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| Charly Martin at his football camp - FDT photo |
Seattle Seahawk Charly Martin returns to Farmington for free camp
Posted by
Michael Swickard
on Monday, June 11, 2012
Akela casino proposal ignites NM turf wars
Posted by
Michael Swickard
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| Fort Sill Apache Chairman Jeff Haozous |
Akela casino proposal ignites NM turf wars
Ruling on dunes sagebrush lizard probably will be made Thursday
Posted by
Michael Swickard
From the Alamogordo Daily News - By Milan Simonich, SANTA FE A day of decision is finally near for the West's most-publicized reptile. The Obama administration probably will announce Thursday if the dunes sagebrush lizard will be listed as an endangered species, said Tom Buckley, a spokesman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Albuquerque. An occupant of wind-swept dunes in oil country, the lizard exists only in four counties of southeastern New Mexico and four others in West Texas. Buckley said today the announcement on the lizard's status probably would be made in Washington. He expects either Interior Secretary Ken Salazar or Daniel Ashe, director of the Fish and Wildlife Service, to make the finding public. Debate over whether the lizard should receive federal protection has raged for 18 months. Ashe in December postponed his scheduled ruling on lizard, saying he wanted another six months to consider scientific data. Numerous Republicans in Congress, especially Rep. Steve Pearce of New Mexico, have argued against endangered status for the lizard. Pearce said thousands of jobs in the oil and gas industry would be in jeopardy if the lizard were listed. The Center for Biological Diversity and other environmental groups then accused Pearce of spreading misinformation to scare the public. Read more

Ruling on dunes sagebrush lizard probably will be made Thursday
48 Years Ago Sunday
Posted by
Jim Spence
NewsNM note - (Spence) Does anyone remember being taught this little jewel of history in our public education system?
Gateway Pundit - June 10, 1964, was a dramatic day in the United States Senate. For the first time in its history, cloture was invoked on a civil rights bill, ending a record-breaking filibuster by Democrats that had consumed fifty-seven working days. The hero of the hour was minority leader Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen (R-Ill.).

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| Everett Dirkson |
Dirksen (R-IL), the Republican Leader in the U.S. Senate, condemned the Democrats’ 57-day filibuster against the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Leading the Democrats in their opposition to civil rights for African-Americans was Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV).
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| Robert Byrd |
Byrd, who got into politics as a recruiter for the Ku Klux Klan, spoke against the bill for fourteen straight hours. (later Byrd rose to the position of Senate Minority Leader) Democrats still call Robert Byrd “the conscience of the Senate.” In his speech, Senator Dirksen called on the Democrats to end their filibuster and accept racial equality. Michael Zak wrote about this in his book Back to Basics for the Republican Party and reminds us that Democrats, the party of Slavery, Secession, Segregation and the KKK… fought against equality. Read full story here: News New Mexico
48 Years Ago Sunday
Gila Fire 32% Contained Winds Still a Problem
Posted by
Jim Spence
KRWG - Crews on the eastern flank worked near the West Fork of the Gila River Saturday to keep the fire in check utilizing helicopters for aerial ignitions and water drops. In the Wilderness on the southern flank of the fire there was increased fire activity. Crews were out scouting to prepare containment lines in this area. Lines held strong on the western flank despite the increased wind
Hotshot crews will remain in the Wilderness area through Monday on the eastern flank to monitor and keep containment lines in check. Along the southern fire edge engine crews and hand crews are still working to secure the area and strengthen containment lines. Patrolling and mop up will continue on the western flank through out the day.
With increased fire behavior on the south and southwestern flank of the fire, more fire resources will be on the roads. For your safety and safety of the fire crews please avoid traveling on Sacaton Road and Moon Ranch Road. Read full story here: News New Mexico

