Recent winters hurting local wine production

From KOB-TV.com - By: Jorge Torres, KOB Eyewitness News 4 - It's older than the state itself and even older than the good old USA: New Mexico wineries. It's a symbol of our history that goes back to the Franciscans in the 1600s. Corrales Winery has added to that history since 2000. Like most vineyards in the state, it has gone through some rough patches, including the recession.
     "The last thing people give up even in a down economy is chocolate and alcohol, so we're hanging in there," said Keith Johnstone, Co-Owner of Corrales Winery. He would never quit on the grapes that are beginning to bud, but cold weather has been tough on him recently, especially the last two winters.
     When Corrales got down to -17F, the winery couldn't yield a crop that year. The grapes are beginning to bud in Corrales. The same thing occurred last year, but Johnstone is concerned because in 2013 a couple of spring freezes destroyed the crops.
     "Every class of shoot that the grapevines sent out actually got frozen so 2013 was another year that we didn't get a crop," he said Johnstone is holding his breath for this year's crop since the grapes are budding already. As long as it doesn't freeze in the next couple of months, the grape crop could produce up to eighty percent of its potential. More

Recent winters hurting local wine production

Seven legislators to retire from the House

Republican Rep. Bill Gray of Artesia is the seventh legislator to announce plans to retire from the 70-member House.

Gray said Tuesday he will not seek re-election. He says he's proud of his accomplishments but it's time to move on. He plans to spend more time with family. Gray has represented parts of Chavez, Eddy and Otero counties since 2007. He served on the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the Legislative Finance Committee.

 Legislators previously announcing their retirement are Reps. Anna Crook, a Clovis Republican; Ernest Chavez, an Albuquerque Democrat; Nathan Cote, an Organ Democrat; Tom Taylor, a Farmington Republican; Henry Kiki Saavedra, an Albuquerque Democrat; and Rick Miera, an Albuquerque Democrat and House majority leader. 

Legislative candidates file for office on March 11.

Seven legislators to retire from the House

NMSU's endowment sees big increase

The New Mexico State University Foundation's endowment is now valued at $197 million. 

University officials say the endowment saw an 11.4 percent increase in returns over the last fiscal year. That's slightly below the average total net return for institutions with endowments that ranged between $101 million and $500 million.

NMSU Foundation President Tina Byford says growing the endowment is critical for advancing the university's mission. The foundation is a nonprofit organization that manages and invests private gifts to benefit teaching at NMSU, extension research and public service programs. 

The university says the foundation's asset allocation model is heavily weighted to domestic stocks, international equities and fixed income. Less than one-quarter is invested in the alternative market.

Information from The AP.

NMSU's endowment sees big increase

NM health exchange rated as "high risk"

New Mexico was among the states rated as "high risk" after government security experts reviewed the vulnerability of computer systems being used to roll out President Barack Obama's health care law.  

Documents show more than two-thirds of states had potential security problems with systems designed to tap into federal computers to verify sensitive personal information. But officials in charge of implementing New Mexico's insurance marketplace questioned those findings Tuesday. 

They say New Mexico is still developing a state-run exchange for individuals, and the marketplace created for small businesses, employees and insurance providers isn't linked to the federal data system. New Mexico exchange spokeswoman Debra Hammer says there's still an opportunity to learn from the experience of other states as New Mexico prepares to bring its individual exchange online in October.

Information from The AP.

NM health exchange rated as "high risk"

Should abuse victims carry guns in gun-free zones?

From MiNBCNews.com - by Walter Smith-Randolph - SAGINAW TOWNSHIP -- A Saginaw County lawmaker wants abuse victims to carry guns in gun free-zones but domestic violence workers say there may be other options. Schools, churches and malls--they're called 'gun-free zones' but state representative Tim Kelly wants to change that for abuse victims.
     “Over 85-percent of women are victims of domestic violence,” says Rep. Tim Kelly (R-Saginaw) “Over 75-percent of women are stalking victims,” he adds. Saginaw was named “The Most Dangerous City for Women” by Forbes Magazine.
     “(I) felt like this would be a good piece of legislation to take care of a vulnerable population,” says Kelly. The victims would be trained and licensed to carry the firearm. Not so fast says Valerie Hoffman of Saginaw's Underground Railroad.
     “It appears to me that we're just giving up that protection---that responsibility for protection and just putting it on the victims to protect themselves,” says Hoffman. She’s been counseling victims for 20 years. Hoffman says lawmakers should focus on protecting victims and cracking down on abusers.
     “Why does she need to carry gun?” questions Hoffman. “Isn't it society's job to protect the victim?” she adds. “I think this is common-sense, bi-partisan legislation that can help protect women,” says Kelly. Currently, the only people who can carry guns in gun-free zones are law enforcement officials. More

Should abuse victims carry guns in gun-free zones?

