News New Mexico: 09/09/12

CD1: Grisham, Jones debate in Congress race

Janice Arnold-Jones

NewsNM: Swickard - as I say in my column this last week, the only real question for these two involves who they are going to vote for as the Speaker of the House. From KRQE-TV.com - ALBUQUERQUE — It was their first public battle, Michelle Lujan Grisham and Janice Arnold-Jones had their first debate Sunday morning as they fight for votes in the race for the U.S. Congress seat that represents Albuquerque. Both women have a great deal of respect for each other, but they didn't mind duking it out when it comes to the issues that affect New Mexico residents. It was a packed house at the Congregation Albert Synagogue in north east Albuquerque Sunday morning. The two women tried to convince voters they were the best pick to serve the state's First Congressional District. Both candidates are running on platforms of veteran, health care and economic reform. When it comes to energy Arnold-Jones thinks congress should find a way to make clean-renewable energy more affordable. Lujan Grisham says New Mexico is already there and the U.S. needs to tap into those resources, reducing the nation's dependence on foreign countries. Arnold-Jones emphasizes her work in the private sector where Lujan Grisham plugs her service record as an experienced politician. Read more

Coinstar robber faces charges

NewsNM: Swickard - I hate to pick on stupid criminals... wait, actually I love it very much. Hey guys - As Bill Engvall likes to say - here's your sign, you are stupid - read the last line of the story - From KOB-TV.com - One of two men accused of stealing more than $16,000 in coins was arraigned Sunday. Michael Barela and Rene Valverde are accused of robbing Coinstar coin counting machines. Police said they hit three different machines at three different Smith's locations in June. Investigators said they were caught, in part, because they took the stolen coins to other Coinstar machines to have them counted in exchange for paper money. Read more

New Mexico's other chile: Some like it hot

Trinidad Scorpion Pepper - careful now

From the Carlsbad Current Argus - by Ben Gibson - If you head to the farmers' market on the Eddy County Courthouse lawn you expect to find the usual mix of farmers' freshly picked crops and other foods. You don't expect to find a weaponized form of produce. Meet the Trinidad Scorpion and the woman who grew it, Patricia Monk. "We want to give people something that they can't easily find around here," Monk said. "We want to give them an experience." Monk grows the peppers on her farm in Artesia and has given a few of her co-workers at New Mexico State University Carlsbad's Agriculture Science Center in Artesia a chance to experience the fiery pepper. "I brought some to work, and some of the manly farm men there didn't think it would be too hot," she said. They were in for a surprise. "Two of them took the whole thing and threw it in (their mouths). They were dying trying to be strong to just chew it, but they came back to me later and said that it was the hottest thing they had ever eaten," Monk said. The small pepper can pack a colossal punch of almost 1.4 million Scoville Heat Units, which makes them 140 times hotter than the hottest jalapeño pepper. The Scoville scale is used to deter-mine the amount of the chemical compound capsaicin that is in a pepper. Capsaicin leads to the spicy sensation found chile peppers and other foods. "We're selling them two for a dollar," Monk said. "Proceed with caution." Read more

First week of the NMSU Aggie Season

Time Magazine - is it Global Cooling or Heating?

India launches satellites in 100th space mission

From NBC News - AP - NEW DELHI, India — India's national space organization has marked its 100th mission by launching French and Japanese satellites. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said Sunday's launch of a French observation satellite and a Japanese microsatellite was a success. In 2008, India successfully sent a probe to the moon that detected evidence of water on the lunar surface for the first time. The Indian Space Research Organization's space agency plans to send a spacecraft to Mars next year. Read more

Lawsuit Questions KNME’s Journalistic Integrity

From New Mexico Watchdog.org - by Jim Scarantino - KNME-TV describes itself as “a trusted source for in-depth news and information.” Yet for over four years the station has been resisting a public records request for documents that might show whether the PBS affiliate sold its journalistic integrity for a mere $30,000. Since June 2008, KNME has been withholding records relating to its “news documentary” on the Navajo water settlement. Attorney fees are mounting. It faces penalties that may soon exceed $150,000. Even after losing in the New Mexico Supreme Court, the public broadcaster continues to hold back documents under claims of privilege not likely to be recognized by New Mexico courts. What does KNME have in its files it does not want the public to see? The case has escaped any media attention since suit was first filed. Journalists at the time briefly examined the question whether KNME had produced a fake documentary to advance the interests of clients who paid for the production. Additional documents have surfaced as the case wound its way through the courts. A more thorough examination of that question is now possible. Read more

