- MEDICAL MARIJUANA-NEW MEXICO
Court could break standoff over access to medical cannabisSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A state district court judge is weighing whether New Mexico should open its medical marijuana program to routine access by people who live outside the state.
A court hearing was scheduled Monday that could determine whether residents of Texas, Arizona and beyond can participate in New Mexico's medical cannabis program.
The state Department of Health has appealed an initial court decision that would allow nonresidents to fill prescriptions for marijuana.
Medical marijuana dispenser Ultra Health says changes to the state statute this year allow any person to qualify for medical marijuana based on a valid medical condition.
The administration of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham says that change was an unintentional drafting error.
Medical marijuana cards have issued to three out-of-state residents who sued the Health Department for access.
- TEACHER EVALUATIONS-NEW MEXICO
Test scores, teacher attendance dropped from evaluations(Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico education officials say test scores and teacher attendance will no longer be included in the state's teacher evaluation system.
The Albuquerque Journal reports the state Public Education Department recently released an outline of an interim teacher evaluation system that drops test scores and teacher attendance but keep observations and parent surveys.
Deputy Secretary Gwen Perea Warniment says the interim plan for the 2019-20 school year will be used while state officials work on a new system.
The change comes amid uncertainty after Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham scrapped much of the education reforms under former Republican Gov. Susana Martinez.
Teachers unions had been critical of the old evaluation system and said it wasn't a fair measurement of teachers. Supporters have said the state needs to maintain some stability to measure educators.
___
- ADIOS AMOR-MARIA MORENO
Film explores mystery of Latina union leader who disappearedALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A new film dives into the mystery around a Latina labor leader who organized farmworkers years before Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta and then disappeared.
"Adios Amor: The Search for Maria Moreno" on PBS focuses on a Mexican American mother of 12 who galvanized poor agricultural workers during the late 1950s and early 1960s until she vanished.
Director and producer Laurie Coyle says finding archive photos of Moreno sparked the idea. Coyle says a photographer and radio reporter remembered Moreno as an important advocate but didn't know what happened to her.
The documentary examines how the Texas-born farmworker emerged as a leader in California before moving to Arizona.
The film, a presentation of VOCES, PBS' Latino arts and culture documentary program, is slated to premiere Friday on most PBS stations.
- NEW MEXICO-OUTDOOR DIRECTOR
New Mexico hires director to lead new outdoor officeSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico has tapped the digital editorial director at Outside Magazine to lead the state's new Office of Outdoor Recreation.
State officials say Santa Fe resident Axie Navas started Monday.
Legislation passed and signed by the governor earlier this year called for the creation of the outdoor office as part of a push to build on hiking, biking and other recreational offerings across New Mexico's diverse landscapes.
Navas managed a team of 25 writers, editors and website developers at Outside Magazine. She also led the publication's online gear channel.
Santa Fe native Peter Mitchell will be the deputy director of the outdoor office. He has worked in economic development since 1994 in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and Texas and helped to shepherd the outdoor recreation legislation through the Legislature.
- RESTAURANT EMBEZZLEMENT
Couple accused of stealing $1M from New Mexico restaurantROSWELL, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico couple is accused of stealing more than $1 million from the Cattle Baron Restaurant in Roswell.
The state attorney general's office says Brian Casaus and his wife, Tammy, are facing numerous charges that include tax fraud and money laundering.
Initial hearings for the couple are scheduled next week. Court records did not list attorneys for either defendant.
Criminal complaints allege that Brian Casaus used his position as the restaurant's controller and office manager to transfer funds from the restaurant's bank account to personal accounts belonging to him and his wife.
Tammy Casaus worked as the restaurant's payroll coordinator.
The alleged fraud happened between 2012 and 2016.
Prosecutors say the money was used for personal expenses and to make payments to multiple credit cards and casinos.
- CARLSBAD-SINKHOLE REPAIR
$54M project to stabilize Carlsbad decommissioned brine well(Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.santafenewmexican.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A $54 million project to stabilize a decommissioned brine well that's threatening an area of Carlsbad is ready to begin.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that the Carlsbad Brine Well Remediation Authority signed off on the final proposals to acquire access to land in the area.
It means the process of buttressing the well to prevent a massive collapse could start Sept. 30.
That's 11 years after the well was closed down.
The brine well was drilled in the 1970s into a shallow layer of salt about 500 feet (152 meters) below the surface.
It operated for decades, producing nearly 7 million barrels of brine for oilfield use.
The process also hollowed out an area the size of two football fields, eventually destabilizing the land above.
___
- KIDNAPPED WOMAN-SEARCH
Albuquerque police: Woman missing, not a kidnapping victimALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Police in Albuquerque say they've determined a woman who reportedly was kidnapped is no longer considered a kidnap victim.
But they say 37-year-old Chamisa Toya still is considered missing and they were searching for her Sunday.
Police originally were told Toya was taken by force after her and her boyfriend spent time with an unknown man.
The suspected kidnapper allegedly put Toya in a headlock while she was in his car and drove away from a convenience store early Saturday.
Now police say detectives have determined the woman willingly and safely left the truck shortly after it departed from the store.
However, the say Toya has not been seen or heard from since then.
NUCLEAR WASTE STORAGE
New Mexico coalition remains optimistic on nuke storage plan
(Information from: Hobbs News-Sun, http://www.hobbsnews.com)
HOBBS, N.M. (AP) — The head of a southeastern New Mexico coalition supporting plans to build a facility to temporary store spent nuclear fuel says supporters have around 18 months to go.
The Hobbs News-Sun reports Eddy Lea Energy Alliance Chairman John Heaton last week encouraged fellow board members to keep pushing for the proposed multimillion-dollar facility despite opposition from environmentalists and nuclear watchdog groups.
Heaton says a number of agencies are set in the coming months to release environmental and safety reports followed by hearings.
New Jersey-based Holtec International is seeking a 40-year license from federal regulators to build the complex near Carlsbad.
The Eddy Lea Energy Alliance is a public entity formed through a joint powers agreement among the New Mexico cities of Carlsbad and Hobbs and Eddy and Lea counties.
___