Albuquerque Police Say Man With Gun Is Fatally Shot By Officers – Associated Press
Police say multiple officers have fatally shot a man at a bus stop in Albuquerque.
They say callers reported a man was waving a gun near a store Thursday afternoon.
Police didn't immediately release details of the shooting and the name of the man who was killed hasn't been released yet.
It's the second police shooting in Albuquerque this week.
On Tuesday afternoon, a police officer shot and wounded a man who allegedly was driving erratically and waving a gun.
Work On More Border Wall Starts In Arizona, New Mexico - By Cedar Attanasio And Astrid Galvan Associated Press
Work crews in Arizona and New Mexico are forging ahead with construction of taller border fencing being funded through a national emergency declaration by President Donald Trump.
His hallmark campaign promise is taking shape along a 46-mile stretch of desert west of Santa Teresa, New Mexico, and on 2 miles of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona.
At the New Mexico site Friday, about 20 workers placed rebar frames for concrete footers along the path of the wall.
Environmentalists have sued over some of the construction contracts, saying the government unlawfully waived dozens of laws to be able to build on protected lands.
They say more barriers would be detrimental to wildlife habitat and would block the migration of animals such as bighorn sheep and wolves.
Two cases are pending before federal court.
Navajo Nation Settles Lawsuit Against Wells Fargo For $6.5M – Associated Press
The Navajo Nation has settled claims against Wells Fargo accusing the company of predatory and unlawful practices.
The tribe says Wells Fargo has agreed to pay $6.5 million, ending cases in federal and tribal court.
The tribe had accused bank employees of routinely misleading customers into opening unnecessary accounts and pushing elders into buying products to meet quotas.
The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the case this week.
Wells Fargo has five branches on the reservation that stretches into New Mexico, Utah and Arizona, and 12 others close by.
The company says the settlement demonstrates its commitment to improving sales practices.
In December, Wells Fargo reached a $575 million settlement with state attorneys general and the District of Columbia that were investigating a string of dodgy practices.
New Mexico County Transfers 2 SUVs To Neighboring Agency – Gallup Independent, Associated Press
A New Mexico county has given two of its old sheriff's office SUVs to a neighboring county in need of two police vehicles.
The Gallup Independent reports McKinley County commissioners this week approved the vehicle transfer to the Cibola County Sheriff's Office.
McKinley County Sheriff's Capt. James Maiorano says the department was planning on getting rid of the two Ford Explorers when Cibola County Sheriff Tony Mace requested them.
Mace says two of his department's vehicles were damaged in wrecks, and his county cannot afford to repair the vehicles or buy new ones.
Each vehicle is valued at less than $12,000.
Western States Oppose Plan To Charge For US Reservoir Water - By James MacPherson Associated Press
Attorneys general from a dozen western states want the Trump administration to halt a proposal by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that could allow the agency to charge for water drawn from reservoirs it manages.
North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem says the Water Supply Rule proposed in the waning days of the Obama administration usurps states' authority over their own water.
Stenehjem and attorneys general from Idaho, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming sent a letter Thursday to the Trump administration asking that the proposal be withdrawn.
Stenehjem says the proposed rule has "implications for all states" but would especially be harmful to the six reservoirs of the Upper Missouri River.
New Mexico Limits Providers To 1,750 Marijuana Plants – Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press
New Mexico will limit licensed medical marijuana providers to 1,750 mature cannabis plants, a drop from the 2,500 plants allowed under an expiring emergency state rule.
The Albuquerque Journal reported Thursday that the new rules adopted by state Health Secretary Kathy Kunkel take effect Tuesday.
The changes also include an increase to the annual licensing fee for producers and the elimination of the $50 fee for replacing lost patient identification cards.
Ultra Health CEO Duke Rodriguez says the plant limit will exacerbate a medical marijuana shortage and ultimately hurt patients.
Ultra Health is one of 35 medical cannabis producers in the state.
Department of Health spokesman David Morgan says the department has been transparent about the plant count and the proposed rule was published in June.
