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Latest New Mexico news, sports, business and entertainment at 3:20 a.m. MDT

  • New Mexico jails suspend in-person visitations, test inmates

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — County jails across New Mexico have suspended in-person visitations and are rapidly testing inmates to minimize the spread of the new coronavirus. Officials at Albuquerque's Metropolitan Detention Center — the state's most populous county jail — announced last week it will temporarily discontinue all in-person visits to the secure area of the facility. Santa Fe County Department of Public Safety also has suspended visitation for residents at the jail facility. All incoming inmates are being screened for all infectious diseases, including COVID-19. Officials with the San Miguel County Detention Center have suspended in-person visitation amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

  • New veterans clinic coming to southeastern New Mexico

HOBBS, N.M, (AP) — U.S. military veterans are getting a new clinic in southeastern New Mexico. The Hobbs News-Sun reports the planned veterans clinic has been placed on a "fast track" to be completed by the end of 2020. Officials say the lack of a options for veterans in Hobbs force many of them to make the grueling trip out of state to receive care. According to statistics from the Veterans Medical Center in Big Spring, Texas, there are around 6,000 veterans living in New Mexico's Lea County. The clinic comes after Hobbs City Commissioner Dwayne Penick had been working on bringing a veterans clinic to the Hobbs and Lea County area for around a year.

  • District settles for $475K after teacher punched boy, 9

ESPAÑOLA, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico school district has agreed to pay $475,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by the family of a boy who was punched by a music teacher. The Santa Fe New Mexican reports a copy of the settlement says New Mexico Public Schools Insurance Authority agreed to make the payout on behalf of Tony E. Quintana "Sombrillo" Elementary School in December. The school is part of Española Public Schools. The boy's parents filed the suit in November 2017, two months after former teacher John Andrew Valdez pleaded guilty to three counts of battery. He agreed to complete 18 months of probation as part of the plea agreement. Prosecutors say Valdez struck the then-9-year-old boy and two other children. 

  • US Hispanic Catholics are future, but priest numbers dismal

PHOENIX (AP) — A booming Hispanic population is seen by many U.S. Roman Catholics as a key to the church's future. In large parts of the United States, recent years have been difficult for the church. Hundreds of schools and parishes have closed, and bankruptcy stemming from sexual abuse has hit hard in the Northeast. There's a different mood in the Southwest. Hispanics now account for 40% of all U.S. Catholics and a solid majority of school-age Catholics. But there are also some big challenges. Catholic researchers say Hispanics are strikingly underrepresented in Catholic schools and in the priesthood, and there's hard work ahead to try to close those gaps.

  • Albuquerque police say shooting leaves 1 dead, 3 injured

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Albuquerque police say a shooting Saturday morning left one person dead and three others injured.No identities were released and police said their investigation was in its early stages as detectives conducted interviews and obtained a search warrant.The incident occurred in southeast Albuquerque neighborhood near Broadway Boulevard and Coal Avenue.

  • Tuesday's primaries offer chance for Biden to reach Latinos

PHOENIX (AP) — Tuesday's primaries in Arizona and Florida offer Joe Biden a chance to show he can make up ground with Latinos, a crucial group of voters he'll need in his corner to defeat President Donald Trump. In Biden's pursuit of the Democratic presidential nomination, he's run repeatedly into a wall in the West, where Bernie Sanders' strength among Latinos propelled his campaign even as he struggled with other groups. Biden is playing catch-up when it comes to engaging Latino voters and is weighed down by anger over the high rate of deportations during the Obama administration, which left scars for many immigrants and their families.  

  • Vail, Alterra close 49 ski resorts amid virus outbreak

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — As ski resorts across the United States grappled with how to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus without having to close, industry giants Vail Resorts and Alterra Mountain Company decided Saturday they would shutter 49 of North America's most well-known resorts. Vail Resorts said it would shut down its 34 resorts for at least one week before reassessing while Alterra is closing its 15 until further notice.  Other resorts that remain open are closing enclosed gondolas or aerial trams while others are encouraging skiers to ride lifts with only people they know as they adhere to social distancing guidelines. 

  • US: Immigrants can seek coronavirus care without fear

PHOENIX (AP) — The U.S. government says a new rule disqualifying more people from green cards if they use government benefits will not apply to immigrants who seek care for symptoms of the illness caused by coronavirus. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said late Friday that seeking treatment or preventive services won't affect someone's immigration status under the new public charge rule, which took effect last month. The announcement came after lawmakers and advocacy groups urged the government to suspend the rule during the coronavirus outbreak. Advocates say they have been fielding panicked calls from immigrants who are worried about the impact on their status if they seek health care.