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Little Bear Fire - not little
Virgin Galactic closer to space flight
• "The spaceport will never happen. We'll drive by up there and see a concrete pad with brush grown up around it."
• "New Mexicans will never support an expensive project for rich people."
• "The economy will kill the project."
Whitesides said he's heard the comments too. Still the company plans to launch suborbital space flights at the $200 million Spaceport America, which is nearly complete. Whitesides said he's looking forward to the start of space flights as a company exec and as a customer. In fact, the company executive said Virgin hopes to begin flights in the second half of 2013. Read More News New Mexico
Thousands wonder whether they'll have homes in light of Little Bear Fire burning north of Ruidoso
KOB - Nearly 6,000 people filled the Ruidoso High School gym to question
authorities about how close the Little Bear Fire will get to their
homes. Officials said at least 25 structures have burned in the latest fire to hit New Mexico. However, it’s unclear right now how many people lost their homes, and how many acres the fire actually burned. On Sunday, crews said the fire in southeastern New Mexico had charred
more than 26,000 acres. “Everything is there,” Alto, NM resident Elaine
Grimes said. “I could lose everything. It's in god's hands now.” The Little Bear fire was only few acres on Wednesday. Spot fires developed outside of the lines thanks to windy conditions
and by Saturday morning more than 10,000 acres had been charred. Fire information officers say summer homes and campgrounds in the area
about 15 miles north of Ruidoso were evacuated late Friday. Crews said evacuations were also sent out to homes along N.M. 48 from
Capitan to Angus and on N.M. 37 to 380. Those routes are also closed. There was no immediate word on how many people were evacuated. Shelters were set up at churches in Ruidoso and Capitan. Evacuees can go to Gateway Church and the Methodist Church on Sudderth in Ruidoso. People near Capitan can go to Trinity Church and the Lincoln County Fairgrounds. The J Bar J Ranch just west of Ruidoso on U.S. 70 is available for livestock. Crews haven't had a chance to do a formal damage assessment. Read More News New Mexico
NM study: Repeat DWI offenders growing problem
Alamogordo Daily News - New Mexico continues to struggle with one of the
nation's worst drunken driving problems, and Gov. Susana Martinez
contends the state needs to focus on a growing threat from offenders who
repeatedly drink and drive despite multiple arrests and convictions. Nearly 60 percent of alcohol-related traffic deaths last year
involved a driver with more than one arrest or conviction for drunken
driving, according to a new analysis by the Department of
Transportation's Traffic Safety Bureau. That's up from 35 percent in
2009 and 47 percent in 2010. A similar study by the agency in 2006 found
that 30 percent of alcohol-involved fatalities were caused by repeat
offenders and 70 percent by those with a first-time arrest or conviction
for driving while intoxicated. "This is a dramatic shift
that should call all of us to action," the governor said in a statement.
"Repeat drunk drivers simply aren't getting the message, and innocent
lives are being lost as a result." New Mexico once had the
worst drunken driving problem in the nation. However, the state has
dropped out of the top 10 nationally for the number of DWI fatalities
per 100,000 population after repeatedly changing the law to toughen
penalties, increase enforcement and provide court-based alcohol
treatment programs for those convicted of drunken driving. In 2011, 154
people died in alcohol-involved traffic crashes—representing about
two-fifths of all highway deaths in the state. Martinez is a former prosecutor and since taking
office last year has unsuccessfully sought changes in law to increase
penalties for repeat drunken drivers. She plans to ask the Legislature
again next year to approve longer prison terms for repeat offenders as
well as allow authorities to seize the vehicles of repeat drunken
drivers. Read More News New Mexico
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