US Senators Say Budget Proposal Stifles Contamination Cleanup - By Susan Montoya Bryan. Associated Press
Democratic senators are concerned the Trump administration's proposed budget for the U.S. Energy Department calls for less to clean up nuclear research and bomb-making sites and significantly more to fund modernization of the nation's nuclear arsenal.
The proposal includes nearly $27 billion, most of which would go toward nuclear security work that includes restarting production of the plutonium cores that are used as triggers inside nuclear weapons. The plutonium work would be split between sites in New Mexico and South Carolina.
Less than one-quarter of the funding would be used for environmental projects in New Mexico, Washington state and elsewhere.
The nuclear weapons work will be lucrative in terms of additional funding and new jobs. But Sen. Martin Heinrich said Los Alamos National Laboratory could see a $100 million decrease for ongoing cleanup and environmental management efforts at the once secret installation.
He questioned whether the Energy Department would be able to meet its obligations to New Mexico for cleaning up the tons of Cold War-era waste remaining at Los Alamos.
New Mexico Ends Co-Pays For Reduced-Price School Lunches – Associated Press
Low-income students who qualified for reduced-price school breakfast and lunch no longer have to come up with co-payments for the meals under a measure signed into law by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.
The governor signed the bill Monday, saying that while many families meet the criteria for reduced fees, they still have difficultly coming up with the money when they have multiple children in school.
The legislation comes with a $650,000 appropriation the state Public Education Department will use to reimburse districts for the fees the children normally would have paid. Supporters say the change will make school meals accessible to an additional 12,500 students.
The legislation comes with a $650,000 appropriation that the state Public Education Department will use to reimburse school districts for the fees the children normally would have paid.
The new law has the potential to bring to the state about $9 million in federal matching funds for school meals.
Report Finds Hospital Prone To Post-Surgery Blood Infections – Albuquerque Journal, Associated Press
A federal health agency has found the University of New Mexico Hospital to be one of the worst in the country for sepsis after several patients developed the blood infection condition following surgical procedures.
The Albuquerque Journal reported that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a report that showed the hospital had the tenth worst rate in contracting the condition in the country. The report also showed the facility was ranked the worst in the state for post-surgery blood infections.
Hospital officials say results do not speak to the quality of care provided at the facility.
The hospital is the only Level 1 Trauma Center in the state. Richard Crowell, chief quality officer for the University of New Mexico Health System, said it has a poor rating partially because the facility houses patients with some of the most severe illnesses, making them more vulnerable to infection.
Albuquerque Mayor Aims To Establish Gun Buy-Back Program – Associated Press
Elected officials in New Mexico's largest city have approved funding for a gun buy-back program.
The vote came Monday night, clearing the way for Albuquerque to spend $75,000 on a program similar to those held previously that compensated people for the voluntary surrender of firearms. Last year's buy-back event resulted in 415 unwanted guns being handed over to police.
Mayor Tim Keller, a Democrat, says gun violence is one of the city's biggest challenges. City officials say more than 700 firearms were stolen from vehicles or during auto thefts and another 500 were stolen during residential burglaries in Albuquerque in 2018.
Sheriff Says Man Shot, Wounded During Encounter With Deputies – Associated Press
A man was shot and injured during an encounter with Bernalillo County sheriff's deputies Tuesday, Sheriff Manuel Gonzales said.
The incident occurred when deputies responded to calls about a person walking on or next to Interstate 40 on the eastern outskirts of Albuquerque, Gonzales said.
The sheriff said the man was armed and that he was shot by at least one deputy after he refused to obey commands.
The man was taken to a hospital for surgery.
No information was provided about his injuries and no identities were released.
Santa Fe Still Tourist Destination Amid Coronavirus Concerns – Santa Fe New Mexican, Associated Press
Santa Fe has remained a tourist destination despite fears over the new virus outbreak, tourism officials said.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reported Tourism Santa Fe acknowledged the local tourism industry still could be affected if coronavirus, which causes respiratory illness, continues to spread in the United States.
