Ice, Snow Cover Some New Mexico Roads After Storms – The Associated Press
Officials were warning motorists about difficult driving conditions Saturday morning along some New Mexico roadways as a result of stormy winter weather.
Late Friday, Albuquerque police cautioned people about doing any driving because of treacherous conditions that caused numerous traffic accidents.
That message came hours after the city public school system closed schools due to a winter storm that left many highways and roads around the state covered with ice and snow. Rio Rancho schools also were closed. UNM is still closed.
In the wake of that storm, officials on Friday morning warned of severe driving conditions in many areas.
After another storm system moved in, the state Department of Transportation reported early Saturday that some areas still presented difficult driving conditions due to snow packed or icy roadways.
Those areas included a 150-mile stretch of Interstate 25 between Rowe and Raton, a 150-mile segment of U.S. 64 from Agua Fria to Clayton, and 70 miles along I-40 between Clines Corners and Newkirk.
Crews were busy before dawn plowing, salting and cindering the roads.
Late-Term Abortion Ban Headed To New Mexico House Floor – The Associated Press
A measure that would ban late-term abortions is on its way to the House floor for consideration.
The House Judiciary Committee advanced the measure Friday on a 7-6 party-line vote.
Those who spoke in favor of the measure said lawmakers had an obligation to stand up for unborn children, but opponents had reservations about government weighing in on what they described as a personal decision.
The bill would allow exceptions if the procedure were necessary to preserve the life or health of the woman or if the pregnancy resulted from sexual abuse, rape or incest.
Supporters say the bill is designed to bring New Mexico in line with 42 other states.
The committee also approved along party lines a measure that would require parental notification for minors seeking to have an abortion.
Senate Reconfirms Appointment Of New Mexico Health Boss – The Associated Press
New Mexico's top health official has the backing of the state Senate.
The chamber voted unanimously Friday to reconfirm Retta Ward's appointment as head of the state Health Department. She has held the post since January 2013.
Ward said in a statement that she's humbled by the support she has received and that her department is made up of people who are dedicated to making New Mexico a healthier place to live.
During her tenure at the department, New Mexico was among 14 states and territories to report a decline in adult obesity rates. The teen birth rate also dropped 10 percent in a year's time.
Ward previously managed the arthritis program for the Arizona Department of Health Services and worked as a health educator for Albuquerque Public Schools.