New Mexico Takes More Drastic Measures Against Virus Hotspot -Associated Press
A modern-day trading post on the southern outskirts of the Navajo Nation was on lockdown under the watch of National Guard troops and state police to discourage nonessential travel and commerce as local coronavirus infections soar.
Invoking provisions of the state Riot Control Act, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham ordered residents of Gallup to remain home over the weekend except for emergencies and blocked roads leading in and out of town to nonessential travel and any vehicles carrying more than two people.
The restrictions were welcomed by local and state officials who have watched COVID-19 infections spread to nursing homes, homeless populations and overwhelm hospital intensive care units.
Remote Northern California County Defies Stay-At-Home Order -Associated Press
A remote Northern California County has defied the governor's statewide stay-at-home order and reopened some businesses.
Modoc County, population 9,000, moved Friday to reopen hair salons, churches, restaurants and the county's only movie theater.
Local officials say they have no confirmed cases of COVID-19 and they are requiring customers to practice social distancing.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has declined to address the reopening but says the anxiety in rural areas "is not lost on me." He also hasn't responded to a demand from six other rural Northern California counties to grant them permission to reopen.
Bernalillo DA Spokesman Fired After Domestic Violence Call -Associated Press
The spokesman for Bernalillo County District Attorney has been fired in connection with a domestic violence investigation.
Second Judicial District Attorney Policy and Planning Chief Adolfo Mendez II says Michael Patrick was terminated after an investigation into allegations of domestic violence at his Albuquerque home.
Police lapel footage from April 14 show officers interviewing his wife, who says the 50-year-old Patrick pushed her into a closet following an argument over credit card expenses.
A criminal complaint says an agent from Discover Card heard Patrick's wife, KOAT-TV anchor Shelly Ribando, say Patrick hit her before the call disconnected.
Court records do not list an attorney for Patrick.
Police: 3 Men From Colorado, New Mexico In Fatal Shooting -Associated Press
Authorities in northwestern New Mexico say two men from Colorado and one from New Mexico have been arrested in a fatal shooting.
The Bloomfield Police Department said 51-year-old Leodis Williams was killed Thursday morning and that multiple law enforcement agencies in the region helped arrest three suspects several hours later.
Police identified them as 43-year-old Mark Lindsey of Bloomfield, 33-year-old Eric Crosby of Durango, Colorado, and 28-year-old Michael Greer, 28, also from Durango.
All three were arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Crosby and Greer also were accused of tampering with evidence.
Online court records didn't list defense attorneys for the men who could comment on their behalf.
Virgin Galactic Completes First Glide Flight In New Mexico -Associated Press
Virgin Galactic's spaceship has landed in the New Mexico desert after its first glide flight from Spaceport America.
The company announced Friday's flight on social media, sharing photos of the spaceship on the runway.
Officials said stringent operational protocols were in place during the flight to ensure safety amid the coronavirus outbreak. The protocols included the use of masks, changes to the work areas and procedures to enforce social distancing.
Virgin Galactic is working toward commercial operations that will take passengers on supersonic thrill rides to the lower reaches of space to experience a few minutes of weightlessness and a view of the Earth below.
Group: Funds Meant For Chicken Conservation Misused -Associated Press
Environmentalists are questioning spending by wildlife managers who oversee a conservation effort for the lesser prairie chicken after money was used on a building and salaries rather than on projects to help the bird.
Once listed as a threatened species, the chicken's habitat spans parts of five states — including a portion of the oil-rich Permian Basin.
The Center for Biological Diversity has been pushing for federal protections for the species and pointed to an audit of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies that was recently made public.
The association says it's taking steps to improve oversight and management of the conservation program.
Special Prosecutor Takes Case Of Suspected Drunk Sheriff -Santa Fe New Mexican, Associated Press
A special prosecutor has been appointed to lead a case involving a New Mexico sheriff accused of showing up drunk to a SWAT standoff.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports the New Mexico Attorney General's Office named the district attorney in the 9th Judicial District in Clovis as a special prosecutor in charge of the case against Rio Arriba County Sheriff James Lujan.
Police say officers reported Lujan smelled of alcohol and ignored commands to leave the "kill zone" in front of the barricaded house in March.
Virtual Meetings Set For Drilling Plan Near National Park -Associated Press
Federal land managers plan to hold a series of virtual meetings on a contested plan that will guide oil and gas development near Chaco Culture National Historical Park for at least the next decade.
The first meeting will be May 14. Four others will follow.
Environmentalists, some Native American tribes and other critics have been asking the Bureau of Land Management to extend the public comment period on the resource management plan.
They say federal officials should wait until the coronavirus outbreak subsides.
Despite existing protections within its boundaries, the World Heritage site has been at the center of a decades-long fight over drilling in northwestern New Mexico.