Tours to start at Old Main prison in Santa Fe

Tickets are now available for upcoming tours of a closed New Mexico prison where one of the nation's deadliest riots took place.

 The New Mexico Department of Corrections said this week the state is selling tickets for "Old Main" prison tours that begin in May. Tours of the prison outside of Santa Fe are scheduled twice a month and will continue through October. Last year, corrections officials opened the historic site for limited public tours. 

In February 1980, inmates at the prison killed 33 fellow prisoners in a violent clash that included beheadings, amputations and burned bodies. More than 100 other inmates and guards were hurt in the 36-hour riot fueled by overcrowded conditions.

 Officials hope to eventually to turn the site into a museum.

Information from The AP. 

Tours to start at Old Main prison in Santa Fe

More radiation detected in Southeastern NM

More airborne radiation has been detected in southeastern New Mexico from a leak at the nation's first underground nuclear waste dump. 

 The U.S. Department of Energy said Monday the results are from samples collected last week at numerous air monitoring stations at and around the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad. 

Last week, DOE officials confirmed the first-ever leak at the facility. It stores plutonium-contaminated waste from Los Alamos National Laboratory and other government nuclear sites.  The results are consistent with the kinds of waste stored at the plant, but officials say there's no public health threat. 

Carlsbad's mayor scheduled a community meeting Monday evening. 

Waste shipments to the site were halted earlier this month after a truck caught fire underground. Officials say they don't think the incidents are related.

More radiation detected in Southeastern NM

NM Legislature passes more bills this year

The New Mexico Legislature approved more bills this year than it did during the last 30-day session. 

However, nearly all of the legislation was passed late in the session shortly before lawmakers adjourned. Records of the Legislative Council Service show that the House and Senate passed 91 bills - all but two of those during the final three days of the session. Also approved were three resolutions proposing constitutional amendments.

 In the 30-day session in 2012, the Legislature approved 77 bills and four constitutional amendments. This year's proposed constitutional amendments will be placed on the November general election ballot for voters to decide. 

One of the proposals is to give the state more flexibility in making international investments with permanent fund assets. 

The Legislature's 30-day session ended on Thursday.

Information from The AP. 

NM Legislature passes more bills this year

New Noise on Climate Change—a winning issue for Republicans

Commentary by Marita Noon - The Democrats think that climate change is going to be a winning issue for them in 2014—and, if they handle it correctly, this could be a winning issue for the Republicans. You know, nothing comes out of the Obama White House by mistake. Everything is planned, analyzed, and focus group-tested. Last June when President Obama presented his Climate Action Plan at Georgetown University, some environmentalists hailed it. In response, Frances Beinecke, the then-president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, said: “The president nailed it.” The Huffington post reported that some environmental groups were wary that “Obama would follow through on the ambitious goals he laid out. Bill Snape of the Center for Biological Diversity described it as too little, too late.”
     But, environmentalists haven’t been “thrilled with the administration’s record.” In January, 18 groups sent Obama a strongly worded letter telling him that he “needs to address climate change more aggressively.”
     Obviously, Obama heard the complaints—making clear which group of constituents holds sway: billionaire environmentalist donors who believe Democrats have wavered on climate issues rather than the economically hard-hit middle class he claims to champion.
     Earlier this month, the Obama Administration announced the creation of 7 “climate hubs”—which the New York Times called: “a limited step” but said it “is part of a broader campaign by the administration to advance climate policy wherever possible with executive authority.” It is unclear what these “hubs” are or will do, but the stated goal is “to help farmers and rural communities respond to the risks of climate change, including drought, invasive pests, fires and floods.”
W     ashington Examiner columnist Ron Arnold calls the new hubs “propaganda spigots” and cites Steven Wilmeth, a southern New Mexico rancher, who said: “It’s another one of those ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help’ deals. All I can say is, ‘Don’t help me.’ We hear the talk, but they’re not telling us what regulatory burdens these climate hubs will add to the overwhelming load we already carry.”
     Then on February 14, President Obama announced a new $1 billion “climate resilience fund” that “would go to research on the projected impacts of climate change, help communities prepare for climate change’s effects and fund ‘breakthrough technologies and resilient infrastructure.’” read full column

New Noise on Climate Change—a winning issue for Republicans

Gov. survey shows more farms and ranches in NM

A new government survey shows New Mexico has more farms and ranches than it did five years ago. 

The survey also shows the state has seen significant increases in the number of young farmers and minority farmers in recent years. 

State Agriculture Secretary Jeff Witte says he's glad to see a wider diversity of people getting into farming and ranching across the state. He says that diversity will help create more opportunity. Witte also says the younger farmers will help ensure agriculture remains a viable part of the economy for years to come. 

The 2012 agriculture census shows there are more than 24,700 farms and ranches in New Mexico, an 18 percent increase since 2007. That bucks a long-term national trend that has seen the number of U.S. farms drop.

Gov. survey shows more farms and ranches in NM