Wells Fargo Settles Lawsuit With New Mexico Employee Group - The Associated Press
A group representing retired public employees in New Mexico has announced that Wells Fargo has agreed to pay $50 million to settle a dispute over loses with Wachovia Bank.
The Public Employees Retirement Association of New Mexico said Thursday that the San Francisco-based Wells Fargo agreed to the payment to settle disputed claims with losses in the group's securities lending portfolio.
The PERA board sued the Wachovia Bank for breach of contract and fiduciary duty to recover losses.
Wells Fargo bought Wachovia Bank in 2008.
Under the terms of the agreement, Wells Fargo denied any wrongdoing.
Wells Fargo issued a statement saying it believed the investments made by Wachovia were suitable at the time of purchase and that it took a conservative approach during extreme market uncertainty to minimize losses.
Man Accused Of Killing Officer Indicted On Murder Charge – The Associated Press
A New Mexico man accused of fatally shooting a Rio Rancho police officer during a traffic stop has been indicted on murder charges.
Thirteenth Judicial District Attorney Lemuel Martinez announced Friday that a grand jury handed down indictments against 28-year-old Andrew Romero and his girlfriend, Tabitha Littles, for the May 25 shooting death of Officer Gregg Benner.
Prosecutors say Romero told Littles he was going to shoot the officer before opening fire. Police say Littles had a chance to tell Benner his plans before he was shot during a chaotic traffic stop in a parking lot.
Romero faces nine other counts aside from the charge, including two counts of tampering with evidence.
His lawyer, Stephen Taylor, says he is reviewing the indictment.
House Panel Calls Out Nuke Officials For Repeated Failures – The Associated Press
Members of a U.S. House panel say they're frustrated with decades of security and safety lapses at the sites that make up the nation's nuclear complex.
They called out top officials with the U.S. Energy Department and the National Nuclear Safety Administration during a hearing Friday in Washington, D.C.
The panel focused on oversight failures that contributed to a 2014 radiation release that forced the closure of the nation's only underground nuclear waste repository in southern New Mexico.
An energy department official said it's unclear how much it will cost to resume full operations.
Republican Rep. Chris Collins of New York says taxpayers are on the hook for mistakes made at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant and wanted to know why no one was fired.
Union Pacific Plans To Spend $23 Million On New Mexico Work – The Associated Press
Union Pacific Corp. has announced it plans to spend $23 million in 2015 to maintain and improve its rail lines in New Mexico.
UP said the work includes $21 million to maintain track, $120,000 to enhance signal systems and nearly $2 million to maintain or replace bridges.
The track work includes projects in several areas of the state to replace rail and ties and install new ballast foundations for track.
One project involves track between the Arizona-New Mexico line and Santa Teresa, where UP recently constructed a hub to handle cross-border freight traffic.
The company said its work in New Mexico is part of $4.2 billion of planned spending across its 23-state network.
Mora County Considers Oil And Gas Drilling Issue Again – The Associated Press and The ABQ Journal
A northeastern New Mexico county that unsuccessfully tried to ban a type of oil and gas drilling may consider imposing a moratorium while it drafts a new proposal to impose strict limitations.
Mora County was sued over its 2013 ban of hydraulic fracturing, resulting in a federal judge overturning it in January.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that the county Commissioner George Trujillo said a new measure imposing limitations could be similar to ones already on the books in Las Vegas and Santa Fe County.
According to Trujillo, the commission could consider the issue during a July 14 meeting or possibly sooner.
Hydraulic fracturing extracts oil and natural gas from the ground by injecting water, sand or gravel and chemicals at high pressure into cracks beneath the earth's surface.
Navajo Beliefs About Snakes Lead To Removal From Tribal Zoo – The Associated Press
The Navajo Nation Zoo has shipped off three snakes that were deterring visitors from seeing other animals kept in the same area.
The reason lies in cultural beliefs about snakes as bad omens.
Zoo manager David Mikesic said Friday that the zoo has exhibited snakes for decades but they've been unpopular. He says many school teachers didn't want children seeing them or even breathing the same air as the snakes.
The two bull snakes were shipped to a Utah aquarium in March, and the rattlesnake was sent to a New York zoological society last month.
Navajo medicine man Anthony Lee Sr. says watching snakes eat, shed their skin or mate can affect Navajos' physical and mental health. Navajo ceremonies depict snakes, but they're never a sign of anything good.
Police Officer That Fatally Shot 19-Year-Old Still Certified – The Associated Press and KOAT-TV
A former Albuquerque police officer who shot and killed a woman still has his police certification.
