New Mexico news

• Man charged in Oregon standoff denied release from jail

  04-02-2016 23:46
  
  PHOENIX — An Arizona man charged in the occupation of an Oregon wildlife refuge has been ordered jailed until trial after a judge concluded he was at risk of fleeing from authorities and posed a danger to the public. U.S. Magistrate Eileen Willett explained her decision Thursday by saying Jon Eric Ritzheimer had weapons in […]
  
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• Arizona Senate OKs police and fire pension plan overhaul

  04-02-2016 23:46
  
  PHOENIX — The full Arizona Senate on Thursday unanimously approved a proposal overhauling the state’s badly underfunded public safety worker pension plan, sending the package to the House for action. The Senate’s rapid-fire action came without debate and all three of the bills enacting the overhaul passed on 28-0 votes. If the House and Gov. […]
  
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• Updated: Police: 6 dead in Chicago home in possible murder-suicide

  04-02-2016 23:43
  
  CHICAGO — Chicago police on Thursday found the bodies of four men, one woman and a child inside a home on the city’s South Side in what they say could be a murder-suicide, even as they added extra patrols in the neighborhood. Standing in the street in the well-tended Gage Park neighborhood, interim police Superintendent […]
  
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• State IG: Classified email found from Powell, Rice tenures

  04-02-2016 23:43
  
  WASHINGTON — The State Department watchdog has found that former Secretary of State Colin Powell and the immediate staff of former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also received classified national security information on their personal email accounts, a senior House Democrat said Thursday. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a personal email server […]
  
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• Saudi official says kingdom ready to send troops to Syria

  04-02-2016 23:42
  
  CAIRO — A Saudi military spokesman said Thursday the kingdom is ready to send ground troops to Syria to fight Islamic State group provided coalition leaders agree during an upcoming meeting in Brussels. Brig. Gen. Ahmed Asiri told The Associated Press that Saudi Arabia has taken part in coalition airstrikes against IS since the U.S.-led […]
  
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• Latin America scrambles to squash Zika-spreading mosquito

  04-02-2016 23:42
  
  RIO DE JANEIRO — With no hope for a vaccine to prevent Zika in the near future, authorities are focusing on the most effective way to combat the virus: killing the mosquito that carries it. Fumigation is one method; another is seeking out and draining standing water where the insect lays its eggs. Other strategies […]
  
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• Felon arrested for having firearm, police say (With Video)

  04-02-2016 23:40
  
  A man who police say has been arrested 18 times since 2008 was in handcuffs again early Thursday morning.
  
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• Felon arrested for having firearm, police say

  04-02-2016 23:40
  
  A man who police say has been arrested 18 times since 2008 was in handcuffs again early Thursday morning. Police were investigating an auto theft near Gibson and Louisiana SE around 4:30 a.m. when they noticed a known felon, Rufus Phelps, 25, in a car nearby. “Due to their extensive knowledge and interactions with Phelps, […]
  
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• Obama seeks $10-per-barrel oil tax to fund clean transport

  04-02-2016 23:30
  
  WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama wants oil companies to pay a $10 fee for every barrel of oil to help fund investments in clean transportation that fight climate change. Obama will formalize the proposal Tuesday when he releases his final budget request to Congress. The $10-per-barrel fee is expected face solid opposition from Republicans who […]
  
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• Updated: Brazil health official confirm Zika spread via transfusion

  04-02-2016 23:22
  
  RIO DE JANEIRO — Two people in southeastern Brazil contracted the Zika virus through blood transfusions, a municipal health official said Thursday, presenting a fresh challenge to efforts to contain the virus on top of the disclosure of a case of sexual transmission in the United States. The two unrelated cases in Brazil may be […]
  
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• Brazil health official confirm Zika spread via transfusion

  04-02-2016 23:22
  
  RIO DE JANEIRO — Two people in southeastern Brazil contracted the Zika virus through blood transfusions, a municipal health official said Thursday, presenting a fresh challenge to efforts to contain the virus on top of the disclosure of a case of sexual transmission in the United States. The two unrelated cases in Brazil may be […]
  
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• Rep. Pearce introduces Gold King Mine spill bill

  04-02-2016 23:21
  
  Rep. Steve Pearce today introduced legislation that would set up an independent inquiry into the Gold King Mine disaster that spilled 3 million gallons of contaminated water into the Animas and San Juan Rivers last August. Environmental Protection Agency employees caused the spill Aug. 5 as they tried to safeguard reservoirs of contaminated water left […]
  
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• Former RTD manager convicted of taking bribes

  04-02-2016 23:21
  
  DENVER — A former manager for the Denver-area Regional Transportation District has been convicted of taking bribes from a contractor. Kenneth Hardin was found guilty Wednesday on three of four counts related for accepting bribes in connection with his official duties as a senior manager at RTD. Federal investigators say Hardin’s duties at RTD included […]
  
