NM school officials concerned about new medicine law

Some New Mexico officials are concerned schools could be left vulnerable in the wake of a new law requiring they stockpile medicine to treat students who experience severe allergic reactions or asthma attacks. 

The Albuquerque Journal reports that some school districts are hesitant to follow the new law because they can be sued if something goes wrong.

Gov. Susana Martinez signed Senate Bill 75 into law last month, saying it would save children's lives. The law, which takes effect July 1, permits school nurses to administer the medication even to students who don't have a prescription. But a clause in the bill shielding schools from civil lawsuits was removed. 

Dick Minzner, an attorney who studied the law, says schools could be sued if medicine is incorrectly administered or stored.

NM school officials concerned about new medicine law

Bankruptcy filings in NM continue to drop

Bankruptcy filings in New Mexico dipped in 2013, continuing a downward trend that has been going on since 2010. 

The clerk's office for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Albuquerque says the state overall had a rate of two bankruptcy filings per capita last year, which falls below the national average of 3.3. 

The data shows Valencia County with the highest rate of the state's 33 counties with a ratio of 2.8 filings. Sandoval and Torrance counties came in second and third, respectively. Bernalillo County, which showed 2.5 filings per capita, hasn't ranked in the top three in the last decade. 

Experts say higher unemployment rates and longer work commutes could be potential factors for the higher rates.

Bankruptcy filings in NM continue to drop

Gov. former campain manager wants Downs information

Jamie Estrada 

A former campaign manager for New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez accused of hijacking her campaign's email system and lying about it is seeking information tied to a state contract for the Downs at Albuquerque. 

Jamie Estrada's attorney says in court documents filed last week that evidence related to the Downs Racetrack & Casino could reveal possible credibility problems with Martinez and other potential witnesses. Prosecutors say the Downs case is unconnected to the charges Estrada faces. 

Estrada briefly served as campaign manager in 2009 before being ousted by Martinez as she was starting her bid for governor. Estrada is scheduled to go on trial July 15 for allegedly intercepting emails and making false statements to federal investigators.

Gov. former campain manager wants Downs information

Cyclist hit, killed by Rail Runner in Santa Fe

From KOB-TV.com - By: Elizabeth Reed, KOB.com and Jeffery Gordon, KOB.com - SANTA FE -- Santa Fe police confirm a bicyclist was hit and killed by a Rail Runner train near Zia Road and St. Francis on Saturday morning.
     The collision occurred around 10:30 a.m. Santa Fe police say a woman riding a bicycle got in front of Rail Runner #705 and was struck by the train. There were 99 people on board the train at the time of collision.
     Traffic was blocked off for more than five hours at the intersection of Zia Road and St. Francis Drive while police investigated.  According to Santa Fe police, the victim was a 60-year-old Santa Fe woman. Her name is expected to be released on Monday.
     Rail Runner trains are back up and running and the Santa Fe Office of Emergency Management says no delays are expected for the rest of the night. Visit http://riometro.org for train status updates. More

Cyclist hit, killed by Rail Runner in Santa Fe

Swickard: The right way to deal with feral animals

© 2014 Michael Swickard, Ph.D. My mother rescued a half-starved feral cat one time. He seemed like any of her other rescued cats but even after neutering he was anti-social with the other cats. Also he had a great desire to mark territory pungently which he did. She had to cage him where he lived out his days. At no time during his years with us was he able to join her other cats.

      There were always about six cats, all inside cats, living in our house. They came into our lives one by one, a rescue here and there. And then there was that feral cat named “Yoohoo” who could not live with domesticated cats.

      My mother almost taught her cats to use the human toilet instead of the litter-pan. She lacked just one hold-out, a black female named Witch. We kids had to make sure we left the seat down and the lid up. But that knucklehead Witch would not do it. 

      I would have drop-kicked Witch through the goalpost of life and then had five cats with no need for kitty-litter. Not my dear mother who shrugged and went back to full-time kitty-litter for six cats. Anyway she was always going to have kitty-litter around because of Yoohoo.

      Certainly on ranches and farms the most damming comment for man or animal is, “He’s undependable. That was Yoohoo. Some days he was almost pleasant. Most days he was not. But he was always undependable.

