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

 

  • MASS SHOOTING-TEXAS-NEW MEXICO

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's top prosecutor wants to create a special investigative unit to guard against hate crimes and bolster cybersecurity in response to the August mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, and other emergent threats.Attorney General Hector Balderas on Tuesday asked the Legislature to provide funding for five new employees as a precaution against potential attacks on public schools, retail stores and other vulnerable public venues.
Police say a gunman was targeting Mexicans as he opened fire on Aug. 3 at a retail store within 10 miles (15 kilometers) of New Mexico, killing 22 people. More than 40% of New Mexico residents claim Latino heritage.
Officials including Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham have expressed support for possible new criminal statutes related to domestic terrorism and hate crimes.

  • IMMIGRATION-HUNGER STRIKES

MILAN, N.M. (AP) — A dozen Cuban asylum-seekers detained in a New Mexico say they have repeatedly been placed in solitary confinement for going on hunger strikes.The Santa Fe New Mexican reports two asylum-seekers in federal immigration custody said they and 10 others were put in solitary confinement twice as punishment for protesting their lengthy stay in prison.
The men are being held at the privately run Cibola County Correctional Center in Milan, New Mexico.
Juan Carlos Peña Pavon told the newspaper he spent nine days in solitary confinement.
The 51-year-old Peña Pavon is part of a group of detained asylum-seekers that last month staged sit-ins at Otero County Processing Center in Chaparral, New Mexico.
A spokeswoman at Immigration and Customs Enforcement's El Paso field office did not respond to an email.
 

  • NEW MEXICO WEATHER

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Forecasters say back-to-back storm systems will pass across New Mexico this week, bringing showers and thunderstorms starting late Tuesday and "treacherous" travel conditions in mountain passes by Thursday.The National Weather Service says the first system will spread northeast through the state late Tuesday night and Wednesday. Snow levels will fall to near 8,500 feet (2,591 meters) by Wednesday evening.
The second system will move through the state Thursday, with snow levels as low as 6,000 feet (1,8208 meters) and over 12 inches (30 centimeters) of snowfall in higher terrain.

  • CAPITOL CHRISTMAS TREE

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) — Next year's U.S. Capitol Christmas tree will come from western Colorado.U.S. Forest Service officials said Monday a tree will be cut from Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre or Gunnison national forest to adorn the Capitol building's West Lawn in 2020.
Spokeswoman Kim Phillips told The Daily Sentinel that a formal announcement will be made Friday, and she declined to provide further details.
Each year, a national forest is chosen to provide a tree for the Capitol building in Washington, D.C.
This year's tree is a 60-foot (18-meter) blue spruce cut from the Carson National Forest outside of Taos, New Mexico.
The Capitol tree last came from western Colorado in 2012, a 73-foot (22-meter) Engelmann spruce from the White River National Forest east of Meeker.

  • ALBUQUERQUE-ROBBERY-KILLING

Albuquerque police: Woman killed in apparent robbery attemptALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Albuquerque police are investigating a homicide in which it appears the victim was shot in her car in a residential neighborhood on the city's west side as she prepared to go to a gym.
Police say preliminary indications that the killing Tuesday morning stemmed from an attempted robbery and that several people saw a brown Jeep Cherokee leaving the area after shots were fired.
The victim's identity wasn't released.

  • EDUCATION LAWSUIT-NEW MEXICO

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A court ruling about insufficient opportunities at public schools in the state is the subject of an upcoming public discussion at New Mexico State University.Experts in public education are inviting residents to join a discussion Thursday in Las Cruces about the lawsuit and responses to it.
State lawmakers have increased spending on public-school salaries and longer academic calendars at many schools. But parents and school districts that sued the state say even more needs to be done to help disabled students and vulnerable children from poor households where English is not spoken.
The state trails most of the nation in average academic proficiency among students and high school graduation rates.
Criminal justice professor Dulcinea Lara says discussion will delve into implications of the district court ruling for students.

  • NEW MEXICO CRIME

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's largest city is adding more homicide detectives as it nears a record number of killings seen in a year.KOB-TV reports the Albuquerque Police Department is preparing to hire more homicide detectives after Mayor Tim Keller doubled the number when he took office in 2017.
The city of Albuquerque is two killings away from tying its deadliest year ever with 72 homicides.
FBI statistics show Albuquerque had a violent crime rate of 1,365 per 100,000 residents in 2018. The national rate was about 369 violent crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
Earlier this year, the country of Uruguay issued a warning to its citizens about traveling to Albuquerque.
 

  • NEW MEXICO-SETTLEMENTS'

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico State Auditor Brian Colon says around $2.7 million in secret settlements with appointees under former Republican Gov. Susana Martinez were an "abuse of power."Colon said Monday a recent audit into past sealed agreements during the Martinez Administration found that 12 lacked proper documentation, transparency, and investigations. He says the secret settlements appeared to be protecting the former governor's "political legacies" and her political agendas rather than taxpayers.
The audit came following revelations about secret settlements of lawsuits against state officials under the Martinez Administration. Some of those settlements were sealed until after her departure from office at the end of 2018.
Martinez did not immediately return a phone message.
Colon says he forwarded the audit to the state Attorney General's Office to review.