Fire burning near Timberon

From the Alamogordo Daily News - By Duane Barbati, Staff Writer - U.S. Forest Service firefighters on Saturday continue to build containment lines around a one-acre fire burning about six miles east of Timberon. Forest Service, Mayhill and Weed firefighters initially responded to the fire around noon Saturday, but Mayhill and Weed firefighters were released from the fire around 8 p.m.
     Forest Service spokeswoman Loretta L. Benavidez said no structures are threatened at this time, but firefighters are working on building containment lines around the perimeter of the fire. Benavidez said Forest Service firefighters will have two engines staying on the fire throughout the night. She said the fire was caused by lightning and is burning on Lincoln National Forest land.
     The fire is demonstrating low to moderate fire behavior, Benavidez said. She said the fire is located under the Carrisa Lookout in the Lincoln National Forest. Benavidez said the fire is located in an area with varying degrees of slope and fueled by a mix of conifer, ponderosa pine and grass. Read more

Fire burning near Timberon

Martinez weighs in on Magdalena water situation

From KOB-TV.com - By: Jeffery Gordon, KOB.com - Governor Susana Martinez says the water well in Magdalena was not maintained for more than 45 years. KOB Eyewitness News 4 talked to the governor about the water issues in the town over the weekend.
     Engineers think there is a chance they may be able to rehab and re-use an old well that was shut down to fix the issue. Meanwhile the water authority is sending truckloads of water to the town every day.
     “This isn't the best way of doing things but we're making sure they have water every day and have plenty of water and that's the truck loads that are going up there,” says Martinez. Read more

Martinez weighs in on Magdalena water situation

ABQ approves new water conservation plan

A new plan predicts that Albuquerque's water use will rise 21 percent by 2024, as population growth outstrips conservation efforts. 

The Albuquerque Journal reports that the new long-range plan was approved Wednesday by the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility board. The new conservation strategy is aimed at reducing per-capita consumption to 135 gallons per person per day by 2024, a 9 percent reduction from the current 148 gallons. 

But Katherine Yuhas, the water utility's conservation officer, says because population in the utility's service area projected to grow from the current 640,000 to 810,000 by 2024, overall water use is expected to rise.

ABQ approves new water conservation plan

Udall and Heinrich want extended port of entry hours

U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich  and Tom Udall  have introduced an amendment to S.744, the senate immigration reform bill, that will help increase bilateral trade and improve ports of entry along the Southwest United States border. 

The amendment would extend the commercial and private hours of operation for vehicles at the Santa Teresa Port of Entry from 12 hours to 24, help facilitate trade, and enhance national security along the port of entry.

Extending the hours would also enable traffic that currently crosses in El Paso, Texas, to travel through New Mexico, reducing the heavy congestion in El Paso and the strain on Customs and Border Protection in the region.

Udall and Heinrich want extended port of entry hours

Fire evacuation lifted for Kingston

An evacuation order for a historical mining town near a raging fire in southern New Mexico's Gila National Forest has been lifted. 

Incident Commander Matt Reidy said Thursday that Kingston residents with special entry permits will be allowed to return to the town. Residents were evacuated last week after the lightning-caused fire moved closer to the town. 

Officials say the inferno have grown by Thursday to 57 square miles just as firefighters finish setting up protections around a nearby historic mining town. The fire's growth was blamed on persistent hot and dry weather which caused it to expand another 10 square miles overnight. 

The wildfire is expected to burn more acreage throughout the week, spilling smoke into nearby towns.

Fire evacuation lifted for Kingston

Swickard: A really big big water project

© 2013 Michael Swickard, Ph.D. When is the best time to plant a big old shade tree? It was twenty years ago so we have that shade now. So tell me, when is the NEXT BEST time to plant a shade tree? Plant it now so at least we will have shade in the future.
     That is the issue in front of New Mexico about the current water dilemma. We, as a state, are really short of water. When should the leaders of New Mexico have made a plan to deal with the water crisis? That is easy; they should have dealt with this crisis twenty years ago. When is the next best time? Now.
     New Mexico has been in a drought for 280 million years come next August, so being short of water should come as no surprise. OK, I exaggerate, but it has been thousands of years. Since recorded time water has been short in our little slice of paradise.
     Through good times and bad our politicians complain about the lack of water but what is really lacking are plans to deal with the lack of water. Our state needs water for household use and for use by the various Agricultural industries.
     My plan would tie our water needs to the needs of the El Paso valley farmers in Texas. States that border an ocean have a great advantage because they can desalinate sea water and the brine conveniently goes out to sea. The oceans are forever whereas if New Mexico desalinates our own brackish water, it is finite. Yes, it may last longer than the current crop of politicians, but eventually that resource will run out.
     The project would be a joint New Mexico Texas project. The atomic plants power both the actual desalinization and pump the clean water to Elephant Butte Lake. Both New Mexico and West Texas Agriculture would thrive. Read full column

