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| Susana Martinez |
Gov. signs legislation for online professional license renewal
Posted by
Vanessa Dabovich
on Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Engineers, nurses and professionals in other fields will be able to apply for and renew their state licenses online under legislation that's been signed into law by Gov. Susana Martinez.
The governor said Monday the state Regulation and Licensing Department estimates the current paper-based licensing system costs nearly $300,000 in postage and other supplies.
The state hopes to speed up the licensing system and reduce costs by allowing agencies to accept applications and renewals online.
The measure was approved by lawmakers during the recently completed 60-day session of the Legislature.
Senator Udall in NM this week
Posted by
Vanessa Dabovich
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| Tom Udall |
U.S. Sen. Tom Udall is scheduled this week to visit southeastern New Mexico to discuss drought, energy policy and agricultural issues.
The New Mexico Democrat is slated Tuesday to participate in a panel on agricultural and drought issues at Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell. Udall is then expected to visit with Roswell-area veterans to get an update on health care and transportation issues.
The senator also is schedule Wednesday to visit the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Artesia to talk border security, training and enforcement issues with Indian County Law Enforcement, Border Patrol, and other federal agentss.
Later in the week Udall will visit New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs for an announcement on a new technology education partnership.
Senator Udall in NM this week
Fires and smoking prohibited on state lands
Posted by
Vanessa Dabovich
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| Ray Powell |
State Land Commissioner Ray Powell is prohibiting smoking, open fires and fireworks on state trust land because of the risk of wildfires.
Powell announced the restrictions on Monday. He said the potential for human-caused fires is high because of drought conditions as well as recent high winds.
The Land Office manages nine million acres of state-owned land and 13 million acres of subsurface rights to oil, natural gas and minerals.
Revenue from grazing, mining and oil and gas production on state trust lands helps support public schools and other state institutions.
Powell said the Legislature approved $500,000 for the Land Office starting in July to reduce fire risks by thinning forests and other prevention efforts.
Fires and smoking prohibited on state lands
Santa Fe Police Department offering free gun locks
Posted by
Michael Swickard
on Monday, March 25, 2013
“Residents with firearms in their homes must take common sense steps to avoid accidental shootings,” said Chief Raymond Rael. “The Police Department encourages storing weapons locked and unloaded with ammunition secured in a separate place.”
Santa Fe’s Public Safety Committee unanimously passed a resolution earlier this month recommending that all city gun stores sell trigger locks with every firearm. Current law states only new guns are required to be sold with them.
The resolution recommends any gun sold, old or new, in Santa Fe includes the simple device which prevents the gun from accidentally firing. The resolution was amended to include weapons purchased at pawn shops and other businesses. The resolution simply encourages gun shops to obey. It is not currently illegal in the city to sell a used gun without a trigger lock. Read more
Santa Fe Police Department offering free gun locks
Group in Santa Fe to give Gov. min. wage petitions
Posted by
Vanessa Dabovich

A group called Working America says it will be in Santa Fe today to try and
persuade Gov. Susana Martinez to sign a minimum wage increase.
The group says
it will deliver thousands of photo petitions and petition signatures to the governor's
office in support of a just-passed Senate Bill to increase the state's minimum
wage from $7.50 to $8.50 an hour.
Group in Santa Fe to give Gov. min. wage petitions
State sees drop in TB cases
Posted by
Vanessa Dabovich

The state Health
Department says there were a total of 40 cases of active tuberculosis diagnosed
in New Mexico
in 2012. That's down from 49 cases the previous year. The rate of tuberculosis
in New Mexico
stands at 1.9 cases per 100,000 people. The national rate is more than 3 cases
per 100,000 people.
Despite the good news, health officials say New Mexico is still
experiencing a higher than average TB mortality rate of 15 percent. Nationally,
the mortality rate stands at 4 percent.
The signs and symptoms of infectious
active TB include a persistent cough, unexplained weight loss, night sweats,
fatigue and loss of appetite.
State sees drop in TB cases
FAA says Santa Fe airport will lose control tower
Posted by
Vanessa Dabovich

