- JUVENILE KILLED-HOMICIDE CASE
LOS LUNAS, N.M. (AP) — Valencia County Sheriff's officials say deputies are investigating the death of an 11-year-old boy as a homicide case. They say deputies responded to multiple 911 calls around 3 p.m. Saturday about a disturbance. Deputies found the body of the boy in the front yard of a property in a Monterey Park neighborhood. The name of the boy hasn't been released. Sheriff's investigators say the boy's family does not appear to be involved in his death. Authorities say no suspects have been identified yet and it's still unclear how the boy died or what led up to the homicide. New Mexico State Police have been asked to assist in the investigation.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NAVAJO NATION
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation has reported 16 additional COVID-19 cases and three more deaths from the virus. As of Saturday night, the tribe has reported 29,857 confirmed cases and 1,198 deaths from the virus since the pandemic began about a year ago. Health facilities on the reservation and in border towns are conducting drive-thru vaccine events or administering doses by appointment. The Navajo-area Indian Health Service has vaccinated more than 135,000 people so far. A daily curfew from 9 a.m. to 5 a.m. and a mask mandate remain in effect for residents of the vast reservation that covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah to prevent the spread of the virus.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS-NEW MEXICO
ALBQUQUERQUE (AP) — New Mexico Democrats Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan were both in the razor-thin majority Saturday as the U.S. Senate approved a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill. The 50-49 vote gives President Joe Biden and his Democratic allies a victory that they say is crucial for hoisting the country out of the pandemic and economic doldrums. Senate passage sets up final congressional approval by the House next week. Heinrich said New Mexico's residents "are facing daunting economic hardships and need assistance to help weather this crisis," while Lujan said the bill "provides crucial relief at a time when New Mexicans are still struggling financially."
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico on Saturday reported 288 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases and 10 deaths. increasing the state's pandemic totals to 186,742 cases and 3,796 deaths. About a quarter of the additional cases were reported in Bernalillo County. Counties with double-digit numbers of additional cases included Lea , Dona Ana, Eddy, Otero, Sandoval, San Juan, Santa Fe and Valencia. Four deaths were from Bernalillo County while Dona Ana and Otero counties hat two each and Rio Arriba and Socorro counties had one each. Most of the dead were at least 60 years old but one woman was in her 20s and one man was in his 30s.
- POLICE SHOOTING-VALENCIA COUNTY
LOS LUNAS, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico State Police says Valencia County sheriff's deputies were involved in a shooting in which a suspect was wounded. The State Police said no deputies were injured in the incident in Los Lunas and that the suspect was transported to a hospital. No additional information was released, including the suspect's condition and whether that person was shot by one or more deputies.
- PRISON GANG TRIAL-ARRESTS
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Federal authorities have arrested four people, suspected of making threats against a judge and other officials, hours before testimony in the racketeering and murder trial of a Syndicato de Nuevo Mexico prison gang member began this week in Albuquerque. The Albuquerque Journal reported that FBI agent Bryan Acee testified on Wednesday that 41-year-old Jody Rufino Martinez was linked to two threats to kill FBI agents and prosecutors, including threats that have since surfaced. Martinez faces a potential life sentence. Acee said the threats involved an unidentified judge. An FBI spokesman said he had no details about who was arrested on Wednesday or their charges.
- ALBUQUERQUE POLICE-SETTLEMENT
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The Albuquerque Police Department on Saturday announced that the city will make $175,000 payments to a police sergeant and a police officer to settle retaliations claims. The department said in a statement that Sgt. Steven Martinez and Officer Tillery DiCenzo both alleged violations of a whistleblower law after then-Police Chief Mike Geier transferred them after they reported misconduct by a now-former commander of the police academy. The department said investigation substantiated allegations of threats directed at cadets and of retaliation against staff. The department said Martinez and DiCenzo had been reassigned to their previous positions at the academy.
- LEGISLATURE-EDUCATION FUNDING
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Senate is backing sweeping education funding reforms that will result in more money being sent to Native American school districts. The bill passed on Friday eliminates a credit long used by the state to send less education funding to schools surrounded by non-taxable lands like Native American reservations and army bases. Some senators argue the changes will sully a statewide funding formula focused on equality. But recent court judgments have ordered additional funding to underserved students, especially those serving Native American and low-income students. The Senate will also consider increasing funding for two-year colleges and payouts from the state's $20 billion endowment.