New Mexico Activists To Hold Rally On 'Vanessa Guillen Act' – Associated Press
New Mexico activists are scheduled to hold a rally to support a proposal that would change how active duty service members file sexual harassment and assault claims.
The “I am Vanessa Guillen Act Rally” slated for Saturday in Albuquerque seeks to put pressure on the state’s congressional delegation to endorse the measure. Under the proposal, the active duty service members would be allowed to file sexual harassment, and assault claims to a third-party agency instead of their chain of command.
The proposal is named after Army Spc. Vanessa Guillen, who went missing in April.
Investigators say Guillen, 20, was bludgeoned to death at Fort Hood by Spc. Aaron Robinson, who killed himself on July 1 as police were trying to take him into custody.
Guillen’s family has said Robinson had sexually harassed her, but the Army has said there is no evidence supporting the claim.
Fort Hood has one of the highest rates of murder, sexual assault, and harassment in the Army, Secretary Ryan McCarthy said in August.
Retired Army Master Sergeant Crystal C. Romero said victims of sexual assault in the military need a new channel to report abuse.
Body Cam Images Show New Mexico Man Had No Gun When Killed By Police – Associated Press
The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday made the images public showing the fatal shooting of Marco Benito.
Benito, 36, was killed by police on Aug. 31 after he reached his right hand into a bag while in a ditch during a confrontation.
San Juan County Sheriff Shane Ferrari said that Benito told deputies five times that he had a gun.
Sheriff's deputies said they gave 53 commands for Benito to leave the ditch and that Benito told deputies 27 times that he was refusing to comply with their orders.
An investigation by the San Juan County Regional Officer Involved Shooting Taskforce determined that the deputy used his weapon in accordance with sheriff office's policy, The Daily Times reported.
The deputy who shot Benito has returned to his job after being placed on administrative leave, said San Juan County Sheriff’s Office Spokesperson Kristi Hughes.
The deputy's name was not in the story published by the Daily Times.
Lower Interest Rate To Help Fund New Mexico Water Projects – Associated Press
The Water Quality Control Commission made the decision during a recent meeting after considering a request by the state Environment Department. The agency estimates that up to 400 communities could benefit.
The loan program funds improvements for wastewater treatment plants, water conservation efforts, agricultural management and other projects.
“We know many New Mexico communities – especially our rural communities – are eagerly awaiting this change that allows greater access to capital for water and wastewater projects,” Environment Secretary James Kenney said in a statement issued Friday.
Under the change, the maximum interest rate was slashed by more than half to just 1%. As an example, officials said an entity with a wastewater loan of $1 million dollars at the previous rate of 2.375% will save almost $160,000 in interest over a 20-year repayment period at the new rate.
Communities with current loans under the program or eligible loans from other funders may be able to refinance their loans at the new lower rates.
Voting Rights Groups Organize Hotline To Report Interference - Associated Press
Voting rights organizations in New Mexico have announced a nonpartisan voter protection program intended to make it easier for people to report election interference and seek out consultation on other problems at the polls or with absentee ballots.
On Thursday, Common Cause New Mexico and the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico said they are establishing a hotline in English and Spanish that will be staffed by attorneys, law students and those with a legal background who are familiar with the New Mexico Election Code.
President Donald Trump continued his assault on the integrity of the U.S. elections during the first presidential debate this week, spreading falsehoods about the security of voting and misrepresenting issues with mail ballots.
Common Cause New Mexico has been running an election protection program since 2008 with no party or campaign affiliation.
Organizers of the remote monitoring plan were seeking out volunteers to train in advance.
Absentee balloting begins Oct. 6 across New Mexico and early voting convenience centers open on Oct. 17 for in-person voting.
New Mexico Governor: Alarm Bells Are Ringing As Cases Rise – Associated Press
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham warned Thursday that the alarm bells are ringing as the number of COVID-19 cases and the rate of spread are on the rise in the state.
She said the state is trending in the wrong direction and asked people during an online briefing to recommit to wearing masks, staying home and avoiding large gatherings, noting that she doesn’t want another wave of infections or more lockdowns.
She instead floated the idea of people limiting their daily activities rather than going to multiple places in a single day. She said the more interaction people have, the greater the opportunity for the virus to spread.
State health officials on Thursday reported an additional 227 COVID-19 cases, bringing the statewide total to more than 29,660 since the pandemic began. Another five deaths also were reported to bring the death toll to 882.
Officials also reported that 86 people were hospitalized with COVID-19, marking a 30% increase over the past week.
Navajo Nation Has No COVID-19 Deaths For 3rd Time This Week - Associated Press
Navajo Nation health officials reported 13 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus Thursday with no additional deaths for the third time this week.
The latest figures bring the total number of COVID-19 cases on the vast reservation to 10,369 with the known death toll remaining at 556.
Tribal officials reported no deaths on Monday and Tuesday with just one death on Wednesday.
They say 107,599 people have been tested for the coronavirus on the reservation that covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah and 7,262 have recovered.
The Navajo Nation has implemented a stricter weekend lockdown as it looks into new clusters of coronavirus cases from family gatherings and off-reservation travel.
School Leaders Outline Crisis To New Mexico Lawmakers – Cedar Attanasio, Associated Press
School leaders on Thursday outlined dire setbacks for New Mexico to meet its obligation under a court order to provide an adequate education for all students.
Panelists told members of the Legislative Finance Committee that the coronavirus pandemic has set schools back in all areas, including meeting requirements to improve instruction for at-risk students.
