- Amid clamor to increase prescribed burns, obstacles await
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Six decades after University of California forestry professor Harold Biswell experimented with prescribed burns and was treated with ridicule, he is seen as someone whose ideas could save the U.S. West's forests and ease wildfire dangers. Hundreds of millions of acres of forests have become overgrown and prone to wildfires that have devastated towns and blanketed the West Coast in smoke. Today, officials want to sharply increase prescribed burns. But several realities are stacked against them: The periods between wildfire seasons when prescribed burning can happen safely are shrinking; some forests are too overgrown to ignite without thinning; and prescribed fires can shroud towns in smoke.
- US official to address legacy of Indigenous boarding schools
U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and other federal officials are expected to announce steps that the federal government plans to take to reconcile the legacy of boarding school policies on Indigenous families and communities. The recent discovery of children's remains buried at the site of what was once Canada's largest Indigenous residential school has rekindled interest in that legacy both in Canada and the United States. The first Native American to serve as a Cabinet secretary, Haaland is scheduled Tuesday to outline a path forward while addressing members of the National Congress of American Indians during the group's midyear conference.
- Netflix finalizes agreement for Albuquerque expansion plan
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico State Land Office has finalized a sublease agreement between Albuquerque and Netflix for the company's planned expansion. The plan includes about 130 acres of state trust land and 170 acres of private land at Mesa del Sol. The city and land office entered into an economic development agreement in November 2020. Netflix plans an additional $1 billion in production and $150 million in capital expenditures. The company will add up to 10 new stages, post-production services, production offices, mills, backlots, and training facilities, wardrobe suites, a commissary to support meals and craft services, and other flex buildings to support productions.
- Lawsuit alleges uncooled prison vehicle endangered lives
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A watchdog organization on prison conditions says a 61-year-old inmate in southern New Mexico was injured and endangered when transported in a sweltering van without air conditioning in the summer. The New Mexico Prison & Jail Project announced Monday a lawsuit against the New Mexico Corrections department and two of its officers on behalf of an inmate who was confined for several hours to a van with no air conditioning on a summer day in 2019. There was a $2 million federal verdict against the state agency in a similar 2012 incident.
- Navajo Nation reports no new COVID-19 cases and no deaths
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation on Monday reported no new cases of COVID-19 and no additional deaths. Tribal health officials say the sprawling reservation that stretches into New Mexico, Arizona and Utah has seen 30,967 known cases of the coronavirus since the pandemic began more than a year ago. The known death toll remains at 1,346. The Navajo Department of Health last Friday lifted the tribe's stay-at-home order, easing restrictions to allow in-person meetings and ceremonies of 25 people or fewer and drive-thru gatherings of up to 100 vehicles. Face masks are required by everyone on the Navajo Nation, whether or not they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
- New Mexico ranks 49th in child well-being, an improvement
SANTA FE, N.M (AP) — An annual report ranks New Mexico 49th in child well-being, and that's an improvement. The Kids Count report released Monday tracks metrics of children's education, home life and health. New Mexico continues to rank high in child poverty and low in education outcomes. One bright spot is child health, in part because kids have access to insurance that's on par with the national average and only slightly higher-than-average obesity. The report is based on data gathered before the coronavirus pandemic. Child advocates say state policies supporting families and health care may blunt the impacts of the pandemic.
- New Mexico city on pace to smash homicide record
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Albuquerque detectives are investigating the city's latest deaths — three more cases that could push New Mexico's largest city closer to smashing its homicide record this year. Police Chief Harold Medina hosted a virtual town hall on social media to discuss the city's crime trends and answered questions from residents. Even though officers are making arrests, Medina eluded to challenges within the criminal justice system, saying prosecutors and courts need more resources too. If the latest deaths are classified as homicides, that would put the total at more than 60 for the first six months of 2021. Albuquerque set a record for homicides in 2019, when it had 80 for the entire year.
- Arizona feeling brunt of wildfire activity across US West
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Dozens of wildfires are burning in hot, dry conditions across the U.S. West, including a blaze touched off by lightning that was moving toward northern Arizona's largest city. The mountainous town of Flagstaff was shrouded in smoke Monday as nearby residents were told to prepare to evacuate. Two national forests in northern Arizona made rare announcements that they would be closing completely to visitors this week because of limited resources. While temperatures are expected to moderate in the coming days, scattered thunderstorms and wind remain a concern for firefighting crews.