Gov adds food stamps to special session

From KRQE-TV.com - SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - Gov. Susana Martinez says she will call for legislation to address a lack of funding for New Mexico's supplemental food stamp program to be placed on the agenda for next month's special session. A $650,000 request for the state's supplement to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program was not approved during the regular legislative session that ended in March. The governor's office says that resulted in New Mexico's supplemental food stamp assistance to certain low-income, elderly and disabled residents running out at the end of June. Martinez committed unused federal stimulus funds to keep the program going through September. Read more

Gov adds food stamps to special session

Hispanic group calls for APD chief to step down

From KOB-TV.com - By Cristina Rodda, KOB Eyewitness News 4 - The New Mexico League of United Latin American Citizens director claims there are even more people killed by Albuquerque police who are not being counted. At a protest Thursday, the New Mexico LULAC Director Ralph Arellanes explained that some people not being counted died after being Tasered. He said that at the LULAC convention this summer the members voted unanimously for the U.S. Justice Department to step in. They also voted for Police Chief Ray Schultz to be kicked out of his position. Since the beginning of last year 19 people have been shot by officers. New Mexico LULAC Director Ralph Arellano said, "We want a police force that is here to serve and protect the people not go after the people and the Hispanic community has been victimized tremendously. Read more

Hispanic group calls for APD chief to step down

Charges To Be Temporarily Dismissed Against Judge Murdoch

From KOAT-TV.com - SANTA FE, N.M. -- Albuquerque police confirm that the Santa Fe District Attorney Angela Pacheco plans to temporarily dismiss the rape and intimidation of a witness charges against former Bernalillo County Judge Pat Murdoch. Police said the district attorney’s office has 60 days to take the case to a grand jury from the time he was charged or the case gets thrown out. However, Albuquerque police said the investigation is too complicated and it will be difficult to meet the deadline. So for now, the Santa Fe District Attorney’s Office will soon temporarily dismiss the case and re-file the charges at a later date. Second Judicial District Attorney Kari Brandenburg had asked Pacheco to become the special prosecutor in the case against Murdoch. Murdoch was arrested in July on charges of criminal sexual penetration and intimidation of a witness. Read more

Charges To Be Temporarily Dismissed Against Judge Murdoch

PRC chief of staff receives threatening phone call

From Capitol Report New Mexico.com - Another strange twist in the Jerome Block Jr. case. A commissioner on the Public Regulation Commission announced at Thursday’s public meeting (Aug. 11) that a member of the PRC staff had received a threatening phone call to his home in regards to the embattled PRC commissioner. Commissioner Ben Hall did not give specifics regarding the contents of the call but after the meeting, fellow commissioner and PRC chairman Pat Lyons confirmed that chief of staff Johnny Montoya (shown in picture) had received a phone call making a threat against Montoya, although Lyons did not go into details of what the caller allegedly said to the chief of staff. When asked for his reaction to the news, Lyons told reporters, “I don’t like it at all. It shouldn’t be happening. It’s a bad atmosphere. Hopefully, nothing comes of it.” Read more

PRC chief of staff receives threatening phone call

Former Miss El Paso USA arrested for shoplifting apologized to security officers

From the El Paso Times.com - A former Miss El Paso USA apologized to security officers after she was allegedly caught shoplifting, according to her arrest affidavit. Police arrested Miss El Paso USA 2008 Lorena Tavera, 21, on suspicion of shoplifting Friday at the Dillard's store at Sunland Park Mall. According to her arrest affidavit, at about 6:45 p.m. Friday Tavera and two friends were near a dressing room at the Dillard's store when Tavera was spotted on a store security camera stuffing the $69 Jessica Simpson-brand shirt into a plastic shopping bag, then attempted to leave the store. Store security personnel followed Tavera outside of the store and stopped her as her two friends walked away. Dillard's employees kept Tavera at the store until police arrived. According to the affidavit, they told police they wanted to press charges. Tavera faces a charge of theft for an item over $50 but under $500. She also had two outstanding traffic warrants. Jail records show she was booked into the El Paso County Jail early Saturday and released Saturday afternoon after posting a $728 bond. Read more

Former Miss El Paso USA arrested for shoplifting apologized to security officers

Mexican Drug War Spreading to the Web

From Fox News Latino - By Patrick Manning - The Mexican drug war that has taken thousands of lives over the past four years isn’t just on the other side of the border. It’s now online. Cartels are using Facebook and Twitter to find out information on potential victims and to track them down. “They use them as intelligence sources, I suppose, to gather information on people,”said Dr. Tony Payan, associate professor of political science at the University of Texas-El Paso. Payan told Fox News Latino they’re also posting violent videos of victims being tortured YouTube to threaten and intimidate their enemies. “They are saying: ‘Look you guys, you contrary team, competitors, you enemy, this is what’s going to happen to you,’” he said. Plus, the use of Twitter also allows the cartels to send messages quickly. “You don’t have to make a bunch of phone calls, you don’t have to take the time to communicate to everybody,” Payan said. He added they use secret phrases about where to meet other cartel members or to inform them about the status of an operation. Before, cartels worked quietly. “I think this is a new generation of drug traffickers, new generation of criminals, and they often like to post what they do on the Internet,” Payan said. “They used to be quite discrete and quite restrained. In fact, they went out of their way not to draw attention to themselves.” Now, the tables have turned. Read more

