Court Halts Timber Activity In Southwest Over Threatened Owl - By Felicia Fonseca Associated Press
A federal court has halted timber activity across tens of thousands of square miles of the American Southwest over a threatened owl.
An order issued earlier this month out of the U.S. District Court in Tucson covers 18,750 square miles in all five New Mexico national forests and one in Arizona.
It says timber management activities will be sidelined until the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service get a better handle on how to track the population of Mexican spotted owls.
It's unclear what activities will stop. Federal land managers have been using logging, mechanical thinning and prescribed burns to lessen the chances of catastrophic wildfires that threaten the owl and its habitat.
The Forest Service says it's complying with the order.
New Mexico Brings Big Data To Bear On Methane Pollution – Associated Press
State regulators in New Mexico are turning to the private sector for new tools including satellite data to detect and monitor methane pollution in a thriving zone for U.S. oil production.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Thursday a collaborative effort with the data-crunching company Descartes Labs to use new technologies that can chart emissions of the potent heat-trapping gas.
Descartes Labs CEO Mark Johnson says his company is developing a data "refinery" that can chart industrial methane emissions using satellite imagery and other sensors.
New Mexico is scaling up regulation of methane as the Trump administration dials back its oversight.
A summit in Santa Fe on Thursday brought together oil industry executives, regulators and environmentalists to explore technical challenges in conserving methane.
New Mexico Clears Backlog Of Tax Rebates To Film Industry – Associated Press
New Mexico tax officials say the state has cleared its backlog of pledged tax rebates to film production companies by reimbursing $30 million of in-state spending.
The Taxation and Revenue Department announced Thursday it had cleared the backlog of credits to film and video productions. The state paid out $100 million in backlogged credits in June.
The payments fulfill a campaign promise by Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. The unpaid rebates accrued under a $50 million annual spending cap that was amended this year by lawmakers.
Lawmakers increased the annual incentive cap to $110 million in an effort to attract jobs and spending.
New Mexico is the backdrop for TV shows and films include "Breaking Bad," ''Better Call Saul" and "The Goldfinch."
New Mexico Courts Request Funds To Add Judges And Staff – Santa Fe New Mexican, Associated Press
New Mexico district courts have requested funds to add judges and multiple staff positions amid an increasing workload.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reported Wednesday that multiple district courts recorded a shortage of district judges, district court staff and magistrate court staff across the state.
Court officials say the Santa Fe-based First District has requested a $389,800 increase to its base budget and about $330,000 to fund a new judge.
Officials say the Albuquerque-based 2nd District has requested a $1.4 million increase, or a 5.6% increase compared to what was given this year, in addition to more than $700,000 for two judges.
Officials say courts in the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 12th districts have also requested additional funding.
Court officials say if funding is denied, judges must carry large caseloads.
Deputies Injured During Gunfire While Conducting Drug Raid – Associated Press
Bernalillo County sheriff's officials say two deputies suffered injuries that weren't life-threatening as shots were fired from inside an Albuquerque-area home during a drug raid Wednesday night.
Sheriff Manny Gonzales said a man inside the home opened fire on the deputies before barricading himself inside and eventually surrendering.
Gonzales said the nature and details on the deputies' injuries weren't immediately available, and a sheriff's spokeswoman said the deputies were taken to a hospital as a precaution.
Officials said deputies returned fire but that the man who was the target of the search, 36-year-old Kenneth Sondergard, was not injured.
Sondergard was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault and battery on a police office.
Court records didn't list an attorney who could comment on the allegations.
'Breaking Bad' Movie To Play In New Mexico Theaters – Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press
Netflix has announced a new movie filmed in New Mexico is expected to hit U.S. theaters for a limited time.
The Albuquerque Journal reported Wednesday that the streaming company announced the release of "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie" in select New Mexico theaters from Oct. 11-13.
Movie officials say the film centers around a man who has to come to terms with his past after breaking free from captivity.
Officials say the project began under the title "Greenbrier" and filmed in Albuquerque from November 2018 through February.
A New Mexico film office says the production employed about 300 crew members, 16 actors and about 450 background talent all from within the state.
Netflix says the film is expected to be available for streaming the same day.
New Mexico Weighs Tuition-Free College For Local Students – Associated Press
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham wants to provide free tuition and waive fees for in-state students across the state's network of public universities, colleges and community colleges.
The first-year Democratic governor announced the proposal for an "opportunity scholarship" on Wednesday at Central New Mexico Community College in Albuquerque. It would cover costs not already paid for by federal scholarships and state lottery proceeds.
