- New Mexico begins public meeting on proposed methane rules
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico oil and gas regulators have kicked off a public hearing on proposed rules for managing venting and flaring by the industry. Oil and gas revenues underpin the state's budget, but Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has promised that her administration would adopt some of the toughest rules in the U.S. for cracking down on methane and other emissions. Under the proposal, operators would need to reduce their waste by a fixed amount every year to achieve an ultimate gas capture rate of 98% by December 2026. Environmentalists are concerned about loopholes, saying the state should prohibit all venting and flaring.
- Pattern Energy begins work on New Mexico transmission line
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A California-based renewable energy company says financing is in place and work has started on a new transmission line that will funnel wind power from central New Mexico to other markets. Pattern Energy Group said Monday that the Western Spirit transmission line and more than a gigawatt of wind projects are expected to come online by the end of 2021. CEO Mike Garland called it the largest single-phase construction of renewable power in the U.S. New Mexico's largest electric utility — Public Service Co. of New Mexico — will own and operate the 150-mile long transmission line when its complete.
- 230K New Mexicans sign up on state vaccine registration site
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — More than 230,000 New Mexicans have signed up since the state launched its vaccination registration website two weeks ago. The state Health Department said Monday that the site has been updated to allow people to complete a comprehensive profile that includes personal medical conditions, employment information and other data. Officials said the site was created to help manage distribution once more vaccines become available. Those who register will be notified when they become eligible and shots are available in their area. Confirmed COVID-19 infections total 147,315, while 2,574 people in the state have succumbed to the virus since the pandemic began.
- Police recover random bullet fired into Albuquerque home
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Albuquerque police are searching for the person who randomly fired a gun on New Year's Eve, sending a bullet into a boy's pillow moments before he would have been sleeping. KOAT-TV reports that investigators have recovered a projectile from the home of Sheri Kraemer. Police said they intend to use ballistics technology to track down the gun that it came from. Kraemer says late Thursday night she heard a loud noise from the bedroom where here 10-year-old grandson, Grant, was staying. Kraemer found a bullet on the pillow. The boy says he likely would have been sleeping there had the bullet hit a few minutes later.
- Navajo Nation reports 110 new COVID-19 cases, 3 more deaths
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — Navajo Nation health officials on Monday reported 110 new COVID-19 cases and three more deaths. The latest figures increased the tribe's totals since the pandemic began to 23,841 cases and 822 known deaths. The number of infections is thought to be far higher than reported because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick. Also on Monday, the Navajo Department of Health on Monday identified 73 communities with uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 on the tribe's vast reservation that covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
- Graffiti-damaged pandemic mural spurs Santa Fe conversation
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Two Santa Fe art groups say they'll complete and debut a mural designed to bring people together during the pandemic, despite graffiti damage found on it just before Christmas. KRQE-TV reports the mural features animals, color, hints of New Mexico and a central figure homage to the Tewa people. All Aboard Earth co-founder Jonathon Meade says creators were saddened to find graffiti on a work that aims to convey togetherness, happiness and "upliftment." Playful Passages founder Hannah Rapp says the muralists would rather talk with the taggers so everyone feels heard. The work was commissioned with coronavirus relief funds and a mini-grant from the City of Santa Fe.
- USPS reports spate of armed mail thefts in Albuquerque
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Authorities in New Mexico are investigating a spate of recent armed mail robberies in the Albuquerque and Santa Fe areas. U.S. Postal Inspector Brook Robinson tells KOB-TV in Albuquerque that officials usually investigate mail and parcel thefts during the holidays, but that armed robberies are unusual. He says robbers could face 25 years in prison if they're caught. Robinson says agents are investigating eight cases since mid-October, including one last week and three in November in northeast Albuquerque. In Santa Fe, a letter carrier reported a robbery in late November.
- About half of applicants get New Mexico virus relief grants
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — More than 6,500 New Mexico businesses and nonprofits will receive up to $50,000 under a state program created to help companies cope with economic fallout from the pandemic. The Albuquerque Journal reports that's about half of the companies that applied. The program is using $100 million in federal coronavirus relief funds allocated to the state. The state on Saturday reported 1,252 additional known COVID-19 cases and 32 additional deaths, increasing the state's totals since the pandemic began to 145,379 cases and 2,534 deaths.