White Sands Missile Range wild horses up for adoption

From the Alamogordo Daily News - For the first time since the International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros placed in conservation the last of the White Sands Missile Range horses in 1999, select horses from the herd will be offered for adoption. These unique wild horses carry a rare North American gaited gene that was identified through DNA and blood typing by Dr. Gus Cothran, the world's leading equine geneticist from Texas A&M.According to Karen Sussman, president of ISPMB, "The horses have a beautiful conformation and travel with ease and grace. They are highly intelligent and are behaviorally one of the healthiest herds in the U.S."After 10 years of work on White Sands meeting with three different generals and several governors, Sussman made a promise that the first horses adopted from this unique herd would be to New Mexicans. The adoption will take place Sept. 29-30 at the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Posse arena, 10308 2nd St. NW, Albuquerque, from 8 a.m. until dusk each day. The number of horses brought to New Mexico will depend upon the adoption demand. Read more

Intel to give chips energy efficiency boost

From the New Mexico Business Journal - by Dan Mayfield - Intel Corp. is cranking up its efforts to get its newest chips into the next wave of mobile computers. The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that the next line of Intel chips will be much more energy-efficient. The company is expected to release details about the new chips at a developers’ conference next week in San Francisco. Intel employs 3,500 at its Rio Rancho chipmaking plant. The next wave of laptops, ultrabooks, smartphones and handheld computers is the fastest-growing segment of the consumer PC market, but Intel’s chips have been passed over by many companies. Some have turned to chips by AMD or others, which use a different architecture. Samsung makes chips for Apple Inc. But the report that Intel’s chips will be 41 percent more efficient, with power dropping from 17 to 10 watts per chip, means developers would be able to use its chips in smaller, lighter devices with a longer battery life. The chips will also be faster, especially for graphics-intensive tasks, the WSJ reported. Read more

Man who made secret recording of Gov’s chief of staff comes forth

Chief of Staff Keith Gardner

From Capitol Report New Mexico - t’s been a big question surrounding the secretly recorded conversation between Gov. Susana Martinez’ chief of staff, Keith Gardner, and Brian Powell: What kind of friend records a discussion with another friend without letting them know? On Friday (Sept. 7), Albuquerque attorney and prominent New Mexico Democrat Sam Bregman sent Capitol Report New Mexico a signed statement from Powell, who writes that the recording was made back in October of 2011 and that he made it because Powell thought Gardner “might be motivated to prevent crucial testimony” in a preliminary hearing involving a sexual abuse case involving Powell’s daughter. Powell doesn’t offer why Gardner would want to do that. So what is Powell’s relationship to Bregman? On Thursday afternoon, Capitol Report New Mexico briefly talked to Bregman at his law office in downtown Albuquerque and Bregman confirmed that Powell is a client. When asked about talk that Powell may be pursuing a lawsuit against the state and employing Bregman on his behalf, Bregman said, “I’m not going to comment about what’s been discussed with a client.” Read more

With Average Salary of $76K Chicago Teachers Prepare to Go on Strike

CHICAGO (CBS) – A day after Chicago Public Schools’ teachers overwhelmingly authorized a strike, CBS 2 wanted to know how much the average teacher earns. As CBS 2’s Dana Kozlov found out, it depends on who you ask. Salary figures provided by the Chicago Public Schools show teachers here have the highest average salary of any city in the nation. But, according to the Chicago Teachers Union’s calculations, Chicago teachers would rank second behind New York City.
During a vote taken last week, 90 percent of the city’s public school teachers voted to authorize a walkout, if no contract compromise is reached. Read full story here: News New Mexico

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