- New Mexico makes push with at-home COVID-19 test kits
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico is partnering with a national health care company to provide free, at-home COVID-19 test kits. State health officials said Tuesday that the kits can be ordered via Vault Medical Services' website. All that's needed is an internet connection, email address and a photo. State officials acknowledged the lack of broadband access around New Mexico and said the new at-home option is meant to bolster the in-person testing clinics that have been operating since the pandemic began. The state also is launching a new registration app where people can sign up for vaccinations. More than 14,000 shots have been administered to health care workers so far.
- New Mexico utility has plan for growing electric vehicle use
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's largest electric provider has a plan for incentivizing the buildout of infrastructure that would be needed to bolster the use of electric vehicles in the expansive state where even gas stations can be few and far between. The Public Service Co. of New Mexico filed the proposal with state regulators last week. Utility officials say it's the result of more than a year of research and community outreach. The proposal includes customer rebates for charging infrastructure and charging during off-peak times. If the Public Regulation Commission approves, the utility says a full program rollout could happen as early as 2022.
- Navajo Nation reports 151 new coronavirus cases, 7 deaths
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation is reporting 151 new coronavirus cases and seven more deaths from COVID-19. The latest figures were reported Tuesday by the Navajo Department of Health for the reservation that extends into Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. The Navajo Nation has reported 755 deaths since the pandemic hit. The Health Department says the first doses of the recently approved vaccine made by Moderna have arrived at the Navajo Area Indian Health Service. The Navajo Nation is in a three-week lockdown requiring all residents to stay home except for emergencies, shopping for essentials like food and medicine or traveling to an essential job.
- New Mexico's US Attorney to join Santa Fe practice
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's top federal prosecutor is stepping down as president Donald Trump prepares to leave office. U.S. Attorney John Anderson announced his resignation Tuesday effective just before midnight on Jan. 2. He says he'll join a law firm in the Santa Fe area. Trump was an assistant U.S. attorney in New Mexico for five years before joining Holland & Hart in Santa Fe in 2013. Trump appointed him U.S. attorney in 2017 and he was confirmed by the Senate early the next year. Attorney General William Barr says in a statement that Anderson's performance in office "brought great credit" upon himself and the Department of Justice.
- Biden: Reversing Trump border policies will take months
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden says it will take months to roll back some of President Donald Trump's actions on immigration. He's offering a slower timeline than he promised on the campaign trail and one that may rile advocates pushing for speedy action on the issue. His Tuesday comments echo those made by two of his top foreign policy advisers in an interview with Spanish wire service EFE on Monday, tapping the brakes on rolling back Trump's restrictive asylum policies. Susan Rice, Biden's incoming domestic policy adviser, and Jake Sullivan, his pick for national security adviser, as well as Biden himself, warned that moving too quickly could create a new crisis at the border.
- Police: Man says he killed neighbor to avenge son's death
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico police say a 71-year-old man acknowledged killing his son's neighbor as the victim sat in a vehicle in his driveway. The man told authorities after his arrest that he believed his son's next-door neighbor had something to do with his son's death on July 4. The neighbor was found shot to death in his Las Cruces driveway Saturday. The 71-year-old was charged with first-degree murder and two counts of tampering with evidence. Court documents don't detail how his son died, but the man claimed that people living at the neighboring home had harassed his son before his death.
- Premium oil and gas tracts in short supply in New Mexico
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.
- New Mexico State University grows brand with 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.