Rapid Transit Construction Delayed Until July – Albuquerque Journal
Construction on a bus rapid transit system in Albuquerque would not start until late July rather than May in order to incorporate design changes and an additional station along the route.
The Albuquerque Journal reports plans still call for finishing the nearly $120 million project by fall 2017. The city is waiting for authorization from federal officials to start work since most of the funding comes from federal sources.
The project will have about nine miles of dedicated bus lanes and stations in the middle of Central Avenue and an additional station is now planned near San Pedro in the International District at the request of City Councilor Pat Davis. That will cost about $400,000.
There are also plans for design shifts to create more room for sidewalks and landscaping between Rio Grande Boulevard and Downtown based on input from public meetings.
OptumHealth Accused Of Medicaid Fraud In 3 Lawsuits – The Associated Press
A health care company that tried to root out fraud in New Mexico's Medicaid program now faces three lawsuits claiming that it was committing Medicaid fraud itself.
The New Mexican reports that the lawsuits filed against OptumHealth Inc. say the company mishandled Medicaid payments to mental health providers.
In one lawsuit, a former OptumHealth employee claims she was fired for reporting concerns about possible Medicaid fraud.
OptumHealth spokeswoman Lauren Mihajlov says the company rejects the allegations in the lawsuits.
OptumHealth's efforts to root out waste in the system led New Mexico to suddenly suspend payments to 15 providers in June 2013. The providers treated low-income patients for mental illness or addiction.
Three years later, 13 of the 15 providers have been exonerated of criminal wrongdoing by the state Attorney General's Office.
Oil-Dependent New Mexico Joins Climate-Change Coalition – The Associated Press
New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas has joined a coalition of 17 state attorneys general to combat global warming by examining whether fossil fuel companies misled investors or the public on the impact of their business.
State Deputy Attorney General Tania Maestas met Tuesday in New York with other prosecutors in the coalition. New Mexico depends heavily on the oil and natural gas industries to fund government operations and endowments.
New York, California, Massachusetts and the U.S. Virgin Islands are actively investigating whether Exxon Mobile deceived shareholders and the public about the effects of climate change.
Those investigations follow news reports by InsideClimate News and others that internal Exxon documents from the late 1970s showed an awareness that global warming might threaten the company's existence.
UFC's Jon Jones Booked Into Jail On Probation Violation – The Associated Press
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon "Bones" Jones, who trains in Albuquerque, has been booked into the county jail for a probation violation stemming from traffic citations he received last week.
Jail records show he was being held Tuesday without bond. It was unclear when he will appear before a judge.
Jones is scheduled to fight Daniel Cormier at the end of April in a light heavyweight title fight. It's unclear if his legal troubles will affect the bout, but the UFC said in a statement that it's aware Jones turned himself in.
UFC has been in touch with Jones' legal team but declined to comment further.
Albuquerque police accused Jones of drag racing in the downtown area last Thursday. He was given five citations.
He also recently pleaded no contest and was sentenced for separate traffic violations stemming from a stop in January.
Rio Grande Irrigation Water Reaches Las Cruces – The Associated Press
Water released from reservoirs along the Rio Grande has passed through the Las Cruces area faster than expected, signaling the river channel is wetter because of local precipitation.
The dam at Caballo Reservoir was opened Saturday and by Sunday afternoon, the water was rolling by Las Cruces and was well on its way to El Paso, Texas.
Federal water managers tell the Las Cruces Sun-News that they had to dial back the volume of water being released because they were about a day ahead of schedule.
Officials say the water traveling faster means less of it was soaking into the river bed due to increased precipitation. The water table is also higher, possibly thanks to an improved irrigation season last year.
With less water soaking in, officials say more will be available for irrigation.
Former Papen Aide Pleads Not Guilty In Embezzlement Case – The Associated Press
A former aide accused of embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from a high-ranking member of the New Mexico Senate has pleaded not guilty.
Stephen Siddall is facing embezzlement and conspiracy charges in the theft of money from personal, campaign and government accounts belonging to Senate President Pro Tem Mary Kay Papen.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reports that Siddall entered his pleas during an arraignment hearing Monday.
