- ALBUQUERQUE-100TH HOMICIDE
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Police in Albuquerque say they are investigating the city's 100th homicide case so far this year. Police say officers responded to a shots fired call around 4:30 a.m. Saturday. They found a car that looked like it crashed into someone's yard and the person inside had at least one gunshot wound. Police say that person died on the scene. No other information on the victim has been released yet. Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina says "hitting 100 is a grim reminder of the violence that's occurring in the city." He says Albuquerque "won't get anywhere without the community working together" and a cultural change is needed to stop the violence.
- AP-US-JEFFREY-EPSTEIN-MAXWELL-TRIAL
NEW YORK (AP) — Despite his suicide, disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein will still be put on trial in a sense in the coming weeks by a proxy: his former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell. The 59-year-old Maxwell is to go before a federal jury in Manhattan later this month on charges she groomed underage victims to have unwanted sex with Epstein. The British socialite has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. Over 600 potential jurors will be brought to court this week for questioning by the judge to weed out bias. A panel of 12 jurors and six alternates will be picked just before opening statements start on Nov. 29 at her highly anticipated trial.
- TRAPPING ACQUITTAL-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A northern New Mexico man has been acquitted of illegal trapping charges stemming from an incident that caused a dog's strangulation death and prompted a new state law prohibiting trapping on public land. A jury on Wednesday acquitted 44-year-old Marty Cordova of Chimayo of several crimes regarding trapping fur-bearing animals, including trapping within 25 yards of a public road. Cordova was charged after an 8-year-old heeler mix named Roxy died at Santa Cruz Lake as the dog's owner tried to free it from a snare trap. The new law banning use of traps, snares and wildlife poison on public lands takes effect next April.
- DETAINED MAN-DEATH
SHIPROCK, N.M. (AP) — Navajo Nation police say a body found Friday in a Shiprock canal is that of a man who disappeared after being detained by police while highly intoxicated over two weeks earlier. A police statement said 21-year-old Jevon Descheenie disappeared Oct. 25 after being seated on the rear step of a transport van outside the police station in Shiprock while the officer who had detained Descheenie went to a nearby police vehicle to get gloves to clean up vomit in that vehicle's passenger compartment, According to the statement, "when the officer returned to the rear of the transport van, Descheenie was gone."
- DRY NEW MEXICO-DESALINATION
EUNICE, N.M. (AP) — One southeastern New Mexico city is taking another step as it looks for an "unlimited" source of water. The Eunice City Council has tasked an engineering firm to continue studying the benefits of building a desalination plant for the community. As depletion of fresh water from the Ogallala Aquifer continues, the council wants to know the feasibility of a proposed alternative — desalination of saline or brackish water. Mayor Billy Hobbs has said he hopes the project could lead to his city becoming water independent. It could cost an estimated $5.5 million to build a desalination plant in Eunice.
- NEW MEXICO-COLORADO
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Keeshawn Barthelemy scored 20 points and led four Buffaloes in double figures as Colorado fended off New Mexico 87-76 in coach Tad Boyle's 500th career game. Jaelen House led the Lobos with 22 points and Jamal Mashburn Jr. added 20. House and Mashburn are two of four transfers from power conferences who followed Richard Pitino to New Mexico after his hiring in Albuquerque. House had 30 points in his Lobos debut and is now averaging 26 points. The Buffaloes also got 17 points and 10 rebounds from Jabari Walker.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-BOOSTERS
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California is among three states now allowing coronavirus booster shots for all adults. The move comes even though federal health officials recommend limiting doses to those over 65 and younger people with certain underlying health conditions or whose jobs are high risk for the virus. California, along with Colorado and New Mexico, instituted their policies to try to head off a feared surge around the end-of-year holidays when more people are gathering inside. Colorado and New Mexico have among the nation's highest rates of new infections. California now joins them in the "high" tier for transmission after being lowest in the nation earlier this fall.