- CHACO CANYON-DRILLING
Senators push for hearing on Chaco protection legislationALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Members of New Mexico's congressional delegation are pushing for a Senate hearing on legislation that would withdraw federal holdings from oil and gas development around Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
The legislation was reintroduced earlier this year as environmentalists and Native American tribes seek to make permanent a 10-mile (16-kilometer) buffer around the park.
Supporters say it would protect culturally significant sites located beyond Chaco's boundaries.
Most of the land surrounding the park belongs to the Navajo Nation or are allotments owned by individual Navajos. The legislation would not affect development of those lands.
U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich are asking that the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee take up the bill at its next meeting. Once the committee acts, the full Senate could consider the measure.
- MANHATTAN PROJECT-TOURS
Manhattan Project park to offer tours of Los Alamos siteLOS ALAMOS, N.M. (AP) — Federal officials will be offering tours of portions of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park in Los Alamos.
The National Park Service has teamed up with Los Alamos National Laboratory and the National Nuclear Security Administration to organize tours during a weekend in July.
Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Each day will consist of two tours of 25 people each, each lasting three hours.
Not all sites that make up the park are open to the public.
On the tours, visitors will see Pond Cabin, which served as an office for the scientists who were studying plutonium; a bunker used to protect equipment and staff during explosives testing; and the building where a deadly plutonium accident took place.
Officials say more tours will be planned later this year.
- DEATH AND DISAPPEARANCE-MURAL
New Mexico mural focuses on missing Native American women(Information from: Las Cruces Sun-News, http://www.lcsun-news.com)
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — A new mural in southern New Mexico seeks to honor missing and slain Native American women amid a nationwide push to bring more attention to the issue.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reports artist Sebastian VELA Velazquez recently erected the mural in Las Cruces in conjunction with the city's eighth annual "Illegal" graffiti art show.
The work is part of a large-scale mural wrapping around the entirety of the Cruces Creatives building.
Last month, federal lawmakers re-introduced legislation that calls for the Justice Department to review how law enforcement agencies respond to cases of missing and murdered Native Americans.
The legislation is named Savanna's Act for 22-year-old Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, whose body was found in a North Dakota river in 2017.
Velazquez says the mural also honors missing indigenous Mexican women.
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- OIL REVENUE WINDFALL
Money from oil, gas revenues gushing into state coffers(Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.santafenewmexican.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — State Senate Finance Committee Chairman John Arthur Smith says if the price of oil doesn't drastically change, the state could receive more than $1 billion in additional tax dollars next year.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that the oil boom in southeastern New Mexico still going strong and money from oil and gas revenues continuing to gush into state government's coffers.
Smith told an interim legislative subcommittee on transportation that a windfall of $1.1 billion to $1.3 billion will occur unless the international scene changes and the revenues fall.
Crude oil prices dipped earlier this week to less than $50 a barrel, partly credited to fears of a trade war with China.
But oil prices rallied late in the week to more than $52 a barrel.
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- FILM BOOM-ABORTION
New Mexico film industry up amid abortion fights elsewhere(Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's film industry appears to be on the brink of a boom thanks to abortion law controversies in other states.
The Albuquerque Journal reports a recent rise in film productions in the state as Hollywood targets Georgia and Louisiana over recently passed restrictive abortion laws.
The jump comes as New Mexico is set to more than double its annual state spending cap on film incentives.
The New Mexico Film Office says the coming Amazon TV series production "The Power" reached out to New Mexico because of Georgia's political climate.
New Mexico has on its books a 1969 state law that banned abortion in most cases.
But the law became unenforceable after it was superseded by the landmark Roe vs. Wade ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court.
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- NAVAJO-LAND BUYBACK
Navajo signs agreement for second phase of buyback programWINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation again is trying to consolidate land that has multiple owners within the reservation.
The tribe recently signed an agreement with the Interior Department for a second phase of the land buyback program.
The program is part of a legal settlement that found the federal government squandered billions of dollars it held in trust for tribes from energy development or other uses of tribal land.
Federal officials agreed to spend $1.6 billion to purchase so-called fractionated parcels and transfer the land to tribes. About $322 million remains. The buyback program expires in November 2022.
In an initial phase, the Navajo Nation sent offers to more than 25,000 landowners and consolidated about 242 square miles (627 square kilometers).
About 50 tribal nations have participated in the program.
- PEOPLE-JENNIFER GARNER
Actress Jennifer Garner visits migrant shelter in New Mexico(Information from: Headlight, http://www.demingheadlight.com)
DEMING, N.M. (AP) — Actress Jennifer Garner has paid a visit to an emergency migrant shelter in southern New Mexico to meet with migrant families.
The Deming Headlight reports the actress visited the Southwestern New Mexico State Fairgrounds in Deming, New Mexico, Wednesday and was later seen playing with the children.
Luna County Detention Center Director Chris Brice, who is overseeing operations, confirmed her appearance during a regular county meeting on Thursday. Brice said the actress is a national board member of Save the Children, a charity organization that helps children.
Garner is best known for the television series "Alias." Garner also starred in "Daredevil" and its spin-off "Elektra."
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- SANTA FE-AIRBNB FIGHT
Report: Santa Fe losing millions thanks to Airbnb, others(Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.santafenewmexican.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A new report says Santa Fe is missing out on about $3.8 million in lodger and gross receipts taxes annually thanks to short-term rental units.
The Albuquerque Journal says the report issued Wednesday by the nonprofit group Homewise Inc. says hosts from apps like Airbnb aren't following city's ordinances and the city should do more to enforce the laws.
Homewise CEO Mike Loftin says Santa Fe should enforce its registration requirements for short-term rentals and require them to contribute their fair share of taxes.
The report says that the number of short-term rentals skyrocketed from roughly 300 to 1,444 in four years from 2015 through 2018.
A spokeswoman for Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber acknowledged the city needs to do a better job with enforcement and educating the public.
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