Mexican Drug War Spreading to the Web

Officials break ground on Ute pipeline project amid protests

From the Clovis News Journal - As a light rain sprinkled over the Ute Reservoir, the sounds of protest drowned out officials’ optimistic vision of progress and a long-term solution for eastern New Mexico’s water supply. Hundreds attended Thursday’s groundbreaking ceremony for the first phase of the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System, commonly known as the Ute Water Project, ranging from Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., to Clovis and Portales city officials, to other officials marking the ceremonial first step to the $432 million pipeline project. But the three dozen public officials, supporters and media members were far outnumbered by Logan and Quay County residents, who lined the road leading up to the reservoir and surrounded the small ceremony with jeers and chants to protest concerns the authority will drain the lake, which is tied into local economies. “I think it went well,” said Ben Newton, a Logan business owner who helped organize the protest. “We had asked for people to keep it civil; no profanity, no outlandish thing. It was controlled well, we had a good turnout.” Chanters suggested not too subtly that the visitors, "Go home," but also requested they, “Save our lake,” and respect “3,765,” in reference to the community’s desired elevation in feet for the reservoir, which was created though legislative action nearly a half-century ago as a potable water source for eastern New Mexico, with water reserved by several communities. The first phase is an intake structure, or pumping station, that would move the water from the reservoir to authority members that have reserved it — Clovis, Portales, Texico, Melrose, Grady, Elida and Curry and Roosevelt counties. Planned delivery is 16,450 acre feet annually, or approximately 5.4 billion gallons. “We understand,” said Newton, who has owned Ruf-Nec Tackle since 2000. “We know they own the water rights; we’re not contesting that. What we are asking is ... for a permanent pool at the elevation of 3,765. We feel that is viable for our area. Logan residents and officials know the history and intent of the reservoir, but also feel conditions have changed over 50 years, as the village of about 1,000 has current and future economic development tied to the lake and its resort capabilities. Read more

Officials break ground on Ute pipeline project amid protests

Carlsbad faces critical water situation

From the Carlsbad Current-Argus - CARLSBAD — Carlsbad is approaching a critical water situation. The city is close to exceeding its 10-year, 10,200 acre-feet water right set by the state, said City Administrator Harry Burgess. "Stage two water restrictions could be implemented in the coming months even though the city's well field that provides water for the community is relatively stable," Burgess said. "We are projecting, through the end of the year, usage of 9,900 acre-feet. That's if we can get people to cut back on water usage," Burgess said. "The city has an ordinance that requires by this time that we have seven months of history and projections for the next five months using the 10-year average to calculate if we will exceed our water right. "At present, we have a small cushion. But if we continue at the extra high utilization rate we have been seeing this year, it's very likely that we will hit that (10,200 acre feet water right) within the next two months." Burgess said with Carlsbad reportedly entering day 60 of temperatures of 100 degrees and above and very little moisture since September, it is understandable why many residents are pouring more water on their lawns and shrubs. However, he is urging everyone to cut back on their water usage. Read more

Carlsbad faces critical water situation

Army vet returns 'home'

NewsNM - Swickard: Partly personal, my father served at the base during the time this man served. In fact, I was born at Holloman in 1950. From the Alamogordo Daily News - HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE - Holloman defenders have been patrolling the base's grounds for almost 70 years, and in the process they have protected the various weapon systems and people that have called the base home. One of the earliest defenders, former U.S. Army Pvt. David Kelley, recently visited where he had called home more than 62 years ago. "I started at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, and was transferred to Rome, N.Y., from September 1947 to February 1948, before coming to Alamogordo," Kelley said. "This was my first time to go inside the base since I left. I drove by in 1962 with my family and that was the last time I was by here." Kelley came back to the base to see the area he served from February 1948 to December 1949, he said. Seeing the inside of the base for the first time in 62 years, Kelley was astonished at what he saw. "I see nothing that even resembles what was here when I was," he said. "I can't see anything that even resembles the old base - not even the guard gate. At the time, instead of a welcome center you would just come up to the guard gate and say, 'I want to see so and so,' the guard would pick up the phone and call who you wanted to see and they would come to the front gate to get you. If whoever the person was there to see said no, you would have to make a U-turn and exit the base." Read more

Army vet returns 'home'

A sense that Washington doesn’t serve most people

From NM Politics.net - by Heath Haussamen - It’s no wonder that many average Americans stop paying attention to politics when a donor can spend $1 million anonymously in a presidential race and almost get away with it. The story of a company called W Spann LLC being created in March, giving $1 million to a Mitt Romney-supporting political action committee in April and dissolving in July is outrageous. The only name listed on the corporation’s paperwork was its attorney, and she refused to name her client. Politics is full of promises to make government better serve people and be less beholden to special interests, but this nation’s people have a strong sense that the opposite happens regardless of which political party controls things. It makes people feel like their voices and their votes don’t matter. One of the first steps toward convincing more voters to participate in the political process would be mandating full transparency in campaign financing. Donations and expenditures should be put online in real-time or close to it, and the system should be simplified so there are fewer loopholes. Washington needs to aggressively close loopholes as they are discovered and go after those who break the rules. Of course, changing attitudes about transparency in Washington would require a reduction in the influence of the wealthy special interests that don’t want transparency. So where do we go from here? Read more

A sense that Washington doesn’t serve most people