APS Announces 39 School Chief Applicants - Russell Contreras, Associated Press
The Albuquerque Public Schools board of education said today that 39 people have applied to be superintendent.
Officials will be dwindling down the list in the coming month. The applicants include former educators from Newark, California, and a former superintendent in a Long Island, New York, school district.
Albuquerque Public Schools board president David Peercy said the district is looking to hire a leader who will understand the unique needs of a diverse school district in one of the nation's poorest states.
According to 2019 state data, about 20% of students were proficient in math and 30% proficient in English in Albuquerque Public Schools. The district is 67% Hispanic.
District officials said they hope to have a new superintendent by July to replace Raquel Reedy, who is retiring.
New Mexico Governor To Sheriffs: Enforce Gun Law Or Resign - By Morgan Lee Associated Press
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has signed a red-flag law that will allow state district courts to order the temporary surrender of firearms.
She urged sheriffs to resign if they refuse to enforce the law signed Tuesday.
Some sheriffs from mostly rural areas opposed the legislation in the state with a strong culture of gun ownership.
New Mexico Sheriffs' Association President Tony Mace said he and other sheriffs will assert their discretion over enforcement of the law and that they work directly for voters, not the governor.
This year's red-flag legislation allows police and sheriffs' deputies to petition a court for the surrender of household firearms within 48 hours from people who pose a danger to themselves or others.
Petitions can be based on sworn affidavits filed by relatives, employers or school administrators, and authorities can be held liable for officers who fail to enforce the law.
Gun control advocates say they'll teach people how to submit affidavits for emergency risk protection orders.
New Mexico Film Office Gets New Director - Associated Press
The New Mexico Film Office will be getting a new director.
State officials announced Tuesday that Amber Dodson, the city of Albuquerque's film liaison, will take over the post in early March. She will replace Todd Christensen, a long-time locations manager who will be returning to the private sector.
Under Dodson's leadership, Albuquerque issued a record 448 film permits in 2019. The growth came as Netflix and NBCUniversal ramped up production at their studios in Albuquerque.
Dodson also launched initiatives to increase diversity and local engagement in the film industry, streamline film permitting, expand resources for local businesses, and connect residents to job opportunities on productions.
Prior to being the city's film liaison, Dodson worked in Hollywood in film production, business development and marketing and advertising.
Exxonmobil To Pay $1M As Part Of New Mexico Settlement - Associated Press
ExxonMobil will contribute $500,000 to a fund used to clean up leaks from petroleum storage tanks as part of a settlement reached with New Mexico.
The settlement stems from a 2010 lawsuit that alleged the company used money from the state Corrective Action Fund to clean up petroleum contamination at a service station in Taos but that it also collected on its own insurance coverage for the costs of remediation at the same site.
ExxonMobil was accused of failing to disclose the existence of the insurance coverage and the reimbursement it received from its insurance policies.
The company has denied the allegations, maintaining that it did not misrepresent facts and was legally entitled to payments from the fund. The company agreed to pay into the fund to settle the case.
The settlement totals more than $1 million. Aside from the $500,000 that will be diverted to the fund, the attorney general's office and the state's general fund will share in the proceeds.
State officials said the fund is often the only way petroleum leaks can be cleaned up, as many former tank owners and operators are financially unable to pay for the work.
New Mexico Inmate Death 'Apparent Suicide' Amid Lawsuits - Santa Fe New Mexican, Associated Press
An inmate's suspected suicide in a New Mexico prison occurred as two new lawsuits accuse the state Corrections Department of negligence in inmate deaths at another penitentiary.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports one federal lawsuit filed this month says the department ordered medical personnel to remove 39-year-old Efrain Perez Martinez from life support in early 2019 over the protests of family members.
Another federal lawsuit accuses Corrections Department officials of failing to provide heart medication to an inmate with a known heart condition. He later died.
Corrections spokesperson Eric Harrison declined to comment on the pending litigation Monday.
Harrison confirmed Justin Guilez, 29, was found dead in his cell Wednesday at the Northwestern New Mexico Detention Facility in Grants “in what was an apparent suicide."
