State Dept. Issues New Travel Warning for Mexico

From brownsvilleherald.com -The U.S. State Department has issued a new travel warning for Mexico, superseding last April’s warning. The department warned U.S. citizens traveling to Mexico of cartel violence stemming from drug trafficking, specifically noting violent struggles among the criminal organizations for control of trafficking routes. According to figures from the Mexican government, 47,515 people were killed in narcotics-related violence in Mexico between December 1, 2006, and September 30, 2011, the warning states, noting that most of those killed were members of the criminal organizations. The State Department has reported 120 U.S. citizens were murdered in Mexico in 2011. This compares with 35 such murders in 2007, according to the warning. The warning, broken down by region, advises citizens to defer any nonessential travel to Tamaulipas. U.S. government employees are not allowed to travel for personal reasons on highways outside the cities of Matamoros, Reynosa and Nuevo Laredo due to the risk of armed robberies and carjackings.

State Dept. Issues New Travel Warning for Mexico

Judge Murphy Announces Retirement

From therepublic.com - Judge Michael Murphy announced Wednesday that he will retire from the bench, effective Feb. 24. Murphy was indicted last year on bribery charges, including a bribing a witness. Murphy says he's leaving the bench due to his age, health and legal case so that the division can be fully staffed for the benefit of district citizens. According to records, Murphy told a judicial candidate that in order to get a seat on the bench, she would have to pay a political activist. That activist would reportedly funnel the money to then-New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who has denied the allegations.
Court documents show Murphy's decision to resign doesn't conclude that he's admitting guilt to the charges. Murphy says he's leaving the bench due to his age, health and legal case so that the division can be fully staffed for the benefit of district citizens.

Judge Murphy Announces Retirement

Daredevil to Plunge From Outer Space

From foxnews.com - After some minor speed bumps, Daredevil adventurer Felix Baumgartner's plans to plunge 23 miles from the edge of space back to Earth -- a Red Bull-sponsored stunt that would be the world's highest freefall -- is finally coming to fruition, the team announced Monday, Feb. 6. “We still have a lot to do before we’re ready, before the big one, but our launch window starts in July in New Mexico,”Baumgartner told FoxNews.com.  More News New Mexico

Daredevil to Plunge From Outer Space

Obama Admin Appoints "Official Advocate" for Illegals

From thegatewaypundit.com - The Obama Administration has announced an “official advocate” for illegal immigrants. His duties will include listening to the concerns the illegals have with our law enforcement policies. The Washington Times reported: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the advocate will “serve as a point of contact for individuals, including those in immigration proceedings, NGOs and other community and advocacy groups, who have concerns, questions, recommendations or other issues they would like to raise.” The agency — part of the Homeland Security Department — said Andrew Lorenz-Strait will be the first advocate. But Rep. Lamar Smith, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said that meant elevating the concerns of illegal immigrants. “It’s outrageous that the Obama administration has appointed a taxpayer-funded activist for illegal and criminal immigrants who are detained or ordered deported. The administration all too often acts more like a lobbying firm for illegal immigrants than as an advocate for the American people.  More News New Mexico

Obama Admin Appoints "Official Advocate" for Illegals

N.M Chile Crop Up After 40 Year Low

From koat.com - Experts say the size of New Mexico's chile crop increased in 2011 after dwindling to nearly 40-year low the year before.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture preliminary figures showed some 9,500 chile acres were harvested last year. That's around a 9 percent increase from 2010. Officials with the New Mexico Chile Association presented the figures Tuesday at an annual chile conference taking place in Las Cruces. Dino Cervantes, president of the group, said strong demand from chile processors, who drive acreage numbers through their contracts with farmers, is likely the main factor behind the increase. Federal numbers also showed that the value of the crop inched upward, from $41.6 million in 2010 to $46.7 million in 2011. 

N.M Chile Crop Up After 40 Year Low

Millions Missing From N.M. Title Co.

From daily-times.com -Several million dollars appear to be missing from title and escrow accounts at New Mexico Title Co., a police detective said Tuesday, as the investigation widens into possible wrongdoing at the Farmington business. "It's going to be a pretty large and complex investigation," said Farmington Police Sgt. Brandon Lane. The New Mexico Division of Insurance is auditing the business with the help of the title company's insurance underwriter, First American Title Insurance Co. A report is expected as soon as this week. Once that report is completed, Farmington police will determine if criminal charges are warranted, Lane said. Investigators are working to discover the extent of funds missing, but the initial investigation suggests it could be more than $10 million, he said.  More News New Mexico

Millions Missing From N.M. Title Co.

House Set to Vote on Repeal of Drivers Licenses to Illegals

From therepublic.com -The New Mexico House is scheduled to vote on a proposal aimed at repealing a state law that allows illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses. The full 70-member House is slated to debate the measure Wednesday after a House panel endorsed it last week. On Friday, the House Judiciary Committee voted 9-6 to endorse the repeal backed by Republican Gov. Susana Martinez. But critics of the proposal predicted that Martinez won't succeed in winning enactment of the legislation because it's likely to fail in the Senate, where Democrats hold a stronger majority than in the House. New Mexico and Washington are the only states that grant driver's licenses to illegal immigrants and others without a Social Security number. Utah issues a special permit allowing immigrants to drive.

