Coach Bob Davie's Buyout To Cost New Mexico $825K – Associated Press
It will cost the University of New Mexico $825,000 to buy out the two years remaining on head football coach Bob Davie's contract.
University President Garnett Stokes said Tuesday she signed off on the deal, the terms of which were disclosed during a regents meeting. Davie finished 35-64 after his eighth season at New Mexico, though he twice guided the Lobos to bowl games and earned New Mexico's first bowl victory in 10 years.
But the last three seasons were marked by more losses than wins.
Measure Aimed At Preserving Native Languages Clears Congress - By Susan Montoya Bryan Associated Press
Congress has approved legislation that would extend federal programs aimed at preserving American Indian languages and expand eligibility to more tribes.
The measure is named after Esther Martinez, a traditional storyteller and Tewa language advocate from a northern New Mexico pueblo. Her family and members of the state's congressional delegation are praising passage of the bill. The measure now heads to the president's desk.
Dozens of tribes across the country are currently sharing in more than $11 million in grants for language preservation and immersion through the programs.
New Mexico Considers Medical Pot For Ailing Pets – Associated Press
New Mexico is considering whether ailing household pets should have access to medical marijuana prescribed by veterinarians.
The state's medical cannabis advisory board was scheduled Tuesday to hear a petition allowing marijuana prescriptions for dogs with epilepsy. The discussions follow related proposals in California and New York.
CBD-infused products derived from hemp and marijuana are widely marketed to pets, but no state has expressly authorized medical pot for pets.
About 78,000 people participate in the state's medical marijuana program for conditions ranging from cancer to Alzheimer's disease. Lawmakers will consider a proposal to legalize recreational marijuana next month.
Agency Halts Monitoring Of University On Sexual Misconduct – Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press
The U.S. Department of Justice is ending its monitoring of a 2016 agreement with the University of New Mexico on prevention and handling of sexual assault and harassment.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that the department told the university last week that it has determined "no further action is warranted at this time" while cautioning that it still could investigate any future complaints.
University President Garnett Stokes announced the development during a Board of Regents meeting Tuesday and said the university has complied with training and all other requirements of the agreement on sexual misconduct prevention.
The agreement also called for the university to revamp policies and investigation methods and it avoided a federal lawsuit against the university.
Report Finds National Laboratory Lost Track Of Nuclear Waste – Santa Fe New Mexican, Associated Press
An annual report on hazardous waste violations has revealed a contractor overseeing operations at a National Laboratory in New Mexico lost track of 250 barrels of waste in the past year.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reported Monday that Triad National Security LLC had 19 violations of its permit from the New Mexico Environment Department after the contractor mislabeled and improperly stored waste containers at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Regulators say the barrels filled with low-level radioactive waste and other hazardous materials were shipped to a waste plant in Carlsbad without tracking.
A spokesman says lab personnel were awaiting arrival of the waste to the plant before updating the shipping data.
Albuquerque Breaks Homicide Record Amid Worries Over Crime - Associated Press
New Mexico's largest city has broken its modern homicide record amid increasing concerns over violent crime and recent questions on how officials were calculating crime statistics.
The city of Albuquerque confirmed that a man was found dead Sunday night in the southwest part of town, bringing the homicide total to 74 so far this year.
The previous record was in 2017 when the city recorded 72 homicides.
Albuquerque Police Department spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said homicide detectives are conducting interviews and looking for additional witnesses in the latest case. He said a wounded victim in another case is on life support, and if that person dies, the homicide number will jump to 75.
In a statement after the latest homicide, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said city officials were working to "modernize" the police department and hire 100 new officers next year.
"Violent crime is our community's biggest challenge and tackling it is our top priority," Keller said. "We are working to climb out of the hole and rebuild a depleted police department."
Earlier this month, Albuquerque officials announced they would embark on an independent review of crime data after facing criticism for releasing statistics that overstated improvements made over the past year.
New Mexico Utility Chief Among Those At UN Climate Meeting - Associated Press
The head of New Mexico's largest electric utility says the state can be a leader in clean energy.
Public Service Co. of New Mexico's chief executive took her message to Spain this week for the U.N. climate meeting. She was asked to participate in a series of panel discussions about how U.S. utilities are dealing with the transition away from fossil fuels.
New Mexico earlier this year adopted renewable energy mandates that call for zero emissions by 2045. PNM has pledged to beat that deadline by five years.
Oil Bonanza Sustains State Budget Surplus In New Mexico - By Morgan Lee And Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press
Government income in New Mexico is expected to outpace spending obligations by nearly $800 million for the coming fiscal year, a result of the continued oil boom.
Economists from three state agencies and the Legislature's budget office delivered a twice-annual revenue forecast to a panel of lawmakers Monday. Revenues are on track to exceed current general fund spending of $7 billion by 11%.
But both Democratic and Republican lawmakers urged extreme caution, warning that over-spending and another downturn in the oil market could have devastating consequences for the state's ability to fund education, health care and government services.
New Mexico Utility Regulators Weigh Costs Of Coal Phase-Out - By Morgan Lee Associated Press
Coal miners, environmentalists and utility customers weighed in about the future of a major coal-fired power plant in New Mexico and a financial plan to shutter the facility to make way for cleaner sources of electricity.
Hearings this week at the Public Regulation Commission have thrown into limbo much of a plan recently approved by state lawmakers to decommission the San Juan Generating Station near Farmington and move New Mexico toward cleaner sources of power.
The plan includes $40 million in aid to the workforce attached to the plant.
Lawsuit: New Mexico Officer Mistakenly Fired Gun During Stop - Associated Press
Two New Mexico men say a Las Cruces police officer accidentally shot at them during a routine traffic stop and unlawfully held them for three hours.
A civil rights lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court last week says officer Jeremiah McDaniel "negligently fired his gun" at Keith Anderson and Carlos Cooper after pulling them over in August 2018. According to court documents, the bullet missed Anderson's head by mere inches.
The lawsuits say the men were then held unlawfully for three hours while investigators searched for the bullet. Court documents say police later told them to "go home."
Scientist: Complaints About Rodent Infestation Led To Firing - KOB-TV, Associated Press
A New Mexico scientist says she was fired from a New Mexico Tech lab job after complaining about a rodent infestation.
KOB-TV in Albuquerque reports chemical engineer Glenanne Johnson was terminated from her position as a lab manager at the Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center following her complaints about mouse droppings and dead rodents.
Johnson says the work environment got her sick and she later tested positive for Hantavirus – an infectious disease spread by rodents. The university would not comment on why she is no longer employed.
University Of New Mexico Hosts Student Chat With Astronauts - Associated Press
The University of New Mexico is hosting a live chat with astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
The school says hundreds of students grades kindergarten through high school are expected to pack UNM's Student Union Building in Albuquerque for Tuesday's event.
Officials say it will be a chance for students to engage with NASA astronauts, space experts and others.
US Wildlife Officials Agree To Lower 48 Grizzly Bear Review - By Matthew Brown, Associated Press
U.S. officials will review whether grizzly bears have enough protections across the Lower 48 states after advocates sued the government in a bid to restore the animals to more areas.
The review must be completed by March 31, 2021, under a settlement approved Monday by a federal judge. The Center for Biological Diversity said in a June lawsuit that officials should consider restoring grizzlies to areas of California, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada and Oregon.
Grizzly bears are protected as a threatened species outside Alaska. An estimated 1,900 bears live in portions of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Washington state.