Newsbreak New Mexico 5pm Webcast 12/18/12

Newsbreak New Mexico 5pm Newscast with Vanessa Dabovich

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Miss Las Cruces arrested for DWI
Raptor Center out of money
Gov. aims to crackdown on DWI
Questa school board still suspended 

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Newsbreak New Mexico 5pm Webcast 12/18/12

Questa school board suspension continues

The Questa School Board is still in time out. On Monday, the secretary-designate of the New Mexico Public Education Department, Hanna Skandera, ruled the board – which has essentially rendered itself paralyzed by infighting – has been suspended until new members are sworn in after a school board election scheduled in February. 

The board has been consistently stuck in a 3-3 voting split that has prevented the district from conducting business.

 In an 8-page decision, Skandera ruled that after a hearing last week looking into the feuding board members, ”a preponderance of evidence” showed “the behavior of the members of the Board exceeded the powers and duties granted” to local school boards. 

Skandera also noted that during the public comment period during the hearing that “the citizens of the community overwhelmingly requested that the suspension” remain intact until the school board election. 

Members of the Questa School Board has been exchanging insults, charges and counter-charges to such a degree that it’s reminiscent of the antics of the city council in Sunland Park, a border town in southern New Mexico that’s made national headlines for political infighting and criminal charges. 

Even an investigative hearing leading up to Monday’s ruling by Skandera was spiked with disagreement.

Questa school board suspension continues

Miss Las Cruces arrested for DWI

Sarah Richardson

A woman recently named Miss Las Cruces has been arrested on suspicion of aggravated DWI.

Las Cruces police say 22-year-old Sarah J. Richardson was taken into custody after her car struck a light pole Sunday night. The Las Cruces Sun-News reports that Richardson was booked early Monday into the Dona Ana County Detention Center. 

Authorities say she's facing charges of aggravated DWI - blood alcohol content of .16 or greater - and failure to exercise due care. Richardson, from Alamogordo, posted bond and was released after being jailed for about an hour. It wasn't immediately clear Monday night if she had an attorney. 

A spokeswoman for the Miss Las Cruces pageant, which is a preliminary for the Miss America competition, declined comment on any potential sanctions Richardson could face.

Miss Las Cruces arrested for DWI

Newsbreak New Mexico 12pm Webcast 12/18/12

Newsbreak New Mexico 12pm Newscast with Vanessa Dabovich

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Gov. cracks down on DWI
Artesia adds "In God We Trust" to logo
Belen teen threatens school shooting

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Newsbreak New Mexico 12pm Webcast 12/18/12

Gov. aims to crackdown on DWI

New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez is on a crusade to toughen New Mexico's drunk driving penalties. 

She's getting help from a Colorado couple who have a deeply personal reason to get involved. Aileen and Zachary Smith of Colorado Springs lost their unborn baby son Dimitri last June when a suspected drunk driver slammed into their car on I-25 in San Miguel County. 

On Monday they met with Gov. Martinez at the Capitol to talk about her DWI proposals for the upcoming legislative session, and about the Smiths' own ideas about better ways to crack down on drunk drivers in our state. 

The Smiths started a website called "Justice for Dimitri" and so far they have gathered nearly 3,000 signatures on their online petition to reform New Mexico's drunk driving laws. 

Martinez is also pushing for felony DWIs to count toward habitual offender status, and for the state to have the power to seize the vehicles of people arrested for driving on a license that was revoked for drunk driving. 

Gov. aims to crackdown on DWI

Belen school shooting threat

Belen authorities say a high school freshman will face charges after making a chilling threat to shoot up the school on Tuesday.

 Investigators say the student scratched a message into a school mirror that said he planned to shoot 12 kids on Tuesday. Other students say they overheard the student making threats against the school. 

The police chief says officers interviewed the freshman, searched his locker, then his home, and did not find any evidence that makes them think the threat is legitimate. But he added that they're taking the threat as seriously as possible.

 The student has been suspended and will face charges. The police chief said there will be a large police presence at the school throughout the day.

Belen school shooting threat

Drug trafficking ring indicted

Nineteen members of a drug trafficking organization allegedly operating in central and northern New Mexico have been indicted. 

The 60-count indictment was unsealed Monday following the arrests of 13 of the defendants. They all made their initial appearances in federal court in Albuquerque.

 Authorities say the drug trafficking organization allegedly was headed by 33-year-old Christopher Roybal of Albuquerque. 

According to the indictment, Roybal and others allegedly conspired to distribute quantities of marijuana and cocaine in New Mexico over the last 16 months. 

Undercover officers purchased 3½ kilograms of cocaine and about 18 pounds of high-grade marijuana that led to the arrests.

Drug trafficking ring indicted

Newsbreak New Mexico 8am Webcast 12/18/12

Newsbreak New Mexico 8am Newscast with Vanessa Dabovich

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Gov. comments on gun control
Las Cruces impact fees delayed
19 indicted in drug ring

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Newsbreak New Mexico 8am Webcast 12/18/12

Las Cruces impact fees delayed

Impact fees for city infrastructure in Las Cruces won’t be implemented for at least another six months. 

The Las Cruces city council voted Monday 6-0 to delay implementing the fees that would pay for major road and drainage construction until July 1. The fees would be applied to any new commercial or residential development in the city. The city council voted to defer those fees until July 1. 

For a new residential house, the fee would be around $1000 or closer to $2000 depending on who you ask. The impact fee would have also applied to new commercial development. 

Las Cruces impact fees delayed

Gov. says keep guns away from mentally ill

Gov. Susana Martinez said New Mexico should immediately consider legislation to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill. 

In a prepared statement responding to ABQ Journal questions about gun control the governor said “There are some individuals who should never have access to firearms, like criminals and the mentally ill, In reviewing our state statutes, I will pursue legislation this session to make clear that the state must accurately and promptly provide information on people who have been found mentally ill by a court, or who have been involuntarily committed to an institution.”  

She said a push is needed to ensure national criminal databases have updated information regarding an individual’s mental health status that would be flagged in federal background checks before some gun sales.  

Asked about the suddenly renewed political push to increase gun restrictions in the United States, Martinez emphasized the need to better recognize and battle mental health problems to curb gun violence. 

Gov. says keep guns away from mentally ill