Managers Warn That Rio Grande Could Go Dry In Albuquerque – Susan Montoya Brown, Associated Press
Federal managers are warning that if hot and dry conditions persist, federal water managers warn that it's possible Albuquerque could see its stretch of the Rio Grande go dry this fall.
The Bureau of Reclamation has teamed up with the Interstate Stream Commission and irrigators to lease the last block of water available to keep the river as stable as possible before winter.
The entities will pay Albuquerque's water utility $700,000 for the extra water.
Other emergency releases happened earlier this year as spring runoff was poor and the monsoon season was spotty. Officials say New Mexico will wrap up the irrigation season with very little water left in storage.
The utility earlier this year also stopped diverting water from the river in an effort to keep it flowing, relying instead on Albuquerque's aquifer to meet demands. The utility reported in early September that use was up by more than 1 billion gallons compared to last year.
Trujillo Resigns From New Mexico House, Leaving Office Early – Associated Press
Democratic Rep. Jim Trujillo of Santa Fe announced his resignation Monday. He previously cited health concerns and a desire to spend more time with family members and other loved ones when he announced last October he wouldn't run for re-election.
Trujillo represented House District 45 and served as co-chairman of the House Taxation and Revenue Committee.
The 81-year-old Trujillo served 17 years since being appointed to the House by then-Gov. Bill Richardson in 2003.
The Santa Fe County Commission will select a person to serve the remainder of Trujillo’s term, and voters in November will elect a successor who will take office in November.
Democrat Linda Serrato and Libertarian Helen Milenski are on the ballot. No Republican is on the ballot.
Location Of New Four Corners Weather Radar System Announced – Associated Press
The location of a new permanent weather station for the Four Corners region has been announced.
La Plata County and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe said Monday they plan to build the station on tribal lands about 15 miles south of Durango.
The Durango Herald reported the radar system is expected to fill a notorious blind spot for weather and radar modeling. The area's major hubs currently process data at elevations too high to accurately model the region.
In Grand Junction, Colo., the current radar system cannot locate storms coming into the Four Corners below 28,000 feet altitude. That means weather forecasters miss many incoming storms.
The proposed site is currently the location of an air monitoring station that tracks air quality. The new radar system is scheduled to begin operations by the end of 2021.
The need for a functioning radar system in the area was made evident after the so-called 416 Fire in 2018 in southwest Colorado created flood danger when storms hit the fire's burn scar, the Herald reported.
Albuquerque Police: 2 Dead After Shooting; 1 Person Detained – Associated Press
Officers early Tuesday found the two people fatally shot at an apartment complex.
No identities were released and police didn't immediately say whether the person detained was a suspect in the shooting.
Child Support Collectors Intercept Federal Recovery Checks - Associated Press
New Mexico has increased annual child support collections by $18 million as it intercepts federal economic impact payments to parents whose children do not live with them.
The budget and accountability office of the Legislature says that child support collections by the state's enforcement office increased to $156 million in the 12 month period ending on June 30, up from $138 million the prior year.
Economic impact payments of up to $1,200 per adult and $500 for children were part of the $2.2 trillion relief package signed into law in March by President Donald Trump. New Mexico also is linking unemployment insurance claims automatically to child support programs so that a portion of benefits can be withdrawn.
Additionally, agency performance evaluations for the April-June period turned up stark variations in efficiency, in some cases demonstrating that officials can work effectively from home, said the evaluation from the Legislative Finance Committee.
Website: Trump Leads All Facebook Ad Spending In New Mexico - By Russell Contreras Associated Press
Researchers say President Donald Trump has spent more money on Facebook advertising targeting New Mexico users since July than any other candidate.
A New York University Tandon School of Engineering project that monitors Facebook spending reports that the Trump campaign and his various affiliates have spent $380,700 on Facebook ads in the state since July 1.
That's more than two times the amount spent during the same period by Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden — the second-highest Facebook spender.
Nationally, Trump has doled out $55.5 million on Facebook ads since July, while Biden has spent $36.8 million.
In the race for the open U.S. Senate seat in New Mexico, Democratic U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján has spent $13,300 on Facebook ads while Republican Mark Ronchetti has purchased $11,700.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small, in a close race with Republican challenger Yvette Herrell for the state's southern U.S. House district, bought $42,300 in Facebook ads — more than any other Congressional candidate in New Mexico, according to the website. Herrell bought less than $10,000 in Facebook ads, the project said.
New Mexico Reports 143 New Coronavirus Cases, 3 More Deaths
Health officials in New Mexico on Monday reported 153 new confirmed coronavirus cases with three additional deaths.
The latest numbers increased the statewide totals to 28,985 cases and 873 known deaths since the pandemic began.
