- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NAVAJO NATION
TEESTO, Ariz. (AP) — A strong sense of community and taking care of one another has come to the aid of people like Raymond Clark on the Navajo Nation. The 71-year-old painter lives alone, without running water or transportation in the community of Teesto. He's content paying for wood deliveries, chipping in for gas money for a ride to town and carrying jugs to fill up at a water station. But sometimes, those things come to him. Officials at the Teesto Chapter House say they have even more of a duty now during a pandemic to ensure their most vulnerable residents get what they need to stay safe and at home.
- AP-US-ENDANGERED-WOLVES
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Once on the verge of extinction, the rarest subspecies of the gray wolf in North America has seen its population nearly double over the last five years. U.S. wildlife managers said Friday the latest survey shows there are now at least 186 Mexican gray wolves in the wild in New Mexico and Arizona. That marks the fifth straight year that the endangered species has increased its numbers. Reintroduction of Mexican wolves to the American Southwest began more than two decades ago. The program has pitted environmentalists, rural residents and wildlife managers against one another, prompting many legal challenges over the years.
- NATIONAL PARK-VISITOR TASED
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The National Park Service says a ranger used a stun gun on a man who identifies as Native American after trying repeatedly to defuse a confrontation on federal land in New Mexico. The agency said Friday that an internal investigation determined the ranger's actions at Petroglyph National Monument were consistent with policy and appropriate given the circumstances. Darrell House posted video that drew outcry from Indigenous activists. House, who identifies as Navajo and Oneida, had been seen climbing on petroglyph cliff features off-trail in December. He was cited. Agency officials say they've met with Indigenous leaders to try to strengthen cultural awareness.
- FILM PRODUCTIONS-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Film Office says four independent feature films headline the state's latest lineup of projects either recently in production or about to start up. The independent features include "Harem Complex Part 1," a love story revolving around a young couple, and "Peace River," a drama about the struggles and faith of a rodeo cowboy and military veteran. The other two independent films are "Land of Dreams," a political satire, and "Terror at Bigfoot Pond," which involves young adults who find trouble while camping. A silent short comedy, a short film and a docuseries pilot are the other productions.
- FOUR CORNERS-COAL POWERED PLANT
FARMINGTON, N.M. (AP) — The co-owners of the coal-powered Four Corners Generation Station in New Mexico say they will limit the facility's operations starting in 2023. The plant's five co-owners agreed to shut down one of the facility's two generators for seven months each year beginning in the fall of 2023. The other generator will operate year-round. The proposal could reduce the facility's carbon emissions by up to 25% every year. Arizona Public Service Co., which owns a majority of the plant, had already pledged to transition away from carbon sources by 2050 and close the Four Corners plant by 2031.
- ABORTION-STATE LEGISLATURES
At an intense pace, lawmakers in Republican-governed states are considering an array of tough anti-abortion restrictions they hope might reach the Supreme Court and win approval from its conservative majority. The goal is to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established a nationwide right to abortion. Already this year, a sweeping ban has been enacted in South Carolina, although it was swiftly blocked. It joins a batch of other near-total bans also blocked in the courts after their passage in 2019. It's not clear if or when the Supreme Court might consider any of them.
- BC-NM-SUSPICIOUS DEATH-SHIPROCK REWARD
FARMINGTON, N.M. (AP) — The FBI is offering a $5,000 reward as it continues to investigate the suspicious death of a Navajo Nation man whose body was found in October along a highway in Shiprock. The FBI and Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety have been investigating since 30-year-old Isiah Terrell Billy's body was found Oct. 5 in a wash near a gas station on U.S. Highway 64. The FBI said in a statement announcing the reward this week that the cause of death is still pending "but considered suspicious." The FBI says Billy lived in Shiprock on the Navajo Nation. No other details have been released.
- EDUCATION FUNDING-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The debate over how to use New Mexico's unique endowment is heating up. A proposal in the Senate would give voters the chance to approve an increase in withdrawals from the $20 billion Land Grant Permanent Fund to invest in universal pre-K, infant and toddler care along with optional home visits for new parents. Supporters of the measure believe a 1% investment in young children now will pay dividends in reducing poverty and increasing education outcomes down the road. Critics of the proposal argue that an increase could deplete the fund. Others say it should be used for public schools.