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• Tribune Publishing gets $44.4M from Chicago investor

  04-02-2016 22:53
  
  CHICAGO — Tribune Publishing, the troubled owner of the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers around the country, said it received a $44.4 million cash infusion from a Chicago investor who has a stake in its rival newspaper the Chicago Sun-Times. The company also suspended its quarterly dividend Thursday to free up more money in the […]
  
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• Q&A: Investors using index funds to try to beat the market

  04-02-2016 22:53
  
  NEW YORK — Don’t try to beat the market. The adage got pounded for years into investors, and many began to live by it. After seeing so many investments fail to keep up with the Standard & Poor’s 500 index, investors put their money instead into low-cost index funds. They were happy to get returns […]
  
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• Presbyterian offering new heart valve treatment

  04-02-2016 22:44
  
  The Heart Center at Presbyterian Hospital has become the first facility in New Mexico to offer cardiac patients  a new, less invasive option to get a leaky valve fixed. A surgical team implanted MitraClips for two patients in January suffering from mitral valve regurgitation, which causes blood to flow backwards into the lungs, said Dr. […]
  
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• Orangutan at Utah zoo predicts Panthers to win Super Bowl

  04-02-2016 22:37
  
  SALT LAKE CITY — An ape at the Salt Lake City zoo has predicted the Carolina Panthers will win the Super Bowl. Zoo spokeswoman Erica Hansen says a 1-year-old orangutan named Tuah chewed up a cardboard Panthers sign and later kissed a papier-mache Panthers helmet. Hansen says he never touched the Denver Broncos sign or […]
  
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• Measure supports storing spent nuclear fuel in New Mexico

  04-02-2016 21:59
  
  New Mexico lawmakers are considering a pair of nonbinding measures that would signal support for the development of a temporary storage facility to house spent nuclear fuel that has been piling up at reactors around the nation. The Senate Conservation Committee approved one of the memorials on a 6-3 vote during Thursday’s meeting. The other […]
  
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• Senate Dems block energy bill in impasse over Flint

  04-02-2016 21:49
  
  WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked a comprehensive energy bill after majority Republicans rejected hundreds of millions of dollars in emergency federal aid to Flint, Michigan, to fix and replace the city’s lead-contaminated pipes. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said that “100,000 people in Flint, Michigan have been poisoned, and Republicans do nothing” to […]
  
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• Careerning car ends up on roof of Southern California house

  04-02-2016 21:48
  
  PALOS VERDES ESTATES, Calif. — It’s hard to know what was more amazing: An out-of-control car ending up on the roof of a Southern California house or the driver somehow escaping serious injury despite the wild ride. Palos Verdes Estates police Capt. Mark Velez says a driver with a medical problem lost control of his […]
  
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• AZ schools chief testifies against plan to define her powers

  04-02-2016 21:48
  
  PHOENIX — Arizona schools chief Diane Douglas on Thursday failed to persuade an Arizona Senate committee to derail legislation designed to settle ongoing fights between her and the state Board of Education. Douglas appeared before the Senate Education Committee and said the bill by Sen. Jeff Dial, R-Chandler, took away what she contends is her […]
  
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• State auditor probes finances at Cebolleta Land Grant

  04-02-2016 21:47
  
  SANTA FE, N.M. — New Mexico’s state auditor is launching a probe of financial transactions at the Cebolleta Land Grant because the local subdivision of the state has not submitted required audits. State Auditor Tim Keller said Thursday that bringing the land grant into auditing compliance will enable the community to pursue state and federal […]
  
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• Arizona tribal casino gambling revenue up by 6.9 percent

  04-02-2016 21:47
  
  PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Gaming says contributions to the state from tribal gambling revenue will be about $15 million for the quarter that ended on Dec. 31. That’s a 6.9 percent increase when compared to the same quarter in 2014. Department of Gaming director Daniel Bergin says the increase for the sixth consecutive […]
  
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• FBI’s hands-off strategy in Oregon follows lessons learned

  04-02-2016 21:46
  
  Experts say federal officials have allowed the armed occupation of an Oregon wildlife refuge to drag on for more than a month as part of a strategy learned from past standoffs ending in bloodshed. Critics say the wait-it-out strategy sends a mixed message and can embolden others to lead takeovers. The decision to monitor the […]
  
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• Arizona woman killed by Islamic State militants honored

  04-02-2016 21:46
  
  PRESCOTT, Ariz. — The family of a Prescott woman killed by Islamic State militants wants her to be remembered for her commitment to serving the vulnerable. Kayla Muller died a year ago this week. She had been taken by the militant group in August 2013 after leaving a hospital in Aleppo, Syria. Her family says […]
  
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• 1st 2016 Hantavirus case in NM is in Sandoval County

  04-02-2016 21:30
  
  "This case early in the year emphasizes that precautions against HPS need to be taken year rou ...
  