The education lawsuit covers New Mexico students who are English language learners, Native American and those who have specific mobility or learning impediments.
The challenges extend to rural communities in the corners of the state, where limited internet access is compounding unequal access to education.
While schools have mobilized to bring Wi-Fi hotspots to rural homes, connections are spotty or non-existent in areas without the cell towers needed to power the hot spots.
Around half of Native American children have been unable to connect with online learning this year, according to a report to the Legislative Finance Committee.
In July, state District Judge Matthew Wilson rejected a request from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to dismiss the case, saying the state hadn’t complied with a 2018 ruling to provide “adequate” education as required by the state constitution.
Deputy Chief At Jail Retires After Using Racial Slur In Text – Associated Press
The deputy chief at a New Mexico jail will retire this week after an investigation found that he used a racial slur to refer to an inmate.
Deputy Chief Aaron Vigil of the Metropolitan Detention Center will retire on Friday. He has not worked at the jail since August pending the investigation, said the center's spokeswoman Julia Rivera.
Vigil, who has worked at the detention center since 2018, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Albuquerque Journal.
Rivera said that Vigil used the racial slur in a text message referring to Clifton White, a 36-year-old Black man who was heavily involved in the Black Lives Matter movement when he was arrested by local law enforcement.
A whistleblower reported the incident in August. The whistleblower said that the text thread was between Vigil and two others from the Albuquerque Police Department and the New Mexico Corrections Department.
New Mexico Senator Seeks Better Air Quality In US Schools – Cedar Attanasio, Associated Press
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich has introduced legislation aimed at improving air quality in schools.
The Keeping Schools Safe Act would provide $1 billion in grant funding for ventilation and air quality monitoring. It also would mandate the creation of coronavirus-specific technical guidance for heating, ventilation and air condition systems.
Many existing ventilation systems, including in New Mexico schools, are incapable of using filters that eliminate the coronavirus. Ideal updates would introduce filters that could trap virus particles while allowing increased airflow.
Albuquerque Public Schools decided to stay online-only through the rest of the year citing ventilation and other issues.
KOB-TV reported that APS officials estimate improving ventilation systems would cost millions, and there’s no money from the state to do that.
Heinrich, a New Mexico Democrat, does not have any Republican co-sponsors for the bill. It could join a number of COVID-19 relief bills that have stalled in the Senate.
New Mexico State Will Go Online-Only After Thanksgiving – Associated Press
New Mexico State University has announced that classes will be entirely online after the Thanksgiving break and that the college's fall commencement will not be held in-person because of coronavirus restrictions.
University President John Floros said Wednesday that the university surveyed students, faculty and staff at the Las Cruces campus to gauge their opinions on returning following the break, the Las Cruces Sun-News reported.
The university received more than 6,600 responses with more than 70% of faculty and staff and 60% of students favoring online-only courses beginning Nov. 30, Floros said. Classes that are currently online are not expected to change.
There will be two weeks left in the fall semester following the holiday and the campus will remain open to provide housing, dining and other services, officials said.
Floros said the university plans to return to in-person classes for the Spring 2021 semester.
The college's satellite campuses are expected to soon announce their plans for the rest of this semester, their fall commencements and their spring semesters.
Much Of US Southwest Left Parched After Monsoon Season - By Felicia Fonseca Associated Press
Cities across the U.S. Southwest recorded their driest monsoon season on record this year. Some locales received only a trace or no rain.
The seasonal weather pattern that runs from mid-June through September brings high hopes for rain and a cooldown in the desert region. But like last year, it was largely a dud, leaving the region parched and prolonging the drought.
In New Mexico, Farmington and Roswell had one of their driest monsoon seasons on record. Albuquerque had less than half the normal amount of rain.
Las Vegas, Nevada, tied a record set in 1944. Phoenix's monsoon season wasn't the driest, but the city had its hottest one on record.
Weather forecasters say the upcoming winter likely won't make up for the precipitation deficit.
Senate Race Pits Political Scion Against TV-savvy Republican - By Morgan Lee Associated Press
A Latino Congressman and mainstay of Democratic politics in northern New Mexico is vying for an open U.S. Senate seat against a television-savvy Republican challenger with household name recognition as a former network meteorologist based in Albuquerque.
The race between U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján of Nambe and first-time candidate Mark Ronchetti is testing the statewide appeal of a six-term Congressional Democrat who signed Obama's health care overhaul and is fighting to preserve it in the age of COVID-19.
Ronchettti is running as a "faith, family and freedom" Republican with a tough-on-crime platform, condemning career politicians and toxic politics in Washington, D.C.
Tracks, Casinos Push For Gambling Expansion In New Mexico – Associated Press
New Mexico’s commercial racetrack and casino venues have crafted a proposal for an expansion that would include internet gaming, 24-hour casino operations and unlimited video slot machines and table games.
Officials with Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino in southern New Mexico were scheduled Thursday to testify before the Legislative Finance Committee about overhauling the industry in the state.
The tracks and casinos say they’ve been hit hard by the pandemic over the last several months, as the state's public health order has kept spectators out of the stands and the casinos have been prohibited from reopening, even at reduced capacities. The revenue from the casinos subsidizes horse racing.
Any changes to gambling regulations runs the risk of nullifying the state’s agreements with Native American tribes that operate casinos. Those compacts, which are not set to expire until 2037, call for the tribes to pay the state a portion of their revenue every quarter.