New Mexico Finishes Year With Record Dose Of Wet Weather – The Associated Press
New Mexico is finishing off the year without a single square mile mired by drought.
The last bit of short-term drought was erased from the state in November thanks to near and above normal precipitation, and forecasters with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque say record snowfall in recent days has only helped to push New Mexico further from drought.
In fact, things haven't looked this good since the fall of 2010.
Preliminary data released by the weather service this week shows conditions were warmer and wetter in Albuquerque and portions of eastern New Mexico during 2015.
Clayton, for example, received more than 16 inches above its normal precipitation to mark its second wettest year on record. Albuquerque also saw above-normal precipitation and marked its seventh warmest year.
New Mexico To Soon Offer Online Voter Registration - The Associated Press
New Mexico officials say the state's voters will soon be able to register online.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that the Secretary of State's Office says it is putting the final touches on new voter registration regulations. Interim Election director Kari Fresquez says county clerks will double-check electronic applications against the voter rolls to make sure there is no duplication and that the person is eligible to vote.
The National Conference of State Legislatures says online registration is currently available in 26 states.
Gov. Susana Martinez signed a bill that mandated online voter registration. Feedback on the proposed system was mostly positive during a Tuesday hearing at the state Capitol, but some American Indian voting rights advocates expressed concern that the system could pose challenges on tribal lands.
UNM Class Aims To Teach Students On Refugee Experience – The Associated Press
A University of New Mexico class is teaching students how to help recently resettled refugee families in the state.
This spring, students taking a special course will help refugee families with the job skills and assist them as they apply for work or begin to learn English.
The refugees also will learn about American culture, and how to become part of the local community.
The two-semester classes are taught by sociology professor Jessica Goodkind. She says the courses are aimed at teaching undergraduate students who refugees are and the world refugees fled.
Albuquerque normally accepts several hundred refugees each year.
Arizona, New Mexico Among States Offering Free Guided Hikes – The Associated Press
Arizona and New Mexico are participating in an annual tradition to offer free guided hikes at various state parks on the first day of the new year.
New Mexico officials will offer free guided hikes at 14 parks all over the state.
The "First Day Hikes" tradition began more than 20 years ago in Massachusetts and has since spread to every state. Officials say it's a good way to get people outdoors and in shape while having fun.
Santa Fe Gets New District Attorney By Appointment
New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has named Jennifer Padgett as Santa Fe district attorney to serve out a one-year vacancy.
Martinez made the announcement Tuesday.
District Attorney Angela "Spence" Pacheco is retiring a year before the end of her four-year elected term. She has worked nearly two decades in the 1st Judicial District Attorney's Office.
Elections in November 2016 will determine who takes the job in early 2017.
Padgett has worked recently as an attorney and administrator at New Mexico's Children, Youth and Families Department.
The 1st Judicial District includes Santa Fe, Los Alamos and Rio Arriba counties.
NMSU Finds Shoppers Willing To Pay Premium For Green Chile
Researchers at New Mexico State University have found that consumers are willing to pay a premium for New Mexico-grown green chile.
According to a report released Monday, nearly one in three consumers outside of the state would pay 20 percent more for chile from New Mexico compared to similar peppers grown in other regions.
State legislators passed a law saying only peppers grown in the state could be sold as New Mexico green chile. The state Department of Agriculture keeps a database of certified growers.
In the study, researchers found more than half of the respondents would pay a premium of more than 10 percent for certified New Mexico chile.
Lead researcher Jay Lillywhite says the study shows New Mexico green chile is a brand people trust.
