Deputy injured in shooting takes pay cut

Deputy Robin Hopkins

From KRQE-TV.com - By Kayla Ayres - A Bernalillo County Sheriff's Deputy seriously injured three weeks ago when a man went on a shooting rampage through Albuquerque is still facing a long recovery time while taking a major pay cut.
     Deputy Robin Hopkins was shot in the leg by Christopher Chase in October. "Some employees get hurt, they're out maybe a week or two, not really a big deal," Kyle Hartsock, president of the Bernalillo County Deputy Sheriff's Association, told News 13. "She's going to be out months, most likely years."
     Hartsock says Hopkins' case highlights a big lapse in the system. He says while her injury is covered by workman's compensation, nothing is being paid into her retirement account and she's taking about a 30 percent pay cut while she recovers.
     Another big blow: Hartsock says in a few more months, Hopkins' insurance premiums won't be covered anymore.  "Her husband and young son will lose their medical insurance  unless she pays about $1000 out of pocket per month to keep the insurance going," Hartsock said.
     Hartsock said the union and county, though, have found a loophole. Other county employees can donate vacation or sick time to Hopkins so she receives her full paycheck and benefits during her recovery.
     Their goal is to secure two years of donated time for Hopkins. Hartsock said they'll start pushing paperwork through next week, but several county employees have already expressed interest.
     The union, Sheriff Dan Houston, and other law enforcement leaders have been in contact with county and state legislators to try to change the system for those gravely injured in the line of duty. More

Deputy injured in shooting takes pay cut

Swickard: Selling losses sells out the program

© 2013 Michael Swickard, Ph.D. Football is a New Mexico passion, like putting Hatch Green Chile on eggs. This is especially so for high school football. Last week’s meeting of two Las Cruces high schools was held in the New Mexico State football stadium because about 25,000 fans always come to that game.
     Then the next day New Mexico State held their own collegiate football game with a crowd of about 10,000 fans. I am a fan of both high school and college football. So I enjoyed the Las Cruces High Mayfield game and then the NMSU/Boston College football game the next day. There was one thing I did not enjoy.
     During a call-in show that followed the Aggie game a listener questioned NMSU selling losses, indicating this practice was not appropriate. Selling losses means taking on national powerhouses for cash which the powerhouses gladly pay to have a week off from their grueling schedule.
     Powerhouse teams pay for a patsy to come get beat up while they rest. The patsy takes the cash and calls it good. The caller was told NMSU selling losses would continue a few more years with NMSU perhaps selling three losses next year for financial reasons.
     I have always opposed the ethically bankrupt practice of selling losses by NMSU. This has been for at least thirty years. In that time I have written dozens of columns of protest. Each time the answer is that NMSU just needs to do it another year or two. But that has turned into three decades of no success for the program.
     But, selling losses every year for thirty years has imperiled Aggie football and not brought any success to the program. It is insane to continue doing what has not worked. Football programs are judged by three criteria: win/loss record, attendance and Bowl Games. Selling losses loses in all three categories.
     NMSU holds the record for how long it has been since going to a Bowl Game. Several of the years that NMSU was selling losses would have been Bowl Game years but for those sold losses. Also know that NMSU did not sell any losses the years they went to the Sun Bowl or they would not have been invited. Read full column

Swickard: Selling losses sells out the program

DNA test at property crime nabs thief

From KRQE-TV.com - By Emily Younger - Hobbs Police are not just swabbing for DNA at major crime scenes, but they are also gathering samples at all property crimes, too. "Fingerprints are a fragile piece of evidence and there is a lot of things that will make them not pliable for evidence like smudges, gloves, things of that nature. But you can't change someone's DNA," said Hobbs Police Detective Robert Blanchard.
     Hobbs police started testing for DNA at all property crimes like burglaries last December. Most recently, Hobbs police were able to use the DNA testing to nab a thief who allegedly stole thousands of dollars worth of electronics and jewelry from a home in 2012. Police say almost one year ago, Donny Garza, 39, broke into a Hobbs home and stole nearly $5,000 worth of belongings, but according to police, he made a big mistake. Investigators say sometime during the burglary, Garza drank two cans of soda and then left them inside the house.
     Police tested the cans for DNA, sent the swabs to the state lab and sure enough. Garza's DNA was a match. Hobbs police arrested Garza for aggravated burglary in late October.More

