New Mexico Governor Kicks Off Anti-DWI Campaign - The Associated Press
Gov. Susana Martinez has rolled out a new advertising campaign to raise awareness about the dangers and consequences of drunken driving.
The governor announced the campaign during a stop Friday in Albuquerque. She says drunken driving has had a devastating impact on New Mexico families and it needs to stop.
She called for tougher penalties and crackdowns by law enforcement.
The campaign also addresses the dangers of texting while driving and refusing to wear a seatbelt.
Law enforcement agencies will have more officers on the roads this summer targeting drunken drivers and others during the annual 100 Days and Nights of Summer campaign.
There will also be more DWI checkpoints and saturation patrols through Sept. 30.
During last year's campaign, 74 DWI arrests were made and 1,936 seatbelt citations were issued.
Registration For Navajo Language Referendum Closes Monday - The Associated Press
Navajos who want a say in changing the language requirements for anyone seeking the tribe's top two posts have until the close of business Monday to register to vote.
The tribe is holding a referendum election on July 21.
Voters will be asked if they want to determine whether candidates for president and vice president speak and understand Navajo and English well enough to hold office. They currently are required to speak fluent Navajo.
Tribal lawmakers approved the referendum after a presidential hopeful was disqualified last year for failing to prove he met that requirement.
Anyone who voted in the past two reservation-wide elections is not required to register again as long as their voting information hasn't changed.
Monday also marks the start of early voting.
Santa Fe Teachers, Staff See Merit-Based Bump In Paychecks - The Santa Fe New Mexican, The Associated Press
Santa Fe public school teachers and staff are expected to get nearly $5 million in bonuses as part of a pilot program that some of them have criticized.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that Santa Fe Public Schools are getting the payments as part of a merit-based system approved by lawmakers last year.
Some teachers had opposed the program, arguing it placed too much focus on state standardized tests when gauging a teacher's success.
Nearly 900 teachers, administrators and other staff opted into the incentive program while 27 declined.
Some of those who joined say despite their criticism, they simply could not afford to pass up the money.
Teachers have received bonuses range from more than $100 to more than $10,000.
New Mexico Unemployment Rate For May Stays To 6.2 Percent - The Associated Press
New Mexico's unemployment rate stayed at 6.2 percent in May while the state continued a long string of over-the-year job growth.
The Department of Workforce Solutions said Friday the economy added 8,200 nonfarm jobs last month compared with May 2014, when the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.7 percent.
The department said May was New Mexico's 33rd consecutive month with over-the-year employment growth.
Six economic sectors added jobs in the past year with employment growth in education and health services adding 5,000 jobs and continuing to soar above other industry sectors in May.
Five sectors shed jobs including construction, manufacturing, transportation, warehousing and utilities.
Analysts say New Mexico's employment growth has generally been trending upward since September 2009, with the pace of growth accelerating in October 2013.
Search Launched In Mountains For Missing Ex-White House Chef - The Associated Press
Authorities are searching by air and ground in a rugged New Mexico mountain range for a former White House chef reported missing on a solo hike.
New Mexico State Police said Friday that they have no leads yet on 61-year-old Walter Scheib, the White House chef for 11 years under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
Scheib recently moved from Florida to Taos, New Mexico, and reportedly went for a hike last Saturday in the mountains near the Taos Ski Valley.
His girlfriend reported him missing, and police found his car Tuesday parked at the Yerba Canyon trailhead.
Authorities are using search-and-rescue dogs and helicopters to view areas too rough and remote to reach on foot.
The U.S. Air Force and the New Mexico National Guard are assisting in the search.