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Thursday News Roundup: Martinez Rips School Official For Twitter Comments

Martinez Rips School Official For Twitter Comments  - Associated Press and KOAT - TV

Gov. Susana Martinez is calling out Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent Winston Brooks over his social media remarks about Martinez's education secretary, and Brooks is apologizing.

Brooks had suggested in Twitter comments to a KOAT-TV reporter Tuesday at a town hall meeting in Moriarty that Skandera "head for the livestock truck."

KOAT  reports that Winston then tweeted "Moo, moo, oink, oink!!"

Martinez said Brooks should be ashamed of himself. The governor said women shouldn't be treated that way, and she demanded that Brooks apologize.

Brooks did apologize, saying his tweets were a display of sick humor.

Brooks and other educators have been at odds with Martinez's administration over the state's new teacher evaluation.

Skandera called Brooks' Twitter comments "disparaging and disappointing."

Coalition Forms To Protect Gay Marriage - Associated Press

Former Gov. Gary Johnson, Democratic U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, the American Civil Liberties Union and others are launching a new campaign Thursday to protect gay marriage in New Mexico.

Backers say the NM Unites for Marriage Campaign is being formed to build support for the freedom to marry. If necessary, it will also work to defend against any legislative attempts to deny or strip away that freedom.

Eight counties have started issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples since late August, and the state Supreme Court is considering a lawsuit that could determine whether gay marriage is legal statewide.

The new campaign is being announced at 12:30 Thursday at Civic Plaza in Albuquerque.

Land Office Audit Brings In $1.5M In Oil Royalties - Associated Press

The State Land Office says it's received $1.5 million in royalties because of an audit of oil and natural gas production in southeastern New Mexico.

Land Commissioner Ray Powell said the royalties from Concho Oil and Gas are for production on state trust land in Eddy County since 2010. The company is affiliated with Concho Resources Inc., which is based in Midland, Texas.

Powell said the agency's audits of energy production have netted more than $3 million royalties this year.

The Land Office collected $494 million in oil and gas royalties in the last fiscal year.

Royalties from energy production and other income from land given to New Mexico by the federal government at statehood help finance schools and other public institutions, including universities and state hospitals.

Isleta Pueblo Gets Grant To Preserve Records - Associated Press

Isleta Pueblo has received a grant that will be used to help preserve the tribe's historical records and documents.

The nearly $7,000 grant was awarded by the New Mexico Historical Records Advisory Board, an adjunct board to the Commission of Public Records.

Officials say the pueblo plans to use the money to develop an archive to house about 374 cubic feet of original records that include paper documents, photographs and film. Many of the records are over 100 years old.

In all, the board awarded more than $42,000 in state and federal funds to several nonprofit organizations and local and tribal governments this fiscal year. The grants are aimed at supporting projects that preserve and improve access to New Mexico's historical records.