DNA test at property crime nabs thief

Police follow candy trail to find teen thieves

From KOAT-TV.com - SANTA FE, N.M. — By Alana Grimstad - Santa Fe Police investigators followed a candy trail from the crime scene straight to the suspect's front door.Officials said two teenagers broke a glass pane at E.J. Martinez Elementary School and stole a computer and other electronics. They also took two buckets of candy. Police said as the teens ran away, they must have dropped some of the candy.
     Investigators followed that candy trail, which led them through an alley and to one of the teen's homes.
     "It's a very serious crime and these boys can be facing very serious charges," said Celina Westervelt, Santa Fe Police.
     The teens admitted to the crime and their parents have been cooperating, police said. They were given arrest citations, which means they don't have to go to jail but are facing criminal charges. It will be up to a judge to decide whether they're tried as adults or juveniles.More

Police follow candy trail to find teen thieves

Where's the Concern for Private Worker Furloughs?

Commentary by Marita Noon - Following a rough week for Obamacare, the President, understandably, wants to pivot to anything other than the devastating coverage of HealthCare.gov.
     On Friday, November 8, Obama arrived in New Orleans to talk about improving the U.S. economy. There, he drew attention to the already forgotten government shutdown: “there’s no question that the shutdown harmed our jobs market. The unemployment rate still ticked up. And we don't yet know all the data for this final quarter of the year, but it could be down because of what happened in Washington.”
     Yes, 850,000 furloughed federal employees may have tipped the scales, but really they all got a free 16-day vacation. They were, ultimately, all paid.
     Obama wants to blame the 16-day federal employee paid vacation on the Republicans—and there may well be fault there. But what about the thousands of jobs that have been lost due to the polices of his administration—people in the private sector who have been out of work for more than 16 months?
     Because of what happens in Washington, thousands—if not millions—of private-sector employees have, effectively, been permanently furloughed and/or new jobs are not created as a result of the Obama Administration’s war on energy. More  Marita Noon is Executive Director of Energy Makes America Great -www.energymakesamericagreat.org 

Where's the Concern for Private Worker Furloughs?

Brawl ends Albuquerque football game

From KOAT-TV.com - ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —Two Albuquerque high schools traded blows Friday night in a literal gridiron brawl. In the second quarter of Friday’s game between the Albuquerque High Bulldogs and the Rio Grande Ravens, the teams got heated and a fight ensured. The two struggling teams struggled to keep their emotions intact.
     The Bulldogs have lost 39 games in a row, while the Ravens are 1-9 this year. It’s unclear who started it, but it was enough for officials to call the game right then. KOAT Action 7 News spoke to the athletic directors for both high schools over the phone Saturday. They said they don’t want to say anything until they have a chance to review the game tape and read the official’s report for themselves. That could happen sometime next week.
     Parents said they want to see something done.
     A spokesman for the school district said it will wait until next week before it decides if any disciplinary action is necessary.
      Right now, the game is being counted as a forfeit for both teams. More

Brawl ends Albuquerque football game

My dog Conrad, the NMSU Aggie football fan

Me and Conrad

© 2013 Michael Swickard, Ph.D. My dog Conrad, like me, is a New Mexico State University Aggie. Naturally over the years we have attended many NMSU Aggie football games. Best I can tell he has been satisfied going to the games as long as I get him a double order of wieners.
     Conrad fits right in around the NMSU campus because most people just treat him like a graduate student. Being an Aggie, he enjoys football. He does bark disgustedly at “Bonehead” plays and certainly displays same-species aggressiveness toward referees.
     Mostly he is happy with an outing. He has a tail-wagging good time to the beat of the Aggie Pride Band. He woofs the Aggie fight song with the best of them, “Aggies, oh Aggies, we’ll win this game or know the reason why.”
     Conrad knows why the Aggies do not win consistently in football. In fact, most Aggies know why. There is a big difference between knowing why our team does not win often and accepting it.
     You should have seen how worked up he got when earlier that week a newspaper columnist suggested the Aggies should shut down the program and concentrate on their Cow Chip Throwing Team. Conrad made a sound like he was coughing up a hair ball. Then he sulked for the rest of the day. He does not a bite, but that columnist would have gotten a piece of his mind if Conrad had email.
     So he was quite tail-wagging happy when the Aggies broke their losing streak at Homecoming. He even smiled at the cat a few times out of pure Aggie happiness.
     Conrad is looking forward to the game with Boston College this Saturday. He read up on their mascot, Baldwin, the Eagle. Conrad wondered why they did not alliterate a Bulldog from Boston. I told him Georgia already had the Bulldog. He shrugged and continued wagging the Aggie Fight Song.
     I was curious about what Conrad thought about the Football Team so I sat him down for an interview: “What about all of the people wanting NMSU to drop football?” I waited, but Conrad would not say anything.
     I guess if Conrad was Francis, the Talking Mule or Mr. Ed, I might have something to report, but Conrad is not talking. He is just going to the Aggie football games and enjoying himself.
     What a good idea for us all. Come enjoy the food, football and of course Striking, the Also Wonder Dog. Read full column.

