- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's largest school district will require all students, employees and visitors to wear masks when in school facilities and school buses, whether individuals are vaccinated or not. The Albuquerque Public Schools board's 5-1 vote Wednesday to impose the requirement follows new federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance issued Tuesday. The district said students and staff aren't required to wear masks outdoors. In another development, the University of New Mexico announced Thursday that effective Monday it will require that all people wear masks while indoors on the Albuquerque main campus and at satellite locations in Los Lunas, Taos and Rio Rancho.
- IMMIGRATION-CENTRAL AMERICA
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris says efforts to address root causes of migration from Central America won't produce immediate results as she unveils a broad strategy that expands on principles the Biden administration has laid out before. The plan supports short-term relief for migration pressures like extreme weather while also committing sustained attention to deeper motivations for people to leave their countries. Harris said Thursday the governments of Mexico, Japan and South Korea have committed to joining the push, along with the United Nations. President Joe Biden's administration has struggled for short- and long-term responses.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NAVAJO NATION
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation on Wednesday reported 14 new COVID-19 cases, but no additional deaths. The latest numbers brought the total number of COVID-19 cases on the vast reservation to 31,337 since the pandemic began more than a year ago. The number of known deaths remains at 1,373. The Navajo Nation recently relaxed restrictions to allow visitors to travel on the reservation and visit popular attractions like Canyon de Chelly and Monument Valley. The reservation is the country's largest at 27,000 square miles and it covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. While cases are down, Navajo leaders are urging residents to continue wearing masks and get vaccinated.
- FLOODED ARROYO-MISSING PERSON SEARCH
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Crews have recovered the body of an unidentified woman who was swept away by floodwaters in an arroyo in northeast Albuquerque. City fire rescue officials say the body was found at a washout Wednesday afternoon. They say two people _ a man and a woman _ were spotted in the arroyo after heavy rain hit the area Tuesday evening. One person safely got out of the arroyo near Interstate 25 before the search was stopped by darkness and resumed Wednesday morning. Crews had been tied to railings along the arroyo as they searched for any sign of the second missing person coming through the raging water.
- LEGISLATOR-CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Authorities in New Mexico are investigating a longtime state legislator's connections to a company that had contracts to do business with the school district where she worked. Investigators executed search warrants this week at Rep. Sheryl Williams Stapleton's home and her office at the Albuquerque Public Schools district. It's part of a criminal investigation into alleged racketeering, money laundering, illegal kickbacks and violations of a state law that governs the conduct of state lawmakers. No charges have been filed against Stapleton, a top Democrat in the state House and a member of the chamber's education committees. A call to Stapleton's home went unanswered Wednesday, and she didn't immediately respond to an email.
- Bob Odenkirk condition stable after 'heart related incident'
LOS ANGELES (AP) — "Better Call Saul" star Bob Odenkirk had a "heart related incident" when he collapsed on the show's New Mexico set, and his condition is stable as he recovers at a hospital. Odenkirk's representatives issued the statement on his status Wednesday. A day earlier, the 58-year-old actor was shooting the show's sixth and final season when he collapsed and had to be taken in an ambulance to a local hospital in Albuquerque. Odenkirk's son Nate tweeted that his father "is going to be OK." Odenkirk has been nominated for four Emmys for playing the title role in "Better Call Saul."
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NAVAJO NATION
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation on Tuesday reported 15 new COVID-19 cases and one additional death. The latest numbers brought the total number of COVID-19 cases on the vast reservation to 31,322 since the pandemic began more than a year ago. The number of known deaths now is at 1,373. The Navajo Nation recently relaxed restrictions to allow visitors to travel on the reservation and visit popular attractions like Canyon de Chelly and Monument Valley. The reservation is the country's largest at 27,000 square miles and it covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. While cases are down, Navajo leaders are urging residents to continue wearing masks and get vaccinated.
- BANDELIER-WILDFLOWERS
LOS ALAMOS, N.M. (AP) — A bountiful wildflower bloom at Bandelier National Monument is drawing some early risers who want to avoid the midday crowds. The visitors center is responding to accommodate them. Starting Sunday, it will open a half-hour earlier at 8:30 a.m. Acting Superintendent Dennis Milligan says that will give staff more time to hand out information on trails and safety. The Southwest has been inundated with rain during the monsoon season, bolstering wildflowers. Monument officials say the massive wildflower bloom should last for several more weeks. They say visitors should feel free to photograph the flowers but don't pick them so others can enjoy the view.