Over 200 Visitors Enroll In New Mexico Medical Pot Program -Associated Press
New Mexico's medical cannabis program is attracting enrollment from outside the state after legislative reforms did away with an in-state residency requirement.
Enrollment figures from the state Health Department show that 215 registered medical marijuana patients reside outside New Mexico.
New Mexico medical marijuana provider Ultra Health says nonresident patients are coming primarily from the neighboring state of Texas and from as far away as Illinois and Michigan.
Netflix Executive Touts 'Golden Era' Of Streaming Service -Associated Press
An executive with Netflix says the streaming giant has boosted its original content exponentially over the last several years and that will mean more action for its production hub in New Mexico.
The head of North American production policy for Netflix spoke Thursday to hundreds of business leaders who were gathered in Albuquerque, saying that Netflix alone had 1,000 projects going this year, with many based in New Mexico.
With Netflix and NBC Universal pledging multimillion-dollar long-term investments, top state officials say New Mexico is solidifying its place on the film industry map.
Cowboys For Trump Group Now Says Sand Wasn't From Monument -Associated Press
The New Mexico group Cowboys for Trump now says that iconic gypsum sand it sent to Washington for the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree lighting ceremony was not from White Sands National Monument.
Group co-founder Couy Griffin told The Associated Press Friday the sand was collected outside the monument. The group earlier announced that the superfine white sand was from the monument.
Democrats said taking it was a possible federal law violation. Removing natural resources from U.S. national park units is illegal without permission.
The sand was sent to Washington to be showcased with the tree, which is from New Mexico.
Lawsuit Challenges Speedy Reviews Of Asylum Claims -Associated Press
A lawsuit claims a new effort to speed up initial reviews of asylum claims to within three days denies asylum-seekers rights to consult attorneys.
It is the latest challenge to the Trump administration's efforts to change asylum policies and practices since the U.S. became the world's top destination for asylum-seekers in 2017.
Fast-track procedures introduced in El Paso, Texas, in early October may be expanded to other parts of the U.S. border with Mexico after a trial period.
Officer Who Accidentally Fired Gun At School Charged – Las Cruces Sun, Associated Press
A police officer who fired his weapon inside a southern New Mexico middle school is facing a firearm charge.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reports Las Cruces officer Francisco Estrada was charged Friday with a misdemeanor count of prohibited use of a firearm.
Authorities say Estrada accidentally fired his gun Wednesday inside his office at Picacho Middle School, where he was assigned.
Officials say Estrada was alone in his office and no one was struck by the discharge. The gunshot reportedly hit a wall.
Mysterious Memorial To 'Lawnmower Man' Reappears After Theft -Associated Press
A mysterious memorial dedicated to a New Mexico homeless man who mowed lawns has reappeared after a similar one was stolen.
KRQE-TV reports lawnmower memorial dedicated to Carlos Ramirez was installed this week in Roswell, New Mexico.
Ramirez died last month in Lubbock, Texas. He was known around town as Roswell's "Lawnmower Man" because he sat outside the city's Saint Andrews Church for nearly 50 years and mowed lawns to make money.
The new memorial comes with a note urging people to leave the lawnmower in place.
New Mexico's Largest City To Review Crime Data System -Associated Press
After taking heat for discrepancies in its crime numbers, the city of Albuquerque will do an independent review of the systems used by the police department to track crime statistics.
Mayor Tim Keller said Friday that it was clear the data systems need an overhaul. After reporting significant drops in crime in July, the city later indicated in October that there were problems with the statistics.
More details recently emerged, spurring criticism of Keller's administration.
Crime statistics and rankings have remained a political flash point in New Mexico as lawmakers and officials grapple with improving public safety.
Singer Harris Was Impaired, Speeding When Killed In Crash -Associated Press
A northern New Mexico sheriff says Texas country singer Kylie Rae Harris was legally impaired by alcohol and driving 95 miles per hour when she and another driver were killed in a three-vehicle crash in September.
Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe says in a statement Thursday that toxicology testing showed Harris had a blood-alcohol level of .28 percent. That is more than three times the legal limit for impaired driving.
Holgrefe says on-board computer data also indicated Harris was driving 102 mph (164 mph) before the crash.
Hogrefe says the other driver killed in the wreck had no alcohol in her system.