- DRY SOUTHWEST
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Drought has yet to give up its hold over parts of the southwestern United States despite a series of storms that have brought rain and snow to the region in recent weeks. The latest federal map shows a pocket of moderate and severe drought centered over the Four Corners region _ where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah meet. Despite the continued dry conditions, forecasters say things are better than they were last year at this time when exceptional and extreme drought _ the worst categories _ had set in. They say average moisture levels resulting from snowfall are above normal across Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
- COLD CASE-KILLING
LAS VEGAS, N.M. (AP) — A district attorney in northern New Mexico says he is waiting on additional information in a nearly two-year-old cold case killing. Fourth Judicial District Attorney Richard Flores told the Las Vegas Optic last week police in Las Vegas, New Mexico, have turned over evidence in the fatal shooting of Jeromy Vasquez. On Jan. 21, 2018, the 36-year-old was gunned down in the northern New Mexico city, but no charges were ever filed. Flores says his office was told more information in the case was coming. An Optic story examining the case earlier this month posed questions why a suspect wasn't investigated more thoroughly.
- AP-US-SPORTS-EDITOR-SLUR
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — A sports editor for a New Mexico newspaper has apologized after using "scalps" in a tweet to describe a high school basketball team defeating a team with Native American student-athletes. The world "scalp" has a racist history as white settlers regularly cut off pieces of Native Americans' heads after killing them. Hobbs News-Sun Sports Editor Jason Farmer said Friday his tweet was "very inappropriate and completely insensitive." Navajo Nation criticized Farmer's social media post, saying such comments should not be normalized.
- BABY SHARK-NAVAJO
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Creators of the popular video "Baby Shark," whose song was played at the World Series in October, have released a version in Navajo. Pinkfong, a brand of the South Korea company SmartStudy, said Sunday the video is available online and was created following auditions from Navajo actors. SmartStudy worked with the Navajo Nation Museum in Window Rock, Arizona, to create a new version of the widely popular tune about a family of sharks. Navajo Baby Shark, is the 20th language version of Baby Shark. The Navajo Nation is the largest Native American reservation in the U.S. The Navajo word for shark translates to "angry fish."
- PLASTIC BAG BAN
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Businesses in New Mexico's largest metropolitan area are preparing for rules that will take effect with the start of the new year that call for banning plastic bags. Officials with the city of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County are hopeful the rules will encourage customers to curb their use of plastic bags that contribute to waste and take a long time to break down. But local business leaders say they're being forced to swap their supply of plastic bags for more expensive and less convenient options. Restaurants will be exempt, but as many as 6,800 other businesses may be affected.
- PROPOSAL RECORDING GONE WRONG
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A future mother-in-law tasked with making a phone recording of her future son-in-law proposing to her daughter apparently missed the moment. She ended up recording a selfie on her reaction to what she was seeing. KOB-TV in Albuquerque reports Susan Griego somehow took a selfie video of herself watching Benjamin Steele Bacon proposed to her daughter. She did capture the moment Bacon popped the question to Amber Griego by the penguin exhibit at the Albuquerque Biopark. The couple said the selfie video made the proposal more memorable.
- METHANE FIGHT-NEW MEXICO
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — An advisory panel has released a technical report that covers how emissions are produced by oil and natural gas development and how New Mexico might be able to curb pollution from the industry. Rather than outline specific recommendations, the 300-page document is meant to be a resource for state regulators as they begin the process in 2020 of drafting formal rules aimed at reducing methane emissions. Despite industry claims that companies have been able to reduce emissions while still setting production records, environmentalists have been pushing for more regulations to target methane leaks and the practice of venting and flaring.
- WINTRY WEATHER-SOUTHWEST
Wintry weather is restricting access to some national park sites in the the Four Corners region of the U.S. Southwest. National Park Service sites announcing they were closed Saturday included Bandelier National Monument in northern New Mexico and Arches National Park in southern Utah . At Grand Canyon National Park in northern Arizona, officials said 25 miles of State Route 64 between Grand Canyon Village and Desert View. were closed due to snow before being cleared and opened Saturday afternoon. Other park roads were plowed but snowpacked and icy. Bandelier officials cited both accumulated snow and continued snowfall. Arches officials said crews were working to clear the entry road of snow and ice.