My dog Conrad, the NMSU Aggie football fan

Tweets place Superintendent in hot water

Winston Brooks

From KOAT-TV.com - by Royale Dá - ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —Following a chain of tweets published Tuesday, the governor said Albuquerque Public Schools Superintendent Winston Brooks should be ashamed of his social media behavior. Some have said the tweets posted by Brooks compare the Education Secretary Designate Hannah Skandera to farm animals.
     Wednesday, Brooks apologized and said that was not his intention. Skandera was answering questions at a town hall meeting in Moriarty Tuesday. Brooks reached out to a KOAT Action 7 News reporter on Twitter to inquire about what was going on. For example, he asked how many people were at the meeting.
     Eventually he penned, “Maybe Skandy should head for the livestock truck!!!” The following tweet read, “Moo, moo, oink, oink!!”
     “All he’s doing is showing young girls and boys that it’s OK to do things like that,” said Gov. Susana Martinez. “It’s not OK to behave that (way).” Martinez said Brooks should be ashamed of himself. The school board demanded that Brooks apologize.
     This is Brooks’ second Twitter scandal. He recently retweeted a photo of a protester with a sign depicting Skandera and the governor with bloodied fangs. Brooks has only had the account for about a month. “You don’t behave this way or treat women this way,” said Martinez. “(You don’t) talk about women this way and expect to be respected by young girls who are in the school district.”
     Brooks said he’s still learning about the “reach social media has. More

Tweets place Superintendent in hot water

APS holding final meeting to discuss testing changes

From KOB-TV.com - bBy: Erica Zucco KOB Eyewitness News 4- The New Mexico Public Education Department recently enacted some testing changes for students and a new plan to evaluate teachers. But some of the changes are confusing and complicated, and some parents and teachers want the department to slow down.
     Some of the changes include students taking double the number of end of course tests as compared to last year and future changes to standards based testing. APS says PED has changed the requirements twice in October alone.
     For teachers, student growth will constitute 50 percent of their evaluation score. Evaluations will happen three times a year, and principals will be in charge of the work. Teacher and parent Jeff Tuttle says the biggest problem with all of this is that it eats up classroom time. "We want to teach children to think dynamically and be flexible in their thinking," Tuttle said. "Filling in bubbles is not realproblem solving."
     The Public Education Department says standards-based assessments and end of course exams take up only 1.2 percent of classroom time, but some teachers disagree. "We're getting ready to get ready to get ready to take the test and it draws the focus away from learning and it becomes an issue of testing," Tuttle said. More

APS holding final meeting to discuss testing changes

Common Sense Mining Policy? Rare!

Commentary by Marita Noon - What is essential to modern energy production and management including oil-and-gas development, wind and solar, and LED lights—just to name a few—and has rare bipartisan support in both houses of Congress?
     The answer is something “rare.” Something that is currently used in almost everything modern, but that is abundant and recoverable in very few places on the planet—hence the “rare” moniker. Something that China has in abundance and that they are using as an economic weapon against the rest of the world—much like OPEC uses oil. And, this something is also found in the U.S., which could give us a competitive advantage in the global economy.
     Have you guessed it? “Rare” was a big clue. I am talking about Rare Earth Elements (REEs), many of which are recognized as Critical Minerals.
     REEs are found in almost all massive rock formations—though their concentrations range from 10 to a few hundred parts per million by weight, which makes them difficult to extract. There are 17 different REEs with names ending in “ium” such as: dysprosium, yttrium, neodymium, terbium, cerium, and europium—just to name a few.
     While most people don’t give REEs a thought, we all use them in our modern lives as they are a part of what makes cell phones, flat screens, and computer chips work. But REEs are not just about convenience and luxury. They are in every modern vehicle from a Prius to a Ford F-150. They enable miniaturization—making things fast and light. Read full column

Common Sense Mining Policy? Rare!