Update

NM To Auction Unclaimed Property- The Associated Press

A gold bar and coins are among the valuables and other objects that the state of New Mexico plans to auction.

Gov. Susana Martinez on Thursday announced that the state Taxation and Revenue Department will hold an unclaimed property auction July 27 in Albuquerque.

That auction will feature nearly 800 lots of items, including a 7-pound gold bar, more than 220 U.S. and foreign gold coins, nearly 1,900 U.S. silver dollars and a number of pieces of American Indian art.

Cibola Lifts Fire Restrictions In Sandia District- The Associated Press

Thanks to much-needed rain over the past few weeks, forest officials are reopening popular hiking areas in the Sandia Mountains east of Albuquerque. And the city is reopening most of the Rio Grande bosque.

Forest Supervisor Elaine Kohrman says moisture levels in vegetation have increased to the point to be able to limit the spread of wildfires.

Kohrman also says the long-range weather forecast predicts cooler weather and more rain for the area.

Cibola Lifts Fire Restrictions In Sandia District - Associated Press

Fire restrictions in the Sandia Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest and Grasslands near Albuquerque have been lifted.

Forest Supervisor Elaine Kohrman says recent rain has increased moisture levels in vegetation to the point where it should limit the spread of wildfires.

Kohrman also says the long-range weather forecast predicts cooler weather and more rain for the area.

Flash Flooding, Mudslides Close A road In Pecos- The Associated Press

Flash flooding and mudslides have shut down a portion of State Road 63 in Pecos.

New Mexico State Police say the closure is from mile post 15 northbound.

They say the flash flooding and mudslides are presenting dangerous driving conditions for motorists and residents.

State police said Monday that the affected portion of State Road 63 will remain closed until further notice.

UNM Archiving Ex-Sen. Jeff Bingaman Papers - Associated Press and The Albuquerque Journal

The University of New Mexico is archiving more than 1,000 boxes worth of documents from Jeff Bingaman's time in the U.S. Senate.

The Albuquerque Journal reports that the university held a ceremony Thursday at the Zimmerman Library to mark the archival project for the former Democratic senator.

Taos Pueblo To Honor Nixon's 100th Birthday - Associated Press

A northern New Mexico American Indian tribe is scheduled to honor the late President Richard Nixon for what would have been his 100th birthday.

The Taos Pueblo is set to pay tribute to the California-born Republican on Friday with a special honor at a pow wow.

Nixon is highly regarded among the Taos Pueblo and other American Indians for agreeing to return to some lands to tribes. In 1970, for example, he returned around 48,000 acres of sacred lands to the Taos Pueblo.

Feds Propose Protections For 2 rare Snakes - Associated Press

Federal wildlife officials are proposing to add a pair of rare snakes found in the American Southwest to the list of threatened species.

The northern Mexican gartersnake and the narrow-headed gartersnake are found in Arizona and New Mexico. Their populations have declined thanks to predators such as nonnative bullfrogs as well as threats to their streamside habitat.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will accept comments on the proposal through Sept. 9.

Kirtland AFB Begins Furloughs Under US Budget Cuts - Associated Press and The Albuquerque Journal

Kirtland Air Force Base officials say nearly 2,100 civilian employees began taking unpaid days off later this week as a result of the federal government's automatic budget cuts.

According to the Albuquerque Journal, Kirtland officials say the furlough day off each week through September amounts to a 20 percent pay cut.

USDA Includes 2 NM Counties In Drought Aid Areas - Associated Press

Two northern New Mexico counties are included in new federal government designations of primary disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by the ongoing drought.

The USDA says farmers and ranchers in Rio Arriba and Taos counties are eligible to apply for low-interest emergency loans.

The USDA's announcement also includes 14 Colorado counties along four in Utah and three in Wyoming.

Martinez Urges July 4th Fireworks Ban Amid Drought - The Associated Press

Gov. Susana Martinez has announced that all fireworks and campfires will be banned on state lands as July 4th approaches and crews continue to battle wildfires across New Mexico.

Martinez urged residents not to use any fireworks and instead to attend any number of professional fireworks shows around the state.

NM Court Asks For Response To Gay Marriage Lawsuit-The Associated Press

New Mexico's highest court has asked the attorney general and the Santa Fe County clerk to respond to a lawsuit seeking to legalize same-sex marriage.

The state Supreme Court on Tuesday said their legal arguments in the case should be submitted by July 22. No hearing has been scheduled.

Two Santa Fe men filed a lawsuit last week asking the court to order Santa Fe County Clerk Geraldine Salazar to issue them a marriage license.

Crews Contain Blaze In Valles Caldera Preserve  - Associated Press

It has taken firefighters a month to corral a wildfire that has burned through the heart of northern New Mexico's Jemez Mountains.

Fire managers declared the Thompson Ridge Fire 100 percent contained on Monday.

The blaze burned more than 37 square miles in the Valles Caldera National Preserve after being sparked May 31 by a downed power line. At one point, it threatened historic cabins and barns at the preserve but crews were able to save the structures.

Gov. Martinez Orders NM Flags Flown At Half-Staff-The Associated Press

Gov. Susana Martinez has ordered that New Mexico state flags be flown at half-staff until sunset Friday in honor of the firefighters killed while fighting an Arizona wildfire.

The 19 fallen firefighters were members of the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew, which is part of the Prescott Fire Department in northern Arizona.

They were killed Sunday while battling a wildfire in the small town of Yarnell.

