- VIRUS RELIEF-SCHOOLS BUDGET
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico schools plan to spend the bulk of the federal coronavirus relief money they've received on technology and building upgrades rather than student learning loss. A report this week before the New Mexico Legislature's budget committee showed school districts and charters plan to spend 38% of the $490 million they received thus far on technology and HVAC systems. The Santa Fe New Mexican reported that schools plan to spend 9% of the funds on learning loss programs and 8% on interventions for at-risk students.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and the state's top health officials are closely monitoring the increase in COVID-19 cases. The state Health Department reported Thursday that another 273 cases have been confirmed, marking one of the highest daily totals in months. That topped the 271 cases reported the day before. The governor's office said the numbers aren't where anyone wants them to be. Many states are seeing similar upticks. There are no indications yet whether any public health restriction could be reinstated in New Mexico. After dealing with some of the toughest restriction in the nation, New Mexico reopened July 1.
- VETERANS HOME-OVERSIGHT
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A report says a lack of oversight within the New Mexico Department of Health likely was a factor in high COVID-19 infection and death rates among residents at the New Mexico State Veterans' Home. It's one of the findings outlined in a scathing review by legislative analysts. The report was discussed during a meeting Wednesday of the Legislative Finance Committee. The report noted that multiple independent reviews found failure to follow proper infection control and personal protective equipment procedures at the home despite early guidance from state health officials. Also, a pattern of deficiencies has cost the facility over $180,000 in federal penalties since 2015.
- ALBUQUERQUE STORM-BODY RECOVERED
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Firefighters believe they have located a third person who went missing after being swept into an arroyo as a result of storms in Albuquerque. Albuquerque Fire Department spokesman Tom Ruiz said Thursday that crews recovered a body in the washout area of a diversion channel. Authorities recovered the bodies of two men were in the area Wednesday. Their names and ages were not immediately released by authorities. Crews initially responded Tuesday afternoon when three people were seen floating down the diversion channel in northeast Albuquerque after the area was hit with heavy rains. Swift water rescue units scrambled to the sides of the channel to attempt a rescue but didn't spot the trio over a two-hour period.
- PNM-UTILITY MORATORIUM ENDING
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's largest utility is urging thousands of customers to contact them before they lose power when a pandemic moratorium on electricity payments ends. PNM said Thursday more than 47,000 households have past-due bills that could lead to power shutoffs as soon as mid-August. Officials with the electricity provider say there are millions of dollars in financial assistance available but customers must contact them. The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission recently voted to temporarily avoid disconnecting power over unpaid bills because of COVID-19. PNM estimates it is owed more than $21 million in past-due electricity bills. Customers are expected to eventually pay for the energy consumed.
- EDUCATION-RECOVERY FUNDING
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Federal education officials have approved New Mexico's spending plan for recovery aid, clearing the way for another $327 million to be distributed to the state. The money is intended to help the state Education Department sustain safe operation of schools and boost learning opportunities, particularly for students who have been most affected by the pandemic. Some of the money will go toward grants for districts and other organizations to run summer programs focused on science and math. The state already had received more than $650 million in emergency education funding. New Mexico is among 14 other states to have their plans approved by the U.S. Department of Education.
- MINE SPILL-RESTORATION
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico officials are looking for ideas for restoration projects to repair damage caused by a 2015 spill that fouled rivers in three western states with arsenic, lead and other heavy metals. The state Office of the Natural Resources Trustee said Wednesday that the projects would be funded through a proposed $1 million settlement with Sunnyside Gold Corp. and its parent companies. The spill released 3 million gallons of wastewater from the inactive Gold King Mine in southwestern Colorado. A crew hired by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency triggered the spill while trying to excavate the mine opening in preparation for a possible cleanup.
- ALBUQUERQUE STORM
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Two bodies were recovered Wednesday and the search continued for one other person swept into an arroyo after storms hit Albuquerque, authorities said. Firefighters pulled a man's body from the end of a diversion channel on Wednesday morning and a second man's body in the afternoon. The names and ages of the two victims were not immediately released by authorities. Crews initially responded Tuesday afternoon when three people were seen floating down the diversion channel in northeast Albuquerque after the area was hit with heavy rains. Swift water rescue units scrambled to the sides of the channel to attempt a rescue but didn't spot the three people over a two-hour period.