- CATHOLIC CHURCH-EL FUTURO
PHOENIX (AP) — A booming Hispanic population is seen by many U.S. Roman Catholics as a key to the church's future. In large parts of the United States, recent years have been difficult for the church. Hundreds of schools and parishes have closed, and bankruptcy stemming from sexual abuse has hit hard in the Northeast. There's a different mood in the Southwest. Hispanics now account for 40% of all U.S. Catholics and a solid majority of school-age Catholics. But there are also some big challenges. Catholic researchers say Hispanics are strikingly underrepresented in Catholic schools and in the priesthood, and there's hard work ahead to try to close those gaps.
- ALBUQUERQUE SHOOTING-FOUR SHOT
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Albuquerque police say a shooting Saturday morning left one person dead and three others injured.No identities were released and police said their investigation was in its early stages as detectives conducted interviews and obtained a search warrant.The incident occurred in southeast Albuquerque neighborhood near Broadway Boulevard and Coal Avenue.
- AP-US-IMMIGRATION-VIRUS-OUTBREAK
PHOENIX (AP) — The U.S. government says a new rule disqualifying more people from green cards if they use government benefits will not apply to immigrants who seek care for symptoms of the illness caused by coronavirus. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said late Friday that seeking treatment or preventive services won't affect someone's immigration status under the new public charge rule, which took effect last month. The announcement came after lawmakers and advocacy groups urged the government to suspend the rule during the coronavirus outbreak. Advocates say they have been fielding panicked calls from immigrants who are worried about the impact on their status if they seek health care.
- PUBLIC WATERS-ACCESS FIGHT
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A coalition of outdoor groups is asking the New Mexico Supreme Court to weigh in on a long-running dispute over public access to rivers and streams that flow through private property. The New Mexico Wildlife Federation and others filed their petition Friday. They are seeking to invalidate a rule adopted previously by the state Game Commission that gives landowners the ability to petition wildlife managers to certify waters on private property as "non-navigable" and prohibit public access. Critics say the rule violates the state Constitution and that wildlife managers don't have the authority to determine how waterways should be classified.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico authorities are trying to ensure children are fully fed and cared for as public schools are shut down to guard against the spread of the new coronavirus. Health officials say 10 people in the state have now tested positive for the new coronavirus, with the new cases including household companions of those who had previously tested positive. The new cases in Bernalillo and Santa Fe counties come as students pick up laptops and books from school to settle into life at home without public gatherings for at least three weeks. The governor acknowledged the school closures are difficult and have social and economic impacts.
- AP-US-VIRUS-OUTBREAK-SCHOOL-MEALS
ELK GROVE, Calif. (AP) — Millions of students across the U.S. may go without free lunches and breakfasts they receive at schools, as more districts decide to close due to the coronavirus. Many schools are rushing to arrange grab-and-go lunch bags or set up delivery routes so America's poorest children don't go hungry while classes are out of session. The outbreak has already temporarily closed schools in a growing list of states, including Ohio, Maryland, Michigan, Illinois, Virginia, Oregon, Washington, New Mexico and South Dakota. Cities from Los Angeles to Seattle to Washington, D.C., also announced public schools would shut down. Meanwhile, Congress may take action to waive regulations nationwide to make it easier for school meals to be distributed at more sites.
- DROUGHT-NEW MEXICO
TIJERAS, N.M. (AP) — A mountain village in central New Mexico has been awarded nearly $750,000 in federal funding from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation that will be used to help the community bolster its resiliency to drought. The grant for Tijeras is part of an overall announcement made Thursday where 12 projects were selected to receive $7.5 million to increase the reliability of water supplies as well as improve water management and the environment. Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman says communities throughout the West need to take steps to prepare for drought. The latest federal drought map shows more than 40% of the state is dealing with some level of dryness.
- BOWLING ALLEY MASSACRE
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — Detectives are examining dozens of new tips related to the massacre at a southern New Mexico bowling alley more than 30 years ago following the announcement of a new reward. KVIA-TV reports the tips come a month after Las Cruces police detectives announced a $30,000 reward for information leading to the suspects behind a deadly robbery that left four dead. Police say two unidentified robbers came into the Las Cruces Bowl in February 1990 and shot seven people before burning a portion of the building. Las Cruces Detective Amador Martinez said he's combing through 50 to 60 tips he's received since holding a news conference in early February.