Community Honors Fallen Rio Rancho Police Officer - The Associated Press
Officers from throughout New Mexico and beyond gathered with community and family members to pay their last respects to a Rio Rancho police officer shot and killed during a May 25 traffic stop.
Police escorted Officer Gregg Benner's body to the Santa Ana Star Center on Thursday morning as people lined the streets to watch the procession.
Benner was a four-year member of the Rio Rancho Police Department and an Air Force veteran who was survived by his wife, six children and seven grandchildren.
Police Chief Michael Geier and Gov. Susana Martinez were among those to address the crowd.
Martinez ordered flags to be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset in honor of Benner.
The man accused of killing Benner faces numerous charges, including murder. He's jailed with bail set at $5 million.
Ex-Dona Ana County Employee Accused Of Falsifying Records – The Associated Press
Authorities say a former Dona Ana County employee has been arrested for allegedly falsifying her pay records to receive food stamp benefits.
County sheriff's officials say 32-year-old Lorrie A. Munoz was the bureau of elections supervisor at the county clerk's office before resigning Thursday.
She was arrested Friday and booked into jail on suspicion of making or permitting a false claim for reimbursement for public assistance services.
Authorities say that Munoz allegedly used her computer at work to change her payroll records so that she could create documents that would make her eligible for food stamps from January 2013 to December 2013.
Sheriff's officials say Munoz is being held on a $15,000 cash bond at the Dona Ana County Detention Center. It's unclear if she has an attorney yet.
Gov. Martinez Dedicates New Port Of Entry In Santa Teresa – The Associated Press
New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has dedicated a new, state-of-the-art port of entry facility in the booming border town of Santa Teresa.
Martinez visited the new port of entry Friday and participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony for Twin Cities Logistic Center.
In April, Martinez signed two measures aimed at helping Santa Teresa.
One measure extends the overweight cargo zone in Santa Teresa and two other New Mexico ports of entry, a move officials say could attract more companies to the area.
The other bill brings New Mexico's weight limit for oversize load permits in line with federal standards and neighboring states at up to 80,000 pounds.
Santa Teresa is seeing rapid growth as state officials plan more projects.
Dona Ana County Whistleblower Fired, Was Temporary Employee - The Associated Press and Las Cruces Sun-News
A whistleblower who brought an alleged identity theft and check cashing scam to light within the Dona Ana County clerk's office has been fired.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reports that Robert "RJ" Hernandez was told of the termination Thursday.
Hernandez says he was a temporary clerk's office employee, so county officials weren't obligated to give an explanation for the decision. He says they also can terminate temporary employees at will.
But Hernandez thinks the move is backlash for his involvement in calling attention to the alleged fraud and theft.
Now that he's no longer a county employee, Hernandez says he'll run for election for county clerk in 2016.
Court: New Mexico Man With 6 DWIs Can Get License Restored - The Associated Press
A New Mexico appeals court says an Albuquerque man convicted six times for drunken driving can have his state driver's license restored.
The state Court of Appeals ruled this week a lower court erred when it denied 53-year-old Monte DeMichele's petition to restore his license.
According to court records, DeMichele was convicted six times of driving while intoxicated between 1990 and 2005. But after an interlock was placed in his vehicle and DeMichele said he was an active participant in Alcoholics Anonymous for eight years, he petitioned to have his license restored.
A New Mexico district court ruled last year because interlock records showed small traces of alcohol, DeMichele didn't meet "good cause" for a license restoration.
A three-member appeals court reversed that decision.
The ruling comes as New Mexico has launched a number of anti-drunken driving campaigns.
Officials: Bat Found At Store Tests Positive For Rabies - The Associated Press
New Mexico health officials say a bat found hanging from the basket of a motorized wheelchair at an Albuquerque store has tested positive for rabies.
The bat was spotted Tuesday while the customer was at the checkout counter at a Wal-Mart Supercenter. Another person who helped remove the bat was bitten and will have to get a series of vaccinations.
State Health Secretary Retta Ward is asking that anyone who may have touched or handled the bat to call health officials.
She says just being near or in the vicinity of the bat isn't an exposure.