Swickard: A really big big water project

Roadkills up as drought drives wildlife

From KRQE-TV.com - by Kim Vallez - Game and Fish says it's seeing an increase in the number of car accidents involving animals especially in Albuquerque's East Mountains. There have been three reported incidents in that area in the last few days. Two involved deer; the third a bear.
     Officers with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish officers believe the drought is playing a major role. "When you get these animals up around looking for water, looking for food, they will start crossing roads." says Game and Fish spokesman Ross Morgan
     While animal encounters are not uncommon in the mountains, they are not the only areas at risk. Earlier this month a bear was found wandering through Albuquerque in a neighborhood near a school. Game and Fish says all types of animals are involved, everything from elk and deer to javelina and antelope.
     They warn that some of these accidents can be very serious, and not just for the animal. Larger animals can fly over a vehicle's hood crash through the windshield. Game and Fish officers say despite the desperation of animals to find food and water, it is never a good idea for humans to feed wildlife. It causes them to come to populated areas more often, increasing their chances of getting killed. Read more

Roadkills up as drought drives wildlife

Santa Fe to vote on gun control measure

NewsNM Swickard - The New Mexico Constitution says specifically that cities and towns cannot make gun control laws. Santa Fe is doing it anyway. I wonder why they swore to protect and defend the New Mexico Constitution if they were not going to do so. From KRQE-TV.com - The city of Santa Fe is talking tougher gun control measures.  Councilors are set to vote on a proposal that would outlaw high capacity magazines.
     Under the plan any magazine that holds more than 10 bullets would be banned.  The bill which was introduced earlier this year comes up for a final vote next week. Some believe the bill could conflict with federal law and expose the city to lawsuits Read more

Santa Fe to vote on gun control measure

Small N.M. town named on dangerous cities list

From KOB-TV.com - By: Ashley McElroy, KOB Eyewitness News 4 - Which cities would you think are the "most dangerous" in the country? Does Farmington make your list? It made one website's list. Every year neighborhoodscout.com puts out a list of the 100 most dangerous cities, and according to the list, Farmington is number 59.
     The site uses data from uniform crime reporting, or UCR, a FBI database. But is this list accurate?
     "It shouldn't be done in the first place, because there’s too many variables,” said Jerry Worrell, crime analyst for the Farmington Police Department.
     On the UCR website, there is a list of variables explaining why these numbers shouldn't be used for rankings. One variable is population change. Farmington is the largest town in the region and a lot of people come into town throughout the week. Worrell said if a violent crime is committed when those people come to town, the numbers won't be accurate.
     "The population at any given time is much greater than what would be counted on the U.S. census report,” he said.  Worrell also said the department misreported certain crimes.
     "What they called aggravated assault for example and what the state defines aggravated assault under state code are quite different and there's some confusion in that," he said.  He said after this survey came out, the department identified the confusion so the city doesn't get back on this list.
     No other New Mexico town was on the list. Read more

Small N.M. town named on dangerous cities list

International Space Hall of Fame inducts original DC-X team

From the Alamogordo Daily News - The International Space Hall of Fame and the New Mexico Museum of Space History officials said Friday that members of the original Delta Clipper Experimental team will be enshrined at the space hall Aug. 17. The DC-X team will be the first group ever inducted into the ISHF. Every member of the DC-X team, hall officials said, displayed qualities required to be an inductee: imagination, achievement, the dedication to further advance man's knowledge of the universe, and his ability to explore and develop space for the benefit of all mankind.
     Many obstacles confronted the DC-X team as they worked toward making the dream of aircraft-like safety for affordable space travel a reality. From underfunding to a seemingly impossible turn-around time, the team, inspired by famed astronaut and space visionary Pete Conrad, faced each obstacle with renewed determination.
     The induction ceremony will be held in conjunction with the DC-X First Flight Plus 20 anniversary and Spaceplane Conference on August 16-18 at Spaceport America and NMMSH. The induction ceremony will take place at the New Mexico State University-Alamogordo's Tays Special Events Center. The team will join a prestigious group of 154 other inductees that include the likes of Neil Armstrong, Gene Kranz, Edwin Aldrin, Gene Cernan, Nicolaus Copernicus, Valentina Tereshkova, Wernher von Braun, and many other space pioneers and visionaries. Read more

International Space Hall of Fame inducts original DC-X team