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

  • TRUMP-NEW MEXICO VISIT

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Former Republican New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez says she believes Donald Trump could win New Mexico in 2020.
Speaking with Fox News on Tuesday, Martinez described turnout as "huge" at Trump's rally in Rio Rancho the previous night. She noted that the presence of Hispanics who applauded the president's hardline stance on border security.

Trump campaigned in New Mexico in 2016 but lost the state by 8 percentage points to Hillary Clinton. Martinez cited her own 2010 election and lopsided re-election in 2014 as evidence that a Republican presidential contender still can win the state.

New Mexico provides a test of Trump's appeal among residents near the border with Mexico who have a stake in his immigration policies and Hispanic voters, who account for about 40 percent of the electorate.

  • FATAL ROLLOVER CRASH

SPRINGER, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico State Police say a Colorado woman is dead after a rollover crash south of Springer.
They say a car driven by 80-year-old Dorothy Anna Leasher of Golden exited Interstate 25 at a high rate of speed Monday afternoon and allegedly ran a stop sign and struck the back end of another vehicle.

Police say Leasher was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead from her injuries.

They say the driver and passenger in the other vehicle were treated and released from a hospital.

Police say alcohol doesn't appear to be a factor in the rollover.

COLLEGE EMBEZZLEMENT-PLEA

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico judge has rejected a plea deal for a former college financial director who acknowledged misappropriating thousands of dollars from the school.

Prosecutors say 63-year-old Henrietta Trujillo was charged with embezzlement over $20,000 in July, more than two years after she told state police she took $82,000 in cash and another $167,000 in checks.

Prosecutors say the deal required the Northern New Mexico College employee to plead guilty to the felony charge and receive a nine-year suspended sentence with the requirement that she pay $82,000 to the college and $4,300 to the state.

Defense attorney says it took two years to arrive at the plea agreement with the state.

The District Attorney's Office said in May that they wanted to negotiate a plea deal before filing charges.

  • BEHAVIORAL HEALTH-NEW MEXICO

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Independent federal investigators say there's a need for mental health services in New Mexico, but many counties in the sparsely populated state lack licensed providers who can serve patients who rely on government assistance.
A report released Monday by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department's inspector general details the challenges for Medicaid patients when it comes to accessing behavioral health care.

The report states that improving access is essential in New Mexico, where more than half of adults with mental illness do not receive treatment.

The report notes that the state has among the highest rates in the nation for suicide and overdose deaths. It also ranks as one of the poorest states, with more than half of the population either uninsured or covered by public health insurance.

WEST NILE VIRUS-NEW MEXICO

New Mexico reports deadly case of West Nile virus

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico health officials say a 72-year-old woman from Bernalillo County has died from the West Nile virus.

The Health Department says 20 cases have been confirmed in the state since the first human case was reported in early August. The patients have been from Dona Ana, Socorro, Sandoval, Valencia, San Juan, Taos and Bernalillo counties.

New Mexico has had cases of West Nile every year since the virus migrated to the state in 2003. There were seven cases in 2018 and 33 cases in 2017.

The virus is commonly spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. There are no vaccines to prevent it or medications to treat it.

Officials say most of the cases reported this year resulted in neuro-invasive disease, the most severe form of the disease.

HOMICIDES-QUIET POLICE

Las Vegas police denying records requests in homicide cases

(Information from: Las Vegas Optic, http://www.lasvegasoptic.com)

LAS VEGAS, N.M. (AP) — Police in a northern New Mexico city are investigating four homicides but giving few details.

The Las Vegas Optic reports the Las Vegas Police Department has denied three open records requests made by the Optic under New Mexico's Inspection of Public Records Act and are refusing to provide any information about the cases.

To date, charges have been filed in just one case.

The city of Las Vegas has denied the newspaper's request, refusing to release any documents in any of the three cases. Officials say doing so could compromise the police investigation.

Melanie Majors, the executive director of the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, says any original records of entry from law enforcement agencies are public record.

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TRUMP FUNDRAISING

Protest likely to greet Trump fundraising trip in California

RIO RANCHO, N.M. (AP) — President Donald Trump is making a rare visit to the Democratic stronghold of California, where a series of high-dollar fundraisers will likely be met with protests.

Trump routinely mocks the state's liberal culture, policies and politics. Yet his visit signals there are still plenty of wealthy California Republicans who support him.

The events will be spread across two days and are expected to bring in $15 million. That's according to a Republican official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters.

The progressive Backbone Campaign says on Facebook that it plans to fly a large "Baby Trump" balloon in the Bay Area when Trump is in town.

In the suburbs of Albuquerque, New Mexico, supporters cheered the president as he vowed to flip the Democratic-leaning state in 2020.

CITY COMMISSIONER-ASSAULT

Hobbs city commissioner facing assault charges

(Information from: Hobbs News-Sun, http://www.hobbsnews.com)

HOBBS, N.M. (AP) — Police say a Hobbs city commissioner made threats against one of his commercial property tenants before choking him.

The Hobbs New-Sun reports Ninth Judicial District Attorney Andrea Reeb is prosecuting the case against Dwayne Penick in connection with a Feb. 8 altercation at Curls & Swirls Rolled Ice Cream.

Surveillance video from inside a store and obtained by the News-Sun appears to show Penick approaching a man in a car, with punches thrown by both men when the man got out of the car.

Penick was charged with assault, battery and disorderly conduct.

Fellow City Commissioner Christopher Mills, a defense attorney, is representing Penick. He says the tenants just want to get out of their lease.

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SUNRISE AND SUNSET
SEPTEMBER 17 2019.....SUNRISE   651 AM MDT   SUNSET   711 PM MDT
SEPTEMBER 18 2019.....SUNRISE   651 AM MDT   SUNSET   709 PM MDT


-  INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R  INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T  INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.