NM Bowl impact reaches across the state, even into Rio Rancho

From the Rio Rancho Observer - ALBUQUERQUE - Although the Gildan New Mexico Bowl is played in Albuquerque, its reach, as its name implies, is truly statewide. "The entire state sees an economic benefit from this event," said New Mexico Bowl Executive Director Jeff Siembieda. "You've got people staying in Rio Rancho who are going up there to eat. "It's the entire metro area," he added. "People are coming through Albuquerque, through Rio Rancho and they're going everywhere in the metro area to eat, shop and stay." The annual economic benefit to the metro area "is quantifiable," he said. "I don't know what it is right now, but I know it's in the millions to this community and it's not just Albuquerque. And I think that's something that needs to be stressed." The game will be played on Saturday at University Stadium and will pit the Mountain West's Wyoming, making its second appearance in the bowl in three years, against Tem-ple of the Atlantic-10 Conference. The Owls will be making just their fourth bowl appearance in school history. It's the first bowl game of the season, set up that way on purpose. "This is strategically placed to be the week before Christmas because that is the slowest tourism week of the year in Albuquerque and in New Mexico," Siembieda said. "So to be able to fill hotels, restaurants, bars and retail stores in the week before Christmas is tremendous." And on paper, it has the makings of a great game between two teams that finished 8-4. Read more
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Portales says yes to Sunday alcohol sales

From the Clovis News Journal - Portales voters approved Sunday alcohol sales by a narrow margin in a referendum Tuesday. The final total was 311-278 for allowing sales of alcohol on Sunday at local restaurants. Election officials described the flow of voters as steady most of the day, but only a fraction of the city’s 6,007 registered voters ended up casting ballots. Thirty-four Portales residents voted within the first two hours with votes increasing to 118 halfway through the day. “It’s been slow and easy but we’ve been busy,” said voting judge Judy Terry. The single question on the ballot: “Shall ‘Sunday Liquor Sales in Licensed Restaurants’ be allowed within the local option district of the City of Portales.” Read more
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State wants to unleash anglers on northern pike

NewsNM: Swickard - but how do they taste fried in garlic butter?
From the Alamogordo Daily News - SANTA FE -- If the state has its way, anglers will be allowed to catch all the northern pike they want at Eagle Nest Lake. The state Game Commission will vote Thursday on removing bag limits on northern pike in Eagle Nest Lake to prevent the aggressive predator fish from decimating popular rainbow trout. The Santa Fe New Mexican reports state fisheries managers are asking the commission to let anglers catch all the pike they want, as long as they don't dump any back in the lake. Pike can grow to more than 2 1/2 feet long, weigh up to 40 pounds and live up to 30 years. Read more
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New Details in the Hezbollah/Mexican Cartel Drug Ring

From thegatewaypundit.com -Today we receive new details in the case of a Lebanese national who is the ringleader of the international drug smuggling group that works with Mexican drug cartel as well as Hezbollah. Aymon Joumaa has been indicted and is still at large. A report from earlier today revealed a cyber-attack on the U.S. by radical Islamic groups in Mexico and a recent report tells of Hezbollah’s global secret spying capabilities. So being the gracious and giving Americans that we are, we handed their ally and advocate (Iran) a U.S. billion dollar drone to help sharpen those “mad” skills. But just in case they need a little more help, the National Park Service has proposed an unmanned border entry in Texas with Mexico.  More News New Mexico
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Hezbollah Running Vast Drug Ring With Mexican Cartel

From theblaze.com - The indictment was announced Tuesday in federal court in Alexandria against Ayman Joumaa, who is currently at large. It alleges he led a conspiracy that, among other activities, sold nearly 100 tons of Colombian cocaine to the Zetas drug cartel in Mexico between 2005 and 2007 that was ultimately smuggled into the United States. The conspiracy has run since at least 2004 and at times brought in as much as $200 million in a single month, according to court documents.  More News New Mexico
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MVD Fraud Hotline Mailbox Completely Full

KOAT TV ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- A phone number that MVD offers to give New Mexicans a way to report driver's license fraud didn't accept tips for nearly two years because its voicemail box was full. One northern New Mexico landlord said he's convinced that people are illegally using his address to get driver's licenses in New Mexico. Target 7 hid his identity because the man fears retaliation. "I got calls from Colorado, Arizona and Oklahoma," he said. All of the calls came from former renters who were asking if they could use his address even though they moved. So, the landlord called the MVD tip line to report fraud. Read full story here: News New Mexico
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Issa Seeks Documents Linking White House to D.C. Occupiers

Washington Examiner - The chairman of the congressional committee that oversees the District's affairs is demanding to know whether the Obama administration is allowing Occupy DC to camp illegally in McPherson Square for political purposes. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., is asking Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to turn over documents and communications between the White House and the National Park Service, which is in charge of McPherson Square park, among other things. The protesters' camp has already caused serious damage to McPherson Square on which $400,000 of economic stimulus money was recently spent for new sod and other improvements, Issa said. Occupy DC has been camped in McPherson Square without a permit for two months even though camping in the park is illegal. Park Police said they consider the encampment a "24-hour vigil." Read full story here: News New Mexico
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Cable News Viewer Standings: Fox Rules, CNN Drools

Bill O'Reilly
FOXNEWS O'REILLY 3,271,000
FOXNEWS HANNITY 2,168,000
FOXNEWS BAIER 2,030,000
COMEDY DAILY SHOW 1,642,000
FOXNEWS GRETA 1,440,000
COMEDY COLBERT 1,281,000
MSNBC SCHULTZ 877,000
MSNBC SHARPTON 830,000
MSNBC HARDBALL 797,000
MSNBC MADDOW 722,000
CNNHN GRACE 696,000
CNN COOPER 634,000
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Holiday Gun Sales Shoot Through the Roof

CBS Sacramento - If you’ve pulled the trigger on a new firearm this holiday season, join the club. As in your neighborhood shooting club, because faster than a speeding bullet, guns are going out the door. Well, not right away, of course — there is that 10-day waiting period, 11 here at TDS Guns in Rocklin, where Bob Norgard wasn’t caught off-guard. He’s making his purchase today so he’ll have his firearm under the Christmas tree as he joins a growing number of people who say they’re simply “doing what they need to do to protect themselves and their family.” This surge in gun sales — the best holiday sales season in three years, according to the Firearms Dealers Association — got a shot in the arm on Black Friday. “Black Friday sales were off the charts this year,” a TDS employee said. FBI stats show the number of background checks done on Black Friday three years ago pales in comparison to the number done this year — a 32-percent jump. Read full story here: News New Mexico
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Grand Jury Investigates Solyndra Deal

Washington Times - A grand jury has begun investigating Solyndra LLC, the failed California solar-panel maker that lost more than a half-billion dollars in federal loans, according to law-firm billing records. Weeks after Solyndra filed for bankruptcy in September, a judge allowed the company to hire a law firm to represent it in what court records at the time called a “federal criminal investigation.”
Now the firm, K&L Gates, has filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware a detailed, hour-by-hour account of how attorneys have been spending their time. Most of their efforts have focused on what the firm called the U.S. attorney’s office and Department of Justice investigation of Solyndra. In an 18-page invoice from the law firm dated Dec. 9, the words “grand jury” appear numerous times: “Prepare response to grand jury subpoena,” one entry reads. Another said, “Review and prepare documents to respond to grand jury subpoena.” Read full story here: News New Mexico
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