89.9 FM Live From The University Of New Mexico
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Headlines: Carlsbad Flooding, Clovis Police Arrest, Gov. Race Heating Up,Ex-APD Sergeant On Trial

(nz)dave via Flickr

24 Spent Night In Carlsbad Shelter Due To FloodingThe Associated Press

Some Carlsbad residents spent the night in a shelter because of Pecos River flooding that is now receding.

Red Cross spokeswoman Beverly Allen says 24 people took refuge at a shelter at Carlsbad High School.

Eddy County emergency center spokesman Kenny Rayroux says the problem stems from flooding of the Pecos River that runs through Carlsbad.

However, Rayroux says the river crested early Monday morning and is now receding.

Rayroux says police, deputies and National Guard soldiers told residents of 110 homes that they needed to evacuate, but it's not known how many actually left their homes.

Southeastern New Mexico has experienced flooding since Friday as a result of the remnants of Hurricane Odile.

But Rayroux says heavy rain Sunday swelled the Pecos, causing the latest inundation.

New Mexico Man In Police Force Case Arrested - The Associated Press & Clovis News Journal

A man who accused a Clovis police officer of using excessive force has been arrested after authorities say he chased two men with a screwdriver in a child-custody dispute.

The Clovis News Journal reports court records show that 26-year-old Jorge Corona was arrested last week in connection with an altercation outside a Clovis home.

The skirmish ended with Corona facing two felony counts of aggravated assault.

Clovis police recently launched an investigation following a YouTube video of an officer slamming a handcuffed Corona into the asphalt during a traffic stop in August. Court records show Corona was charged with concealing identity and resisting arrest from the August incident.

Corona's attorney, Dan Lindsey, said police didn't thoroughly investigate the latest case and are trying to vindicate their officer.

Gubernatorial Candidates Face Off At Forum - The Associated Press

Republican incumbent Susana Martinez and Democratic challenger Gary King disagreed over the economy and schools in their first appearance together at a candidate forum in New Mexico's race for governor.

King criticized Martinez for presiding over the "worst economy in the country," and said New Mexico has lagged behind other states in job growth.

Martinez jabbed at King for supporting tax increases to balance the budget two decades when he served in the Legislature.

To improve education, King said the state should tap into a permanent fund to expand early childhood education programs.

Martinez reiterated her support for legislation to hold back third graders, rather than promoting them to the next class, if they can't read proficiently.

Martinez and King faced off Monday during a forum sponsored by business groups.

Ex-Police Sergeant Goes On Trial In Fatal Accident - The Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal

A former Albuquerque police sergeant is going on trial on charges stemming from an off-duty accident that killed a 21-year-old woman.

Ashley Browder was killed Feb. 10, 2013 when a vehicle driven by her 19-year-old sister collided with a police SUV driven by Adam Casaus, who since has been fired from the Police Department.

Charges of homicide and reckless driving accuse Casaus of speeding and running through a red light, broadsiding the Browder sisters' vehicle.

The Albuquerque Journal reports that jury selection begins Monday.

The Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office said Casaus drove through a red light at about 65 mph with his emergency lights on but without his siren activated.

Casaus' shift was over but he told investigators that he was looking for a possible drunken driver.

Albuquerque Workers Want To Halt Pay Raises - The Associated Press and KOAT TV

More than 2,000 Albuquerque municipal employees say a proposed pay raise by the city would come at the cost of an unapproved contract.

KOAT-TV reports that representatives for more than 2,000 workers have filed a temporary restraining order against the city.

Mayor Richard Berry's administration announced earlier this month a 3 percent pay hike following an impasse with union locals representing workers.

Union representative Rocky Gutierrez says the workers do want raises. He says the city is also going to enforce the rest of a contract that the two parties have not been able to agree on since 2010.

City officials say they are reviewing the restraining order and intend to dispute it.

The pay raise was to take effect with paychecks issued Friday.

Gubernatorial Candidates To Face Off At Forum - The Associated Press

Republican incumbent Susana Martinez and Democratic challenger Gary King are to appear together at a candidate forum for the first time in New Mexico's race for governor.

Martinez and King will face off Monday in Albuquerque during a forum sponsored by the state chapter of a commercial real estate development association.

A poll by the Albuquerque Journal earlier this month showed Martinez leading the race with 54 percent support among likely voters to 36 percent for King.

The candidates will participate in two televised debates next month, including one in which Martinez will speak in Spanish and King will use a translator.

The governor and King outlined their policy differences last week during separate appearances at a conference in Las Cruces at New Mexico State University.

Poll Shows New Mexico Split On Business Incentives - The Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal

A newspaper's poll has found that nearly half of New Mexico voters support luring employers to the state with financial incentives.

The poll by the Albuquerque Journal shows 49 percent of voters are behind offering as much as $1 billion worth of financial incentives to attract a large company.

Thirty-nine percent say they were against offering public incentives. The remaining voters say they had mixed feelings or were undecided.

The poll was conducted Sept. 9-11, a few days after New Mexico lost out to be the site of a new Tesla plant.

The poll was based on telephone interviews with 500 people who voted in the 2010 and 2012 elections and said they would likely vote again this year. The poll's margin of error was 4.4 percentage points.

Roswell Airport Awarded $6.6M For Repairs - The Associated Press

The Roswell airport is getting millions of dollars in federal funding for needed repairs and upgrades.

The Current-Argus reports that the U.S. Department of Transportation recently awarded more than $6 million to Roswell International Air center.

Air Center Manager Jennifer Brady Griego says the southeast New Mexico hub is getting a $20 million expansion of a runway.

The airport, located 5 miles south of Roswell, was originally Walker Air Force Base.

The runway has not had any major maintenance done to it since it was built by the military.

The airport has two runways and serves roughly 39,000 flyers each year.

The facility also plans to add two more flights with service to Phoenix.

Lead In 60-Year-Old Santa Fe Case May Fizzle - The Associated Press and Santa Fe New Mexican

Investigators say several bone fragments are looking less likely to be connected a Santa Fe woman who disappeared more than 60 years ago.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that police said Thursday a lab in Texas determined that all but one of four fragments came from an animal.

Police spokeswoman Celina Espinoza says the lab will continue testing the last bone.

Police found the fragments in March in the garage of a home that once belonged to the husband of 26-year-old Inez Garcia.

Garcia was last seen in the early morning of Nov. 6, 1952 by her sister when the two were at a downtown bar.

Police went on to question husband Juan Garcia several times.

Juan Garcia died in the mid-1990s. The couple had four children.