House Set to Vote on Repeal of Drivers Licenses to Illegals

House Passes Budget 70-0

SANTA FE, NM – The House of Representatives has passed a budget for the next spending year that begins July 2012. HB2 would provide $5.642 billion in state spending, an increase of $215 million (nearly 4 percent) over this year’s budget. The spending plan leaves $41.8 million to allow for flexibility in hammering out a final budget (such as tax reductions, pension solvency, infrastructure funding, or as a hedge against weak natural gas prices).

HB2 also puts a safe guard in place should revenue projections fall short. This provision allows the governor to make across-the-board spending cuts to adjust the budget. The automatic spending reductions would apply to most state agencies except Medicaid programs; the developmental disabilities support program; the law enforcement program of the department of public safety; the inmate management and control program of the Corrections Department and any agency that receives less than $5 million total in general fund appropriations under Section 4.
The bulk of the budget in HB2 would go toward public education and higher education, then health, hospitals, and human services.
· $2.45 billion for Public Education (increase of $89 million or 3.8 percent)
· $756.1 million for Higher Education (increase of $40 million or 5.5 percent)
· $905 million for Medicaid (increase of $38 million or 4.4 percent)
· $291 million for Dept. of Health (increase of $2.5 million)
· $207 million for Children, Youth and Families Dept. (increase of $12 million or 6.1 percent)
Chair of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee (HAFC), Rep. Henry “Kiki” Saavedra (D-Bernalillo, Valencia, Dist. 10) said, “We work real hard –Democrats and Republicans – to come up with a budget that’s balanced. This was a joint effort to do what is best for all New Mexicans.”

HB2 passed by a vote of 70 to 0. The budget plan now goes to the Senate.

House Passes Budget 70-0

The Spaceport America Visitor Experience Plan

Spaceport Vistor's Center Artist Rendering

The New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) Board of Directors reviewed plans today to design, build and program the Spaceport America Visitor Experience. The plan includes two off-site Welcome Centers located in the Village of Hatch in Doña Ana County and in Truth or Consequences in Sierra County, plus an on-site Visitors Center and specially developed behind-the-scenes tours as well as the chance to visit the Virgin Galactic Gateway to Space.
The Spaceport America Visitor Experience will be a professionally designed immersion into the excitement of the world's first purpose-built, commercial spaceport. Guests will be invited to explore the history, adventure, potential and inspiration of both the next space-age. Officials project attendance will grow to more than 200,000 visitors annually.

“The Spaceport Experience begins on-line long before a guest arrives at a Welcome Center” explained Bob Allen, IDEAS Chief Storytelling Officer. “There will be a robust virtual environment offering games, mobile apps and content so that especially our younger guests will already feel a part of the new space age by the time they come for a visit.” Kelly Pounds, IDEAS Vice President of Learning, noted that a lot of the content will have an educational focus. “We’ll have a special section for educators incorporating lesson plans, instructionally and designed interactives as well as a way for teachers to establish a dialogue with Spaceport for long-term collaboration.

“The Welcome Centers are the “mission briefing” areas where guests become part of the spaceport crew, get updated on current activity, get their credentials and catch a shuttle,” said Allen. The shuttles, designed as traveling theaters are an integral part of the experience. Because Spaceport America is a part of a rich portfolio of regional tourism, the Welcome Centers will also feature a “regional trailhead” where guests can learn about and plan multi-day itineraries. Once guests arrive at Spaceport America, they enter the onsite Visitors Center, which will feature hands-on access to space technology and artifacts from recent launches, the opportunity to create a payload and manifest it for flight, interactive and simulation based experiences and a theater. From the Visitors Center, guests can take a guided in-depth shuttle tour of the entire spaceport finishing at the entrance to the Virgin Galactic Gateway to Space where they will get a chance to see in depth into the exciting reality of the world’s first passenger spaceship fleet. Allen noted that, “we are designing a learning-enriched, hands-on immersion into what space is going to be about for the next twenty years. We want a relationship with our guests that lasts generations.” Read rest of story here: News New Mexico

The Spaceport America Visitor Experience Plan

Will Campus Building Projects be Reigned In?

Albuquerque Journal – Community colleges and university branches across the state would lose about $45 million in campus building projects under one revised higher education bond recommendation being considered by Gov. Susana Martinez’s administration.
The Legislative Finance Committee initially recommended each of New Mexico’s 18 community colleges and university branches get at least one campus construction project valued between $500,000 and $12 million included in the general obligation bond issue voters statewide will consider in November.
Those projects would be wiped from the bond issue under a proposal being considered by the Department of Finance and Administration, according to a DFA document acquired by the Journal that outlines one possible recommendation. Read full story here (subscription required) News New Mexico

Will Campus Building Projects be Reigned In?