugitives once were listed on the state's top 10 list.
 
Last year, Martinez signed a bill aimed at toughening penalties for drunken driving offenses.
The bill makes it a second-degree felony to be convicted of eight or more DWIs, meaning tougher sentencing guidelines would be imposed.
 
Attorneys: Keep Protections For Sex Assault Victims In Place - The Associated Press
 
Attorneys general from Pennsylvania, New Mexico and more than a dozen other states are urging U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to keep in place protections for survivors of sexual assault on college campuses.
 
The attorneys sent a letter to DeVos on Wednesday, voicing their concerns about reports that suggest her office is preparing to rollback Obama-era guidance for stepped-up investigations of sexual assault at universities and colleges across the country.
 
DeVos said last week that the current system isn't working. She says allegations cannot be swept under the rug and that due process is needed.
 
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro says student safety needs to be put first. Several schools in his state are being investigated for their response to sexual assault.
 
In New Mexico, a 2016 federal investigation found that state's flagship school had failed in its handling of such cases.
 

New Mexico Land Commissioner Announces Run For CongressAssociated Press

Republican New Mexico State Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn has announced he will run for election to Congress for New Mexico's southern district instead of seeking a second term in state office.

Dunn said Tuesday that he hopes to win the GOP nomination to succeed U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, who is running for governor in 2018. Republican state Rep. Yvette Harrell of Alamogordo also is seeking the GOP nomination.

Dunn was elected in 2014 to lead a state agency that oversees state trust lands spanning 14,000 square miles that help fund schools, universities, hospitals and other public institutions. Two Democrats already are aggressively vying for that job.

Dunn unsuccessfully sought the GOP nomination for the southern congressional district in 2008, when Pearce left to run unsuccessfully for Senate.

Frontier Airlines To Fly Between Albuquerque And DenverAssociated Press

Frontier Airlines will begin offering service between Albuquerque and Denver later this year.

Albuquerque Mayor Richard J. Berry and city aviation officials made the announcement Tuesday. Ticket sales for the daily, nonstop flight began immediately and the flights will take off starting Oct. 24.

Since 2009, the Albuquerque airport has added four airlines with service to three new destinations and expanded options to six existing destinations.

Officials say year-to-date traffic at the airport is up 2 percent over 2016.

The airport is currently undergoing a $30 million renovation to the pre-security area of the terminal. Modernization of the baggage claim, ticketing and curbside areas is scheduled to be done in late 2108.

Independent Feature 'Icebox' To Film In New MexicoAssociated Press

New Mexico will serve as the backdrop for a new independent feature film about a boy who is caught by U.S. immigration authorities after leaving his home in Honduras.

Officials with the New Mexico Film Office say "Icebox" is beginning principal photography this month in Albuquerque and Espanola. The work will last through early August.

The production will employ 80 New Mexico crew members, 40 principal actors from the state and about 500 extras.

The independent feature is directed by Daniel Sawka and is an adaptation of his short film by the same name. The short film premiered last year at the Seattle Film Festival.

The feature film stars Anthony Gonzales, Genesis Rodriguez, Matthew Moreno and Omar Leyva.

'Breaking Bad' Chemistry Teacher Faces Prison For Meth PlanAssociated Press

A former high school chemistry teacher convicted of cooking methamphetamines in New Mexico like the fictional Walter White character in the show "Breaking Bad" is set to be sentenced.

John W. Gose is scheduled Wednesday to learn his fate after pleading guilty to trafficking by manufacturing a controlled substance.

The 56-year-old Gose was arrested in October after police discovered glassware, rubber tubing, and chemicals used to cook methamphetamines during a routine traffic stop.

New Mexico State Police later found more chemicals and supplies at his southern New Mexico home.

Authorities say Gose taught high school science in El Paso, Texas, and middle school science in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

"Breaking Bad" follows a former high school teacher, played by Bryan Cranston, as he manufactures meth with a former student.

Federal Spending Proposal Calls For Review Of Wolf GeneticsAssociated Press

Environmentalists are concerned that a proposed spending plan for the U.S. Interior Department calls for a study to determine whether Mexican gray wolves are a genetically distinct subspecies.

A report accompanying the legislation suggests federal wildlife officials would be required to determine the validity of the Mexican wolves' designation as a subspecies of the gray wolf. Red wolves also would be reviewed.

The federal agency would have a year to conduct its work and submit a report to Congress.

Michael Robinson with the Center for Biological Diversity criticized the proposal as a strategy to strip the wolves of protections. He says a handful of genetic studies done since 1996 have confirmed the Mexican wolf as a valid subspecies.

There are at least 113 Mexican gray wolves in the wild in Arizona and New Mexico.

Feds Close Inquiry Into Police Shooting Of Homeless ManAssociated Press

Federal prosecutors say there's not enough evidence to pursue criminal civil rights charges against the Albuquerque police officers who were involved in the 2014 fatal shooting of a homeless man that spurred public protest.

The U.S. Justice Department announced Tuesday it was closing its investigation into the death of James Boyd and that officials had met with Boyd's family and their representative to inform them of the decision.

Boyd, who had a history of mental illness, was shot and killed following an hours-long standoff with authorities after he was discovered camping illegally in the foothills bordering Albuquerque.

Two former Albuquerque officers were tried on second-degree murder charges in the case that ended in a mistrial last year before state prosecutors cleared them both.

Federal officials described their review as careful and thorough.

52-Year-Old Man Dies After Standoff With Las Cruces Police – Las Cruces Sun-News, Associated Press

A Las Cruces police officer is on standard administrative leave following a standoff that ended with the death of a 52-year-old man.

The Las Cruces Sun-News reports authorities say the officer fired multiple times at Ernesto Sedillo on Monday after the man pointed a gun at him. The officer retreated and called for backup, not knowing if Sedillo was hit.

Authorities are still investigating the circumstances. A handgun and knife were found inside the sedan where Sedillo had barricaded himself.

Police Spokesman Dan Trujillo says officers had received reports of suspicious activity and a person who was possibly armed with a knife before the shooting.

Police say a flash-bang device was detonated at the scene, but there was no response from Sedillo.

Officers then approached the vehicle and found Sedillo unresponsive with at least one gunshot wound.