Lawsuit Accuses Boy Scouts Of Negligence In New Mexico Abuse - Associated Press

A 44-year-old man has filed a lawsuit against the Boy Scouts of America, saying two Catholic priests who served as scout leaders in New Mexico sexually abused him for years starting in the early 1980s.

The lawsuit filed Thursday accuses the organization of negligence — with the victim saying officials knew or had reason to know the priests had abused boys.

The victim, who remains unnamed in the court filing, said he was abused during hiking and camping trips in the state, including at Cochiti Lake and Jemez.

The priests accused of abuse in the lawsuit are Ronald Bruckner and Robert Malloy, neither of whom are listed as defendants.

Chris Shelby, the director of the Boy Scouts branch in New Mexico, did not immediately return an Associated Press call requesting comment.

Santa Fe-Based Arts Venture Sets Sights On Washington - Associated Press

The New Mexico-based startup company for immersive art installations known as Meow Wolf is planning a large-scale exhibition in Washington, D.C.

Meow Wolf announced Tuesday that it is working in partnership with the Washington-based Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation to create the venture.

The three-story exhibit is scheduled for 2022 in the Fort Totten community. It will span an area the size of a large grocery store.

Meow Wolf rose to prominence with an interactive exhibit in a converted Santa Fe bowling alley that combines psychedelic design work with narrative storytelling.

The company has been awarded public economic development incentives in New Mexico and is launching other ventures in Denver and Las Vegas. A self-made documentary describes the emergence of Meow Wolf from a local arts cooperative.

New Mexico Charter School Gets Money For Students Who Left - Associated Press

New Mexico state budget analysts say an embattled charter school continues to receive money for hundreds of students who no longer are enrolled.

An accountability report from the state Legislative Finance Committee says New Mexico Connections Academy will receive about $6 million during the current school year for students who are no longer enrolled. New Mexico bases school funding on prior-year enrollment.

Enrollment plunged by hundreds of students after the state education officials declined to renew the school's charter amid lagging student academic proficiency. A district judge overturned the decision in October.

Connections Academy teaches students over the internet without traditional classrooms. The school contracts with the for-profit education curriculum provider Connections Education that is owned by Pearson.

Officials at the school were not immediately available to comment.

Southern California Officials OK Colorado River Drought Plan - Associated Press

Southern California's largest water wholesaler has approved a drought contingency plan that it hopes will help ensure the drought-stressed Colorado River will supply the Southwest for a decade.

General Manager Jeffrey Kightlinger says Tuesday's approval adds the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to water agencies in New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming that have approved plans to take less water from key river reservoirs, including lakes Mead and Powell.

Arizona, several water agencies and Congress still must approve the reserve plan, which Kightlinger calls a tourniquet that will buy time to deal with predicted shortages. The river provides about 25 percent of the water for Southern California cities and farms.

The approval by the MWD board comes ahead of talks about contingency plans this week in Las Vegas.

Gunman Prompts Lockdown At Northern New Mexico College - KOB-TV, Associated Press

Officials say a gunman forced Northern New Mexico College to lockdown its campus.

KOB-TV reports students at the Española college were urged Monday night to stay indoors as authorities searched for a reported gunman who allegedly confronted two female student-athletes on campus.

Campus security officer Elijah Abeyta says the incident happened around 6:30 p.m., when a male suspect allegedly pointed a gun at the students in front of the main library.

The incident prompted a campus lockdown as authorities searched for the alleged gunman.

The lockdown was lifted around 7:30 p.m.

Abeyta says it's unclear as to why the two student-athletes were targeted. He says no shots were fired but the suspect fled in a vehicle with two other occupants, a male and a female.

Santa Fe Considers Lending Former College's Art Collection - The Santa Fe New Mexican, Associated Press

The city of Santa Fe is considering lending out a collection of art and multimedia assets that once belonged to the College of Santa Fe.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports the city Public Works Committee approved Monday the proposed loan program that would allow the collection to be loaned to public or private nonprofit entities as a means of providing for "responsible stewardship of a significant financial and community asset."

The collection valued in the millions of dollars includes rare books, recordings, sculptures, drawings, photographs, oil paintings and ancient ceramics.

According to a city memo, the collection is intended to be used in an educational setting.

The city Finance Committee is expected to consider the proposal later this month. The city council is scheduled to hear it in January.

Case Of Dog Poop Cleaning Mistaken For Burglary In Appeals - Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press

A lawsuit involving a well-known Native American artist who was cleaning up dog poop in his car but was mistaken for a burglar by Santa Fe police remains in court.

The Albuquerque Journal reports Mateo Romero's case now is before the New Mexico Court of Appeals over public records and police immunity from liability.

Romero filed a lawsuit alleging the violation of his constitutional rights in 2014 that he says began when his Shih Tzu defecated in his car. Romero told The Associated Press a Santa Fe officer pointed a rifle at him during the bizarre misunderstanding.

Last year, a judge ruled an officer's belt recorder showed the officer acted properly.

However, officials had told Romero's lawyer no belt recording existed.

Mateo is an award-winning painter whose work has been exhibited in Canada and the United States.

States Ask Court To Stop Trump From Reviving US Coal Sales – Associated Press

Four states with climate change worries are due in a U.S. courtroom in Montana this week as they try to stop the Trump administration from selling coal from federal lands.

Attorneys for California, New Mexico, New York and Washington state say the sales put the climate at risk and shortchange taxpayers.

The states were joined by environmentalists and Montana's Northern Cheyenne tribe in a lawsuit that would revive a coal leasing moratorium imposed under President Barack Obama.

The Trump administration says ending the moratorium was critical for the economy despite falling demand for the fuel.

U.S. District Judge Brian Morris is presiding over a Thursday hearing in the case. He recently ruled in another case that the Trump administration must consider reduced coal mining to help combat climate change.

State of New Mexico Workers Could Pay More For Pensions – Associated Press

The Public Employees Retirement Association board backed a plan that would cut benefits for about 40,000 New Mexico retired state workers in the coming years.

The board, which approved the proposal on Tuesday, also voted to ask lawmakers for a $200 million lump sum appropriation to shore up the pension fund.

The decision comes as the pension system struggles to reach full funding under the watch of credit-rating agencies that have raised alarms about the financial state of the New Mexico's government retirement programs.

If the proposal is approved next year, all employees in the municipal general, municipal police, municipal fire and state general divisions would see their contributions increased by 1.5 percent until those divisions reach 80 percent funding. Employers would also see an increase of 1.75 percent during that time.

Condition Of Infant Girl Shot In Face Remains A Mystery – Associated Press

The medical condition of an 8-month-old girl who police say was shot in the face at a western New Mexico motel remains a mystery.

University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center spokeswoman Alex Sanchez declined to say on Wednesday if the girl was being treated at the University of New Mexico Hospital — the state's only trauma center for children.

And Gallup Police Capt. Marinda Spencer says the department has not received any medical updates since Tuesday when Gallup Indian Medical Center listed her in critical condition.

The girl's 18-year-old mother Shayanne Nelson and the mother's 21-year-old boyfriend Tyrell Bitsilly are facing child abuse charges stemming from the Saturday shooting.

Nelson told police she was in the shower with Bitsilly when her 3-year-old boy found a gun and accidentally shot the infant in the face.