      I was thinking about my brush with a feral cat this week because city leaders in several communities have struggled with the problem of feral cats. These non-domesticated cats live away from humans and prey mostly on wild birds and other small animals. Some people even put out feed which makes the problem worse. Read full column

Swickard: The right way to deal with feral animals

National story about Susana Martinez recordings

New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez

From KOB-TV.com - By: Stuart Dyson, KOB Eyewitness News 4 - The world of New Mexico politics is buzzing after a left-wing publication’s release of audio recordings of private conversations between Gov. Susana Martinez and some of her top assistants.
     “Mother Jones” magazine features an aryticle suggesting that Martinez is the next Sarah Palin – a volatile and divisive political figure. The Governor says the tapes are stolen, and that they come from a debate preparation session four years ago, when she was running against Democrat Diane Denish.
     Here’s the juicy stuff: the recording catches Martinez reviewing a videotaped debate with Denish. First you hear Denish saying “ my opponent – she’s not being straight with you.” Then you hear Martinez say “ I’m so tired of that little bitch calling me a liar.”
     Martinez does admit she used the “B” word, and says she has had to “fund the cuss jar a few times” in her life.
     Democrats are slamming Martinez hard for her remarks. She is already using the “Mother Jones” article to raise contributions for her re-election campaign, calling it a “desperate attack” and a “smear”.

     Right now Martinez, the nation’s first Hispanic female governor, is riding high in the national Republican Party, with some serious discussion about her as a possible vice presidential candidate in 2016. More

National story about Susana Martinez recordings

New Mexico to receive new veterans cemeteries

From KOB-TV.com - By: Stuart Dyson, KOB Eyewitness News 4 - New Mexico is finally in line for four new veterans cemeteries in far-flung corners of the state. Here’s the deal. We have two national cemeteries already. One of them is filling up rapidly and the other is a long way from just about everywhere but Silver City. Just about everybody agrees we need more, especially veterans and their families.
     The big one is in Santa Fe it’s just about full to capacity. The other one is way down near Silver City at Fort Bayard and it’s smaller. The U.S. Veterans Administration wants states to run their own veterans cemeteries, but they’ll help set them up. Gov. Susana Martinez announced down payments on four new ones Tuesday afternoon.
      “We are a very large state and no one should have to drive more than 75 miles to visit their loved ones,” Martinez said at a gathering at the Veterans Memorial in Albuquerque’s Southeast Heights. “To all of the veterans and current servicer members here today, thank you for your service. Thank you every day for your sacrifice.”
     The proposed cemeteries are in Carlsbad, Fort Stanton, Gallup and Angel Fire, which is already home to the nation’s first Vietnam veterans’ memorial. Well, they don’t have them yet, exactly. The state has $600,000 for down payments. If the feds approve, they’ll pay the rest – about 90 percent of the total price, and then the state will manage and maintain the new cemeteries. Gov. Martinez said New Mexico will be in line for even more veterans cemeteries after the first four are established. More

New Mexico to receive new veterans cemeteries

Group of judges suing Gov. over pay raise

A group of New Mexico judges are seeking to overturn a veto by Gov. Susana Martinez that denied them an eight percent raise. 

The judges filed a lawsuit Monday against Martinez in New Mexico State Supreme Court to reverse the governor's line-item veto. 

Martinez said last month she vetoed the proposed raise because she felt an eight percent salary increase was too much. The Republican said she might have supported a 3 percent raise like all other state employees but lawmakers didn't give her that option. 

Attorney Ray Vargas, who is representing the judges, says Martinez "ignored the system of checks and balances" when she vetoed the raises for judges. 

The governor's office says Martinez has to right to veto any line item.

Group of judges suing Gov. over pay raise

Gov. has raised 1.5 million for re-election

Gov. Martinez

Gov. Susana Martinez has raised $1.5 million for her re-election in the past six months, giving her big fundraising advantage over Democratic challengers. 

 Martinez reported cash-on-hand of $4.2 million as of last week. Monday was the deadline for candidates to file campaign finance disclosures with the secretary of state's office.

 Five Democrats are running for their party's gubernatorial nomination in the June 2 primary election. 

Santa Fe businessman Alan Webber was the leading Democratic fundraiser. He collected about $837,000 in cash and in-kind contributions. That included $450,000 in personal loans and contributions. Webber's campaign reported a cash balance of nearly $440,000.

Gov. has raised 1.5 million for re-election

Court recognizes Fort Sill Apache as NM tribe

New Mexico's highest court has ordered Gov. Susana Martinez to recognize the Fort Sill Apache as a New Mexico tribe. 

The state Supreme Court unanimously made the decision Monday after hearing from lawyers in the case.

 Tribal chairman Jeff Haozous told reporters after the ruling that state recognition will give the Apaches a "seat at the table" with New Mexico's other 22 tribes and pueblos. The governor must invite the tribe to a yearly tribal-state summit. The federal government designated a 30-acre parcel in southern New Mexico as the tribe's reservation in 2011, but the Apache governmental offices are in Oklahoma. 

There's a restaurant and smoke shop on the land near Deming, but tribal efforts to open a casino have been blocked. 

The tribe acquired the land in 1998.

Court recognizes Fort Sill Apache as NM tribe