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Monday News Roundup: Workers At Santa Fe Hospital Reject Contract Offer

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Workers At Santa Fe Hospital Reject Contract OfferThe Associated Press

Unionized nurses and technicians at a Santa Fe hospital have rejected another contract offer from management.

Sunday's tally of the vote shows the Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center workers rejected the latest offer overwhelmingly. The previous offer also was soundly rejected.

Hospital spokeswoman Arturo Delgado says managers are disappointed by the vote. Union local President Fonda Osborn says the union wants to return to the bargaining table.

Staffing issues are a major issue in the dispute.

The current contract expires Thursday but the union has withdrawn the strike notice it issued after workers rejected the first contract offer.

However, Osborn says the latest vote authorizes the union to steps ranging picketing to a strike.

Fonda says the union last conducted a strike in 1988. It lasted eight days.

1-Year-Old Boy Among 2 Dead In Rollover Crash - The Associated Press

Authorities in Bernalillo County say a young boy and a woman are dead after the vehicle they were in crashed.

The Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department says the crash occurred Saturday night on Coors Boulevard just south of Rio Bravo.

Sgt. Aaron Williamson says 41-year-old Carlos Rosales-Polanco was heading north on Coors Boulevard when he struck the median, crossing the southbound lanes and hitting a utility pole.

The car then rolled into a field.

Williamson says 30-year-old Adriana Chavez-Miranda, a front seat passenger, died at the scene.

Two children, ages 10 and 1 ½, were transported to a hospital. The 1-1/2-year-old boy succumbed to his injuries. The 10-year-old is in critical condition with life-threatening injuries.

Rosales-Polanco has been booked for vehicular homicide.

Authorities say alcohol and speed appear to be factors.

Detox Service Could End At Farmington Facility  - The Associated Press and Daily Times

A detox service at a Farmington recovery facility that serves the Four Corners region as well as the Navajo Nation could come to an end.

The Daily Times reports that the Four Winds Recovery Center may have to stop offering a protective custody detox service to make up for a 54 percent drop in county funding.

Center director Jolene Schneider says that it's only a matter of time before the center will have to stop providing the detox program.

San Juan County commissioners last month approved cuts to its health care assistance program.

The program partially pays for health care providers' uninsured medical claims.

The center holds 39 beds in its detox service unit.

Scammer Impersonating US Marshals In New Mexico - The Associated Press

Authorities say someone is impersonating serving with the U.S. Marshals Service to defraud people in New Mexico of money.

The U.S. Marshals Service initially received several reports Thursday that someone is pretending to be a member and calling Albuquerque and Santa Fe residents.

Victims say the caller asks victims to pay a fine by credit card or send money for a loved one who is incarcerated.

Another victim reported the caller saying back taxes and fines needed to be paid immediately over the telephone.

Officials say the Marshals Service never asks for payment over the phone and that nobody has been instructed to make such phone calls.

Anyone who believes they may have been a victim should call the New Mexico Attorney General's Office.

Candidates Sent To Governor For Open Judgeship - The Associated Press

A bipartisan Judicial Nominating Commission has recommended a Metropolitan Court judge and four other Albuquerque lawyers to Gov. Susana Martinez as candidates for possible appointment to a vacant district court judgeship.

The nominees forwarded to the governor last week were Metro Court Judge Frank Sedillo and lawyers Erika Anderson, David Berlin, Nancy Jean Franchini and Steven Lee Gonzales.

Sedillo has served on the Metro Court since 2000. The other nominees are private practice lawyers.

The governor's appointee will at least temporarily succeed District Court Judge Ted Baca, who retired.

It's up to the state's political parties to select their nominees to appear on the November general election ballot for the judgeship. It's possible the governor's appointee might only serve a few months until the election winner takes office.

Mexico Officials Asked To Restore Hours At Border - The Associated Press and Las Cruces Sun-News

New Mexico senators are asking Mexico's ambassador to the U.S. to work with his country's customs agency to restore their operating hours at the Santa Teresa port of entry.

The Las Cruces Sun-News reports that U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich sent a letter to Ambassador Eduardo Medina Mora.

Both lawmakers say they "respectfully request" that Mora reach out to the Mexican Federal Customs Agency about operating 12 hours a day.

Mexico's Tax Administration began reducing hours in all its customs offices along the U.S. border July 4.

Mexican citizens bringing back used vehicles purchased in the U.S. through Santa Teresa, New Mexico say the new hours have left them frustrated. Drivers say they have had to wait several hours or even overnight to get across.

New Mexico College's Dorm Plans Hit Major Hurdle - The Associated Press and Albuquerque Journal

Northern New Mexico College's plan to construct its first on-campus dorms has hit a wall.

The Albuquerque Journal reports Friday that Gov. Susana Martinez and the state Board of Finance are declining to act on the college's proposal for financing the buildings because of the school's finances.

The school had requested approval for revenue bonds that would have generated as much as $13 million for the project.

Martinez said at a board meeting earlier this month that officials need more confidence in the school's stability before signing off on the project.

The college last spring cut several faculty positions, child care and three degree programs to close a $250,000 budget gap.

The school had planned to break ground on the dorm project this fall at its Espanola campus.

Dog Found With Chemical Burns To Undergo Surgery - The Associated Press and Clovis News Journal

A dog will undergo surgery and then be placed in a foster home in Colorado after being found in New Mexico with chemical burns that will likely force removal of an eye.

Cindy Clayton of Cindy's Hope for Precious Paws Animal Rescue in Clovis says the 2-year-old pug was found wandering the streets of Clovis last week.

According to the Clovis News Journal, the dog has chemical burns on its neck, head, eyes and left ear

Clayton says dog has been sent to a Denver rescue center for pugs where he will undergo surgery.