The Health Department is advising people to stay away from wild or unfamiliar animals. Officials say rabid animals may show no fear of people and many even seem friendly or become aggressive.
Feds Asks Bank To Withhold Assets Of Convicted Sheriff – The Associated Press and Santa Fe New Mexican
Federal authorities are asking a bank to withhold any property and money of a former northern New Mexico sheriff convicted in a road-rage case.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that U.S. Attorney's Office in Albuquerque has asked the Los Alamos National Bank if it has any property or money that belongs to former Rio Arriba County sheriff Tommy Rodella.
If so, new court documents say the bank needs to hold that property and money to pay off Rodella's fines and court-ordered restitution.
Rodella was sentenced in January to 10 years in federal prison for abusing a driver in a bizarre, off-duty traffic stop that prosecutors described as a fit of road rage. He also was ordered to pay a $200,000 fine and $10,335 in restitution.
New Santa Fe Archbishop Installed In New Era For Archdiocese - The Associated Press
The Santa Fe Archdiocese has a new archbishop.
Rev. John Wester was installed Thursday at a Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe, replacing retiring Archbishop Michael Sheehan.
Wester takes over a region that includes around 300,000 parishioners and has a rich history that began more than four centuries ago with the arrival of Spanish colonists. But he also inherits an archdiocese still facing lawsuits related to decades-old allegation of sexual abuse of children by priests.
The 64-yeear-old Wester says he wants to focus on issues around poverty and immigration.
Guests at the instillation included two cardinals, numerous bishops and a representative of Pope Francis.
Wester, who was bishop in Salt Lake City, was appointed in April.
2 Albuquerque Police Officers Hurt After Suspect Rams Cars - The Associated Press
Authorities say two Albuquerque police officers are hospitalized after being rammed by a suspect behind the wheel of a possible stolen vehicle.
Police say the suspect also was taken to a hospital Thursday after officers used bean bags and stun guns on him.
He's identified as 33-year-old Danan Bernard Gabaldon, who's reported to be in stable condition.
The names of the injured officers weren't immediately released, but police say they're expected to recover.
Police have been looking for the driver of a stolen maroon SUV who drove directly at an Albuquerque police officer on May 25. The officer fired twice but missed the suspect.
Officers spotted the suspect on Thursday afternoon in another red vehicle and say he got into the vehicle and rammed at least two unmarked police vehicles.
Wreckage Of Missing Glider And Pilot's Body Found Near Lamy - The Associated Press
The wreckage of a glider reported missing has been found in the Lamy area along with the body of the pilot.
New Mexico State Police say the glider left Moriarty Municipal Airport on Wednesday and was later reported missing.
Satellite and cellphone data — along with the eyewitness sighting from a fellow pilot who was following the downed aircraft — led to the search beginning in the Lamy area.
The wreckage was found Thursday afternoon about four miles east of U.S. 285.
Authorities say the name of the deceased pilot will be released after his family is notified.
The Federal Aviation Administration will be investigating the cause of the crash.
Pilot Seriously Injured In Paraglider Crash In New Mexico - The Associated Press
The pilot of a paraglider has been seriously injured after the aircraft crashed near the Truth or Consequences airport.
New Mexico State Police say officers responded to the crash scene about 10:30 a.m. Thursday.
They say it appears the paraglider was on its final approach when the crash occurred a half mile southeast of the airport.
The pilot was airlifted to University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque with sever lower leg injuries.
The name of the pilot wasn't immediately released.
State Police and the National Traffic Safety Bureau will be investigating to determine the cause of the crash.
New Mexico Wildfire Ignited By Lightning Grows In Size - The Associated Press
A wildfire ignited by lightning near the Arizona-New Mexico border has grown to about 5.4 square miles in size.
The 3,500-acre fire is mostly burning grass and brush.
Forest officials say two additional fire crews are being assigned to the area to contain the fire and protect nearby ranches and wildlife habitat. An additional four engines and one helicopter were also assigned.
High temperatures are predicted for Thursday along with winds between 15 and 20 mph and gusts up to 30 mph.
Officials say they will also conduct aerial mapping of the fire to determine an accurate reading of the fire's size and its perimeter.
