New Mexico Debt To Filmmakers Inches Toward $250M – Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press
Officials say New Mexico's debt to the film industry could hit $250 million by summer and reach $700 million in four years.
The Albuquerque Journal reports Jon Clark, chief economist for the Legislative Finance Committee, told state lawmakers Monday that New Mexico is on track to reach a "breaking point" eventually under the current system, which offers movie companies a 25 percent tax rebate but limits the state's annual payout to $50 million.
The state is reaching the limit each year, running up an unpaid tab of film incentives.
No consensus emerged Monday on how to address the cost.
Clark says it would take the state 14 years at $50 million annually to pay off a $700 million backlog.
Judge Rules Teen In Library Shooting To Be Sentenced As Adult – Associated Press
A judge has ruled that a teenager who pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a deadly shooting inside a rural New Mexico library will be sentenced as an adult.
State District Judge James Hudson in a ruling made public Tuesday denied a request by Nathaniel Jouett's attorney that sought a special hearing for determining whether the teen was amenable to treatment.
Rather than remaining in treatment until the age of 21, the judge cleared the way for a sentencing hearing in February.
Jouett faces anywhere from probation up to two life sentences plus 96 years in prison.
Jouett pleaded guilty in October to numerous charges, including two counts of first-degree murder and multiple counts of child abuse. Two Clovis librarians were killed and four other people were injured in the Aug. 28, 2017 shooting.
Officials Baffled By Large Migrant Groups At Remote Crossing - By Elliot Spagat And Colleen Long, Associated Press
U.S. immigration officials say hundreds of migrants are crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in a desolate New Mexico region that until recently had seen barely any traffic.
They say it appears to be a smuggling route.
It is where 7-year-old Jakelin Caal and her father were found Dec. 6 along with more than 160 others. Caal started vomiting on the bus ride to the Border Patrol facility some 90 miles away from where they were taken into custody. She later died.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan addressed reporters from the Lordsburg, New Mexico station. He says agents picked up 257 people on Dec. 16 and 239 in the last 24 hours.
That's compared with eight groups larger than 100 people in any area of the border last year.
Bill Would Create Early-Education Agency In New Mexico – Associated Press
New Mexico legislators are considering the creation of a new state agency to oversee early childhood education and other services for preschool-aged children.
Democratic state Sen. Michael Padilla of Albuquerque on Tuesday announced a bill that would create a new Cabinet-level department focused on the needs of children before kindergarten including at-home intervention services.
Democratic Gov.-elect Michelle Lujan Grisham campaigned on pledges to provide universal access to preschool to better prepare children for elementary school and improve childhood wellbeing. Padilla says an Early Childhood Education and Care Department is needed to provide consistency and accountability to those efforts.
Lawmakers are confronting a court order to provide more public-education resources to help students from low-income and minority families. Padilla's bill reserves an assistant-secretary position for a Native American community representative.
FBI Releases Identity Of Shooter At Home On Navajo Nation – Gallup Independent, Associated Press
The FBI has released the identity of a man who fatally shot himself and three other people and critically wounded a fifth person at a home in northwestern New Mexico last month.
The Gallup Independent reports the FBI said Tuesday that the shooter in the Nov. 13 incident at a home in the Navajo Nation community of Tsayatoh was 41-year-old Anthony Bahe of Chinle, Arizona, and that the woman who was wounded is continuing to recover.
The FBI said previously that preliminary information indicated that the incident was an act of domestic violence and the agency said Tuesday that its investigation was continuing and no additional could be released.
New Mexico Sees Uptick In Homelessness - By Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press
New Mexico has seen an uptick in homelessness and it's at the top when it comes to the percentage of people in the United States who are experiencing chronic homelessness.
The statistics are part of an annual assessment prepared by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The findings are based on surveys done in shelters and on the street during a single night in January.
In New Mexico, about 12 in every 10,000 people were experiencing homelessness, an increase of 2.8 percent from 2017. About 42 percent had been continuously homeless for a year or more.
Trailing only Montana, New Mexico had the second highest percentage of homeless adults who were veterans at 15 percent.
The count totaled 2,551 people. That included 290 veterans, 182 unaccompanied youth and more than 600 people in families with children.
Herrell Eyes 'Legal Action' After Defeat In U.S. House Race - Associated Press
A Republican who lost a closely watched U.S. House race in southern New Mexico says her campaign hasn't ruled out "further legal action" to contest the results.