Hotshot crews will remain in the Wilderness area through Monday on the eastern flank to monitor and keep containment lines in check. Along the southern fire edge engine crews and hand crews are still working to secure the area and strengthen containment lines. Patrolling and mop up will continue on the western flank through out the day.
With increased fire behavior on the south and southwestern flank of the fire, more fire resources will be on the roads. For your safety and safety of the fire crews please avoid traveling on Sacaton Road and Moon Ranch Road. Read full story here: News New Mexico
Gila Fire 32% Contained Winds Still a Problem
Little Bear Fire - not little
Posted by
Michael Swickard
on Sunday, June 10, 2012
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Little Bear Fire - not little
Virgin Galactic closer to space flight
Posted by
AHD
Las Cruces Sun-News - The iris in Virgin Galactic's logo is that of Sir Richard Branson's — you know, the billionaire owner — very own eye. Did you know that the business cards of other executives also includes their own irises. Well, whether you consider that creepy, innovative, or both, the undeniable fact is that the company has its eye, figuratively, on southern New Mexico. Seven and a half years ago, Branson stopped by a spot in the desert about 40 miles north of Las Cruces and celebrated with school children the spot where Spaceport America would be built. Last week, CEO and President George Whitesides was in town as the company held an open house event for its Las Cruces office. Such an event flies in the face of some of the comments we've all heard in the past 7 1/2 years:
• "The spaceport will never happen. We'll drive by up there and see a concrete pad with brush grown up around it."
• "New Mexicans will never support an expensive project for rich people."
• "The economy will kill the project."
Whitesides said he's heard the comments too. Still the company plans to launch suborbital space flights at the $200 million Spaceport America, which is nearly complete. Whitesides said he's looking forward to the start of space flights as a company exec and as a customer. In fact, the company executive said Virgin hopes to begin flights in the second half of 2013. Read More News New Mexico
• "The spaceport will never happen. We'll drive by up there and see a concrete pad with brush grown up around it."
• "New Mexicans will never support an expensive project for rich people."
• "The economy will kill the project."
Whitesides said he's heard the comments too. Still the company plans to launch suborbital space flights at the $200 million Spaceport America, which is nearly complete. Whitesides said he's looking forward to the start of space flights as a company exec and as a customer. In fact, the company executive said Virgin hopes to begin flights in the second half of 2013. Read More News New Mexico
Virgin Galactic closer to space flight
Thousands wonder whether they'll have homes in light of Little Bear Fire burning north of Ruidoso
Posted by
AHD
KOB - Nearly 6,000 people filled the Ruidoso High School gym to question
authorities about how close the Little Bear Fire will get to their
homes. Officials said at least 25 structures have burned in the latest fire to hit New Mexico. However, it’s unclear right now how many people lost their homes, and how many acres the fire actually burned. On Sunday, crews said the fire in southeastern New Mexico had charred
more than 26,000 acres. “Everything is there,” Alto, NM resident Elaine
Grimes said. “I could lose everything. It's in god's hands now.” The Little Bear fire was only few acres on Wednesday. Spot fires developed outside of the lines thanks to windy conditions
and by Saturday morning more than 10,000 acres had been charred. Fire information officers say summer homes and campgrounds in the area
about 15 miles north of Ruidoso were evacuated late Friday. Crews said evacuations were also sent out to homes along N.M. 48 from
Capitan to Angus and on N.M. 37 to 380. Those routes are also closed. There was no immediate word on how many people were evacuated. Shelters were set up at churches in Ruidoso and Capitan. Evacuees can go to Gateway Church and the Methodist Church on Sudderth in Ruidoso. People near Capitan can go to Trinity Church and the Lincoln County Fairgrounds. The J Bar J Ranch just west of Ruidoso on U.S. 70 is available for livestock. Crews haven't had a chance to do a formal damage assessment. Read More News New MexicoThousands wonder whether they'll have homes in light of Little Bear Fire burning north of Ruidoso
NM study: Repeat DWI offenders growing problem
Posted by
AHD
Alamogordo Daily News - New Mexico continues to struggle with one of the
nation's worst drunken driving problems, and Gov. Susana Martinez
contends the state needs to focus on a growing threat from offenders who
repeatedly drink and drive despite multiple arrests and convictions. Nearly 60 percent of alcohol-related traffic deaths last year
involved a driver with more than one arrest or conviction for drunken
driving, according to a new analysis by the Department of
Transportation's Traffic Safety Bureau. That's up from 35 percent in
2009 and 47 percent in 2010. A similar study by the agency in 2006 found
that 30 percent of alcohol-involved fatalities were caused by repeat
offenders and 70 percent by those with a first-time arrest or conviction
for driving while intoxicated. "This is a dramatic shift
that should call all of us to action," the governor said in a statement.
"Repeat drunk drivers simply aren't getting the message, and innocent
lives are being lost as a result." New Mexico once had the
worst drunken driving problem in the nation. However, the state has
dropped out of the top 10 nationally for the number of DWI fatalities
per 100,000 population after repeatedly changing the law to toughen
penalties, increase enforcement and provide court-based alcohol
treatment programs for those convicted of drunken driving. In 2011, 154
people died in alcohol-involved traffic crashes—representing about
two-fifths of all highway deaths in the state. Martinez is a former prosecutor and since taking
office last year has unsuccessfully sought changes in law to increase
penalties for repeat drunken drivers. She plans to ask the Legislature
again next year to approve longer prison terms for repeat offenders as
well as allow authorities to seize the vehicles of repeat drunken
drivers. Read More News New Mexico NM study: Repeat DWI offenders growing problem