New Mexico has no confirmed cases of the virus that originated in China and causes the disease known as COVID-19.
New Mexico Tourism Department spokesman Cody Johnson says it's hard to say what effect the disease will have, if any, on domestic travel. But he says the state is monitoring developments.
Report Finds Zookeeper Loses Finger After Violating Protocol – KOB-TV, Associated Press
An internal investigation determined a hyena bit off the finger of an Albuquerque zookeeper after the worker violated zoo protocol.
Surveillance video obtained by KOB-TV shows the worker entering the hyena enclosure and poking her fingers through the chain link fence. It shows one of the animals biting down on the zookeeper's hand. Security records state the zookeeper's middle finger was eaten.
City officials said a thorough investigation was done and appropriate actions were taken but they declined to discuss what they described as personnel matters. The hyena remains in its enclosure and officials say there's no threat to other staffers or the public.
New Mexico Moves Toward Improving Solvency Of Pension Plan - Associated Press
The legislation increases employee and taxpayer contributions to a public pension fund that has more than $6 billion in unfunded liabilities.
Annual cost-of-living increases also will be tied to pension fund investment returns for the trust overseen by the Public Employees Retirement Association.
The governor has acknowledged that the changes require some sacrifice but that the legislation ensures the sacrifice is shared and that vulnerable groups are protected.
More pension reforms will likely be on the agenda for the 2021 legislative session as the governor, the Educational Retirement Board and others are expected to push for shoring up the pension system that serves former teachers and school employees.
Albuquerque Schools To Issue Memo On Immigration Enforcement - KOB TV, Associated Press
A memo will be sent to all Albuquerque principals after a draft of the notice was presented to the school board last week.
The memo states that schools are meant to be safe places for all children, including those who are believed to be in the country illegally.
The memo follows recent reports of an uptick in activity by immigration authorities.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Leticia Zamarripa hasn't said whether the agency's activity was increasing in Albuquerque as some advocacy groups have claimed.
Proposed Shelter On UNM Land Raises Concerns From Community - Associated Press
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller is pushing for unused university land to be the site of a 300-bed emergency shelter.
The Albuquerque Journal reported yesterday the site is one of three being considered. Keller says the area would be ideal because it's not near the campus and would be cheaper to build on.
Some UNM employees and students, however, have expressed reservations. Among them are parents whose children attend the university's day care center.
The plans for the Gateway Center shelter were put on track after voters last year approved the selling of $14 million in bonds to pay for it.
Outdoor Recreation Grants Fuel Events Around New Mexico - Associated Press
The New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division has announced the first wave of events funded by new outdoor recreation incubator grants.
The agency says San Juan College will be hosting an outdoor recreation base camp in Farmington on Saturday while Creative Startups will be putting on meetings at rural libraries in Estancia, El Rito and Taos.
Five more events will follow later this year. San Juan College and Creative Startups received grant funding for the effort in 2019.
The goal is to highlight outdoor recreation business opportunities, share networking and marketing tools, and link businesses with the BLM and other federal land agencies.
Warrants Issued For Couple Guilty In Guardian Fraud Case - Associated Press
Federal prosecutors said 73-year-old Susan Harris had been facing a minimum of 30 years in prison while her husband, William Harris, faced less time.
Defense attorneys told the judge they could not reach the couple by phone Monday when they failed to show up in court.
The couple had been free pending sentencing after surrendering their U.S. passports and putting up their home in an affluent Albuquerque neighborhood as security.
New Mexico Police Investigate After Man Dies In Custody - Associated Press
Medical investigators have yet to determine what caused the man's death. He was identified as Antonio Valenzuela, 40, of Las Cruces.
Authorities say a Las Cruces police officer pulled over a pickup truck early Saturday and discovered that a man inside the vehicle had a warrant out for his arrest.
When the officer asked him to get out of the truck, he fled and police followed.
Authorities say he was eventually handcuffed but officers noticed soon after that he was unresponsive.