News New Mexico

Finalists for NMSU president to host community forums

New Mexico State University has announced that all five finalists to become the school's new president will hold community forums starting next week.

Former New Mexico Gov. Garrey Carruthers is scheduled to meet with the public Monday at the Corbett Center Auditorium. He will be followed by former Texas Tech President Guy Bailey the next day.

David Ashley, former Las Vegas President University of Nevada-Las Vegas will hold his forum the following Thursday and Elsa Murano, Texas A&M President Emeritus, will meet with the community April 29.

University of Colorado Denver Dean Daniel Howard has scheduled his forum May 1. Regents are expected to select the new president by early May.

APS signs deal for techbooks

Albuquerque Public Schools just signed a multimillion deal to bring digital techbooks to every school.

To access techbooks, students need a device with Wi-Fi. Once teachers log on, it’s like a digital classroom, complete with videos, pictures and models catered to every lesson.

Last year, APS was part of a pilot program with Discovery Education, a private company. In all, 30 schools took part.

APS signed an $11 million contract to get the science techbook for all grades. All teaches will have access to the streaming content. The president of the teachers’ union said that techbooks are a great resource, but she wondered if APS has the money to buy more laptops, tablet and desktops so every student can log on.

APS stands by the investment and said techbooks will save the district money in the long run.

NM corrections audit to be released

The first details of the New Mexico Department of Corrections' massive audit of inmate files are scheduled released at the end of April.

Department spokeswoman Alex Tomlin said Monday that the first phase of the audit will be publicly be released later this month and will include information on inmates mistakenly released from September 2010 to September 2012.

Last week, the New Mexico Department of Corrections said Dion Henderson, a man convicted in a 1994 double-murder case, was mistakenly released in February 2012. According to the department, state officials discovered the mistake last Monday.

The mistake comes as prison officials comb through 25,000 inmate files going back to 2006 after a series of early releases were discovered.

Albuquerque democrat preparing to run for governor

From the Santa Fe New Mexican - by By Steve Terrell - State Sen. Linda Lopez, an Albuquerque Democrat, said Monday that she’s ready to run for governor. Lopez, who first was elected to the Senate in 1996, told The New Mexican that she has appointed a campaign treasurer but still needs to set up a campaign account and complete the paperwork at the Secretary of State’s Office before formally announcing. “I’m preparing,” she said, adding that she’ll probably make it official next week. So far, the only other Democrat in the race to challenge incumbent Republican Gov. Susana Martinez is Attorney General Gary King, who sought the job years ago and has been a candidate for the 2014 nomination since last year. At least one other Democrat is considering the race. State Sen. Tim Keller, an Albuquerque businessman, said Monday he’s also thinking about entering the gubernatorial primary. Lopez, 49, ran for lieutenant governor in 2010, coming in fourth out of five candidates in the Democratic primary. Read more

Mayor Berry appoints Arnold-Jones to City Council

From KOB-TV.com - By: Steve Mieczkowski, KOB.com - former State Legislator Janice Arnold-Jones to fill the vacated District 7 City Council. Arnold-Jones was due to be sworn in Monday afternoon and was scheduled to participate in Monday evening’s Council meeting.
"I worked with Janice during my time in the legislature and found her to be very professional and passionate about her commitment to good government,” said Mayor Berry. Arnold-Jones succeeds Michael Cook, who resigned following a DWI arrest earlier this month.
Note: Janice Arnold-Jones is a political commentator on statewide News New Mexico. Read more

NAACP files complaint with AG's office

From KRQE-TV.com - by Crystal Gutierrez - ALBUQUERQUE - The NAACP is filing a complaint with the state Attorney General's Office, claiming the state government isn't listening to them. The group says programs for youth enrichment and fitness receive very little funding.
The move stems from recent actions during the 2013 legislative session. The president of the Albuquerque NAACP says all three branches of government are guilty in denying local African Americans the basic right to enjoy the benefits of funding.
"We feel that the executive branch, the LFC, budge analysts and those involved in the process and distribution of funds should be held accountable for the distribution of public funds,” Dr. Harold Bailey the president of the NAACP said. Read more

NM ranks second in nation for violent deaths

When you think about New Mexico's state of health, violence plays a leading role in the statistics.

A new report from the state Department of Health says that New Mexico has the 2nd highest violent death rate in the nation. It also says that in 2011, homicide was the 3rd leading cause of death among people ages 15 to 34.

Lisa Rains' son, John Rains, is now part of those statistics. He was murdered in Grants in 2012. Lisa Rains says the high violence in New Mexico is because of the lenient laws.

"It's almost like there's a big huge sign posted 'if you're a murderer or want to commit a serious crime, come to New Mexico because you're going to walk away,'" Rains said.

The state Department of Health report attributes a lot of the state's health problems to the population's socioeconomic status.

From KOB.

Building code battle returns to court

Environmentalists are accusing state construction regulators of running afoul of the New Mexico Court of Appeals.

The court last week overturned a 2011 decision by the state Construction Industries Commission to revamp green building codes that former Democrat Gov. Bill Richardson's administration promoted as among the most environmentally friendly in the country.

The court said the commission failed to provide reasons for changing the construction standards. The case was ordered back to the commission for reconsideration and a new vote.

The Construction Industries Division says it will continue to enforce the codes until it determines whether to appeal the ruling. A decision is expected at a special meeting next week.

The New Mexico Environmental Law Center is now asking the court to hold the division in contempt for continuing to enforce the codes.

Senate committee approves Ken Gonzales for federal judge

Ken Gonzales

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday unanimously approved the nomination of U.S. Attorney Ken Gonzales as New Mexico's next federal judge.

The Albuquerque Journal reports the committee had delayed its vote on Gonzales since February over concerns by the panel's ranking Republican, Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, about Gonzales's handling of a Deming-area gun case.

Grassley said on Thursday that a committee inquiry into the matter allayed his concerns.

The nomination now goes to the full Senate for final approval. No vote has been scheduled but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has said he wants to move quickly on a batch of stalled judicial appointments.

Gov. on the road to raise funds

Gov. Martinez

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez is in Colorado to raise money for her re-election campaign and speak to a business group.

Martinez political adviser Jay McCleskey said Thursday that the governor is holding a fundraiser in Denver and will appear at a separate non-campaign event.

Martinez will attend a reception by the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry at Coors Field. The owner of the Colorado Rockies baseball team will speak at the event and Martinez will talk briefly about an economic development package of tax cuts that was approved by the Legislature and signed into law.

McCleskey said the re-election campaign will pay for Martinez's travel and she will return to New Mexico Thursday evening.

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