- AMBER ALERT-MISSING TEEN GIRLS
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Authorities are searching for two teenage girls last seen at an Albuquerque hotel. New Mexico State Police said Monday they no longer believe the girls were abducted. They issued a revised Amber Alert characterizing 14-year-old Zuriah Castillo and 16-year-old Jaylynn Miller as missing. The teens were in the Santo Domingo Pueblo area on Saturday shortly after 7 p.m. when they asked for a ride. They were dropped off at the Courtyard by Marriott. Castillo is described as 5-foot-5, 130 pounds with shoulder-length bleach blonde and dark brown hair and brown eyes. Miller is described as 5 feet, 112 pounds with shoulder-length brown hair dyed red and brown eyes.
- LAS CRUCES-BEE SWARM
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — A Las Cruces firefighter who is also a beekeeper is credited with safely removing a swarm of bees found inside a parked car. City officials say the incident occurred Sunday shortly after 4 p.m. outside an Albertson's supermarket. A shopper had put his groceries in his car and was about to drive when he spotted the swarm in the backseat. Firefighters called on Jesse Johnson, an off-duty firefighter with beekeeping experience. Johnson arrived with proper beekeeping attire was able to remove the bees. The whole process took about two hours. The swarm, comprised of an estimated 15,000 bees, was transported to Johnson's own property.
- CODE TALKER HOLIDAY
PHOENIX (AP) — An Arizona bill creates a new state holiday to honor Native Americans who used their language to transmit coded messages during World War II. Aug. 14 is celebrated across the country and on the Navajo Nation as Navajo Code Talkers Day. While hundreds of Navajos were recruited as code talkers, about a dozen Hopis and members of other tribes also covertly sent messages that helped the U.S. win the war. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill Monday that makes Aug. 14 a state holiday. It marks the day Japan announced it would surrender to the Allied forces. The holiday will be observed on a Sunday when state offices already are closed.
- LEGISLATURE-FENCE REMOVED
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Security fencing and state police checkpoints no longer encircle New Mexico state capitol buildings. The added security was put in place after the Jan. 6 riots in Washington D.C. and cost at least $700,000. State Police checkpoints began to disappear earlier this month as the state's annual legislative session came to a close. A security fence started coming down on Saturday. Legislators are set to convene this week to pass bills that would legalize recreational cannabis. The capitol buildings that house legislative chambers will continue to be closed to the public due to the pandemic.
- SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico is suing the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission over concerns that the federal agency hasn't done enough to vet plans for a multibillion-dollar facility to store spent nuclear fuel in the state. In a filing Monday, New Mexico says the project would endanger residents, the environment and the economy. New Jersey-based Holtec International wants to build a complex where tons of spent fuel from commercial nuclear power plants around the nation could be stored until the federal government finds a permanent solution. State officials worry the state will become a permanent dumping ground for the radioactive material. The commission says it's followed procedure and an environmental review was done.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico is trying to make it even easier for residents 75 and older to get vaccinated. The state Health Department announced Monday that people in that group will no longer need event codes in order to schedule an appointment to get their COVID-19 vaccinations. Instead, those who are registered with the state will get invitations to schedule appointments. They'll use their confirmation codes and dates of birth to set up appointments. Health Secretary Dr. Tracie Collins says a large majority of seniors in the state already have been vaccinated. In all, more than one-quarter of New Mexicans have been fully vaccinated.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NAVAJO NATION
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation is reporting seven new COVID-19 cases but no additional deaths. Tribal health officials on Sunday said the latest figures bring the total number of cases since the pandemic started to 30,059. The number of deaths remains 1,246. The number of infections is thought to be far higher than reported because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick. Navajo President Jonathan Nez says people cannot let pandemic fatigue undo the progress already made with vaccinations and mitigation measures. The Navajo Nation reservation covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
- MARIJUANA-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico lawmakers are embarking on an unusual legislative session that focuses on the legalization of recreational marijuana. Efforts at legalizing the sale of cannabis to adults 21 and older faltered during the regular annual session that ended March 20, amid divergent views about government oversight among supporters of legalization. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has called back legislators to the Statehouse to hammer out an agreement on thorny issues of tax rates on pot sales, precautions against child access and court procedures for reversing past cannabis convictions. Negotiations are well underway in private.