- LEGISLATURE-NEW MEXICO-SECURITY
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Fencing is being erected outside the New Mexico Statehouse and other government buildings as officials prepare for any political unrest ahead of the legislative session and the presidential inauguration. The fencing started going up Wednesday around the Capitol and work continued Thursday. State police that oversee the Capitol have taken the unusual step of coordinating security with local law enforcement agencies to provide a coordinated response should any gatherings become violent. Meanwhile, members of the New Mexico National Guard are deploying to Washington, D.C., for Joe Biden's inauguration next week. They'll provide security, communications, medical evacuation and other support.
- ALBUQUERQUE-RECRUITING RESIDENTS
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's largest city is launching a new marketing campaign to attract remote workers who can do their jobs from anywhere. Albuquerque's effort also is aimed at getting former residents — so-called boomerangers — to move back as a way to boost the local economy. City officials announced Wednesday that they're partnering with a local firm to highlight Albuquerque as an ideal place for people seeking a more healthy lifestyle with room to grow. They're hoping to capitalize on trends that have been accelerated by the pandemic — namely people wanting to move away from large cities.
- GOVERNOR'S AGENDA-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is enthusiastically backing recreational marijuana and hoping to crack down on predatory lending as she outlines a list of top priorities for 2021 legislative session. The endorsements she made Wednesday include authorization and taxation of recreational cannabis and an effort to shore up abortion rights. Lujan Grisham also wants a proposed constitutional amendment to tap more money for education from a state trust. The ouster of several conservative Democratic senators in 2020 elections increases chances for those initiatives during the legislative session that starts Tuesday. For pandemic relief, the governor wants restaurant alcohol deliveries permitted and an overhaul of liquor license regulations.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico health officials say they have detected the first known case of a more contagious variant of COVID-19. The state Health Department announced Wednesday that a man in his 60s who traveled to the United Kingdom in December has the variant. Officials described the man's illness as mild and said no hospitalization was required. Meanwhile, hospitalizations related to the coronavirus have decreased. Health officials say some counties have seen improvements in the rate of spread and positive tests. However, only Harding and Union counties are able to relax some public health requirements. The rest remain in the higher risk category.
- MINE SPILL-SETTLEMENTS
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The Navajo Nation's Department of Justice has settled with two mining companies to resolve claims stemming from a 2015 spill that sent wastewater downstream from the inactive Gold King Mine in southwestern Colorado. Under the settlement with the Navajo Nation, Sunnyside Gold Corp. will pay the tribe $10 million. The state of New Mexico also has reached limited agreements with some defendants regarding its claims. The spill released 3 million gallons of wastewater that fouled rivers in three western states with a bright-yellow plume of arsenic, lead and other heavy metals. A federal contracting crew triggered the spill while prepararing for a possible cleanup.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO BUSINESS
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Supreme Court heard oral arguments as it weighs whether the state must compensate businesses for losses from temporary closures or other public health emergency restrictions. The five-member court delayed a decision Wednesday until a later date with no firm deadline. A coalition of businesses says pandemic restrictions have effectively seized private property from businesses that might otherwise have taken their own precautions against the spread of COVID-19. Their multiple lawsuits characterize the state's public health emergency orders as regulatory taking that merits compensation to businesses. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's administration says property rights come with limitations concerning the safety of others.
- BC-AZ-VIRUS OUTBREAK-NAVAJO NATION
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — Navajo Nation health officials on Wednesday reported 169 new COVID-19 cases and five more deaths from the coronavirus outbreak. The additional cases and deaths increased the pandemic's totals for the tribe's reservation to 25,746 cases and 879 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. The tribe's vast reservation includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
- OIL AND GAS-VIOLATION
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — An oil company operating in northwestern New Mexico has agreed to pay a $25,000 civil penalty as part of a settlement. The Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department said Tuesday that a notice of violation had been issued to San Juan Resources, Inc. for failing to report and perform a proper investigation of a well's potentially defective casing. While there were no associated leaks or damages identified at the well in question, state officials said the case highlighted the importance of well integrity and proper reporting. The state Oil Conservation Division also is requiring permanent fixes at the well site.