The plan thrusts New Mexico to the forefront of a national political conversation about soaring student debt and tuition costs.
Free tuition would be available at continuing education programs for older students but not for graduate studies such as medical or law school.
Approval by the Legislature, which is led by Democrats, is needed to tap general fund dollars to cover tuition. New Mexico's general fund is bulging amid an oil production boom.
New Mexico Pueblos To Get Funding For Library Services - Associated Press
More than a dozen New Mexico pueblos are being awarded grants to expand and create library services.
Members of New Mexico's congressional delegation say the pueblos will receive funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The money can be used to organize and preserve the historical records of Native American communities.
U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján says the investment will bolster opportunities for exchanging knowledge, especially for students.
Isleta Pueblo will receive nearly $150,000 to organize and translate historical records to ensure they can be used as a resource for future generations.
The pueblo of Pojoaque will get more than $123,000 to preserve archival resources and to promote the Poeh Cultural Center Archives and Library. The funding will be used to hire additional employees and to buy equipment.
New Mexico Court Says Prison Settlements Are Public Records – Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press
A New Mexico appellate court has determined that settlement agreements reached between a prison health care contractor and its patients are public records.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that the state Court of Appeals upheld a judge's decision that prison settlements are public records reaffirming that private entities performing a public function for a public agency are subject to the Inspection of Public Records Act.
Officials say the decision comes more than three years after news outlets, including the Albuquerque Journal, submitted written requests to the state corrections department for settlement records involving Corizon Health.
Outlets say the company settled claims in 2016 for nearly $4.6 million related to a physician suspected of sexually abusing inmates.
The company said IPRA did not require settlement release due to confidentiality agreements.
Medical Marijuana Cards On Hold For Non-New Mexico Residents – Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press
New Mexico health officials have refused to issue medical marijuana identification cards to out-of-state residents despite a recent order by a judge.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that the state Department of Health asked a judge to reconsider a ruling that New Mexico must allow nonresidents to participate in its medical cannabis program.
Health officials say the ruling is not final, because it could be held pending an appeal and that they are waiting until the legal dispute is resolved.
An attorney says the department should be held in contempt of court.
State attorneys say allowing nonresidents to participate would encourage the illegal transport of cannabis across state lines.
Officials say the ruling signed into law this year was a simple drafting error and was not aimed at granting out-of-state residents ID cards.
New Mexico Tech Startup Gets Samsung Ventures Investment - Santa Fe New Mexican, Associated Press
A New Mexico startup developing LED displays for wearables and personal mobile devices has received a venture capital investment from Korea-based Samsung Venture Investment Corp.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports the Santa Fe startup iBeam Materials recently received an unspecified amount in venture capital investment from Samsung Ventures.
iBeam Materials, an early-stage spinoff company from Los Alamos National Laboratory, is creating technology for display manufacturers. Previously, iBeam has received $4 million from the U.S. Department of Energy and worked with Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories.
Samsung Ventures promotes promising small and medium-sized companies engaging in the development of new technologies. A Samsung Ventures representative sits on the iBeam board of directors.
Weather Radar Proposal To Improve Forecasts In Four Corners – Durango Herald, Associated Press
A national weather agency has announced plans to lower its radar system elevation to better track weather in the Four Corners region including southwest Colorado.
The Durango Herald reports that the National Weather Service has proposed adjusting its Grand Junction radar to track areas that were originally blind spots.
Department officials say major radar hubs in New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado track data at an elevation higher than where storms usually occur resulting in weather forecasters missing numerous incoming storms.
Officials say the proposal could take up to two years to implement and requires a software adjustment to the system that would not alleviate blind spots in La Plata County or Durango.
A permanent weather radar system in Durango received funding earlier this year, but there is no project timeline.
Hunter Recovering After Grizzly Attacks In Montana Mountains - Associated Press
Montana officials say a Washington state resident remains in stable condition and two New Mexico residents have been treated and released after back-to-back grizzly bear attacks in the same area.
Fish Wildlife and Parks spokesperson Morgan Jacobsen said authorities were still trying to determine if the attacks involved the same bear.
They occurred Monday within a mile of one another in the
Gravelly mountains of southwestern Montana.
In the first encounter, two archery hunters from New Mexico were tracking elk when a bear charged and injured both of them. It left after being sprayed with bear spray.
That evening, two hunters from Washington were charged by a bear and one of them was mauled. The hunters fired gunshots at the animal until it left.
Jacobsen says it's unclear if they hit the bear.