The Federal Aviation Administration
announced Friday that Santa Fe
is among 149 airports around the country set to lose funding for their air
traffic control towers because of federal budget cuts.
It was not immediately
clear what impact the cuts will have on the state capital and mountain tourism
destination, which has just in the past few years won back commercial jet
service.
American Airlines currently has daily flights between Santa
Fe and Dallas and Los
Angeles , and United plans to begin service to Denver later this spring.
Double Eagle, a
general aviation airport in west Albuquerque ,
is also losing tower funding.
FAA says Santa Fe airport will lose control tower
President to designate Rio Grande del Norte National Monument
Posted by
Vanessa Dabovich
Retired U.S. Senator Jeff
Bingaman and U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich will join President Obama at a
National Monument Proclamations Signing Ceremony in the Oval Office on Monday
to establish the Río Grande del Norte in northern
In 2007, now-retired Senator Jeff Bingaman's office began
working with residents of Taos and Rio Arriba
Counties to identify how
to best protect the land.
Since then, Bingaman, Sens. Tom Udall, Martin
Heinrich, and Rep. Ben Ray Luján have worked to advance legislation through
Congress to protect the area and asked the White House to consider a monument
designation.
President to designate Rio Grande del Norte National Monument
Family of man shot by neighbor says he was murdered
Posted by
Michael Swickard
on Sunday, March 24, 2013
From KRQE-TV.com - ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - The family of a man shot by a neighbor in a northwest Albuquerque neighborhood says he was murdered. They say the man who shot 23-year-old Jonathan Mitchell was trying to play cop – and ended up gunning down a veteran.
Police say residents in the Ventana Ranch neighborhood called 911 after Mitchell was seen standing in a neighbor’s driveway holding a gun. The neighbors also called neighbor Donnie Pearson for assistance. Pearson later pulled in front of Mitchell’s house and the two exchanged gunfire – with Mitchell firing first. Mitchell died from the gunshot wound.
“This case almost mirrors the George Zimmerman case,” said Aaron Mitchell, Jonathan’s older brother and a Florida police officer. “[Pearson] had no business driving around looking for an armed assailant. That's not his job.”
Mitchell’s brother Aaron Mitchell, a police officer in Florida, says APD was too quick to portray Pearson as a Good Samaritan. “My brother did fire first. But he fired because he saw a threat. He's military trained. He's a combat veteran,” he said.
The family doesn’t know why Mitchell would have been in the neighbor’s driveway with a gun. “I think if those concerns were valid, I think a reasonable thing for a citizen to do is to call those who are sworn to protect, not take matters into their own hands,” his father Isaac said.
APD will turn the results of its investigation over to the DA for a decision on charges. Read more

Police say residents in the Ventana Ranch neighborhood called 911 after Mitchell was seen standing in a neighbor’s driveway holding a gun. The neighbors also called neighbor Donnie Pearson for assistance. Pearson later pulled in front of Mitchell’s house and the two exchanged gunfire – with Mitchell firing first. Mitchell died from the gunshot wound.
“This case almost mirrors the George Zimmerman case,” said Aaron Mitchell, Jonathan’s older brother and a Florida police officer. “[Pearson] had no business driving around looking for an armed assailant. That's not his job.”
Mitchell’s brother Aaron Mitchell, a police officer in Florida, says APD was too quick to portray Pearson as a Good Samaritan. “My brother did fire first. But he fired because he saw a threat. He's military trained. He's a combat veteran,” he said.
The family doesn’t know why Mitchell would have been in the neighbor’s driveway with a gun. “I think if those concerns were valid, I think a reasonable thing for a citizen to do is to call those who are sworn to protect, not take matters into their own hands,” his father Isaac said.
APD will turn the results of its investigation over to the DA for a decision on charges. Read more
Family of man shot by neighbor says he was murdered
Senate committee may hold summer hearing on Skandera
Posted by
Michael Swickard
From the Santa Fe New Mexican - by Robert Nott - The Senate Rules Committee may continue its confirmation hearing for Education Secretary-designate Hanna Skandera sometime this spring or summer. But even so, Skandera would have to wait until the next legislative session in early 2014 before the full Senate body can vote on her confirmation.
During the recent 60-day legislative session, the Rules Committee held about 10 hours of testimony and questioning over three days of confirmation hearings on Skandera. But it didn't finish the process.
The committee can vote to recommend or not recommend confirmation, but the full Senate makes the final call. If the Senate does not confirm Skandera, she will be fired from the position. Until that vote goes to the Senate floor, Skandera may continue to serve as secretary-designate. Read more

During the recent 60-day legislative session, the Rules Committee held about 10 hours of testimony and questioning over three days of confirmation hearings on Skandera. But it didn't finish the process.
The committee can vote to recommend or not recommend confirmation, but the full Senate makes the final call. If the Senate does not confirm Skandera, she will be fired from the position. Until that vote goes to the Senate floor, Skandera may continue to serve as secretary-designate. Read more
Senate committee may hold summer hearing on Skandera





