- COURT CONSOLIDATIONS-NEW MEXICO
State revamps administration of magistrate, district courtsSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico is consolidating administration of most magistrate and district courts across the state.
The state Administrative Office of the Courts said the reorganization means the office no longer will manage the dozens of magistrate courts statewide and that those courts' hiring and staffing decisions instead will be instead by overseen locally by judicial districts that already administer district courts.
Officials say the transition allows sharing of employees and jury pools and was completed with the new fiscal year's July 1 start.
It applies statewide except Bernalillo County. The Metropolitan Court and District Court systems for the Albuquerque area will continue to be administered separately.
The Administrative Office of the Courts will continue to conduct oversight and support functions for magistrate courts, such as audits and building leases.
- ELECTION 2020-HOUSE-VALERIE PLAME
Valerie Plame campaign gets boost from undisclosed sourcesSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Thousands of small campaign contributions from undisclosed sources have propelled former CIA operative and author Valerie Plame to the financial pole position in a crowded primary competition for an open congressional seat in 2020.
Plame spokesman Daniel Garcia says small, non-itemized contributions to the campaign since April 1 are evidence of broad political support from everyday people.
Plame's campaign for the Democratic nomination raised $239,000 from April through June and has drawn criticism from rival campaigns for not revealing the source of more than 3,000 contributions of under $200. Garcia says that is standard practice in federal campaigns.
Democratic state Rep. Joseph Sanchez says he also chose not to itemize small contributions to his congressional campaign but will in the future to highlight his local base of support.
- NUCLEAR POWER-NEW MEXICO
New Mexico regulators weigh nuclear power investmentsALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — It will be up to New Mexico regulators how to address concerns surrounding decisions by the state's largest electric utility to reinvest in a nuclear power plant in neighboring Arizona.
The Public Regulation Commission heard oral arguments Wednesday from Public Service Co. of New Mexico, environmental groups and others.
The case was sent back to regulators after the New Mexico Supreme Court in May upheld an earlier finding by the commission that PNM's investments in the Palo Verde plant were imprudent.
The court also found PNM's due process rights were violated when the commission denied it the ability to recoup future decommissioning costs.
Some lawyers say the matter can be settled in future rate cases. Others argue the utility should be required to prove the cost-effectiveness of its decisions to ensure ratepayers' interests are protected.
- CHACO CANYON-DRILLING
Chaco legislation clears US House committeeALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Federal legislation aimed at limiting oil and gas development near a national park in New Mexico held sacred by Native Americans has been endorsed by a key congressional committee.
The House natural resources panel on Wednesday approved the Democrat-sponsored bill. A similar measure is pending in the Senate.
Tribes and environmentalists have been advocating for more protections beyond the boundaries of Chaco Culture National Historical Park, saying the region is full of culturally significant sites.
The legislation would permanently ban drilling on federal land within 10 miles (16 kilometers) of the park.
Most of the land surrounding the park belongs to the Navajo Nation or individual Navajo allotment owners. While top Navajo officials support cultural preservation, they have stopped short of asking for a drilling ban because development in the region nets substantial revenue.
- NAMBE ACQUISITION
British manufacturer buys Nambe LLC for $12MSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A Santa Fe-based company known for its polished aluminum alloy kitchenware and home décor has been acquired by a British manufacturer and worldwide distributor.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports Portmeirion Group's purchase of Nambé LLC for $12 million from the Hillenbrand family closed Tuesday.
Portmeirion CEO Lawrence Bryan says he has always enjoyed Nambe's design ethic, describing it as contemporary and chic.
The sale included the Nambé headquarters building in Santa Fe, all rights and intellectual property and a distribution center in nearby Española.
Nambé brings in $18 million in annual revenue, with its products available at Nambe stores in New Mexico and Arizona and other retailers in the U.S. such as Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom.
Bryan says he expects to open Nambé shops in other states.
- UNPAID WORKERS-JUDGMENT
New Mexico labor agency wins judgment for unpaid workersALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Workers who were left without their final paychecks when the Albuquerque-based consulting company they worked for went bust are one step closer to getting their money.
The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions has won a summary judgment of more than $52,000 on behalf of seven workers of now defunct CPST Consulting, LLC.
State labor officials say the company ceased operations in 2015 without distributing final paychecks for employees.
The judgment includes $16,920 in unpaid wages plus 200% in liquidated damages and interest mandated by state law when workers are left unpaid.
A state district court found that company owner Richard Montoya was individually liable for the wage debts and that going out of business doesn't shield business owners from having to pay workers for time on the job.
- HORSE VIRUS-NEW MEXICO
New Mexico warns of blister-causing livestock virusALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico officials are warning horse owners to take precautions to keep their animals from contracting a virus that causes blister-like sores on the mouths of infected animals.
The state livestock board says vesicular stomatitis cases have been confirmed in Valencia, Sandoval, Los Alamos and Santa Fe counties.
State Veterinarian Ralph Zimmerman says officials aren't ordering the cancellation of any events at this point, but they're circulating a list of recommendations for fair and rodeo organizers and individual owners.
That includes checking for sores, using fly spray and not sharing grooming equipment.
The virus primarily affects horses and cattle, and occasionally swine, sheep, goats, llamas and alpacas. In rare events, humans can also become infected when exposed.
There's no specific treatment and there are no licensed vaccines for the virus.
- LOS ALAMOS-CHROMIUM PLUME
Lab officials report progress on chromium plume cleanupLOS ALAMOS, N.M. (AP) — Officials at Los Alamos National Laboratory say they're seeing positive results from efforts to contain and control a plume of chromium contamination located in two canyons at the northern New Mexico complex.
A system that extracts tainted groundwater and then re-injects treated water into the ground has been operating for the past year near the lab's boundary with San Ildefonso Pueblo.
Officials said Tuesday that sampling in May from a monitoring well near that boundary showed a drop in concentrations of hexavalent chromium to levels just above state standards.
Cheryl Rodriguez is with the U.S. Energy Department's Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office. She says the interim measure is helping to reduce the plume's footprint.
Officials say the contamination has not affected any drinking water wells in the area.