- CORRECTIONS OFFICERS ASSAULTED
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — Video of an assault on two corrections officers at a New Mexico prison shows inmates rushing them inside a pod before the altercation moves into a hallway.Officials released surveillance video showing the July 16 altercation at the Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility on Thursday, the same day prosecutors announced seven inmates had been indicted in the 30-second attack on charges that include kidnapping and conspiracy.
Two of the inmates — 32-year-old Rico Sena and 47-year-old Gabriel Sedillo — have been charged with attempted murder.
Authorities say Officer Alex Benecomo and Sgt. Mitchell Lamb were accompanying a nurse delivering medication to the pod.
Video shows inmates throw punches and kick the officers after they fall to the floor.
Officials say the officers were treated for non-life threatening injuries.
- HOPI POLICE FORCE
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — A small northeastern Arizona tribe now is the primary law enforcement agency on its reservation.The Hopi Tribal Council voted last month to take over some duties from the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs police. The tribe says it's a move to promote self-governance.
The Hopi rangers had long assisted the BIA in policing. They were created in 1989 to enforce natural resource laws but have expanded their role over the years.
All emergency calls now go to the Hopi Law Enforcement Services, instead of Bureau of Indian Affairs dispatchers. The BIA will continue doing criminal investigations and oversee a temporary holding facility.
Hopi police Sgt. Glenn Singer says much of the crime on the Hopi reservation is tied to substance abuse and family violence.
- LUNG CANCER-LAWSUIT
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A Santa Fe singer-songwriter says an urgent care center failed to diagnose her condition in 2017 and 2018, leading to a terminal cancer diagnosis.The Santa Fe New Mexican reports Elizabeth "Betsy" Scarinzi recently filed a lawsuit in state district court against Presbyterian Medical Group over the diagnosis.
According to the lawsuit, medical staff at Presbyterian Medical Group's urgent care facility in Santa Fe examined her three times between 2017 and 2018 and failed to notice an early indication of lung cancer.
The lawsuit says the lung cancer went undiagnosed and untreated for nearly a year.
Presbyterian Healthcare Services declined to comment on pending litigation.
The complaint alleged medical negligence, breach of warranty and breach of contract.
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- PUBLIC TRANSIT RIDERSHIP
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Several public transportation systems in New Mexico are reporting declining ridership that officials are attributing to low gas prices and broader economic changes.
The Albuquerque Journal reported Friday that ridership on the Rail Runner Express decreased 3% last year, dropping 36% since its 2010 peak of 1.2 million passengers.
The commuter train runs 97 miles (156 kilometers) from Belen to Santa Fe.
Rio Metro Regional Transit District chairwoman Diane Gibson says low fuel prices seem to encourage residents to drive more instead of taking the train.
The bus systems in Albuquerque and Santa Fe reported 5% declines this year. The Las Cruces system recorded a 3% drop.
The North Central Regional Transit District reported a 4% increase in passengers last year that officials attributed to a good ski season.
- YOUTH CONCUSSIONS-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico is seeking to shore up safeguards against brain injuries in youth sports beyond schools in non-scholastic athletic leagues and clubs.Coaches and many youth athletes automatically would undergo training to detect signs of a concussion and potential consequences of a brain injury, under rules proposed by the Department of Health.
State Sen. Bill Soules of Las Cruces helped enact similar safeguards for school sports and on Thursday applauded the new, expanded effort.
Young athletes who receive a brain injury would sit out at least 10 days and return only with a written medical release. Annual education would be required of parents and children over 10.
In 2015, a New Mexico judge overruled concussion protocols to allow a high school football player to play in a title game.
- HIT-AND-RUN-ALBUQUERQUE
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The Albuquerque Police Department says its officers were following a stolen truck suspected of hitting a teen for longer than they initially said.The Albuquerque Journal reported Thursday that 15-year-old Manny Tapia died after he was hit while crossing a street on July 17.
The department initially said officers did not pursue the truck. It later said officers were following the vehicle for a few seconds.
Witness Helen Taylor said she saw police vehicles with their lights on following the truck.
Department spokesman Gilbert Gallegos says new information indicates that officers were pursuing the truck for a longer time, but he doesn't know how long the chase lasted.
He says officers did not see Tapia get hit.
The department has launched an internal investigation to see if policy was followed.
- DOG KILLED-THROWN OUT WINDOW
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Albuquerque police say a woman is accused of throwing her dog out of a window of her third-floor apartment and killing it and of then kicking officers who arrested her.Police said in a statement that 28-year-old Ashley Scott was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of extreme cruelty to animals and battery on a police officer.
Police also say Scott allegedly threw the dog's body into a trash container.
Scott remained in jail Friday and online court records don't list an attorney who could comment on her behalf regarding the allegations.
- SEWAGE CLEANUP-INVESTIGATION
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Three wastewater workers say the city of Santa Fe failed to protect them from exposure to hazardous waste and needles during a sewer backup near a hospital.The Santa Fe New Mexican reports the state Occupational Health and Safety Bureau has launched an investigation into the condition of the cleanup by Santa Fe Wastewater Management Division employees.
A complaint says city wastewater employees were assigned to clean up "effluent discharge from waste created" by Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center last month. Documents say the only protective gear they were given to clean the backup were steel-toe shoes, gloves and hard hats.
City Public Utilities Director Shannon Jones says the Wastewater Management Division and the City Manager's Office are cooperating with state investigators.