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Latest New Mexico news, sports, business and entertainment at 11:20 a.m. MDT

  • ELECTION 2020-HOUSE-NEW MEXICO

Congresswoman Torres Small still outraising GOP opponentsLAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Xochitl (ZOH'-cheel) Torres Small continues to outraise her Republican opponents in her re-election bid for a key Congressional seat in southern New Mexico.
Federal election records show the Las Cruces Democrat pulled in $1,091,386 during her first six months in office after winning the seat in November. Records show she had around $1 million cash on hand.
Republican Yvette Herrell, who lost to Torres Small last year and is seeking a rematch, raised $312,000 during the same period and reported having $307,000 cash on hand.
But to win the GOP nomination Herrell will have to defeat Las Cruces businessman Chris Mathys who is also running. Records show Mathys reported raising $180,000 and had around $160,000 cash on hand.
No other candidates have declared for the seat.

  • HOMELESS MAN-KILLING

2 men indicted for 2017 killing of Albuquerque homeless man(Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Two men have been indicted for the 2017 killing of an Albuquerque homeless man who police say was set on fire.
The Albuquerque Journal reports a grand jury on Friday indicted 48-year-old Randy Hilliard and 47-year-old Billy Harper on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated arson in connection with the death of Leo Molzhon.
Witnesses told officers two men doused the 50-year-old Molzhon in gasoline and set him on fire in June 2017. Police found Molzhon and a mattress he had been lying on engulfed in flames underneath Interstate 40 in Albuquerque.
Some of Molzhon's friends previously told the Journal he was originally from Minnesota and had been living on the streets for more than a year.
It has not known if Hilliard or Harper had attorneys.
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  • MIGRANT SUPPORT-ALBUQUERQUE

Albuquerque hasn't touched $250K to help asylum-seekers(Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Albuquerque's $250,000 to support asylum-seekers passing through the city has remained untouched as officials say the flow of migrants has slowed.
The Albuquerque Journal reported Tuesday that the City Council approved the spending in May to reimburse organizations that temporarily host migrants as they make arrangements to meet up with relatives or sponsors.
The city reached agreements with five organizations to pay up to $2,000 per group of migrants hosted.
City Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs coordinator Mariela Ruiz-Angel says the number of people moving through the city slowed significantly by the time the contracts were completed.
The contracts run through the end of this year. Ruiz-Angel said they could be extended to June 2020.
City Councilor Pat Davis says the funding will eventually be needed to help asylum-seekers.
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  • VIRTUAL REALITY STARTUP

Santa Fe startup gets $1M grant for virtual reality tech(Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.santafenewmexican.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A Santa Fe startup has received a $1 million federal Small Business Innovation Research grant to complete its virtual reality data visualization technology.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports SciVista is developing a product called Summit VR — a platform to add three-dimensional data into virtual reality.
Summit VR is being developed in partnership with Intel, Kitware, the Texas Advanced Computing Center, the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy and others.
SciVista, a builder of data visualization programs, was established in 2018 and is a spinoff from Woodruff Scientific, a Santa Fe research and development company focused on electromagnets.
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  • HAZMAT SITUATION-NEIGHBORHOOD EVACUATED

Albuquerque neighborhood is evacuated in a hazmat situation(Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Bernalillo County Sheriff's officials say a hazmat situation in Albuquerque has caused the closure and evacuation of a neighborhood.
They say deputies are assisted county firefighters after responding to reports Tuesday evening about an unknown leaking substance.
Officials didn't immediately say what caused the leak or what is leaking.
The Albuquerque Journal reports deputies are asking residents in the area to evacuate to the Raymond G. Sanchez Community Center.
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  • ELECTION 2020-WARREN ENDORSEMENT

Native American congresswoman endorses Elizabeth WarrenSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — One of two Native American women in Congress has endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren.
U.S. Rep. Debra Haaland of New Mexico on Tuesday announced her endorsement in social media posts that describe Warren as a great friend and partner on policies that affect Indian Country.
On Instagram , a tinted photograph of Haaland and Warren accompanies praise for the senator's efforts related to working families, student loan debt and missing and murdered indigenous women.
Warren has been criticized for claiming Native American identity early in her career and apologized recently to the Cherokee Nation for releasing DNA test results as evidence she had Native American ancestry, albeit at least six generations back.
Haaland is a tribal member of Laguna Pueblo and represents a district centered in Albuquerque.

  • BOARDING HOMES REGULATIONS

New Mexico governor aims to up oversight of boarding homes(Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's administration is working on regulations to increase oversight of boarding homes for people with mental illnesses.
The Albuquerque Journal reported Tuesday that the administration is aiming to require licenses and periodic inspections of the homes.
The Democratic governor says the rules would also set standards for fire safety, staffing levels, crowding and bathroom facilities.
Grisham says the state has about 100 boarding homes that are unregulated.
Most of the facilities are near Las Vegas, New Mexico, where the only state psychiatric hospital is located.
State Department of Health spokesman David Morgan says the rules aim to ensure residents of the homes have "safe and supported" living conditions.
He says they aim to release the proposed rules in the coming weeks.
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  • AMBER ALERT SYSTEM-TRIBES

Tribes train to implement Amber Alert under new federal lawALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The mother of a Navajo girl who was abducted and killed in 2016 is urging tribal officials to take advantage of tools and funding that have been made available for responding to reports of missing Native American children.
Pamela Foster's comments Tuesday came during a training in Albuquerque for tribes to implement the alert system. Organizers say more than 20 tribes are participating in the training.
A federal law signed last year expanded the alert system to tribal land. It gives tribes direct access to grants and training long available in other jurisdictions.
The law is named for Foster's daughter Ashlynne Mike. She was 11 when she was kidnapped near her school bus stop and killed.
An Amber Alert wasn't issued for her until early the next morning.