Siddall served as Papen's campaign treasurer and was a longtime personal assistant. He was arrested in January.
Police began investigating last year and discovered more than $8,700 in withdrawals from Papen's Senate account that dated back to 2013. Another $49,000 disappeared from her election account between November 2013 and May 2015, and more than $125,000 went missing from her personal account.
Foundation, Agencies Team Up On Easement For Hunter Access – The Associated Press
A Missoula, Montana-based foundation has announced it has teamed up with two New Mexico state agencies to provide hunter access to 81 square miles of public and state trust land in Catron County in west-central New Mexico.
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation said Monday the effort will provide an easement for hunters to use a road that provides the only access to state trust land that is wildlife habitat in the Luera Mountains.
The foundation said the project to provide funding for the easement also involves the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and the New Mexico Land Office.
Terms of arrangements made to secure the easement were not released, and a foundation spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Remains Of 3-Time World Champion Are Moved To Ruidoso Downs - The Associated Press
The remains of three-time world champion Go Man Go and the horse's grave monument have been moved to Ruidoso Downs.
Go Man Go died in 1983 and the remains had been at the former Buena Suerte Ranch in Roswell.
Officials at Ruidoso Downs say the horse's remains were recently cremated and moved to the racetrack Tuesday.
The majority of Go Man Go's ashes will be buried near the grave monument in the track infield winner's circle with the rest put in Ruidoso Downs' Racehorse Hall of Fame.
One of the dominant in quarter horse racing history, Go Man Go was world champion from 1955-57.
The horse was the first 2-year-old to be named world champion and won 17 stakes races plus set world records at 350 and 440 yards.
Bernalillo County Considers Tax Hikes, Worker Furloughs – Albuquerque Journal
Tax increases, service cuts and pay cuts may be in the offing for Bernalillo County as officials scramble to address a deficit of $19 million in next year’s budget.
The Albuquerque Journal reports commissioners will weigh several options in the next few months, including raising fees and taxes on gross receipts or property.
Other options include cutting employee pay through unpaid days off or furloughs. This comes after the county raised $8 million through higher taxes last year to fund operations. It also cut spending by 8 percent.
But costs continue to rise for things like liability and health insurance.
Racing Commission Decision Draws Mixed Reaction – Associated Press
Although it wasn't everything they wanted, horsemen are pleased with a decision by the New Mexico Racing Commission to add one more race per day to the schedule at Sunland Park track.
The commission made the decision after meeting for more than two hours Monday in Albuquerque to weigh options for disbursing the purse money that had accumulated while live racing was on hold due to an equine herpes outbreak.
But some critics claimed the decision was predetermined. Gary Roybal of the Santa Fe chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens had asked the commission to amend the rules to ensure the extra purse money is equitably distributed.
Roybal argued that trainers, breeders and jockeys should also share in the money and that owners who haul in their horses have been left out this season due to the quarantine imposed at the track in January.
Market Turbulence Hits New Mexico State Investments – Associated Press
Managers at New Mexico retirement and permanent funds say balances are recovering somewhat this month after a punishing start of the year.
Balances at funds overseen by the Public Employee Retirement Association and Education Retirement Board fell by roughly $750 million in January.
For the Public Employees Retirement Association, that represents a 5.5 percent decline since the start of the fiscal year in July.
Legislative analysts say the retirement funds are unlikely to meet their growth targets this year. Recent declines largely reflect trends in global capital and debt markets.
Funds overseen by the New Mexico State Investment Council had a negative 3.4 percent return on investment during January and February. The council oversees nearly $20 billion, including the state's Land Grant Permanent and Severance Tax funds.
Navajo Lawmaker Faces Removal Over Misuse Of Funds – Daily Times, Associated Press
Navajo Nation officials are looking into the process for removing a tribal lawmaker who has been found guilty of misusing funds.
The Farmington Daily Times reports that Mel Begay will remain on the Navajo Nation Council until the process is addressed by the Navajo Election Administration.
