New Mexico Lake Sets Visitor Record During Holiday Weekend - The Associated Press
The Fourth of July weekend is always big at Elephant Butte Lake State Park, but this year topped them all.
State officials announced Tuesday that a total of 125,325 people visited during the holiday weekend to set an all-time visitation record. It's also a significant increase from last year's 98,000 visitors and the 47,000 who showed up in 2013.
State Parks Director Christy Tafoya described the conditions at Elephant Butte, New Mexico's largest lake, as fantastic.
Water levels are nearly 14 feet higher this year thanks to more rain and runoff.
Officials say the increase in visitors also boosted park revenue and the local economy.
For the fiscal year that ended in June, park revenue totaled more than $100,000, an increase of about $22,000.
Former Police Chief Says Firing Was Over Sexual Orientation – The Associated Press & The Las Cruces Sun News
A former police chief in southern New Mexico is saying she was fired over her sexual orientation.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reports Diana Mejia had been leading the Anthony police force for 18 months when she was fired following a closed-door meeting of four elected officials.
Trustees Betty Gonzalez, Pilar Madrid, Diana Murillo-Trujillo and James Scott voted unanimously July 1 to dismiss Mejia despite numerous comments from the public in support of the police chief.
Mejia filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission saying her firing was motivated by sexual discrimination because she's a lesbian.
Performance reviews have been positive for Mejia.
Mayor Arnulfo Castañeda says while he wasn't consulted about the firing, he hasn't had any major problems with Mejia's performance.
Navajo Utility Fined For Violating Clean Water Act – The Associated Press
A Navajo Nation utility has agreed to pay a $25,000 fine for discharging more pollutants into a creek bed than its permit allowed.
The fine is part of a settlement reached with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and its counterpart on the Navajo Nation over violations of the Clean Water Act.
The EPA says the pollutants sent from a wastewater treatment facility into the normally dry Black Creek exceeded permitted levels since at least 2011. The tribe's Water Quality program brought an enforcement action.
The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority operates the wastewater facility that serves 13,000 people.
The utility's deputy general manager, Rex Kontz, says the facility is decades old and relies on a series of lagoons to treat wastewater. It's scheduled to be replaced by the end of the year.
Ex-City Manager Of New Mexico Border City Files Lawsuit – The Associated Press & The Las Cruces Sun News
A former city manager of a troubled New Mexico border city has filed a lawsuit alleging breach of contract and violation of the state's Whistleblower Protection Act.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reports Vernon Wilson said in recently filed court papers that the Sunland Park City Council conducted his job performance evaluations "in bad faith" and made up information to fire him.
Wilson was hired in 2013 after state officials threaten to take over the troubled border city amid an extortion case and allegations of voter fraud.
In 2012, Sunland Park drew national attention after a mayoral candidate was charged with extortion for secretly recording an opponent receiving a lap dance from a topless woman in his campaign office.
Record Rainfall Reported In Parts Of New Mexico - The Associated Press
The latest storm to hit central New Mexico was one for the record books.
Forecasters at the National Weather Service in Albuquerque say the rain gauge at the city's airport received 2.24 inches Monday, setting a record for 24-hour rainfall.
Some rainfall reports came in over 2 inches and more than five dozen sites in the area reported over an inch.
Meteorologist Brian Guyer says that over the last five days just about everyone in central and eastern New Mexico reported between an inch and 3 inches of rain with higher amounts up to 5 inches in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
With the rain have come flash flood warnings. Some damage has been reported in Santa Fe, Rio Arriba, San Miguel, McKinley and Torrance counties.
New Mexico's Largest College Newspaper To Stop Daily Edition - The Associated Press and Daily Lobo
New Mexico's largest college newspaper is going mainly digital.
The Daily Lobo, the University of New Mexico's student-run news organization, said Monday the newspaper will no longer publish daily and will only print two editions a week.
Instead, the Daily Lobo will focus primarily on its website and social media accounts to report news on campus and the surrounding area.
Daily Lobo Editor-in-Chief Jyllian Roach says the editorial staff in recent years has discussed making the paper's digital presence a priority, but the rigors of a daily printed product hampered that transition.
Though print publications will be reduced, Daily Lobo officials say the outlet will continue to report on a daily basis but mainly for an online audience.
Navajo Utility Fined For Violating Clean Water Act – The Associated Press
A Navajo Nation utility has been fined $25,000 for discharging more pollutants into a waterway than its permit allowed.
The fine was announced Tuesday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and its counterpart on the Navajo Nation.
Under settlements with the agencies, the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority must bring its Window Rock treatment plant into full compliance by the end of the year. The utility also agreed to build new infrastructure for the treatment plant.
The EPA says an inspection revealed that the tribal utility had been sending too many pollutants into the Black Creek, a tributary of the Puerco River, since at least 2011. The tribe's Water Quality program brought an enforcement action.
The treatment plant serves more than 13,000 people in Apache County on the reservation.
New Mexico Working To Modernize Voting System - The Associated Press
New Mexico is embarking on the final phase of an effort to modernize the state's election management and voter registration system, but officials say some changes won't be fully implemented until after the 2016 general election.
The secretary of state's office briefed lawmakers on its progress during a meeting this week in Albuquerque.
The agency already has updated the candidate filing system and streamlined the reporting of election results, but work has yet to start on revamping voter registration.
The agency's technology chief, Kari Fresquez, says one of the goals is to make it easier for voters to access and update their information online, look up election dates, find polling places and read sample ballots.
The Legislature has approved $1.4 million for the agency to finish the project.
Nearly 700 Letters Returned In Curry County Voter Purge - The Associated Press
The Curry County Clerk's Office says nearly 700 of the more than 3,000 letters sent to purged voters in June have been returned.
County Clerk Rosalie Riley told the Clovis News Journal this week that the county sent letters as a final attempt to reach state-flagged voters who had not voted in two consecutive federal general elections.
Riley says the letters will be placed with the pulled voter cards with a notation of the date the letters were sent and returned.
Election Specialist Amber Roberts says the purge is supposed to be conducted every four years, although the former Secretary of State failed to send notices in 2011.
Riley says voters have until June 3, 2016 to register to vote in the next primary election.
Auditor: Mckinley County Sheriff's Office Misused DWI Funds - The Associated Press
An investigation by the state auditor's office has determined that the McKinley County Sheriff's Office misused funds meant to prevent drunken driving.
Auditor Tim Keller released the findings Tuesday. He first announced in April that his office was reviewing allegations of financial irregularities by the previous administration.
Investigators focused on a time period between 2010 and 2014 after tips were called in to a fraud hotline.
The audit outlines general mismanagement of DWI funds that were not tracked or properly accounted for based on federal and state guidelines.
Sheriff deputies also claimed overtime for DWI task force activities when they were working elsewhere, such as at high school athletic games and a school prom.
Keller says he hopes changes made by current management will bring about more transparency and accountability.
AMC's 'Better Call Saul' Returning For 2nd Season - The Associated Press
"Better Call Saul" is coming back for a second season.
New Mexico Film Office Director Nick Maniatis announced Tuesday that AMC has renewed the "Breaking Bad" spinoff starring Bob Odenkirk and it again will be filmed in Albuquerque.
Officials say "Better Call Saul," produced by Sony Pictures Television, will employ at least 75 to 90 New Mexico crewmembers.
"Better Call Saul" follows Jimmy McGill, played by Odenkirk, who later changes his name to Saul Goodman and becomes an attorney for drug lords in "Breaking Bad."
Odenkirk played the lawyer of Bryan Cranston's character, methamphetamine lord Walter White, in "Breaking Bad." That AMC series was also filmed in Albuquerque.