Lawsuit Fighting 180-Day Gag Order On New Mexico Settlements - Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press
An Albuquerque resident wants a judge to throw out a law against revealing details of a civil settlement with a state agency before a set period.
The Albuquerque Journal reports Shani Madden filed the lawsuit this week seeking to overturn a 180-day gag order on settlements that have been interpreted differently by New Mexico governors.
Her lawsuit is connected to her 7-year-old divorce case and a settlement filed under the state Inspection of Public Records Act against the General Services Department for failing to respond to a request for public records.
Madden says she wants to be able to talk about the public records settlement.
General Services Secretary Ken Ortiz said the department is committed to transparency on claims by the Risk Management Division "to the extent allowed by law."
New Mexico Settles With 2 More Behavioral Health Providers – Associated Press
New Mexico has reached settlements with two more providers whose Medicaid claims were frozen as part of a shake-up in the state's behavioral health care system.
The state agreed Tuesday to pay TeamBuilders Counseling Services more than $1.9 million.
It agreed last month to pay more than $173,000 to Counseling Associates.
Former Gov. Susana Martinez's administration froze payments to 15 mental health service providers in 2013 after an audit identified $36 million in Medicaid overpayments.
The state attorney general later cleared the providers of any criminal wrongdoing, but 10 filed lawsuits.
Neither the state nor providers admitted to liability or fault under the settlement agreements.
The state Human Services Department said in a statement that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's administration is working to resolve the remaining cases.
New Mexico's Oil Region Schools See Another Enrollment Spike - Hobbs News-Sun, Associated Press
A school district in the heart of New Mexico's booming oil and gas region continues to see record enrollment.
The Hobbs News-Sun reports the Hobbs Municipal Schools recorded enrollment at 10,615 on the fifth day of school this academic year. That's nearly 300 more students than the beginning of last school year when the district reported its largest enrollment ever.
It's the second time in the district's history that it has started the school year above 10,000 students.
Hobbs superintendent TJ Parks says there are so many schools over capacity that officials are looking into using portable buildings on campuses.
The enrollment jump comes as southeastern New Mexico has seen a spike in oil production and oil prices, creating high-paying jobs and helping New Mexico's revenues.
New Mexico Proposes Ban On Wildlife Trapping Near Cities – Associated Press
New restrictions on wildlife foot traps and wire snares are being proposed by New Mexico Game and Fish officials amid conflicts arising from trapping traditions, evolving attitudes about animal suffering and outdoor enthusiasts with dogs.
The agency that oversees trapping rules and regulations on Thursday suggested a prohibition on traps and snares for public lands on the outskirts of Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Cruces and Taos. It also suggested a half-mile no-trapping buffer at certain hiking trailheads as well as training requirements for trappers.
The proposal initiates a months-long rulemaking process with opportunities for public comment. Rule changes are decided by the New Mexico State Game Commission, appointed by Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.
Trapping regulations hold implications for wildlife and recreation across an estimated 30 percent of New Mexico.
FBI Says Series Of Arson Fires In Naschitti Under Investigation – Associated Press
The FBI and other authorities in New Mexico are seeking the public's help in finding whoever is responsible for a series of arson fires this week that damaged several buildings in Naschitti on the Navajo Nation.
The fires occurred Monday to Wednesday and damaged a church, a convenience store and three vacant houses.
No injuries were reported.
The FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and the San Juan County Fire Department are investigating the fires.
Smash It! Albuquerque 1st 'Rage Room' Opens - Associated Press
New Mexico's largest city is the latest to play host to a new business that allows people to unleash their rage.
The ABQ Rage Room opened Thursday in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the new venture will allow visitors to come into a room and break all sorts of items with weapons.
For as little as $29 or as much as $119, a visitor will be placed in a room with protective gear and can swing a weapon at random pieces of wood.
The ABQ Rage Room is part of a growing trend of businesses that invite visitors to come and break items with weapons.
Smashology , a new business venture in Manly, Iowa, for example, lets folks show up and break stuff with hammers and bats.