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NM Candidates Report On Fundraising Efforts, UNM Rejects Request For 'Proper Burial' Of Fetal Tissue

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New Mexico Candidates Report On Fundraising Efforts- Associated Press

The Democratic candidate for governor says she has raised an additional $1.9 million dollars in campaign funds since July 1.

On Monday Congresswoman and gubernatorial candidate Michelle Lujan Grisham said her campaign has about $1.3 million dollars in cash on hand amid a spree of spending on television advertising ahead of the November general election. Complete campaign-finance filings were not immediately available.

Candidates for statewide office in New Mexico and the state House of Representatives, along with political committees, were required to file reports of recent campaign contributions and spending on Monday before midnight.

Intel To Develop Memory Tech At New Mexico Plant- Associated Press

Intel Corp. is moving development of a new generation of storage and memory technology to its manufacturing plant in New Mexico.

Gov. Susana Martinez made the announcement Monday, saying the work will result in more than 100 jobs at the Intel plant in Rio Rancho.

Intel and Micron Technology in 2015 announced the development of 3D XPoint, a new class of storage and memory technology billed as faster and non-volatile. The two companies decided to dissolve their partnership this year, meaning Intel will be working independently on its plans for the technology.

Since establishing operations in New Mexico in 1980, Intel says it has invested more than $15 billion dollars to develop its high-tech manufacturing capacity in the state.

Proposal Seeks To Boost Gas Well Density In New Mexico Basin- Associated Press

A Houston-based oil and gas company wants New Mexico regulators to double the density of wells allowed in two counties, saying it will result in the capture of more natural gas.

The request involving San Juan and Rio Arriba counties comes as an oil and gas boom has helped to refuel state coffers and power a record-breaking lease sale in the Permian Basin in the southeastern part of the state that promises nearly a half-billion dollars more in revenues for New Mexico.

But environmentalists and landowners are concerned about increasing well densities in the northwest as developers look to tap more reserves in the San Juan Basin.

The request by Hilcorp Energy Co. is set to be considered Thursday by the Oil Conservation Commission.

Critics want regulators to put off a decision until a thorough environmental review is done.

UNM Rejects Request For 'Proper Burial' Of Fetal Tissue- Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press

A University of New Mexico official declined an anti-abortion group's request for what they called a proper burial for fetal tissue samples stored at the school for research.

The Albuquerque Journal reports Abortion Free New Mexico, asked Dr. Paul Roth, chancellor of the UNM Health Sciences Center, to transfer 72 tissue samples to an Albuquerque mortuary.

Roth told the group that he couldn't agree to turn over the tissue, which was anonymously donated by women who sought abortion care at an outside facility.

After a faculty researcher ran afoul of internal protocol governing the use of fetal tissue, Roth permanently halted her fetal tissue research, leaving donated tissue samples in limbo.

Roth says he still hasn't decided what to do with the tissue.

About 34 Percent Of New Mexico Teachers Get Highest Ratings - By Russell Contreras, Associated Press

State officials say the number of public school teachers in New Mexico rated highly effective or better has increased.

The New Mexico Public Education Department on Monday released the latest results under the much-debated teacher evaluation system that showed 34.2 percent of teachers last year earned "highly effective" or "exemplary" ratings.

That's a 2-percentage point increase from the previous year.

Overall, around 75 percent of New Mexico teachers were graded as effective or better when it comes to their success in the classroom.

New Mexico Public Education Secretary Christopher Ruszkowski says the number of teachers receiving the state's highest ratings has steadily risen since the system was introduced in 2015.

Ruszkowski says the percentage of highly effective teachers especially has jumped in poorer school districts.

2 People Arrested In Beating Of Albuquerque Homeless ManAssociated Press

Police in Albuquerque say two people have been arrested in the beating of a homeless man last month.

Police say 18-year-old Ignacio Avila and a 15-year-old boy were arrested this week for the Aug. 9 attack on 28-year-old William Henderson.

