Officials Say Investor Wants Coal Plant To Stay Open – Associated Press

Farmington officials say they have found an investor that could prevent a coal-fired power plant in northwestern New Mexico from closing.

New York-based Acme Equities LLC signed a letter of intent Saturday with the city to negotiate buying the San Juan Generating Station.

Farmington Mayor Nate Duckett says the energy investment firm believes it can sell the power, and the city will negotiate with other plant owners to transfer interests to Acme.

Farmington is a part owner of the power plant, but the majority owner is the Public Service Co. of New Mexico.

The utility plans to close the plant by 2022.

Utility spokesman Ray Sandoval says in a statement the investor came as a surprise.

He says the current contract calls for an orderly shutdown of the plant.

New Mexico Utility Seeks Delay In Power Plant Case – Associated Press

New Mexico's largest electric provider wants the state Supreme Court to delay regulatory proceedings related to a coal-fired power plant that is set to close in 2022.

Public Service Co. of New Mexico is asking the high court to stay an order issued by state regulators that required the utility to file by Friday a plan for shutting down the San Juan Generating Station near Farmington.

Utility officials say there are initiatives pending before the Legislature that could affect the state's energy landscape and what resources will be used to replace the San Juan plant.

The utility's senior vice president for public policy, Ron Darnell, said Wednesday that PNM will have a responsibility to customers and the state to meet any new mandates or policies that have yet to be decided by lawmakers.

Federal Appeals Court Upholds Bail Reform In New Mexico – Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press

A federal appeals court has upheld New Mexico's bail bond reforms, ruling that a lawsuit by four state lawmakers, a bail bond association and a former criminal defendant was frivolous.

The Albuquerque Journal reports the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Monday a lower federal court ruling that found only the former criminal defendant had standing for the suit, but all the claims were barred because of other legal principles.

State voters in November 2016 approved an amendment seeking to ensure that high-risk defendants awaiting trial remain incarcerated while nonviolent ones unable to afford bail are released.

The state Supreme Court formed the rules for the new pretrial release system after the amendment was approved.

Group Of 180 Migrants Arrested At New Mexico Border – Associated Press

Federal border authorities say 180 migrants have been arrested for illegally crossing into the United States near a border community in southern New Mexico.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Wednesday the group crossed near Sunland Park early Tuesday, marking the latest wave of Central Americans to arrive in the state in recent months. Earlier this month, a total of 640 people crossed at two separate locations in less than 24 hours.

While more than two dozen large groups of 100 migrants or more have been apprehended in the region since Oct. 1, authorities say this marks the second large group encountered at Sunland Park.

Like the previous instances, the latest group included families and unaccompanied juveniles. Sunland Park medical technicians responded and treated some of the migrants while others were transported to a local hospital.

Trapping-Ban Bill Signals Shift In Attitudes Toward Animals - By Morgan Lee, Associated Press

New Mexico may become the latest state in the American West to place major restrictions on wildlife trapping as frontier ethics and suburban attitudes toward animal suffering collide.

A bill backed by Democrats that bans traps, snares and animal poison on public land with few exceptions was poised for a crucial vote in in the state House of Representatives as soon as Thursday.

Final approval would banish independent trappers from public lands that span nearly a third of the state.

Trapping traditions date back to the Spanish colonial era and include celebrity 19th century frontiersman Kit Carson.

Lining up against the ban are trappers and ranchers who depend on each other to tamp down livestock predators and harvest pelts for international markets.

State Police Say Man Shot, Ending Barricade Situation On I-25 – Associated Press

The New Mexico State Police says a barricade situation involving a vehicle stopped along Interstate 25 in southern New Mexico ended when a State Police officer shot and wounded an armed man who was holding a 7-year-old child hostage.

The State Police said in a statement that the incident began Wednesday when a vehicle failed to stop at a Border Patrol checkpoint on I-25, prompting a pursuit that led to the vehicle stopping near Hatch.

The statement said the injured suspect was taken to a hospital and his condition wasn't immediately available, while the child "was safely rescued" and no officers were injured.

No additional information was released.

Hatch is 73 miles north of El Paso, Texas.                

7 Of 8 Prototype Border Walls Demolished – Associated Press

Less than two hours after crews began demolishing eight prototypes of the president's prized border wall in San Diego, seven of the barriers were destroyed.