KOAT-TV reports the Law Enforcement Agency Board sent Jeremy Dear a letter of caution this week, which means he can still be an officer in New Mexico.
Last year, Dear fatally shot 19-year-old Mary Hawkes.
Dear had been chasing Hawkes, who was suspected of car theft, on foot. Police say Hawkes pointed a gun at Dear, so he shot her.
Dear had been wearing a body camera that wasn't on during the incident. He said it had malfunctioned.
According to the Albuquerque Police Department, Dear was fired in December for insubordination and untruthfulness.
Dear's attorney, Tom Grover, says he will make sure people are held accountable in Dear's case.
2 Ex-Officers Indicted In Las Cruces Holding-Cell Beating - The Associated Press
A grand jury has charged two former Las Cruces police officers with aggravated battery in the beating of a man in a holding cell.
Former Officers Richard P. Garcia and Danny Salcido were indicted in the Dec. 23 beating in a holding cell at the Las Cruces Police Department.
Lawyers for Ross Flynn have said he was severely beaten while handcuffed in the cell.
Flynn was later hospitalized with a skull fracture.
He had been arrested after allegedly pointing a rifle at his neighbor over a parking space and then ignoring officer's commands at the scene.
Salcido didn't have a listed phone number, and a number listed for Garcia wasn't working.
Salcido and Garcia were fired last month.
Albuquerque Police Recover 17 Guns Believed To Be Stolen - The Associated Press
Albuquerque police say they've recovered 17 guns apparently stolen in southeastern New Mexico.
Police say they believe the guns were stolen from a person in Loving, a community near Carlsbad.
According to police, an officer received a tip from a lawyer that a person had turned over 17 guns to the lawyer because the person believed the guns were stolen.
The officer then investigated and found that guns recovered matched descriptions provided by the owner whose guns were stolen in May.
No suspect is in custody.
Police: Dad Steals School Mac At Parent-Teacher Conference - The Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal
A father attending an elementary school parent-teacher conference is facing charges after police say he stole a laptop and gave it to his child to carry out.
The Albuquerque Journal reports 28-year-old Demetrius O'Neill was arrested Tuesday and charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, larceny and child abuse in connection with the alleged February heist.
According to police, O'Neill was seen on surveillance video walking out of Edward Gonzales Elementary School classroom holding the MacBook laptop.
The mother of their children, Nichole Sandoval, says police showed up at her Albuquerque home and said they could see the laptop inside a car parked in the driveway.
She says O'Neill apologized to their children and told them he made a mistake.
It's unclear if O'Neill had an attorney.
Albuquerque Firefighters Contain Fire At Business - The Associated Press
Albuquerque firefighters were able to keep a fire in a furniture business from spreading to two adjacent businesses in a strip mall.
The Fire Department says smoke from the fire was visible from miles away as firefighters headed to Rodeo Rustic Furniture at 111 Carlisle Northeast Thursday morning.
According to the department, firefighters were able to put out the fire within 30 minutes.
Further details were not immediately available.
Thunderstorm Sweeps Into San Juan County - The Associated Press and Daily Times
A severe thunderstorm swept Thursday into San Juan County.
The Farmington Daily Times reports that the Animas River was flooding over its banks in Farmington.
The flooding prompted the closure of several river trails.
The National Weather Service reports that a severe thunderstorm was located just after noon over Flora Vista.
Hazards include wind gusts moving at 60 miles per hour and penny-sized hail.
'Black Mold' Found In Some Curry County Jail Cells - The Associated Press and Clovis News Journal
Officials have confirmed that black mold has been found in
some Curry County Detention Center jail cells and high levels of carbon dioxide were located in its medical office.
The Clovis News Journal reports the test results were released Wednesday in response to a public records request filed by the newspaper.
County Manager Lance Pyle said the pod where the black mold was located had been vacant since May 12 because it was getting a new coat of paint.
Investigators said recent heavy rainfall caused major leaks in the jail. The report notes they found "microbial contamination that was active and growing," on drywall ceilings, fiberglass duct work, ceiling tiles and horizontal surfaces.
Albuquerque Woman Gets 5 Years For Selling Oxycodone - The Associated Press
An Albuquerque woman who pleaded guilty to selling the painkiller oxycodone was sentenced Thursday in federal court to more than five years in prison.
Authorities say 53-year-old Crystal Staggs sold 245 oxycodone pills to an undercover agent in June and July of 2012 and tried to sell an additional 100 pills to an undercover agent in August 2012.
Staggs pleaded guilty in April to possession with intent to distribute the painkiller.