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• Obama health care law posts respectable sign-up season

  04-02-2016 21:21
  
  WASHINGTON — Still facing political jeopardy, President Barack Obama’s health care law beat expectations by earning solid sign-ups this year, according to figures released Thursday by the administration. About 12.7 million people signed up for individual private insurance policies or renewed their coverage for 2016, said Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell. In […]
  
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• Research survey center begins ABQ hiring

  04-02-2016 20:10
  
  The hiring has begun. NORC at the University of Chicago, which last October said it would open an Albuquerque call center at Copper Pointe, on Thursday announced it plans to eventually hire up to 400 employees, mostly part-timers. “We have just begun the process of training our first large intake of supervisory and management staff […]
  
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• Research call center begins ABQ hiring

  04-02-2016 20:10
  
  The hiring has begun. NORC at the University of Chicago, which last October said it would open an Albuquerque call center at Copper Pointe, on Thursday announced it plans to eventually hire up to 400 employees, mostly part-timers, for its facility at 10500 Copper NE. “We have just begun the process of training our first […]
  
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• Tesla gigafactory job creation slower than first projected

  04-02-2016 19:29
  
  CARSON CITY, Nev. — Electric carmaker Tesla’s northern Nevada battery plant is creating jobs more slowly than first projected, although state officials say it’s still making satisfactory progress. A progress report issued this week by the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development said there were 272 people working at the Tesla and Panasonic factories at […]
  
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• Charles Kelley is in control with ‘The Driver’

  04-02-2016 19:17
  
  Charles Kelley is taking a risk — and it’s paying off. The 34-year-old singer is utilizing his downtime from a short Lady Antebellum hiatus to spark a solo career. He’s off to a great start. Though his album drops on Feb. 5, the lead single from “The Driver” has already earned him a Grammy nomination. […]
  
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• Colorado school district bans students from wearing No. 18

  04-02-2016 19:13
  
  GREELEY, Colo. — In one Colorado school district, students can wear Cam Newton’s jersey to class but not Peyton Manning’s No. 18. The Greeley-Evans school district has banned children from wearing any clothing with the number 18 on it, not just Denver Broncos gear, since 2011. The rule was put in place a year before […]
  
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• Maria Sanchez-Gagne announces run for district attorney in 1st District

  04-02-2016 19:05
  
    Maria Sanchez-Gagne of Santa Fe, former director of the Border Violence Division of the state Attorney General’s Office, announced today that she will be a Democratic candidate for district attorney for the 1st Judicial District, which includes Santa Fe, Rio Arriba and Los Alamos Counties. Two others have said they will run for district […]
  
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• Council members want prayer issue to go to Phoenix voters

  04-02-2016 18:56
  
  PHOENIX — Several Phoenix City Council members want voters to decide whether to replace a longstanding tradition of prayer before council meetings with a moment of silence prayer. The council voted 5-4 Wednesday to scrap spoken invocations after a Tucson-based group calling itself The Satanic Temple signed up to have a representative deliver the prayer […]
  
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• Sheriff’s Office: Man sought in 2014 fatal stabbing

  04-02-2016 18:44
  
  LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Dona Ana County authorities have obtained a warrant to arrest a man in the 2014 fatal stabbing in the Las Cruces area. The Sheriff’s Office says it developed new information that implicated 19-year-old Lawrence Joshua Lucero and that he has been charged in the killing of 17-year-old David Escamilla. The office […]
  
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• Pharma CEO Shkreli takes 5th amendment, still infuriates

  04-02-2016 18:44
  
  WASHINGTON — Pharmaceutical chief Martin Shkreli refused to testify Thursday in an appearance before U.S. lawmakers over severe hikes for a drug sold by a company that he acquired, yet even without answering questions, managed to leave them infuriated. Shkreli appeared to smirk throughout his hour-long appearance, and moments afterward, insulting tweets began to appear […]
  
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• Arizona to consider bill limiting public record access

  04-02-2016 18:44
  
  PHOENIX — A measure being considered by Arizona lawmakers would limit public access to government records about crime. The Arizona Republic reports (http://bit.ly/1mgiVW3 ) that records are currently considered public unless specifically excluded under state law. Maricopa County Attorney’s Office lobbyist Rebecca Baker says the legislation would put the burden on the person requesting the […]
  
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• Senators grill personnel office nominee over data hack

  04-02-2016 18:43
  
  WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s nominee to head the Office of Personnel Management on Thursday promised to strengthen the agency’s cybersecurity and information technology systems after what’s believed to be the largest data breach in U.S. history. Senators grilled Beth Cobert at her confirmation hearing about the hack. She was nominated to succeed Katherine Archuleta, […]
  