Work Underway On Xcel Energy Wind Farm In Eastern New Mexico - Santa Fe New Mexican, Associated Press
Texas-based Xcel Energy has poured the first 66 foundations for what will be a 240-turbine wind farm in eastern New Mexico.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports Xcel Energy recently began construction on a $900 million wind farm southeast of Portales, New Mexico.
The 522-megawatt Sagamore Wind Project will be the largest single wind facility in New Mexico by the time it's completed later this year.
Sagamore will produce enough electricity to power 194,000 homes annually.
Xcel spokesperson Wes Reeves says the company will use the New Mexico and Texas wind power to serve its customers in those two states.
Congresswoman: Science Should Guide Nuclear Storage Decision - By Susan Montoya Bryan Associated Press
A member of New Mexico's congressional delegation says science should guide any decisions about whether to allow a multibillion-dollar temporary storage facility for spent nuclear fuel to be built in the state.
U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small in an interview with The Associated Press acknowledged that the growing stockpile of spent fuel at commercial reactors around the U.S. is a national problem and elected leaders need to ensure New Mexico does not pay an unfair price as part of the solution.
While elected leaders in Eddy and Lea counties support the project, it has garnered fierce opposition from nuclear watchdog groups, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and other members of the state's congressional delegation. They are concerned about the state becoming a permanent dump since the federal government is far from having any long-term plan for dealing with the tons of spent fuel building up at nuclear power plants around the nation.
State and industry officials also have concerns about potential effects on oil and gas development, as the proposed site is located within the Permian Basin — one of the world's most prolific energy production regions.
Torres Small narrowly won the district and is up for re-election this year. She said she has heard from constituents on both sides of the matter — those who have concerns and those who see the project as an opportunity for more jobs and revenue for the oil-dependent region.
New Jersey-based Holtec International is seeking a 40-year license from federal regulators to build what it has described as a state-of-the-art complex near Carlsbad.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is in the process of considering Holtec's application. It could be next year before a decision is made.
New Mexico Bail Reform Committee To Hear From Experts - Associated Press
A committee appointed by the New Mexico Supreme Court to review the state's pretrial detention procedures will be hearing from some national experts.
The committee will meet Thursday in Albuquerque to hear from the founder of the Center for Legal and Evidence-Based Practices and the program director of the Justice Management Institute. Both have assisted other states on matters related to pretrial release and detention.
A constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2016 cleared the way for state district judges to detain defendants facing felony charges in jail pending trial if prosecutors prove by clear and convincing evidence that the individual is so dangerous that nothing other than detention will reasonably protect public safety.
As part of the process, prosecutors are required to file a written
motion in court to seek a defendant's detention. Rules for such requests also set deadlines for related hearings.
A report from the Supreme Court's review committee is due by March 31. Retired Supreme Court Justice Edward Chávez chairs the committee, which is made up of representatives from all three branches of state government.
New Mexico Utility Examiners Recommend Closing Energy Plant - Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press
Utility examiners in New Mexico backed a plan to close a coal-fired power station.
The Albuquerque Journal reported Monday that examiners recommended the state Public Regulation Commission should approve the Public Service Company of New Mexico's request to abandon the San Juan Generating Station.
In a written decision, regulation commission examiners said Friday that hearings have shown abandonment will cost ratepayers less over the next 20 years than continuing to operate the plant.
The examiners say most of the savings will come from replacing San Juan electricity with cheaper solar, wind, battery storage, and natural gas generation.
The closure is expected to cost up to $361 million.
New Mexico Oil Group, GOP House Hopeful Condemn Candidate Ad - By Russell Contreras Associated Press
A radio ad from a New Mexico GOP House candidate suggesting that her Republican oil executive opponent endorses "Green New Deal" policies is drawing strong condemnation.
The ad paid by Yvette Herrell was airing on at least one Albuquerque-area conservative radio station Tuesday.
It says Claire Chase refused to oppose a landmark energy law that sets New Mexico on a path toward more renewable energy.
Chase was chair of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, which took a neutral stance on the Energy Transition Act.
Chase campaign manager Mike Berg called the ad "absurd" and said Herrell was lying.
The New Mexico Oil and Gas Association also strongly condemned the Herrell campaign for a "baseless political attack."