A large hydraulic jackhammer attached to an excavator pounded the walls repeatedly on Wednesday as slabs fell into small clouds of dust. Crews had previously drilled small holes in the concrete and stuffed them with grout that softens the cement and makes them easier to destroy.

A panel made of steel poles was also dismantled.

The Trump administration says elements of the prototypes have been melded into current border fence designs and they have served their purpose.

The eight prototypes cost $300,000 to $500,000 each to build.

For Trump's allies, the towering models were a show of his commitment to border security and fulfilling a core campaign promise. For detractors, they were monuments to wasted taxpayer dollars and a misguided display of aggression toward Mexico and immigrants.

Gun Control Bill Advances Past Protests In New Mexico – Associated Press

Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham pushed back Tuesday against "rogue" county sheriffs who object to a state legislative proposal to expand background checks on firearms sales.

The state House and Senate have approved nearly identical bills to expand background checks to almost all private gun sales in New Mexico, and the House on Tuesday pushed forward with final approval of a Senate version that exempts gun sales to relatives including aunts, uncles and cousins.

"A few law enforcement officers in this state have been making noise about how they won't enforce gun safety measures because they don't like them," Lujan Grisham wrote in a series of Twitter posts. "That's not how laws work, of course, and it's not how oaths of office work either. But let's move past that."

Additional bills are advancing through the Democrat-led Legislature that would allow judges to authorize removing guns from people who may be suicidal or bent on violence, expand child neglect laws to encompass the secure storage of household firearms and ban gun possession for people under permanent protective orders for domestic violence.

Outside Tuesday's legislative hearing, Lincoln County Sheriff Robert Shepperd said background checks would only be feasible with the creation of a statewide gun registry, and insisted that would clearly violate Second Amendment protections.

Senate bill sponsor Richard Martinez of Espanola, a former magistrate judge from rural Rio Arriba County, insisted that his background check proposal won't infringe on gun possession rights and is designed to save lives. He said seeking out a background check when selling a gun is the reasonable and responsible thing to do.

He urged more than a dozen sheriffs in the room to review their oaths to uphold state law, and said he was requesting an opinion from the state attorney general in response to questions about the constitutionality of the bill.

More Wilderness On Tap For New Mexico In Public Lands Bill – Associated Press

New Mexico will see more than a dozen new wilderness areas created under a sweeping public lands bill approved by Congress.

The House approved the measure Tuesday, sending it to the White House for the president's signature. It marks the largest public lands bill considered by federal lawmakers in a decade.

U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Lujan said the bill marks a momentous step toward safeguarding public lands and natural resources.

The New Mexico Democrat specifically pointed to language that would permanently reauthorize the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. He says the fund has resulted in more than $312 million for the state.

The new wilderness designations would cover more than 270,000 acres (1,093 square kilometers), most of it within the boundaries of two national monuments on opposite ends of the state.

More Counties Join Gun Sanctuary Movement In New Mexico – Associated Press

At least 18 of the 33 counties in New Mexico have adopted sanctuary resolutions that say they will not require local sheriffs to enforce a series of gun-control proposals sought by state lawmakers.

Sierra County Sheriff Glenn Hamilton said that Sierra County adopted a "sanctuary county" resolution on Tuesday in opposition to reforms that might infringe on the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms.

Legislators are considering bills designed to stem gun violence by expanding background checks to private firearms sales and removing guns from the hands of people who may be suicidal or bent on violence.

Thirty of the state's 33 county sheriffs are voicing opposition to those gun control initiatives. Top law enforcement officials in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces support background checks.

New Mexico Cesar Chavez, Dennis Chavez Holiday Clears House – Associated Press

A proposed state holiday in honor of the late U.S. Sen. Dennis Chavez of New Mexico and the late farmworker union leader Cesar Chavez of California has passed the New Mexico House.

A bill designating the first Friday of every April as "Dennis Chavez and Cesar Chavez Day" cleared the House of Representatives on Monday and now heads to the state Senate.

The New Mexico-born Dennis Chavez served in the U.S. Senate from 1935 to 1962 and earned a reputation as a defender of Mexican-Americans civil rights.