Authorities have said Henderson was asleep in the doorway of a coffee shop when he was attacked. The beating caused brain bleeding and skull fractures, forcing doctors to put Henderson in a medically induced coma.

Police say Avila and the teenager were in a car with friends, when they told the driver to stop, got out of the vehicle and attacked Henderson.

Avila and the teenager face counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

Jail records do not list an attorney for Avila. The Associated Press generally does not name juveniles charged with crimes.

UNM Coach Wants To Convert Unused Arena Suites Into OfficesAlbuquerque Journal, Associated Press

University of New Mexico men's basketball coach Paul Weir has ideas beyond the basketball court.

The Albuquerque Journal reports Weir proposed to a regents committee this week to convert some of the unused suites in Dreamstyle Arena into offices and other usable space for the men's and women's basketball teams.

Weir says he is trying to get a green light to go forward with spending $150,000 of capital outlay money the program already has for facility upgrades as a start to a bigger project that would include him asking donors to fund a large portion of an estimated $2 million conversion — a project that could be done in small parts over years as money becomes available.

Weir says it is to get better use out of an arena that is being underutilized as suites largely go unsold.

New Mexico Agriculture Officials Seek Comment On Hemp RuleAssociated Press

The New Mexico Agriculture Department wants to hear from the public about a new rule that has been developed to guide the cultivation of hemp.

The agency has scheduled public meetings in Las Cruces, Espanola, Albuquerque, Clovis and Carlsbad. The first one will be Oct. 12 in Las Cruces and the last day to submit written comments will be Oct. 16.

The proposed rule establishes licensure requirements, fee caps, inspection and sampling requirements and testing processes.

The rule was prompted by federal legislation and a measure subsequently passed by state lawmakers that cleared the way for the state agriculture department to administer an industrial hemp program.

The hemp bill was among those at the center of a dispute over the extent of the governor's veto powers. The New Mexico Supreme Court ultimately sided with lawmakers.

Bill Daily, Sidekick On Hit 60s And 70s Sitcoms, Dies At 91 - By Andrew Dalton, AP Entertainment Writer

Bill Daily, the comic sidekick to leading men on the sitcoms "I Dream of Jeannie" and "The Bob Newhart Show," has died at age 91.

Family spokesman Steve Moyer said Saturday that Daily died of natural causes in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Tuesday.

Daily was not a household name but he was a household face, familiar to many millions of baby-boomer viewers in the 1960s and '70s from two of the era's biggest shows.

He played astronaut Major Roger Healy in all five seasons of "I Dream of Jeannie" from 1965 to 1970.

Two years later he landed a very similar role on "The Bob Newhart Show" as aviator Howard Borden. That show ran from 1972 to 1978.

Newhart tweeted Friday night that he will miss his old friend dearly.

New Mexico National Refuge To Offer Dove, Quail HuntingAssociated Press

A national wildlife refuge along the Rio Grande in central New Mexico is among the 30 spots around the U.S. where federal officials are expanding hunting opportunities.

The Interior Department announced Friday it's opening more than 390 square miles to new or expanded hunting and fishing opportunities at Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge and the other sites.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke says the aim is to increase access to public lands and protect the stream of funding that comes from hunters and anglers for conservation projects.

At Sevilleta, the change means certain areas of the refuge will be open to Eurasian-collared dove and Gambel's quail hunting.

There are some restrictions on the days and times that hunting will be allowed in the parcels that border the river.

Music, Math Collide On New Mexico PBS Educational ProgramSanta Fe New Mexican, Associated Press

New Mexico PBS has partnered with the Santa Fe Institute and the Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra to produce an hour-long educational program.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports the program, The Majesty of Music and Math, which premiered Thursday night, explores the mathematical concepts behind music.

New Mexico PBS General Manager and CEO Franz Joachim says he wanted to create a multimedia tool for math teachers to help build interest and maybe boost scores, as New Mexico students consistently rank at the bottom in math proficiency nationwide.

Joachim says New Mexico PBS worked with the Santa Fe Institute and the local orchestra on the three-year project to create something even a "science geek" like him could learn from.