- TAOS-FATAL SHOOTING
TAOS, N.M. (AP) — Police in Taos say they have arrested a suspect in a homicide case. They say 38-year-old Ray Rivera was taken into custody on suspicion of first-degree murder and charges could be modified as investigators continue to gather evidence. Officers arrived at the shooting scene around 9:30 p.m. Thursday and found 25-year-old Antonio Martinez of Taos dead from a gunshot wound. Police say Rivera fled the scene, but was found a short time later and arrested. It was unclear Sunday if Rivera had a lawyer yet who can speak on his behalf.
- HOUSE FIRE-2 CHILDREN KILLED
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Authorities are investigating a pre-dawn house fire near Española that left two children dead. New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management officials say the two victims were taken to a Santa Fe hospital Saturday where they both were pronounced dead. The names of the children weren't immediately released Sunday. The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that authorities believe the kids were ages 10 and 12. The cause of the blaze is not known yet and the New Mexico State Fire Marshal's Office is leading the investigation. The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office received a report of a fire at 4:30 a.m. Saturday. When firefighters arrived at the scene, they reported finding the two victims in the one-story home near the Chimayó Museum.
- NEW MEXICO-FATAL CRASH
MADDALENA, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico State Police say two people are dead after a three-vehicle crash on Highway 60 near Magdalena. They say the crash involved a semi-truck and two other vehicles. The crash occurred about 10 a.m. Saturday. The names, ages and hometowns of the victims weren't immediately available Sunday. Magdalena is a small village in Socorro County.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NAVAJO NATION
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation has reported 100 more COVID-19 cases and four additional deaths. The latest daily virus figures released Saturday brought the tribe's totals to 40,019 cases and 1,551 known deaths since the pandemic began. The tribe had announced 142 new cases and one coronavirus-related death on Thursday and 88 more cases and no deaths on Friday. Based on cases from Nov. 12-25, the Navajo Department of Health on Monday issued an advisory for 65 communities due to uncontrolled spread of COVID-19. Tribal President Jonathan Nez says 11 states have confirmed cases of the Omicron variant, including several states near and around the Navajo Nation. The reservation covers 27,000 square miles and extends into parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
- NATIONAL GUARD-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico National Guard's top uniformed general is stepping down. Maj. Gen. Kenneth Nava announced Friday his last day as the state adjutant general before retiring will be Dec. 31. Nava will have served 33 years in uniform, beginning as an enlisted man in 1988 as a mechanic in an air defense artillery unit. Nava was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1992 and served in Iraq from 2008-2010 while commanding the 515th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion. Then-Gov. Susana Martinez appointed Nava as adjutant general in 2017. Current Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, attended Nava's retirement ceremony in Santa Fe on Friday.
- EDUCATION-TEACHER RAISES
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico education officials are sharing details Friday of a $200 million plan to increase teacher salaries by at least 7% next fall. Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham says she wants teachers in her state to be the best paid in the region by raising salaries to $64,000, and on par with the national average. New Mexico's minimum teacher salaries are based on three levels of certifications, not years of experience or the cost of living in districts where they work. The Legislature is likely to back a salary increase, with increased oil revenues, and school districts flush with cash from pandemic relief money.
- JEFFREY EPSTEIN-MAXWELL TRIAL-WEEK ONE
NEW YORK (AP) — The first week of the sex-abuse trial of Ghislaine Maxwell saw the first of her four main accusers taking the witness stand to give emotional testimony accusing the British socialite of coaxing her into sexual encounters with financier Jeffrey Epstein. The jury at the federal trial in Manhattan also heard from former employees who offered an inside look at a lavish lifestyle she shared with Maxwell. She was his girlfriend when he allegedly abused underage victims. With week one down, the trial is expected to last about five more.