- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
New Mexico officials are reporting 104 new coronavirus cases and four additional deaths. State officials reported the new tally Sunday. They said testing has now confirmed 9,723 cases. A total of 435 New Mexico residents have died of the virus. Five counties — Bernalillo, Dona Ana, Sandoval, McKinley, and San Juan — each had more than 10 new cases. New cases were also reported at a pair of correctional facilities. The four new deaths involved people over 60 who had underlying health conditions.
- SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL
CARLSBAD, N.M. (AP) — A proposed multibillion-dollar complex in southern New Mexico that would store spent nuclear fuel from commercial power plants around the U.S. is facing another legal challenge. Opponents have filed an appeal in federal court. They are taking aim at the federal government's decision to dismiss numerous contentions that watchdogs had raised about the project. Holtec International is seeking a 40-year license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build what it has described as a state-of-the-art complex near Carlsbad to store tons of spent nuclear fuel in special canisters. Opponents are worried that the facility would end up a permanent dumping ground for the material.
- LOS ALAMOS-LAND REQUEST
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico county has asked the U.S. Department of Energy to relinquish a parcel of excess land at no cost to be used for housing and economic development. The Santa Fe New Mexican reported Los Alamos County requested 4.8 square miles in White Rock for homes, businesses, light industry, and schools. The county offered to provide part of the land to Los Alamos National Laboratory to build support facilities. Less than 10% of the land would be developed, with most of that portion used for an increase in housing needed for the lab's workforce and to attract new businesses.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's largest school district has asked parents for feedback after announcing plans to provide an online school experience for all grades because of the coronavirus pandemic. KRQE-TV reports that Albuquerque Public Schools has announced it is considering a K-12 online school instead of reopening classrooms in August to limit the spread of COVID-19. District officials say they expect to launch an online system to collect input on the idea. Officials say submitted comments could help the district gauge how many kids would to take part and how many teachers would be needed. State officials on Saturday reported 102 additional COVID-19 cases and five additional deaths,
- OIL AND GAS-PLUGGING WELLS
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — As New Mexico's oil and gas industry struggles with lower prices and slowing production brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, some state officials and members of Congress are urging the U.S. Interior Department to allow operators to temporarily plugs wells until prices stabilize. U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small's district includes part of the Permian Basin. The New Mexico Democrat is among those who have asked for more federal money to plug abandoned wells on state and tribal land. The state's Oil Conservation Division also supports the idea of a new fund that would give industry workers jobs plugging abandoned wells.
- EARLY EDUCATION-ADVISORY COUNCIL
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's new Early Childhood Education and Care Department has named the members of its advisory council. The agency said Friday that the 40 members were chosen from a pool of more than 300 applicants. The selection team considered everything from an applicant's location to gender, ethnicity, culture and experience within educational settings. The parameters were set by legislation passed in 2019 that established the agency. Members of the advisory council include community organizers, executives who work with child advocacy groups, teachers, principals and others. The council will meet four times before submitting recommendations to the governor and the Legislature.
- MARSHAL IMPERSONATION-SENTENCING
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — A Las Cruces man has been sentenced to over eight months in prison for impersonating a deputy U.S. marshal. The U.S. Attorney's Office for New Mexico says 39-year-old Aaron Tyler Stroud's sentence imposed Wednesday includes credit for time already served and also requires a two-year period of supervised release after he's out of prison. According to the office, Stroud claimed to be an officer of the U.S. Marshals Service when he approached a Las Cruces police officer who was responding to a report of domestic violence. The incident occurred in September 2019.
- POLICE REFORMS-ALBUQUERQUE
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The mayor of New Mexico's largest city says he's joining other Democrat mayors who are vowing to take action on police reform. Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said Friday he has signed the Obama Foundation-sponsored My Brother's Keeper pledge. He says it will be a continuation of work already underway. The Albuquerque Police Department began implementing reforms under a prior mayoral administration as part of a consent decree with the U.S. Justice Department. Federal authorities in 2014 issued a scathing report in response to a series of deadly shootings in the city that pointed to patterns of excessive force and a lack of training and oversight of officers.