News New Mexico

NM State Fair cut to 12 days

KRQE - This year's edition of the New Mexico State Fair is going to be shorter. Fair organizers recently announced that the fair is streamlining down to just 12 straight days in September, instead of the 17 day stretch. The move comes as fair attendance fell to around 400,000 last year, about 30,000 fewer people than 2010. Fair managers are hoping the new schedule will pick things up. New Mexico State Fair spokesman Michael Henningsen said there are only six fairs in the country that run longer than 10 days. This year's fair will start a little later than usual on Sept. 12 and it will close on Sept.23. Read More News New Mexico

Romney campaign set to open 4 NM offices

Mitt Romney

KOB - The Romney campaign is set to begin its push in New Mexico with four new offices throughout the state. Rick Wiley, national political director of the Republican National Committee, announced Thursday that the GOP is launching an aggressive effort this weekend to identify voters and recruit volunteers. Wiley said the New Mexico efforts are part of a national push Saturday across the country. Wiley said Gov. Mitt Romney had to wait to win the GOP nod before opening New Mexico offices. He said the campaign plans to have bilingual volunteers to reach out to New Mexico's Hispanic population. RNC spokesman Ted Kwong said the campaign is opening up offices in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Roswell and Farmington. The move comes months after as the Obama campaign opened offices throughout the state. Read More News New Mexico

New Mexico Unemployment Below National Average, Martinez Open for Business Attitude Helping?

KOB - The Department of Workforce Solutions says fewer weeks of unemployment benefits will be available to jobless New Mexicans because of a change in federal law. A maximum of 60 weeks of unemployment compensation will be offered effective July 7. That's down from 73 weeks.
The department says some federally funded unemployment benefits are expiring because the state's three-month average unemployment rate is below 7 percent. A 6 percent rate previously triggered an additional 13 weeks of benefits for jobless workers. A federal law enacted earlier this year established new provisions that determine the maximum benefits available in a state. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Duke City Public Employees Caught Gambling, Shopping, and Running Errands on Taxpayers Dime

KRQE — (Albuquerque) - A two-month long undercover investigation revealed three employees who work in the field as inspectors for the city's planning division spent their job time doing everything but an honest day's work.
Surveillance video shows the three inspectors gambling, shopping, running errands and visiting with friends. City officials said they got a tip about the three disappearing from work for hours at a time.
"They'd drop off their city vehicle, and they'd get in their personal vehicle and go about their personal business," said Chief Administrative Officer Rob Perry. Video shot by Robert Caswell Investigators showed one woman visiting Sandia Casino on June 21 and June 26. On both occasions, she is seen playing penny slots for hours. Read full story here: News New Mexico

City of Belen Handing Out Raises, Two Years After Being Near Broke

BELEN, N.M. (KRQE) — Things are looking up for the city of Belen, which had been struggling to pay its bills. The city council has approved a 75 cent pay raise for all employees with the exception of councilors and the mayor. While it doesn't sound like much, it's a huge change from the $3.2 million deficit the city faced two years ago. The city also had to resort to layoffs and furloughs. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Carlsbad Caverns Fire 50% Contained

KOB - A wildfire burning on the western border of Carlsbad Caverns National Park is now 50 percent contained. Fire officials said Wednesday crews were able to take advantage of rain, higher humidity and cooler temperatures to battle the 7,000-acre blaze known as the Horse Canyon Fire.
Authorities said that the wildfire was sparked June 29 by lightning in the Lincoln National Forest around the New Mexico-Texas state line. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Courtesy of Conservative Daily News

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Security guard run over twice at bar

From KRQE-TV.com - TAOS, N.M. (KRQE) - Police are on the hunt for a man who intentionally rammed his car into a security guard, twice. What was he so mad about? He wasn't let into a bar. Taos Police say the guy was dangerous, making threats he was going to kill everyone, attacking bouncers and the security guard, and then running the guard over. Now they're asking for the public's help finding him. Detective Barry Holfedler showed KRQE News 13 where the attack went down near the Alley Cantina by the Taos plaza. “This is a very, very popular night spot in Taos. Probably the most popular," he said. The cantina was so popular there was a line to get in late Friday night. When bouncers announced no one else would be admitted, witnesses say a man became enraged. “That he was going to his car and get a gun and kill everybody there,” said Holfedler. That’s when David Van Epps, owner of a local security company who was working security that night, stepped in. “The subject spit on the security guard and threw a potted plant at his chest,” said Holfedler. The man then got a crutch out of his car and came at bouncers and Van Epps. Van Epps pulled his gun so the man got in his car, and Van Epps started to walk away. That’s when witnesses say the man plowed into Van Epps, backed up hitting a wall and then slammed into Van Epps again. After the second hit the driver actually backed up and went for Van Epps again, but this time he swerved before he got the security officer. Witnesses say he circled the parking lot, grabbed his girlfriend and took off. The car as a 1993 silver Honda Accord with the plate number 110-RBH, witnesses told police, Cantina manager Mark Geery said Van Epps leg was shattered and the retired military man will need multiple surgeries. “The person who did this was trying to kill him, and if anybody out there knows who this person is, please keep that in mind," Geery said. "This is a dangerous person." Investigators ran the plate and got a hit. Problem is it led them to the old owner of the car. He sold it late last year and the new owner hasn't registered it. Investigators believe the driver is in Albuquerque and was just visiting Taos. Read more

Courtesy of Conservative Daily News

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