EPA Knew Of 'Blow Out' Risk For Tainted Water At Gold Mine -
Michael Biesecker, The Associated Press
Internal documents show managers at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency were aware of the potential for a catastrophic "blowout" at an abandoned mine that could release "large volumes" of wastewater laced with toxic heavy metals.
EPA released the documents late Friday, following weeks of prodding from The Associated Press and other media organizations. EPA and contract workers accidentally unleashed 3 million gallons of contaminated wastewater on Aug. 5 as they inspected the idled Gold King Mine near Silverton, Colorado.
Among the documents is a June 2014 work order for a planned cleanup that stated conditions "could result in a blowout" at the collapsed entrance of the mine.
There are at least three ongoing investigations into exactly how EPA triggered the disaster, which tainted rivers in three Western states.
HR Head Disputes Albuquerque Schools Superintendent's Claim – The Albuquerque Journal, The Associated Press
The Albuquerque Public Schools superintendent's claim that he was unaware a former deputy superintendent had not completed a background check is being disputed by a district official.
The Albuquerque Journal reported Sunday that an attorney for Karen Rudys, the district's head of human resources, said in a letter to APS Superintendent Dr. Luis Valentino that she raised the issue six times.
Jason Martinez resigned Thursday as deputy superintendent, citing personal commitments. He is awaiting trial in Colorado on child sexual assault charges.
School board employees questioned how the HR department allowed someone to work without a full background check.
Rudys alleges APS leadership allowed Martinez's hiring to circumvent the usual policy.
APS spokesman Rigo Chavez said Saturday that Valentino would not comment on Rudys' letter.
Judge Orders Immigrant Families Released From Detention – The Associated Press
A federal judge has ordered the U.S. government to release from detention centers immigrant children and their mothers caught entering the U.S. illegally from Mexico.
In a filing late Friday, California U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee rejected the government's request that she reconsider her ruling and ordered it to implement remedies by Oct. 23, 2015, saying that the children and their mothers must be released without unnecessary delay.
Two centers in Texas and one in Pennsylvania held some 1,400 people recently, mostly Central Americans seeking asylum after fleeing violence at home.
The government had fought the judge's ruling, saying that the facilities had been turned into short-term processing centers.
But Gee says in her order that the government remains in violation of a longstanding legal agreement that bans immigrant children from being held in secure unlicensed facilities.
Downtown Santa Fe Bathrooms To Be Kept Locked – The Santa Fe New Mexican, The Associated Press
Santa Fe officials say the presence of trash including used condoms and drug paraphernalia has spurred them to lock up restrooms in downtown parking facilities.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports the decision comes as the city prepares for one of its busiest weekends with the annual Santa Fe Indian Market.
Officials in the city's parking division say maintenance crews have repeatedly found the bathrooms trashed.
They also say homeless people use the facilities to bathe or take naps.
Parking lot attendants and cashiers will have access to the restroom keys and can open them for visitors.
However, according to signs on the restroom doors, parking managers have the right to refuse service.
Santa Fe business owners have long complained that there are not enough public restrooms.
Las Cruces Sees Heightened Security After Church Explosions – The Albuquerque Journal, The Associated Press
Police and federal agents will continue their weekend explosive sweeps of more than 100 churches in Las Cruces.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that officers will provide extra security this weekend as they have each week since the Aug. 2 explosions at churches. Agents and officers from the FBI, Homeland Security, State Police, local police, New Mexico State University Police and Dona County Sheriff's Office are present in Las Cruces.
No arrests have yet been made in those blasts or for the undetonated explosive device found at a Presbyterian church two weeks later.
Authorities believe the three cases may be connected.
The reward for tips leading to an arrest now totals more than $37,000, with money offered by Las Cruces Crime Stoppers, Deming Crime Stoppers and the FBI.
Shiprock Shelter Project Remains At Standstill – The Daily Times, The Associated Press
State lawmakers who facilitated more than $1 million for a Shiprock domestic violence shelter that remains unfinished say former Navajo leaders are to blame.
The Daily Times in Farmington reported Saturday that state records show the shelter has only spent one-fourth of the allocated funds, despite getting reauthorization a dozen times between 2007 and 2012.
New Mexico Indian Affairs Department officials say funds must go through the tribe before they get to a specific project.
They say the tribe is the fiscal agent and has the power to block funding.
Deswood Tome, who served as former Navajo Nation president Ben Shelly's chief of staff, says no funds have been held up.
The shelter is about 80 percent done.
Meanwhile, the shelter operates out of nearby modular units.
New Mexico State Police Officer Fired After Missing Hearing – KRQE-TV, The Associated Press
A New Mexico State Police officer who missed a hearing related to a DWI arrest that he made has been fired by the department.
KRQE-TV in Albuquerque reports that State Police confirmed Marvin Goke was dismissed late last week for violations of rules and regulations.
Goke's termination Thursday came after he was placed on administrative leave last month.
According to court documents, Goke arrested 34-year-old Angela Torres for aggravated DWI in May 2014. However, charges against Torres were dropped after Goke failed to show up at a motion hearing last October.
Authorities say photos on Facebook indicate they may have started a relationship.
Sam Bregman, an attorney for Goke, says his client is disappointed by the firing and plans to appeal through the personnel department
New Mexicans Say They Dished Out World's Longest Tamale – The Associated Press
A group of people in New Mexico say they cooked the world's longest tamale Saturday morning.
Luis Hernandez of the ABQ West Chamber of Commerce says that a team of more than 30 chefs at Viva II, a three-day celebration of the state's heritage, assembled a 116-foot 7-inch long tamale at the Valencia County fairgrounds in Belen.
Organizers say the ingredients, which were provided by Bueno Foods, included 120 pounds of masa and 50 pounds of green chile.
A local manufacturer of home improvement material has also designed a special steamer out of aluminum to cook the tamale in.
Hernandez says the team plans to submit all the required documentation to Guinness World Records to get official recognition for the achievement.
According to Guinness World Records, the longest tamale assembled was in Cancun, Mexico, in 2011 and measured a little longer than 66 feet.