- Leaders: 2020 forecast is rosy for border trade with Mexico
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — Border trade leaders are expressing optimism for the 2020 trade forecast with Mexico especially at the busy Santa Teresa Port of Entry in New Mexico. The Las Cruces Sun-News reports that's because port officials, which have long lacked the ability to process hazardous materials, expect that to change by the end of 2020. Adding a hazmat containment site could increase the port's volume of traffic by 20 percent _ from 600 trucks per day to 720. Democratic U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico says governing the specifics of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement have been ironed out and the parties can move forward with a degree of certainty on border trade.
- New Mexico to revisit bonds for oil and gas development
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — It was the 1970s when New Mexico last increased the amount of bond money that oil and gas companies are required to put up before drilling. As development continues at a record pace, State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard says it's time to take another look. Legislation that called for a study of the issue stalled during the recent session, but the State Land Office is moving ahead and will research bond levels over the next several months. Officials say the amount of bonding needed to assure that taxpayers aren't left paying for any clean-up and restoration after development is currently unknown.
- FBI: Reward for info leading to arrest in Red Rock killing
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The FBI is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of those responsible for the death of a Red Rock man last year. They say 48-year-old James Naswood was found dead in the front passenger seat of a car on the Navajo Nation on Nov. 8. Naswood was last seen alive the previous day. FBI officials say the cause of death isn't being released at this time. The federal agency is investigating the case along with the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety.
- First complaint filed with New Mexico ethics commission
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's fledgling State Ethics Commission says it has received its first complaint without disclosing its contents or who it involves. The commission treats complaints as confidential until there is a finding of probable cause. That doesn't prevent people from going public with accusations that are submitted to the commission or rebuttals. The commission in January started to field complaints and requests for advisory opinions regarding campaign finances, government contracting, gifts from lobbyists, and more. Allegations of criminal conduct are referred to state or local prosecutors. Voters overwhelmingly approved the creation of the commission in 2018.
- Analysis: Albuquerque police 911 response time jumps 93%
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — An analysis shows that Albuquerque police are taking 93% longer to respond to 911 calls from nine years ago. KOAT-TV reports an examination on the Albuquerque Police Department's response times shows officers now take an average of 48 minutes to arrive to a scene. That's a 23-minute jump from 2011. Albuquerque Emergency Communications Center manager Erika Wilson says police are doing the best they can with the resources available. Albuquerque police say currently it has about 950 officers. In 2011, it had around 1,100 officers. FBI statistics show Albuquerque had a violent crime rate of 1,365 per 100,000 residents in 2018. The national rate was about 369 violent crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
- New Mexico State Police Officer kills suspect in chase
DEMING, N.M. (AP) — Authorities say a New Mexico State Police officer fatally shot a man who fired at police at the end of a chase. The state police said the incident started at 4:15 p.m. Saturday when Deming police, with help from the Luna County Sheriff's Office, pursued a man in a red minivan who was believed to have violated an order of protection. State police said the man drove into a berm, leading his car to get stuck, the agency said. The man then ran off with a shotgun and fired a shot toward a sheriff's deputy, hitting the deputy's vehicle. The agency said a state police officer fired at the man at least once. The man died at the scene.
- Defense attorneys challenge removal of data from documents
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Is it acceptable for prosecutors to redact portions of victims' and witnesses' Social Security numbers and dates of birth when they provide case documents to the defense? That's what defense attorneys in Albuquerque want to know. According to the Albuquerque Journal, defense lawyers say there are no rules that allow for this new practice and that prosecutors unilaterally made a decision to deprive them of information that they're entitled to get. The attorneys now worry that allowing the state to decide what information the defense deserves sets a bad precedent. Prosecutors and victim advocates say providing criminal defendants with this sensitive material leaves witnesses vulnerable to intimidation and possible harm, which may dissuade them from participating in the process.
- Tribes turn to other heat sources after coal mine closure
POLACCA, Ariz. (AP) — Navajo and Hopi families in northeastern Arizona that have long relied on coal to heat their homes are looking to other sources after last year's closure of a coal mine. The Kayenta Mine shut down after decades of supplying the Navajo Generating Station. The Navajo and Hopi tribes shared in the coal royalties. Tribal members also had access to the coal, regularly loading the long-burning fossil fuel into pickup trucks or buying it from roadside vendors. Now they're having to travel farther for coal, switching to firewood or even burning household items to stay warm.