NM Land Office lease sale brings in $4.89 million

The New Mexico State Land Office says this month's sale of oil and natural gas leases brought in nearly $5 million.

The September sales included 29 tracts of land that covered more than 8,000 acres in three counties in southeastern New Mexico. Officials say the September 2011 sale had brought in more than $9.9 million for 8,140 acres.

Revenues from the sales go toward public schools, universities and hospitals.

The State Land Office says the highest bid this month of $1.9 million was made by Energen Resources Corp. for 640 acres in Lea County.

The next lease sale will be Oct. 16.

NM Land Office lease sale brings in $4.89 million

ABQ fire chief fires back at study

Albuquerque’s fire chief is firing back at a new study that says his department isn't responding to calls fast enough.

"Within this study there are several statements that are misleading and they're inaccurate and they make for some pretty sensational headlines,” said Albuquerque Fire Department Chief James Breen.

Chief Breen disputes the findings of an 89-page report by the International Association of Firefighters, or IAFF.

The report was commissioned by the local firefighters’ union, IAFF Local 244.

The study says “AFD is not in full compliance with performance objectives stated in NFPA 1710 standard.”

Breen said that’s simply not true.

"As a public servant I have an obligation to tell the truth, to ensure that the public receives accurate information regarding community risk, and is aware of AFD's actual performance measures," said Chief Breen.

The report said AFD staffs its ladder companies with three on-duty firefighters, rather than the minimum of four. And that AFD is unable to respond with an engine company to 90 percent of roads in the jurisdiction within the four minute response time as stated in NFPA 1710.

Equally, the report said AFD is also unable to respond with the apparatus and staff to any full first alarm dispatch on 90 percent of the roads in the jurisdiction within the 8 minute response time as stated in NFPA 1710.

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ABQ fire chief fires back at study

Buddhist statue removed from park

It's a Tibetan stupa, a shrine containing Buddhist relics, but it's on national park land.

National groups questioned it's legality over the separation of church and state.

Buddhists feared it would be torn down, but the National Park Service has now decided it belongs in the hands of the Buddhists.

The shrine was built in 1989 by the former owner of the land where Albuquerque's Petroglyph National Monument now stands. The land was sold one year later to the Federal Government.

Tourists travel to the site, not for the stupa, but to see the 700-year-old Native American rock carvings.

The National Park Service bought the property and everything on it. Recently, it appeared the Park Service was going to remove the stupa and that had Buddhists up in arms.

Then national groups like Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility jumped in and questioned the legality of the stupa on federal land.

Washington D.C. representatives told the Park Service to find it a new home; somewhere away from the park, because the land shouldn't have affiliation with any religion.

"The Buddhists are actually paying for it to be moved to the other side of town," said Diane Souder of the National Park Service.

The Park Service says a group of private donors are taking the shrine to their property in Tijeras Canyon...

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Buddhist statue removed from park

Disturbance at Las Cruces jail

Authorities say they quelled a disturbance that broke out inside the Dona Ana County Detention Center over electric clippers used to cut inmates' hair.

No injuries were reported in Sunday's disturbance.

The Dona Ana Sheriff's Department says about a dozen inmates who were in one pod of the jail and were given the clippers to cut their hair had refused to give back the shears and became disruptive.

Inmates in nearby pod also became disruptive and used a broom handle and piece of metal broken off a desk to break several windows.

Another inmate started a fire in a trash can and lit a few mattresses on fire using a lighter he had in his possession.

A sprinkler system inside the pod put out the fire.

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Disturbance at Las Cruces jail

State Public Education Department to decide superintendent's contract buyout

From the Ruidoso News - A deal has been reached that would buyout the remaining contract of Ruidoso Municipal School District Superintendent Bea Etta Harris. Harris was placed on paid administrative leave in late May by a divided education board. Tuesday, during the board's September meeting, Matt Closs, who said the Ruidoso schools had problems and offered suggestions, questioned the board on the Harris situation. "I have been led to believe that you're real close to settling with Ms. Harris and we're going to move on," Closs said. "And I understand that you can't divulge information and all that. Am I on the right track there, that an agreement's been reached, we're waiting for the state to approve it?" School board President Devin Marshall responded affirmatively. The New Mexico Public Education Department would decide if the buyout occurs. Harris's contract runs through June 2013. She is paid $115,000 annually. Read more