State Rep. Yvette Herrell announced on her campaign's website last week that her team is examining copies of absentee ballots and other documents. She also says her team is looking over "various reports of inconsistencies" but declined to give details.
Democrat Xochitl Torres Small defeated Herrell last month after absentee ballots in the Hispanic Democratic stronghold Doña Ana County put her over the top. Herrell has refused to concede and her campaign has repeated claims of election irregularities without providing any evidence.
A state judge allowed Herrell's campaign to inspect the absentee ballots.
New Mexico Priest Says He's 'Whistle-Blower' In Abuse Cases - Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press
A longtime New Mexico Catholic priest has announced he is a "whistle-blower" who has privately assisted victims of clergy sex abuse.
The Albuquerque Journal reports Father Vincent Paul Chávez told parishioners on Sunday at St. Therese of the Infant Jesus Parish and Catholic school in Albuquerque that he has been assisting two agents with the state Attorney General's office in their investigation of clergy sex abuse.
Chávez, the pastor of the church, made the announcement during his homily at Sunday Mass after learning the planned construction of a new cafeteria for his St. Therese school would have to be postponed.
The postponement came amid the Chapter 11 bankruptcy action filed by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe last month.
Archdiocese officials cited the financial burden of priest sex abuse litigation.
New Mexico Lawmakers To Be Busy This Legislative Session - Associated Press
The New Mexico Legislature is scheduled to convene for a 60-day session in less than a month and everything from education reform to health care initiatives are expected to be on the agenda.
Monday marks the first day lawmakers can file proposed legislation ahead of the session.
When the Democrat-led Legislature convenes on Jan. 15, one of the priorities will be confronting a court order to expand resources to struggling public schools — and in particular to students from low-income and minority families, including Native Americans.
Lawmakers and incoming Democrat Gov.-elect Michelle Lujan Grisham will have a major financial windfall due to the oil and gas sector as they set spending priorities. Some have warned that spending needs to remain in check given volatility in the energy market.
New Mexico Highlands Offers Fast Track To Teacher Licensure - Associated Press
New Mexico Highlands University will soon be offering a new online teacher licensure program aimed at getting professionals with bachelor's degrees or higher into education careers faster.
The school announced Monday that applications for the new alternative certification program will be available on the New Mexico Highlands University website in January.
The program is expected to begin in March.
The dean of Highlands' education school, Virginia Padilla-Vigil, says there's an ongoing teacher shortage in New Mexico and candidates who complete the program will be able to fill some of the vacancies.
School officials say the program takes two semesters to complete.
The Higher Learning Commission, the state Public Education Department and regents at New Mexico Highlands all approved the proposal for the program.
New Mexico Reports The First Death Of The Flu Season
New Mexico is reporting the first death of this year's flu season.
Officials at the New Mexico Department of Health in Santa Fe said Monday that a woman from Lincoln County has died from the flu.
They described the woman as age 65 years or older.
Her death is the first for the 2018-2019 flu season.
Department Secretary Lynn Gallagher says it's a reminder of the importance of getting the flu vaccine, especially for small children and the elderly.
Health experts say the flu typically peaks between December and February.
The state reports more than 280 influenza and pneumonia-related deaths occurred during the last flu season.
Health officials recommend the flu vaccine for people as young as 6 months old.
New Mexico Rancher Who Trapped Wolf To Appeal Loss Of Permit - Associated Press
A New Mexico rancher who trapped an endangered Mexican gray wolf and hit it with a shovel says he will appeal the loss of his grazing permit.
Craig Thiessen told The Arizona Republic that he has no livelihood without the permit.
Under the permit, the Datil rancher is allowed to graze hundreds of cattle across the Gila National Forest.
The U.S. Forest Service notified Thiessen in late November of the decision to revoke his permit.
He had 45 days to remove his cattle or appeal.
Thiessen pleaded guilty in May to knowingly taking threatened wildlife.
The 10-month-old wolf pup died in February 2015.
Thiessen has said he knew he caught a Mexican gray wolf because it had a radio tracking collar. He disputed killing it.
PESCO Adding 180 Jobs To Farmington Plant And $75m Expansion - Associated Press
A company that designs and builds production equipment for the oil and gas industry is adding 180 jobs to its Farmington plant with plans for a $7.5 million expansion.
New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez announced Monday that PESCO is expanding because of a new assignment to build reactor units for BayoTech of Albuquerque.
The additional jobs will bring PESCO's workforce to 500.
BayoTech has been working on technology to provide mobile production units for hydrogen, ammonia and fertilizer producers.
