Wildlife Poaching Appears To Be On The Rise In NM - Associated Press
Wildlife poaching appears to be on the rise in New Mexico.
Game and Fish officials say they're investigating 22 cases across the state involving elk, deer and antelope carcasses found headless and left to rot.
Department officers are running road blocks across the state to check for illegal hunting activity and to gather data about harvest success.
They also are deploying artificial elk and deer in the field to catch poachers who try to shoot illegally at night or from the road.
Game and Fish officials say New Mexico has stiffer poaching civil penalties of up to $10,000.
They say poachers can interrupt animal breeding cycles and threaten population numbers of a herd when they kill big game out of season or exceed harvest limits.
Parent Upset With NM Mental Health Shakeup - Associated Press
A Santa Fe father is asking lawmakers for help in restoring behavioral health services in New Mexico that he says have been disrupted because the state froze Medicaid payments to mental health providers.
Hashem Faidi, a state Department of Transportation engineer, told a legislative committee on Tuesday his two autistic sons no longer receive behavioral management services after school and during holidays.
TeamBuilders Counseling Services provided that help to his sons until August. However, the company was among 15 nonprofit providers that had Medicaid reimbursements suspended. The state contracted with Agave Health Inc. to take over for TeamBuilders.
Agave CEO Heath Kilgore said in an interview that the company has continued previous services and programs, but he couldn't address the Santa Fe man's case.
NM Plans Film Industry Jobs Workshop For Veterans - Associated Press
Gov. Susana Martinez's administration plans a workshop for veterans interested in pursuing jobs as crew members in the film and television industry.
An orientation is scheduled Nov. 15 on a program called "Operation Soundstage," in which the state will reimburse part of the wages of a veteran being trained as a crew member by a film or television production in New Mexico.