- REPEAT DWI OFFENDERS
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — With authorities logging more than a dozen DWI arrests in the Albuquerque area since Christmas Eve, there are more calls for New Mexico to crack down on repeat offenders. Albuquerque television station KOB-TV reports that many of the cases over the past year involve first time offenses. But officers have seen some familiar faces, including a woman who marked her fifth DWI offense in May after she was stopped for driving 103 mph on Interstate 40. Officials with Mothers Against Drunk Driving and others who have lost loved ones are concerned that there are few consequences to driving while intoxicated.
- LEGISLATOR HOSPITALIZED
New Mexico State Sen. Pete Campos is in the hospital and will have to undergo emergency surgery. A spokesman for Senate Democrats told the Santa Fe New Mexican that Campos could have the surgery as soon as Monday. Campos, who is in his 60s, was taken to Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque on Sunday for an undisclosed condition. But it is unrelated to COVID-19. Also, Campos expects a speedy recovery and to have no issues with attending the opening of the legislative session next month. Campos said in a statement he looks forward to resuming his duties "for years to come." Campos, of Las Vegas, was re-elected in November 2020.
- LEGISLATURE-HISPANIC ISSUES
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Top Democrats in the New Mexico House have chosen to dissolve a legislative committee that deals with Hispanic land grants, traditional irrigation districts known as acequias and other local government and cultural affairs. The recent decision announced by House Speaker Brian Egolf is spurring criticism from Hispanic lawmakers, including two members of New Mexico's congressional delegation. U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján said the representation of land grants, acequias and rural communities must always be at the forefront of New Mexico public policy. He described those constituents as "a critical part of the heart, soul and history of our state."
- AP-US-JEFFREY-EPSTEIN-MAXWELL-TRIAL
NEW YORK (AP) — A jury has signaled that it's settled into deliberations at the sex trafficking trial of Ghislaine Maxwell with a request for a white board and different colored sticky notes. The jury deliberated over an hour Monday before making the request. It also asked for some trial testimony and the definition of enticement. The jury resumed deliberations after a holiday weekend break following two full days of talks last week. The British socialite is charged with grooming teenagers as young as 14 to be sexually assaulted by financier Jeffrey Epstein. Maxwell's lawyers say she's a scapegoat after Epstein killed himself in 2019 while awaiting a sex trafficking trial.
- BEAR KILLED-ARROWS
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A suspect has been arrested in the shooting of a bear with a bow and arrow near Taos in October. The Albuquerque Journal reports a man was charged in Taos Magistrate Court with unlawful killing of big game by shooting from the road and failing to tag the bear, both misdemeanors. The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish said last month it was investigating the Oct. 29 incident in Arroyo Seco. Bears are a protected species in New Mexico, but bear hunting was allowed in that area at the time of killing. But court documents say the man shot the bear twice then left it behind in a tree.
- FOREST PLAN FIGHT
ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (AP) — Otero County commissioners are voicing concerns about a proposed plan that will guide forest management practices for the 1.1 million-acre Lincoln National Forest in southern New Mexico for the next 10 to 15 years. The commissioners voted earlier this month on a resolution in opposition of the proposal. They also approved an official comment letter that stated the draft plan and the draft environmental impact statement conflict with county ordinances outlining land use. Forest officials maintain they reached out to the county multiple times about the proposal but got no response. The final plan is expected to be ready in 2022.
- AP-US-RUDOLFO-ANAYA-CHILDREN'S-BOOK
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — An author known as the father of Chicano literature has left behind a bilingual children's tale after his 2020 death. The book from Rudolfo Anaya about Christmas in the American Southwest is being published posthumously this year, extending a cycle of illustrated children's books with a playful cast of youthful animal characters. Teacher Michelle Garcia says works like this help children inhabit and understand a unique culture and think about a few of life's lessons from Anaya. Enrique Lamadrid collaborated with Anaya to translate the work, welcoming children to explore both English and Spanish literature.
- AP-US-ALBUQUERQUE-BIG-TIP
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Two servers at an Albuquerque restaurant got a big surprise when a group of business owners left a $5,555 tip. It was the idea of Battle Tested Business, a local entrepreneurship and leadership organization. Founder Ramon Casaus told KOB-TV that he and his colleagues look for ways to invest back into the community. Casaus said after the recent dinner party, each person left a $505 tip. They called it "The 505 Dinner" in reference to Albuquerque's area code. Battle Tested Business said on its Facebook page that local restaurants and their staff were devastated during the pandemic and that the group believes in the mission of helping in its own backyard.