Of the new cases, New Mexico Department of Health officials say 37 were in Bernalillo County.
They say two of the newly reported deaths were in Eddy County – a woman in her 60s and a man in his 70s. Both had underlying medical conditions and both were residents of a care facility in Carlsbad.
The spread rate in the state has increased slightly since early September. A dozen cases confirmed in the past three days were linked to schools, including four students in seven counties.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. But for some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
US Judge Dismisses New Mexico Privacy Claims Against Google – Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press
A U.S. district judge has dismissed New Mexico’s privacy claims against Google, but New Mexico's top prosecutor vowed Monday to continue the legal fight to protect child privacy rights.
The judge concluded in a ruling Friday that federal laws and regulations do not require direct consent from parents when schools participate in Google’s education platforms.
Google had asked that the case be dismissed, saying it hasn’t violated any laws as it is required only to make reasonable efforts to provide notice and obtain consent.
Under the ruling New Mexico can amend its complaint, and Attorney General Hector Balderas said Monday he will continue to litigate to protect child privacy rights.
The lawsuit was filed in February, citing violations of state law and the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. It followed a separate legal challenge in 2018 that alleged Twitter, Google and mobile app companies violated state and federal laws by collecting personal information through apps without consent.
The cases were initiated as public concern has escalated about whether information regarding online interests, browsing and buying habits were slipping into the hands of data brokers without consent.
An Associated Press investigation in 2018 found that many Google services on Android devices and iPhones were storing user location even if users turned off location history.
Survey Cited In Push To Protect Sites Sacred To Tribes - By Susan Montoya Bryan Associated Press
Native American leaders and archaeologists on Monday pointed to a recent survey of an area around Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico that is considered sacred by some tribes in the Southwest, saying there are around 4,200 sites outside the park's boundaries that deserve protection.
They released some details from the summer pilot project during an online presentation, saying more work needs to be done as there are still aspects of early Chaco culture and its connections to modern pueblo communities that need to be discovered and preserved.
They fear oil and gas development is encroaching upon the park and the unprotected sites.
A public comment period wrapped up Friday as federal land managers are considering revisions to a plan that would govern oil and gas drilling and other development in the San Juan Basin in northwestern New Mexico.
Federal officials say they have received more than 14,000 comments. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham was among those who submitted letters.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Chaco park has served as a rallying cry for environmentalists and pueblos that have been trying to stop drilling in the basin.
US Latino Civil Rights Group Moves 2021 Convention Online – Russell Contreras, Associated Press
The oldest Latino civil rights group in the U.S. has decided to move its 2021 national convention online over the uncertainty caused by COVID-19.
The League of United Latin American Citizens' board of directors voted Saturday to hold a virtual gathering for its members instead of a July 2021 in-person gathering in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The state currently limits the number of people for large gatherings and the group's national conventions typically attract thousands.
The group still plans to hold a national convention in Albuquerque in 2023 because the city and the LULAC's local chapters made financial commitments to hold an event in the city. The 2022 convention in Puerto Rico also remains scheduled.
Founded in 1929 by Mexican American World War I veterans, LULAC has been involved in crucial school desegregation and civil rights cases involving Hispanics. This year, LULAC has expressed support for the Black Lives Matter movement and for removing monuments offensive to Native Americans and African Americans.
US Proposes Protections For Rare Thistle In New Mexico - Associated Press
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to list a rare plant that was once found in the American Southwest and Mexico as a threatened species.
The agency outlined its intentions in Tuesday's Federal Register. Aside from adding the Wright's marsh thistle to the list of imperiled species, 159 acres spanning five southern New Mexico counties would be set aside as critical habitat.
The thistle used to be found in southern Arizona and parts of Mexico. It's now in just eight separate locations in New Mexico.
The proposal comes after environmentalists threatened to sue in 2019 over delayed action.
The Fish and Wildlife Service also has prepared a draft economic analysis of the proposed designation of critical habitat for the marsh thistle. The public will have 60 days to comment on the proposal and the analysis.
Navajo Nation Reports 22 New Coronavirus Cases, No Deaths - Associated Press
Navajo Nation health officials are reporting 22 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus but no additional deaths.
The latest figures released Monday bring the total number of cases to 10,312 with the known death toll remaining at 555.
Tribal officials said 105,451 people have been tested on the vast reservation that covers parts of New Mexico, Arizona and Utah and 7,253 have recovered from COVID-19.
The Navajo Nation has implemented a stricter weekend lockdown as it looks into new clusters of coronavirus cases from family gatherings and off-reservation travel.
Residents now are being required to stay home from Friday evening until early Monday morning.