Voters Get Final Glimpse Of Political Spending – The Associated Press
New Mexico voters are getting a final glimpse before election day at political spending by in-state candidates for public office and their supporters that have blanketed mailboxes, television broadcasts and social media with ads.
Candidates and political committees confronted a Thursday-night deadline to disclose contributions and expenditures for October to the New Mexico Secretary of State's Office. Political committees in particular have unleashed a stream of negative advertising with early and absentee voting well underway in New Mexico.
The entire state Legislature is up for election as presidential candidates compete for the state's five electoral votes.
New Mexico places a $10,800 limit on direct campaign donations, while much of the money flowing into election efforts passes without limits through so-called super PACs that are barred from coordinating directly with candidates.
Dioceses In Texas, New Mexico To Hold El Paso Border Mass – The Associated Press
Catholic dioceses along the U.S.-Mexico border near El Paso are scheduled to hold a border Mass in honor of migrants who died while trying to cross.
The dioceses from El Paso, Las Cruces, and Ciudad Juarez are slated Saturday to celebrate Mass at a Rio Grande levee and call for immigrant rights.
Pope Francis celebrated a border Mass in a Ciudad Juarez field in February and urged the world to put a human face on the "tragedy that is forced migration."
Francis then walked up a platform next to the Rio Grande and blessed people gathered a few yards away on the U.S. side.
Luna Community College Prez: We Made 'Mistake' On Nepotism – The Associated Press
Luna Community College's president says he and the school's board of trustees made a mistake by doing away with its nepotism policy.
Leroy "Huero" Sanchez told the Las Vegas Optic this week hiring decisions were based on the good of the institution but said he understood the perception.
His comments come after a recently completed special audit of the Las Vegas community college questioned the school's hiring practices.
According to the report, there were multiple instances of family members of the Luna Community College president and board members receiving jobs, promotions, and substantial pay hikes.
Copies of the report are being forwarded to the Attorney General's Office and the Office of the State Auditor.
Former Albuquerque Jail Guard Acquitted Of 3 Counts Of Rape – The Associated Press
A former Albuquerque jail guard has been acquitted of three counts of rape and jurors were unable to reach a verdict on three other felony charges.
The Albuquerque Journal reports district court jurors reached their verdicts Wednesday in the trial of Torry Chambers.
He's still is a sergeant at the Metropolitan Detention Center, but isn't allowed to have contact with inmates.
Chambers was accused of five counts of criminal sexual penetration against three women inmates between 2008 and 2010.
He also faced one charge that he facilitated the rape of a female inmate by a male inmate.
Chambers was acquitted on three criminal sexual penetration charges and a judge declared a mistrial on the remaining charges.
Prosecutors have 10 days to decide whether they'll retry Chambers on those charges.
5-Year-Old Male Tasmanian Devil Dies At An Albuquerque Zoo – The Associated Press
An Albuquerque zoo says a 5-year-old male Tasmanian devil on loan from Australia has died.
Sylar was one of four Tasmanian devils loaned to the ABQ BioPark in 2013 from Australia's Healesville Sanctuary as part of an ambassador program.
Zoo officials say Sylar's keepers noticed last Friday that he was lethargic and coughing and a medical treatment plan was started.
Early indications from a necropsy are that Sylar died Saturday of natural causes.
Test results will be completed within a few weeks.
The average lifespan of Tasmanian devils in the wild is 5 to 7 years.
Tasmanian devils are carnivorous marsupials found in the wild only on the Australian island state of Tasmania.
With Sylar's death, three of the marsupials remain in the Tasmanian devil group at ABQ BioPark.