State Public Education Department to decide superintendent's contract buyout

Gov. taking aim at two Democratic leaders of state legislature

From KOB-TV.com - Governor Susana Martinez is taking aim at two Democratic leaders of the state legislature, hoping to convince voters to boot them out of office in this fall's general election. The Republican governor's political action committee has sent out fliers attacking Senate President Pro Tem Tim Jennings of Roswell. The flier said that if the governor is for it, Jennings is against it, and goes on to enumerate high-profile votes where Jennings has voted against the governor's agenda. That includes her attempt to halt the state from issuing drivers licenses to illegal immigrants. Jennings, a rancher-farmer-businessman, has represented his Roswell area district for more than 30 years. He presides over the Senate with the support of all the Republican senators in a coalition with moderate Democrats. "What you're going to see is some prominent Republicans in that Jennings district come out in favor of him because he's a conservative Democrat," said politics blogger Joe Monahan of joemonahan.com. "They don't see the sense in going after him because on just about all of their issues he votes conservative, not 100%, but enough to keep them satisfied." The governor's team is supporting 26-year-old Republican challenger Cliff Pirtle against Jennings. Martinez is also targeting Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez of Valencia County, a Democrat who is more liberal than Jennings and a staunch opponent of much of the governor's agenda. In that race, Martinez is backing Republican Rep. David Chavez of Los Lunas. "We've had gridlock in Santa Fe for the first couple of years of the Martinez administration," Monahan said. "If these two races are any indication, we're going to have more gridlock, because if Sanchez and Jennings both win as we expect, they're not going to be in much of a happy mood to make compromises with the governor." The governor has demonstrated a willingness to take on political risks plenty of times.  Read more

Gov. taking aim at two Democratic leaders of state legislature

Decision on changes to “Pit Rule” expected this week

From Capitol Report New Mexico - The “pit rule,” one of the most divisive and debated regulations in New Mexico, might be drastically altered this week as the state’s Oil Conservation Commission is going over proposed changes line by line. On Monday morning (Sept. 24) in Santa Fe, commission members began the long and often tedious process of reviewing the regulation and possible amendments to it as environmentalists who support the rule and oil and gas industry officials who want regulations eased closely watched the proceedings. The 3-person commission is expected to get through the 76-page document by Tuesday or Wednesday of this week. There’s plenty at stake. Environmental groups have defended the “pit rule” since it was adopted by the division in 2008 when Bill Richardson, who supported the plan, was governor as a necessary measure to protect ground water and reduce pollution when oil and gas companies drill wells. On the other side, energy groups have complained the rule has hindered economic growth in the state — a stance backed by current Gov. Susana Martinez — and the regulations are often unnecessary. The regulation is called the “pit rule” because it requires producers to deposit the waste and mud that’s extracted from the earth during drilling to be placed in a pit lined with protective coating. In some cases, operators also have to build enclosed tanks to hold produced water and chemicals. The rules also ban pits if they’re close to water wells and require oil and gas producers to haul the waste materials to a different site for disposal. Read more

Decision on changes to “Pit Rule” expected this week

Flight Attendant's Gun Goes Off (policeman pulls trigger while unloading it) at Philly International Airport

From NBC10 Philadelphia - A day after a flight attendant's gun accidentally went off in Philadelphia International Airport more information about the gun's owner serviced Monday. The regional airline flight attendant who says she forgot she had a loaded weapon in her luggage when she arrived for work Sunday morning faced a disorderly conduct charge while the cop who accidentally fired the handgun was on desk duty Monday. The West Chester, Pa. woman told investigators she forgot she had the loaded .38-caliber handgun in her carry-on as she passed through airport security at Terminal C around 6:50 a.m., according to Philadelphia Police. A US Airways spokesman says that a police officer was called over to check out the gun and that's when it accidentally discharged when he pulled the trigger. The bullet went into a TSA break room where an employee was sitting but luckily no one was injured, police said. Police say that Luby had a license to carry the loaded weapon. Police confiscated the gun and said it was up to the county that issued Luby the permit if she would get the handgun back Read more

Flight Attendant's Gun Goes Off (policeman pulls trigger while unloading it) at Philly International Airport

Rio Grande Gorge bridge project complete

A bridge rehabilitation project at the Rio Grande Gorge near Taos has been completed.

The New Mexico Department of Transportation project which began last summer had sometimes necessitated the closing of a traffic lane and the full closure of the bridge on some nights.

According to a report in The Taos News, the last phase of the work, which was conducted by the NMDOT and the Reiman Corp. of Moriarty, included demolishing the former deck and placing a polyester concrete surface on the bridge.

The report said four hydraulic jacks, capable of lifting 600 tons each, were used to lift the bridge so steel bearings could be replaced. In addition, bridge abutment bearings and pedestal bearings were replaced; concrete columns were stabilized and reinforced; new sidewalks, ramps, curbs and gutters were installed; and hand railings were repainted.

Read the full report here.

Rio Grande Gorge bridge project complete

Monsoon season ends with little rain

New Mexico's summer monsoon season began with a promise but has now ended with disappointing amounts of rainfall across much of the state.

National Weather Service meteorologist Jason Frazier tells the Santa Fe New Mexican  that the ingredients needed to bring normal summer rains to the state's mountains and plains just never developed this year. Instead, the main moisture plume stayed to the west in Arizona and California.

The upper elevations in the central and northern mountains had some of the best rains, but the moisture rarely dropped down into the valleys around Santa Fe or Albuquerque. The far western portions of the state fared best, with near normal precipitation.

Most of the state received from 40 percent to 80 percent of the 30-year rolling average.

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Monsoon season ends with little rain