Judge Rejects Motion To Dismiss Teacher Evaluation Lawsuit - The Associated Press
A state district judge has denied a motion by the New Mexico Public Education Department to dismiss a lawsuit over the agency's contested teacher evaluation system.
The Albuquerque Teachers Federation and the American Federation of Teachers filed a lawsuit earlier this year, saying the evaluation system was punitive and based on flawed methodology.
Judge David Thomson denied the department's motion during a hearing Wednesday in Santa Fe, clearing the way for the case to continue.
Union officials say they're pleased with the ruling.
Public Education Department spokesman Robert McEntyre called the suit a "disappointing distraction" from the agency's mission of providing a quality education to every child.
He says previous attempts to undermine the evaluation system already have been rejected by state courts.
Fired Albuquerque Officer Could Lose Certification – The Associated Press & KOB
A police officer who was fired two years ago from the Albuquerque Police Department could lose her law enforcement certification.
KOB-TV reports that a hearing officer has recommended the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy Board revoke Dawne Roberto's certification because of her alleged involvement with an anti-Albuquerque police blog.
The board accepted the recommendation last week.
Roberto, who currently works as a sergeant for Bosque Farms police, can appeal the board's decision.
She and her attorney did not immediately return calls requesting comment.
Bosque Farms Police Chief Gregory Jones says Roberto is a "terrific employee" and wishes more officers were like her.
Roberto was fired in 2013 for allegedly writing hateful blog posts about police and city officials under a pseudonym.
2 New Mexico Courts To Use New Risk Assessment Tool – The Associated Press
Judges in two of New Mexico's busiest courts will be implementing a new risk assessment tool to better assess which criminal defendants pose the highest risk to the community.
A trial run of the new system will begin July 1 in the 2nd Judicial District and Metropolitan Court in Albuquerque.
The new protocol will rank defendants into four categories meant to measure how likely they are to re-offend before their trial or to not show up for trial. The system also aims to safeguard against low-risk defendants lingering in jail while awaiting trial.
Judges already do similar assessments of defendants, but the protocol will provide for a uniform process.
Metro Court Presiding Criminal Judge Sandra Engel tells the Albuquerque Journal that judges will still have judicial discretion.
Police: Officer Shot Dog 7 Times During Wanted Man Search – The Associated Press and KOB
Authorities say a Truth or Consequences police officer shot a family dog seven times during a search for a wanted man.
KOB-TV in Albuquerque reports the officer shot and killed the dog Friday in the southern New Mexico town after police say the large bull mastiff attacked him.
Truth or Consequences Chief Lee Alirez the officer fired two rounds into the dog but the animal didn't release his grip so he fired five more.
Christina Sims, the dog's owner, says she was in the shower when she heard gunshots. She found her dog in the kitchen in a pile of blood.
Sims says a previous tenant who may have known the suspect didn't even live at the home.
Alirez says his officer, who was not named, had to go to the hospital for bite wounds.
Immigrant Driver Licenses In New Mexico Drop To Low Levels – The Associated Press
Records show the number of newly issued driver's licenses to immigrants in New Mexico has plunged to its lowest level since the state began granting driving privileges to foreign nationals living in the country illegally.
State records obtained by The Associated Press showed only 4,577 licenses were issued to foreign nationals in 2014. That's a 70 percent drop from 2010 before Gov. Susana Martinez became governor and when New Mexico issued more than 15,000 such licenses.
Records also show the number of licenses issued has been steadily declining since 2010.
There's no clear explanation for the drop and there has been no change to state's policy despite efforts by Martinez to repeal the law.
Officials do not know how many licenses went to immigrants illegally living in the U.S. because applicants aren't required to submit information about their immigration status.
Albuquerque Water Utility Approves Rate Increase – The Associated Press
New Mexico's largest water utility has approved the latest in a series of planned rate increases to pay for infrastructure improvements.
The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority says the rate hike will add about $4 a month to the average residential water and sewer bill during the winter and just under $5 a month in the summer.
Utility spokesman David Morris says a quarter of the system's water and sewer pipes are more than 50 years old, and in 2014 there were more than 700 water line breaks around the city.
He says the utility needs to act now to address infrastructure issues, or they will become worse and more expensive. The utility says it needs to spend about $76 million a year to address the backlog.
Spending Bill Includes Funds For Historic Santa Fe Building - The Associated Press
The capital spending bill signed this week by Gov. Susana Martinez includes $680,000 for much-needed repairs and improvements at the Palace of the Governors.
The adobe structure is billed as the oldest continuously occupied public building in the United States. Earlier this year, it was named a treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as part of an effort to raise awareness.
The group welcomed the governor's signature, saying the funding will serve as a down payment for work on the building.
Built in 1610, the palace sits at the edge of Santa Fe's historic plaza. Under its portal, Native American artisans from surrounding pueblos gather each day to sell their handmade wares to passing tourists.
Inside, the building is filled with exhibits that highlight New Mexico's history.
New Mexico Fiesta Queen Under Fire - The Associated Press
A queen of a northern New Mexico fiesta who had her crown stolen may be kicked off her throne.
The 2015 Espanola Fiesta Council was scheduled today to discuss the future of Fiesta queen Angelina Vigil.
The 24-year-old attacked Espanola on social media and said she hated visiting the city after her mother's home was burglarized and the crown was stolen this week.
She later apologized.
The theft of the crown generated a "Find the Crown" search on social media by organizers of the annual summertime fiesta. They say the crown has a lot of historical value to the region.
New Mexico Gov. Martinez Signs Capital Spending Bill - The Associated Press
New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has signed a capital spending bill that includes around $45 million for needed highway infrastructure projects.
