- AP-US-PROP-FIREARM-MOVIE-SET
Sheriff: Movie set showed 'some complacency' with weaponsSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Investigators say there was "some complacency" in how weapons were handled on a movie set where Alec Baldwin accidentally shot and killed a cinematographer and wounded another person. Speaking Wednesday at a news conference, they also said it's too soon to determine whether charges will be filed. Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza noted that 500 rounds of ammunition were found while searching the set of the Western "Rust." They included a mix of blanks, dummy rounds and live rounds.
- 2022 ELECTION-GOVERNOR-NEW MEXICO
Ronchetti enters Republican race for governor of New MexicoALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Former Albuquerque television meteorologist Mark Ronchetti on Wednesday announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for governor of New Mexico. Ronchetti said in a statement posted on a campaign website that as governor he would focus on small businesses, education, crime and the border. He also said he'd "listen and find solutions that actually work." In joining a crowded Republican primary field targeting Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Ronchetti is making his second run for statewide office. He ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 2020. Ronchetti resigned from KRQE-TV last week. He also stepped away from the station to run in 2020.
- TODDLER DEATH-MOTHER SENTENCED
Mother sentenced to prison for exposure toddler son's deathFARMINGTON, N.M. (AP) — A woman has been sentenced to five years in prison in the 2019 exposure death of her 21-month-old son, whom the mother left behind to get help after the family's vehicle got stuck. in rural northwestern New Mexico. The Farmington Daily Times reports that Tonya Dale Male was sentenced Monday in federal court in Albuquerque after previously pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the death of Kyron Kelewood. Dale said in a letter to District Judge Kea Riggs that Dale's son would still be alive but for wrong decisions she made. His body was found June 28, 2019 after a search by multiple agencies and volunteers.
- FEDERAL PRISON ESCAPEE
Female inmate escapes from a federal prison in PhoenixPHOENIX (AP) — Authorities say they are searching for an inmate who escaped from a federal prison in Phoenix. Officials with the Federal Bureau of Prisons say 36-year-old Rosann Tercero was discovered missing early Tuesday morning from the minimum-security satellite camp next to the Federal Correctional Institution Phoenix. The prison is located near Interstate 17 south of Anthem. The U.S. Marshals Service, FBI and other law enforcement agencies have been notified and are trying to find Tercero. Federal authorities believe Tercero may try to leave Arizona and possibly is headed to New Mexico. Tercero was serving a 117-month sentence for various drug offenses.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NAVAJO NATION
Navajo Nation reports 32 more COVID-19 cases, 1 more deathWINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation on Tuesday reported 32 more COVID-19 cases and one additional death. It marked only the ninth time in the past 27 days that the tribe has reported a coronavirus-related death. The latest numbers pushed the tribe's totals to 36,255 confirmed COVID-19 cases from the virus since the pandemic began more than a year ago. The known death toll now is at 1,475. Based on cases from Oct. 8-21, the Navajo Department of Health issued an advisory notice for 48 communities due to uncontrolled spread of COVID-19. Tribal officials still are urging people to get vaccinated, wear masks while in public and minimize their travel.
- AP-US-PROP-FIREARM-MOVIE-SET-LIABILITY
Potential legal woes mount after 'Rust' shooting tragedyLOS ANGELES (AP) — Experts predict a tremendous legal fallout after Alec Baldwin pulled the trigger on a prop gun while filming "Rust" in New Mexico and unwittingly killed a cinematographer and injured a director. In addition to Baldwin, a call sheet for the day of the shooting obtained by The Associated Press lists five producers, four executive producers, a line producer and a co-producer. They, assistant director Dave Halls and an armorer could all face some sort of liability even if they weren't on the set. The payouts might be in the "millions and millions" of dollars.
- AP-US-VACCINES-NATIONAL-LAB
More workers sue US nuclear lab over vaccine mandateALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Another group of workers is suing Los Alamos National Laboratory over its COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The complaint argues the mandate discriminates against employees who seek religious or medical exemptions. The lawsuit was filed in federal court by a Chicago-based law firm on behalf of eight workers. The lab's policy says those with exemptions have to use vacation time or go without pay until lab management determines it's safe for them to return. The law firm says the policy amounts to accommodation by termination and that the one-size-fits-all approach is illegal. The lab has declined to comment on pending litigation over the mandate. A judge rejected a previous effort by over 100 workers who sought to put the vaccine requirement on hold.
- CRIME-ALBUQUERQUE VICTIMS
US gun violence memorial to include Albuquerque familiesALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Organizers of a national memorial dedicated to victims of gun violence will be stopping in New Mexico's largest city to collect items from families who have lost loved ones. The collection event scheduled for early November comes as Albuquerque marks another year of record homicides and persistent crime. The mayor signed an executive order last week creating a task force to focus on gun violence. Angel Alire is among the moms who want their children to be remembered as part of the national memorial. On display in Washington, D.C., the memorial is made up of numerous glass boxes, each representing one person. Other collection events are planned in Massachusetts and New York.