- OIL AND GAS-LEASES
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The State Land Office says there are fewer premium tracts available for leasing by oil and gas developers on trust land, particularly in the Permian Basin. The agency said Monday that's having an effect on revenues. Lease sales netted nearly $17 million for the year, marking a decrease of nearly 68% when compared to 2019. The sale completed earlier this month brought in more than $2.3 million for 2,880 acres. Despite the historic drop in prices earlier this year and the economic fallout stemming from the pandemic, industry officials say production in the Permian Basin has remained stable.
NMSU-OFFICIAL COFFEE
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico State University is growing its brand with a new coffee. Named after the desert peak that looms over the Las Cruces campus, "A" Mountain Roast adds to the school's collection of collegiate-licensed products. NMSU already has an official beer, wine and whiskey. The school announced the new coffee and its partnership with California-based Estas Manos Coffee Roasters on Monday. A portion of the proceeds will support more than 400 student athletes. School officials say the coffee will be available online, at Estas Manos popup locations and at other Las Cruces retailers beginning Tuesday.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Officials with some of New Mexico's major hospitals say they expect to finish giving their employees the COVID-19 vaccine in the next two to three weeks as more doses arrive. Thousands of front-line health care workers have already received their shots. Like other states, New Mexico learned last week it would be getting about one-third fewer doses of the vaccine produced by Pfizer and BioNTech. The initial shipments of the second vaccine, by Moderna, began arriving Monday. Those will be funneled to long-term care facilities and nursing homes. New Mexico reported 826 additional COVID-19 cases Monday, one of the lowest daily totals since the beginning of November.
- OIL AND GAS-NEW MEXICO
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Oil and gas development infused $2.8 billion into New Mexico coffers during the 2020 fiscal year despite a global price war and plummeting demand due to the coronavirus pandemic. The New Mexico Oil and Gas Association on Monday released a report on the industry's economic impact. It shows that record production helped push revenues to their second-highest total ever reported. The industry group says oil and gas revenues accounted for one-third of total state spending. Much of that went toward education. Federal mineral leasing was the single largest source of oil and gas revenue for the state at more than $800 million.
- WIFE SLAYING
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man has been convicted of killing his estranged wife, who went missing earlier this year. The Palm Beach Post reports 44-year-old David Anthony pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree murder and kidnapping. His plea agreement calls for 38 years in prison. As part of the deal with prosecutors, Anthony had to tell authorities where he dumped his wife's remains after killing her in March. Later Monday, investigators found the remains of what they believe are Gretchen Anthony about 3 miles from her Jupiter home. Officials say security-camera footage, neighbors' testimonies and other evidence connected David Anthony to his wife's death and disappearance.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NAVAJO NATION
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation reported 158 new coronavirus cases on Monday and two more deaths from COVID-19. The latest figures from the Navajo Department of Health bring the total number of cases on the reservation that extends into Arizona, New Mexico and Utah to 21,177. The Navajo Nation has reported 748 deaths since the pandemic hit. Tribal officials are urging residents of the vast reservation to stay vigilant to help stop the spread of the coronavirus amid the holiday season. Navajo President Jonathan Nez says a spike in cases occurred after Thanksgiving. He encouraged people spend Christmas with only the people in their household.
- MIGRANT DEATHS
DOUGLAS, Ariz. (AP) — After a record hot and dry summer, more deaths among border-crossers have been documented in Arizona's desert and mountains. It's a reminder that the most remote paths to enter the U.S. from Mexico can be the deadliest. There were 214 confirmed or suspected migrants whose deaths at the Arizona border were documented from January to November. That's according to the nonprofit Humane Borders that works with the Pima County Medical Examiner's Office to map the recoveries of migrants' bodies. It counted 144 deaths last year. The highest annual number that the project documented was 224 in 2010.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico on Saturday reported 1,442 additional known COVID-19 cases and 27 additional deaths. The statewide totals increased to 128,930 cases and 2,155 as seven-day rolling averages for daily new cases dropped and daily deaths rose over the last two weeks. According to data from Johns Hopkins University and The COVID Tracking Project, the rolling average of daily new cases dropped from 1,869 on Dec. 4 to 1,542.1 on Friday while the rolling average of deaths rose from 28.9 to 34.1. A pandemic-high 48 daily deaths were reported Thursday as Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said daily deaths could grow even higher over the year-end holidays.