The Republican governor signed Wednesday the $294 million measure at St. Luke's Health Care Clinic in Las Cruces and said it would be seen as a "job-creation bill."
She vetoed around $1.1 million in projects — many she said weren't fully funded.
Last week, the GOP-controlled House and the Democratic-led Senate passed the capital spending bill following a four-hour special session that came after an agreement between Martinez and Senate Democrats.
The capital bill, which pays for roads, school improvements and water projects, came after months of negotiations and partisan squabbling that drew fire from unions, mayors and business leaders.
New Mexico AG Wants More 'Transparency' In Campaign Finance - The Associated Press
New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas says he wants to increase "transparency and accountability" in the state's campaign finance reporting process.
Balderas sent Secretary of State Dianna Duran a letter Wednesday describing what he sees as shortcomings in the current system of campaign finance reporting.
The Democrat says he'd like to see the reinstatement of mandatory fines for violation of the Campaign Reporting Act during the upcoming legislative session.
He also recommended that Duran establish a robust notification system to better track enforcement of campaign reporting legal requirements and that she employ a dedicated officer to conduct statewide trainings.
Ken Ortiz, a spokesman for the Secretary of State, did not immediately return a phone message from The Associated Press.
Expert Warns Of Future Medicaid Costs For New Mexico - The Associated Press
New Mexico is in good shape now that revenues are lining up with projections made earlier this year when lawmakers were forced to weigh dropping oil and gas prices to hammer out the state budget.
But a top legislative finance expert warned during a meeting Wednesday in Santa Fe that future years will be challenging due to the state's decision to expand Medicaid coverage for low-income residents under the federal health care overhaul.
The director of the Legislative Finance Committee, David Abbey, says more than 200,000 people have come onto the rolls in recent years. That brings the total in New Mexico to 800,000.
Once the rate of federal cost-sharing for the expansion drops to 90 percent, Abbey says New Mexico's share is expected to balloon to about $120 million.
New Mexico AG Names Widow Of Slain Officer To Review Panel - The Associated Press
New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas has named the widow of a slain Rio Rancho police officer to a task force that is reviewing the state's criminal justice system.
Balderas said Wednesday that Julie Benner, the wife of the late Gregg "Nigel" Benner, will join the Violent Crimes Case Review Team.
Authorities say Benner was shot and killed by 28-year-old Andrew Romero during a traffic stop last month in the Albuquerque suburb. Romero was a repeat offender who critics say slipped through the justice system before his encounter with Benner.
Earlier this month, Balderas said circumstances that led to Romero's release will be part of an inquiry by his office.
Balderas previously announced his intention to complete a case review analysis to address problems with the state's criminal justice system.
Utah Man Gets 366-Day Prison Term For Unlawful Solicitation - The Associated Press
A former Army sergeant who was stationed in New Mexico has been sentenced to 366 days in federal prison for soliciting gifts and property under false pretenses.
Prosecutors say 44-year-old Michael Vernon Rupert of Cedar City, Utah also was ordered Wednesday to pay nearly $6,900 in restitution and will be on supervised release for three years after serving his prison term.
Rupert pleaded guilty in the case in February in federal court in Las Cruces.
He was arrested in October 2013 on three counts of unlawful solicitation and use of gifts.
Rupert was accused of soliciting about $35,000 worth of military and law enforcement-type clothing and shooting gear from three manufacturers between July 2012 and May 2013.
Authorities say he falsely claimed they were for use by the U.S. Army.
Court Rules Out Key Evidence In Fatal Sexual Assault Trial - The Associated Press
A federal appeals court says a 911 recording can be excluded in the trial of a Jemez Pueblo man charged with sexual assault resulting in death.
The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Albuquerque upheld a district court's decision in a ruling issued Wednesday.
The district court prohibited a 911 call made by victim Lynette Becenti during the assault because prosecutors had added it to an evidence list three months past deadline.
The court had argued it would be too disruptive to delay Gavin Yepa's trial so his defense could prepare for possibly incriminating evidence.
Prosecutors say Yepa met Becenti in San Ysidro on Dec. 29, 2011. He allegedly was sexually assaulting her at his home when she became unresponsive.
An autopsy found she died from excessive internal hemorrhaging.
CBP Officers At New Mexico Port Seize $1.6M In Marijuana - The Associated Press
Federal authorities in New Mexico have seized more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana from a truck hauling steel pipes and say the drugs are worth an estimated $1.6 million.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers say a flatbed trailer hauling a shipment of 80 20-foot-long steel pipes arrived at the Columbus port of entry last Friday night from Mexico.
The truck was secured and the shipment off loaded Saturday.
CBP officers examined the load and determined 12 pipes were filled with steel containers.
They drilled into one container and found a green substance that tested positive for marijuana.
Authorities say 108 steel containers were removed from 12 of the pipes and 949 marijuana-filled bricks were found inside. The marijuana weighed a combined 2,095 pounds.
No arrests have been made yet.
New Mexico Fiesta Queen Blasts Town After Crown Stolen - The Associated Press and Santa Fe New Mexican
The queen of a northern New Mexico fiesta honoring the arrival of Spanish conquistador Don Juan de Oñate says her crown, worn by beauty queens for nearly 50 years, has been stolen.
And Española Valley Fiesta queen Angelina Vigil says the theft is just another reason why she hates her mother's crime-plagued town.
The 24-year-old Vigil told the Santa Fe New Mexican burglars broke into her mother's Española home Tuesday and stole the crown, among other items.
The silver and turquoise crown has adorned the styled heads of La Reina de la fiesta since 1969, including Debbie Rodella, a Democratic state lawmaker.
Vigil says she won't stop looking for her crown. But she posted on Facebook she hated coming to Española, a city known for its high crime rate.