New Mexico GOP Hopefuls Launch Early Ads For US House Seat - By Russell Contreras Associated Press
Three Republican hopefuls are hitting the airwaves early as they seek to challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small for a key U.S. House seat in southern New Mexico.
Oil executive Claire Chase, former state lawmaker Yvette Herrell and businessman Chris Mathys are spending on radio and television ads months before the GOP primary and two weeks before a state Republican convention.
The early spending highlights their efforts to define their candidacies long before expected attack ads.
Meanwhile, Democratic incumbent Torres Small is holding town hall meetings across the conservative-leaning, majority Hispanic district to draw attention to her bipartisan proposals after voting to impeach President Donald Trump.
Torres Small defeated Herrell in 2018 by fewer than 3,000 votes to flip the historically Republican-leaning district.
Defense Attorneys Challenge Removal Of Data From Documents – Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press
Is it acceptable for prosecutors to redact portions of victims' and witnesses' Social Security numbers and dates of birth when they provide case documents to the defense?
That's what defense attorneys in Albuquerque want to know.
According to the Albuquerque Journal, defense lawyers say there are no rules that allow for this new practice and that prosecutors unilaterally made a decision to deprive them of information that they're entitled to.
The attorneys now worry that allowing the state to decide what information the defense deserves sets a bad precedent.
Prosecutors and victim advocates say providing criminal defendants with this sensitive material leaves witnesses vulnerable to intimidation and possible harm, which may dissuade them from participating in the process.
The topic was at the center of a hearing in state District Court last week after defense attorney Megan Mitsunaga asked a judge to impose sanctions against the state for redacting supplemental police reports in a child abuse and burglary case.
Judge Jacqueline Flores asked attorneys to submit their arguments in writing and said she will rule at a later time.
Authorities: Body Resembles That Of Missing New Mexico Woman - KOB-TV, Associated Press
Authorities are investigating whether a body found in northern Arizona is that of a northwestern New Mexico woman reported missing over a month ago.
The San Juan County Sheriff's Office in New Mexico said Saturday it was notified Friday by the Coconino County Sheriff's Office in Arizona of the discovery of a body matching the general description of 27-year-old Sasha Krause, a Farmington-area resident.
She was last seen Jan. 18 picking up items from the Farmington Mennonite Church where her car was found parked outside.
The San Juan County Sheriff's office said an autopsy would be conducted as early as Monday to establish the identity and to determine cause of death.
A Coconino County Sheriff's Office spokesman did not immediately respond Saturday to a request for additional information.
KOB-TV reported that Krause's family released a statement expressing thanks to law enforcement personnel and others who searched for her.
Analysis: Albuquerque Police 911 Response Time Jumps 93% - KOAT-TV, Associated Press
An analysis shows that Albuquerque police are taking 93% longer to respond to 911 calls from nine years ago.
KOAT-TV reports an examination on the Albuquerque Police Department's response times shows officers now take an average of 48 minutes to arrive at a scene. That's a 23-minute jump from 2011.
Albuquerque Emergency Communications Center manager Erika Wilson says police are doing the best they can with the resources available.
Albuquerque police say currently it has about 950 officers. In 2011, it had around 1,100 officers.
"We are in a pickle," said Shaun Willoughby, president of the Albuquerque Police Officers Association, the union that represents Albuquerque cops. "The Albuquerque Police Department is understaffed. It has been for a number of years."
FBI statistics show Albuquerque had a violent crime rate of 1,365 per 100,000 residents in 2018. The national rate was about 369 violent crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
New Mexico Counties, Rural Residents Fight Transmission Line - Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press
Two New Mexico counties and rural residents are standing up against a proposed transmission line that would connect the potential for more wind farms in New Mexico with markets in other western states.
Commissioners in Valencia and Socorro counties have voted to oppose the Western Spirit Transmission Line.
Critics fear the project's huge towers and miles of high-voltage lines will spoil their rural quality of life by obstructing pristine vistas, impacting wildlife and undermining tourism-related income and property values.
Western Spirit has the federal and state permits it needs, but developers must still negotiate right-of-way agreements with landowners in the two counties.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that some critics are worried about possible interference with activity at the Belen Regional Airport.
Executive Director of the state’s Renewable Energy Transmission Authority, Fernando Martínez, said projects like Western Spirit are needed to open up the wind energy potential in central and eastern New Mexico.
New Mexico State Police Officer Kills Suspect In Chase - Associated Press
Authorities say a New Mexico State Police officer fatally shot a man who fired at police at the end of a chase.
The state police said the incident started at 4:15 p.m. Saturday when state police officers, with help from the Luna County Sheriff's Office, pursued a person in a red minivan who was believed to have violated an order of protection.
The agency said the person drove into a berm, leading his car to get stuck. He then ran off with a shotgun and fired a shot toward a sheriff's deputy, hitting the deputy's vehicle.
The agency said a state police officer fired at the person at least once. He died at the scene.
Tribes Turn To Other Heat Sources After Coal Mine Closure - Associated Press
Navajo and Hopi families in northeastern Arizona that have long relied on coal to heat their homes are looking to other sources after last year's closure of a coal mine.
The Kayenta Mine shut down after decades of supplying the Navajo Generating Station.
The Navajo and Hopi tribes shared in the coal royalties.
Tribal members also had access to the coal, regularly loading the long-burning fossil fuel into pickup trucks or buying it from roadside vendors.
Now they're having to travel farther for coal, switching to firewood or even burning household items to stay warm.
Many homes on both the Navajo and Hopi reservations lack electricity, and propane and space heaters are expensive. Cutting firewood is an option, but the nearest forests are hours away and not everyone has woodcutting equipment, their own transportation or money for the trip.
Some are helping to fill the need by bringing in truckloads of wood or coal from another mine on the New Mexico portion of the Navajo reservation.
Albuquerque Police: Person Found Dead In Tent Was Killed - Associated Press
Albuquerque police said Saturday a person experiencing homelessness who was found dead in a tent was a homicide victim.
Police said the person had signs of trauma to her torso but wasn't immediately identified.
According to police, detectives are conducting interviews and canvassing the area for witnesses.
The location is in a commercial area southwest of “the Big I”, the junction of Interstates 25 and 40.