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• Snowmass chef accused threatening to stab server

  04-02-2016 18:17
  
  SNOWMASS VILLAGE, Colo. — A chef at a restaurant on Snowmass Mountain has been accused of threatening to stab a waiter who delivered food to the wrong table. The Aspen Times reports (http://bit.ly/23L834u ) that the 32-year-old Carbondale man was arrested Tuesday on investigation of felony menacing with a deadly weapon. Police say the chef […]
  
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• In Boston area, the bald eagle population is soaring

  04-02-2016 18:14
  
  BOSTON — People spotting bald eagles in the skies over the Boston area aren’t hallucinating — there really are more of the majestic birds of prey setting up shop in the urban eastern areas of the state. State ornithologist Andrew Vitz says there were 51 confirmed territorial breeding bald eagle pairs in Massachusetts last year, […]
  
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• ‘Gay conversion’ therapists find safe haven in Israel

  04-02-2016 18:05
  
  JERUSALEM — A leading American Jewish group promoting therapy it said could turn gays to heterosexuals was ordered shut in December by a New Jersey court, amid growing efforts in the U.S. to curb the generally discredited practice. But therapists with ties to the shuttered group say they have found a haven for their work […]
  
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• Almost every top official in Texas city indicted

  04-02-2016 17:57
  
  CRYSTAL CITY, Texas — The mayor and almost every other top official in a tiny South Texas city are under federal indictment, accused of taking kickbacks from contractors and someone trying to set up illegal gaming rooms. The U.S. attorney’s office in San Antonio announced Thursday that it had arrested most of the leadership of […]
  
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• NYC pulls reins on plan for Central Park horse carriages

  04-02-2016 17:56
  
  NEW YORK — New York’s City Council pulled the reins on a plan to overhaul Central Park’s popular carriage horse rides Thursday after the drivers’ union withdrew its support, citing concerns the deal threatens the industry’s future. The Teamsters union said it cannot support a bill — backed by Mayor Bill de Blasio — currently […]
  
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• Governor’s tweet questioned in Phoenix freeway shooting case

  04-02-2016 17:56
  
  PHOENIX — Attorneys for a man accused of some of the metro Phoenix freeway shootings want to ask Gov. Doug Ducey about a tweet he sent out minutes after their client’s arrest. Attorneys for Leslie Allen Merritt Jr. filed a motion Wednesday to question Ducey, citing his tweet declaring, “We got him!” Merritt’s attorneys want […]
  
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• Hoax causes restaurant workers to break windows

  04-02-2016 17:55
  
  TUCSON, Ariz. — Police in Phoenix say a hoax resulted in extensive damage to a fast-food restaurant. According to police, somebody called the restaurant Saturday night and pretended to be from the Fire Department. The caller had the manager activate the restaurant’s fire suppression system and then told the manager there was a gas leak […]
  
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• Va. Tech woman in court; accused of hiding girl’s body

  04-02-2016 17:54
  
  BLACKSBURG, Va. — Less than a year ago, David Eisenhauer smiled confidently into a television news camera, discussing his athletic and academic aspirations for a weekly feature on high school athletes in the Baltimore area. “I make my personal goals achievable or just out of reach of achievable,” Eisenhauer said. “That way I’m always constantly […]
  
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• Feds bolster security at wildlife preserves in 3 states

  04-02-2016 17:54
  
  PORTLAND, Ore. — The government has beefed up security at national wildlife refuges in states south of Oregon as an armed standoff over federal land policy has created tensions in the region and shows no sign of ending soon. Additional security officers were sent to preserves in southern Oregon, Northern California and Nevada as four […]
  
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• Submissions being sought for Governor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts

  04-02-2016 17:04
  
  The New Mexico Arts Commission and New Mexico Arts are accepting nominations for the 2016 Governor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts. The annual Governor’s Arts Awards are New Mexico’s highest and most prestigious artistic honors and are intended to celebrate lifetime achievement. Nominations can be submitted by individual New Mexico residents or representatives of […]
  
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• As REI thrives, does it have members or merely shoppers?

  04-02-2016 16:56
  
  SEATTLE — REI’s business acumen has taken it to lofty heights rarely seen by a retail cooperative. But as a record-low turnout in the latest annual election shows, REI’s original democratic fervor seems to have stayed at base camp. Members these days engage more via Twitter, Facebook or email. They behave more like customers than […]
  
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• Updated: Bill would create guidelines for daily fantasy sports operation in New Mexico

  04-02-2016 16:55
  
  While the de­bate over the legality of daily fantasy sports play continues in states across the country, a law­maker from Albuquerque is mov­ing for­ward with a bill that would establish guide­lines to protect New Mexicans who play the games. Several states around the country are mov­ing to­ward try­ing to prohibit companies like DraftKings and FanDuel […]
  
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