NM 11th Graders Improve In Reading Proficiency-The Associated Press

Gov. Susana Martinez's administration says New Mexico high school students made significant improvements in their reading proficiency on standardized tests this year but there were declines for fourth, fifth and sixth grade students.

The governor on Friday announced the results of math and reading tests taken by 195,000 students in grades 3-8 and 10-11.

NM Mental Health System Audit, Fix Could Hit $21M - Associated Press and The Albuquerque Journal

State officials say the potential price tag for fixing problems within New Mexico's behavioral health system could reach nearly $21 million.

The Albuquerque Journal reports that an audit of 15 providers cost around $3 million to produce. That audit alleged potential fraud and resulted this week in the halting of Medicaid payments and other funding to the 15 nonprofits.

IG Pushes Los Alamos To Do More On Safety-The Associated Press

Another federal report is criticizing Los Alamos for not doing enough to protect the public from dangerous releases of radiation in the event of wildfires or an earthquake.

Item That Exploded On FedEx Truck In NM Was A Tire - Associated Press

Authorities say an item that exploded on a parked FedEx truck in Albuquerque was a tire.

There are no reported injuries.

Albuquerque police say the explosion was reported just before 7 p.m. Wednesday.

A police bomb squad was called to the scene to assess the situation along with an Albuquerque Fire Department hazmat crew.

Authorities say the driver of the FedEx truck lives in the area and typically parks his vehicle at the location of the explosion.

Obama Announces New Council For Native Americans - The Associated Press

Citing a history of mistreatment that has hurt Indians, President Barack Obama has established a White House Council on Native American Affairs to promote a healthier relationship among the United States and tribal governments.

The leaders of 30 federal departments and agencies will serve on the council, which is charged with aiding tribes with economic development, transportation, housing and health care.

NM High Court To Hear Internet Cafe Gambling Case - Associated Press and Las Cruces Sun-News

The New Mexico Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case about a Las Cruces man accused of running a gambling enterprise out of his Internet cafe.

The Las Cruces Sun-News reports that the state's high court recently said it will hear arguments next month in the case involving businessman Michael T. Vento.

Silver Fire Jumps To 125 Square Miles - Associated Press

A furious wildfire torching through the mountains of southern New Mexico's Gila National Forest has grown to 125 square miles and is expected to keep expanding.

Fire officials said late Monday that the Silver Fire continued to burn to the north and west as crews battled the raging blaze amid dry and breezy conditions.

Officials say the fire remains 20 percent contained, mainly in the south toward the bottom of the inferno.

Audit: NM Mental Health Companies In Possible Fraud - Associated Press

2 Rival Albuquerque Gangs Agree To 'Truce' - KRQE-TV and Associated Press

Members from two rival gangs in Albuquerque have called a truce.

KRQE-TV reports that leaders from two of the largest African American gangs in Albuquerque — the Kirk Town Piru and Blackstone Rangers — agreed to a truce Saturday during a meeting in a city park.

Both sides promised that they would no longer engage in physical fights or shootings.

Border Security Amendment Offered In Senate -Associated Press

Evacuation Order Lifted Near Raging Silver Fire - The Associated Press

An evacuation order for a historical mining town near a wildfire in southern New Mexico's Gila National Forest was lifted Thursday as the growing blaze jumped to 57 square miles, officials said.

Incident Commander Matt Reidy announced that Kingston residents with special entry permits will be allowed to return to the town but cautioned that fire danger remained for the area.

Residents: Action Needed On NM Mine Due To Cancer - The Albuquerque Journal (AP)

Western New Mexico residents say federal officials need to either move the tailings from an abandoned uranium mill near Milan or relocate the owners of about 75 nearby homes.

The Albuquerque Journal reports that residents told a top U.S. Environmental Protection Agency official Tuesday that a cluster of cancer cases in subdivisions near the Homestake Mining Co. uranium mill show a need for immediate action by the agency.

Albuquerque Police Hold Water Drive For Magdalena - The Associated Press

The Albuquerque Police Department is holding a water drive for the village of Magdalena, whose well has gone dry.

The effort, which runs through Thursday night, will collect bottles and jugs of water at the Prisoner Transport Center, across the street from the main police station in downtown Albuquerque.

All of the donated water will be transported to the town of Magdalena in south-central New Mexico Friday morning.

Gonzales Confirmed As Federal Judge - The Associated Press

The Senate has confirmed New Mexico U.S. Attorney Ken Gonzales to be the state's next federal judge.

Senators voted unanimously in favor of Gonzales Monday evening, and the state's two senators immediately recommended that President Barack Obama appoint one of his assistants, Damon Martinez, to replace him.

Martinez has served as an assistant U.S. attorney since 2001 and currently supervises the Organized Crime and Gang Section in Albuquerque.

NM Delegation Pushes To Improve Tribal Education - The Associated Press

New Mexico's congressional delegation has introduced a bill aimed at improving tribal education and preserving Native American language in schools.

NM Investment Funds Up Nearly $2B In Quarter  - The Associated Press

A legislative report shows New Mexico's endowment and pension funds grew by nearly $1.9 billion during the first quarter of the year.

The Legislative Finance Committee reports that the Public Employees Retirement Association had investment returns of 5.4 percent during the first three months of the year, with pension fund assets of $13 billion.

​Report: IG Faults Payments To Ex-Rep. Wilson - The Associated Press

The Energy Department's inspector general says former Congresswoman Heather Wilson collected $450,000 in questionable payments from the nation's federally funded nuclear labs after she left office.

A report says the New Mexico Republican failed to document what she did to earn $20,000 a month from New Mexico's Los Alamos and Sandia national labs from 2009 to 2011.