The Yuma, Arizona-born Cesar Chavez co-founded the United Farm Workers of America with

Dolores Huerta and the pair organized boycotts and strikes to push for better working conditions for farmworkers.

New Mexico Rep. Miguel P. Garcia, a Democrat, sponsored the proposal.

Governor's Choice To Lead State Prisons Opts Out – Associated Press

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's choice to run the state's prison system said Tuesday she will not take the job, citing personal issues.

The governor had named Julie Jones last month to lead the post that oversees a long-troubled system with 7,300 inmates and 20,000 people on probation or parole.

Jones had recently served as corrections secretary in Florida, which has roughly 96,000 inmates. Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, said she was disappointed by the announcement.

"I felt and feel she would have been exactly the keen-eyed, experienced leader the agency needed," Lujan Grisham said in a statement. "But I respect and understand Julie's decision and her privacy and wish her well."

The governor's office has begun its search for another nominee. Nora Sackett, a spokeswoman for the governor, couldn't immediately say how soon Lujan Grisham will make a decision.

Jones's appointment had not yet been approved by the Democratic-controlled Senate.

The state Corrections Department has struggled in recent years to hire and retain officers, and avoid growing overtime expenses. Jones had said that addressing staff vacancies was a priority for the governor.

New Mexico Honors Dolores Huerta As Birthplace Sits Vacant – By Russell Contreras, Associated Press

Dolores Huerta, the Mexican-American social activist who formed a farmworkers union with Cesar Chavez, was honored by state lawmakers Wednesday, some of whom vowed to work to save her birthplace that now sits abandoned.

The 88-year-old advocate and one of the most recognizable Latina activists in the U.S. history stood quietly as on the House floor as lawmakers took turns praising Huerta for helping shape their views on union activism and fighting poverty.

Democratic Rep. Angelica Rubio said Huerta's decades of advocacy led to a new generation of Latina elected officials like herself. She said Huerta also was a key to getting Mexican-American history taught in public schools.

Huerta's birthplace in Dawson, New Mexico, continues to sit vacant and neglected. Critics have charged that little has been done to preserve the old mining town because Huerta is a woman and scant attention has been given to female pioneers and civil rights leaders.

Democratic Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero said activists were pushing for a street in Albuquerque's South Valley to be renamed after Huerta and the next project would be finding a way to save the birthplace.

Dawson, now a ghost town about 140 miles northeast of Santa Fe, is surrounded by a fence and is not open to the public.

Dolores Huerta To Visit New Mexico As Birthplace Sits Vacant – Associated Press

Dolores Huerta, the Mexican-American social activist who formed a farmworkers union with Cesar Chavez, is visiting the New Mexico Statehouse amid a push to name a street in her honor.

But her scheduled visit Wednesday comes as lawmakers and state officials have ignored pleas to do something around her northern New Mexico birthplace that now sits abandoned.

The 88-year-old civil rights advocate is expected to appear before the state Senate and House in honor of Dolores Huerta Day. She then is slated to speak before activists who are working to rename an Albuquerque street after her.

Huerta was born in the mining town of Dawson, New Mexico. The ghost town is surrounded by a gated fence and is not open to the public.

She later moved to Stockton, California.

Governor Nominates Regents At NMSU, New Mexico Tech – Associated Press

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has announced another round of university regent nominations.

The Democratic governor's picks for the New Mexico State University Board of Regents include Dina Chacon-Reitzel, Ammu Devasthali and student Luke Sanchez.

At the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, the nominations include Yolanda Jones King and student Veronica Espinoza.

Their names were submitted by the governor Tuesday to the state Senate for confirmation.

The nominees were initially interviewed by advisory committees established by the governor's office. The committees, which focus on different institutions, vet the candidates' backgrounds to see if they meet certain criteria.

Emergency Crews Rescue Man Stuck In Albuquerque Storm Drain – Associated Press

Emergency crews in Albuquerque have rescued a man who was stuck in a storm drain on a city street.

Albuquerque Fire Rescue officials say the man was seeking shelter to stay warm Monday night when he realized he was stuck and began calling for help.

Someone called 911 and emergency crews were able to rescue the man, who was taken to a hospital for evaluation.

The name and age of the man hasn't been released yet.