Begay was convicted Wednesday of 10 criminal counts related to giving more than $30,000 in tribal funds to his family.
Begay's trial was the first of two in a years-long investigation of a discretionary fund meant for Navajos facing extreme hardship. More than two dozen other current and former lawmakers have resolved their criminal or ethics cases, many through plea agreements.
Begay's attorney, Jeffrey Rasmussen, says Begay wasn't given a fair trial and will appeal the conviction.
Teen Arrested In Theft Of Model Spaceship From UFO Museum – Associated Press
A teenage boy has been arrested in the theft of a fiberglass and metal version of a spaceship from outside the UFO Museum in Roswell.
Police say they're still searching for two other suspects.
The model spaceship has been a fixture in downtown Roswell, where it was long mounted outside the UFO museum before a recent snowstorm damaged it.
It was being stored behind the museum before it was stolen March 19.
Police say surveillance video showed three people hauling the spaceship off in a pickup truck.
The saucer was found in pieces two miles west of Roswell last Wednesday.
Police say tips led them to the teenager, who was arrested Saturday at his home in south Roswell. His name wasn't being released.
Roswell still stirs debate about extraterrestrials seven decades after the 1947 crash of a flying object.
New Mexico Governor Heads To California To Woo Businesses – Associated Press
New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez and other officials are headed to Southern California to woo business leaders.
Martinez, state Economic Development Secretary Jon Barela and officials from Albuquerque and Rio Rancho will be in California through Wednesday.
The governor's office says they'll be meeting with business executives and site selectors to talk about New Mexico's manufacturing and business competiveness.
The governor made a similar trip to the San Francisco area last year.
The expenses of the governor and her chief of staff, Keith Gardner, are being paid for by the New Mexico Partnership, the marketing arm of the state Economic Development Department.
NM Officials: Flu Activity Expected For Several More Weeks – Associated Press
New Mexico health officials say flu activity is widespread around the state and is expected to continue for several more weeks.
The Department of Health says elevated flu activity started a bit later than in the previous three seasons but that flu-related hospitalizations and deaths have increased in recent weeks.
The department also says the flu vaccine for this season appears to be a good match with strains that are circulating. New Mexico has identified 115 influenza and pneumonia-related deaths this flu season. Of those 115 deaths, 13 were flu-related deaths among adults.
The department says many of the pneumonia-related deaths may have been related to complications from having flu because pneumonia is a known complication of influenza infection.
New Mexico Officer Administers Drug To Reverse Drug Overdose – Associated Press
The New Mexico State Police for the first time has had one of its officers successfully use a drug to treat a person for an overdose.
According to the police agency, an officer administered the drug to an unresponsive woman at a home in Taos County last week after the officer noticed signs of drug usage.
The agency says the officer was trained in the administration of Narcan under an initiative between state police and the New Mexico Department of Health. The drug completely or partially reverses an opioid overdose.
The woman administered the drug in the Taos County incident was transported for medical treatment after she regained consciousness.
Innovate ABQ Launching Construction Near Downtown – Albuquerque Journal
A new six-story building for Innovate ABQ will break ground later this year with student housing and high-tech facilities near downtown Albuquerque.
The Albuquerque Journal reports the building at Broadway and Central is the first at the site that is slated to house a research and development district being created by the University of New Mexico, the city, Bernalillo County and private partners.
The $35 million building is slated to open in August 2017 and will be paid for by a private development consortium of three partners. UNM will lease the building for 30 years and oversee operations, including student housing.
The university’s technology transfer office will also move into the building.
UNM will pay $1.8 million for the first five years and then about $2.2 million, followed by slight increases annually. UNM will own the building after 30 years.
New Mexico Weather Create Conditions For Dangerous Wildfires – Associated Press
Authorities are warning that weather conditions across much of New Mexico are creating conditions ripe for dangerous wildfires.
A red flag warning has been issued for portions of southern, central and eastern New Mexico due to strong winds and low humidity.
Forecasters say any fires that develop will probably spread rapidly and they say outdoor burning is not recommended.