- INDIGENOUS BOARDING SCHOOLS
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Some members of Congress want protections put in place to address ongoing intergenerational trauma as more information comes to light about the troubled history of Indigenous boarding schools in the United States. A group of 21 Democrats sent a letter last week to the Indian Health Service. They're asking that culturally appropriate support services be put in place, such as a special hotline and mental and spiritual programs. The federal agency said Monday it's reviewing the request and discussing what steps to take next. Advocacy groups say additional trauma resources for Indigenous communities are more urgent than ever.
- AP-US-NATIONAL-LAB-DRONES
LOS ALAMOS, N.M. (AP) — Drone pilots, beware. Authorities at one of the nation's top nuclear weapons laboratories issued a warning Monday that airspace over Los Alamos National Laboratory is off limits. As the birthplace of the atomic bomb, the lab has reported that recent unauthorized drone flights have been detected in restricted airspace in the area. Officials said if you fly a drone over the lab, you likely will lose it. The lab has a system for intercepting any unauthorized flights, but officials would not release any details about how the system works, citing security protocols. They also would not say how many unauthorized flights have occurred in recent months.
- NEIGHBOR SHOT DEAD
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — A Las Cruces man has pleaded not guilty to fatally shooting his son's neighbor in his driveway. The Las Cruces Sun-News reports Santiago Rascon entered the plea Monday during his arraignment on charges of first-degree murder and evidence tampering. His attorney says he wants Rascon to undergo a psychiatric exam. Authorities say in December, the 71-year-old Rascon walked up to 29-year-old Edgar Segovia, who was sitting in his car, and fired off multiple rounds. When questioned, Rascon said he wanted revenge for his son's death. Police have not said how Rascon's son died. But the victim had once called animal control on his son.
- ARSON-SCULPTURE
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Authorities in Santa Fe are searching for a suspect who set fire to a sculpture over the weekend. Fire officials say someone deliberately committed arson against a 21-foot tall sculpture late Saturday night outside of the Form & Concept gallery downtown. Police Chief Andrew Padilla told the Santa Fe New Mexican investigators are reviewing surveillance footage in hopes of identifying a suspect. The newspaper says a photo from a bystander showed a red gas can by the destroyed sculpture. The gallery said in a statement the sculpture, titled "The Solacii," was created by Tigre Mashaal-Lively. It described it as an "undeniable act of violence" against an artist of color.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NAVAJO NATION
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — All Navajo Nation executive branch employees will need to be fully vaccinated against the virus that causes COVID-19 by the end of September or face regular testing. Tribal President President Jonathan Nez announced the new rules on Sunday. They apply to full, part-time and temporary employees, including those working for tribal enterprises like utilities, shopping centers and casinos. The tribe reported just 30 news cases on Sunday and no new deaths. It has been hard hit by the virus and tallied 32,252 COVID-19 cases and 1,397 deaths.
- FARM WATER SHUTOFF
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Hundreds of farmers along the Rio Grande in central New Mexico face a second straight year of irrigation supplies being cut off early. The board that oversees the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District voted Friday to end irrigation deliveries a month early because of low water availability. The Oct. 1 shutoff means that winter crops are at risk. The board said the shutoff is necessary because of long-term drought and a large water debt owed to users in southern New Mexico and Texas. The district's decision is driven in part by a decades-old water-sharing agreement that governs river water deliveries among Colorado, New Mexico and Texas.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-SCHOOL MASKS
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's mask and vaccine requirements are drawing more fire from parents and officials. Members of the public spoke to the Las Cruces school board for more than an hour this week, with most parents railing against the district's masking policy. In Carlsbad, citizens and elected officials demanded that the school district fight for control and do away with mask and vaccine requirements. There are similar concerns in Albuquerque, Aztec and Torrance County, where commissioners recently passed a resolution supporting local control and the authority of school boards to make decisions in the best interest of their students, staff and parents.
- PAROLEE SHOOTING-ALBUQUERQUE POLICE
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Albuquerque police say an officer shot a parolee who used his car to ram police vehicles in a bid to evade arrest and wielded a rifle while trying to get a driver out of a nearby car in the city's southwest. Police Chief Harold Medina said Friday the man who was shot was hospitalized and no officers were injured in the incident. The suspect was not immediately identified. Medina said he was sought on a parole violation and was a suspect in vehicle thefts and an Albuquerque homicide investigation. The shooting was the third involving Albuquerque police in the past six days.