- VIOLENT CRIME-NEW MEXICO
Mayor seeks help in stopping 'cycle' of violence, homicidesSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Albuquerque's mayor and police department are pleading for investigative leads in the shooting death of the mother of two State Police officers as the city's annual homicide tally approaches record levels.
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller on Wednesday said a surge in local homicides is the culmination of a decadelong trend linked to drug abuse, gangs and depleted police ranks.
He says the city is preparing an anti-violence initiative while seeking $30 million in new funding from the Legislature to combat crime.
Albuquerque Police Lieutenant Scott Norris says police are searching for a 2000 Jeep Cherokee in connection with the death of a woman whose husband reported she was shot Tuesday morning. Police provided no further details.
The Albuquerque Journal identified the deceased woman as the mother of State Police officers.
- ELECTION 2020-SENATE NEW MEXICO
GOP Navajo Nation member joins US Senate race in New MexicoALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Elisa Martinez, a Latina Republican and member of the Navajo Nation, is joining the race for an open U.S. Senate seat in New Mexico.
Martinez formally announced Wednesday she will seek the GOP nomination to take on likely Democratic nominee U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján.
The anti-abortion activist will face contractor Mick Rich and college professor Gavin Clarkson in the Republican primary.
Martinez says she's an advocate for "traditional, New Mexican issues" and blasted "liberal socialist Democrats" for seeking to reform health care.
Martinez grew up in Gallup, New Mexico. Her father has deep Hispanic roots in the state going back 15 generations and her mother's family is Zuni Pueblo and Navajo.
If elected, Martinez would become the first Native American woman elected in the U.S. Senate.
- DRUG EPIDEMIC-NEW MEXICO
Results elusive as New Mexico combats alcohol, drug deathsSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The state with the nation's highest alcohol-related death rate and a longstanding opiate problem is looking for answers in three afflicted communities that have deployed extensive resources to address an epidemic of destructive substance use.
An expert study released Wednesday by the Legislative Finance Committee traces a doubling of annual state spending on services to people with drug and alcohol problems across New Mexico, with attention to special programs across the state's largest urban area in Albuquerque and two small, impoverished communities in the north and west of the state.
The aggressive deployment of opioid overdose antidotes and closer monitoring of prescriptions has helped stabilized overdose death rates as alcohol-related deaths continue to climb.
At the same time, many emergency rooms and physicians appear ill-equipped to screen and treat addiction.
- PRETRIAL DETENTION-NEW MEXICO
New Mexico GOP lawmaker unveils bail reform proposalALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Republicans have unveiled a proposal aimed at changing how state judges decide who remains jailed before trial.
State Rep. Bill Rehm said Wednesday he will push a bill that would force judges to consider the seriousness of the suspect's charge and criminal history when considering release.
The Albuquerque Republican says he will work with Democrats to come with a bipartisan proposal to safeguard against violent defendants being released from jail before trial.
The move comes after a state judge ordered a defendant charged in the 2016 brutal killing and dismemberment of a 10-year-old Albuquerque girl to be released from jail pending his trial.
Bernalillo County District Attorney Raul Torrez, the top prosecutor in New Mexico's busiest court district, wants lawmakers to tackle a similar proposal.
- BORDER ACTIVIST TRIAL-THE LATEST
The Latest: Fate of humanitarian in Arizona in jury's handsTUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A jury is now deliberating charges against an Arizona member of a humanitarian group charged with immigrant harboring.
The case against 37-year-old Scott Warren of Ajo, Arizona, has garnered international attention as he faces his second trial for his role in providing shelter to two Central American men who had sneaked into the U.S. from Mexico.
Warren says he was helping two injured men in need and always followed the law. Prosecutors say he knowingly broke the law by hiding the men from Border Patrol agents, and that they didn't have serious injuries.
The first trial against Warren ended with a deadlocked jury, resulting in a mistrial. He now faces two counts of harboring.
Warren and his supporters say the work of humanitarians is increasingly under attack. Other members of his group have been arrested on trespassing charges for accessing a restricted road to drop off water jugs in the desert.
Closing statements were held Wednesday morning. The jury began deliberating in the afternoon.
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- PLANE PURCHASE PROPOSAL
New Mexico state senator to propose buying small plane(Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico state senator has announced plans to propose purchasing a plane to help cabinet secretaries and other officials travel throughout the state.
The Albuquerque Journal reported Tuesday that Legislative Finance Committee chairman and Democratic Sen. John Arthur Smith is expected to introduce a bipartisan plan that would use funding in next year's state budget to buy an aircraft.
Smith says he is thinking of something more modest than the executive jet sold in 2011 by then-Gov. Susana Martinez.
Officials say Smith did not reveal any potential cost estimates, but a small airplane could cost about $2.5 million used or $4 million new compared to a $10 million jet.
Officials say the plane would encourage officials to visit remote parts of the state and better respond to community needs.
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- ALCATRAZ OCCUPATION-ANNIVERSARY-THE LATEST
The Latest: Alcatraz occupier calls events a 'day of smiles'SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — About 150 people are now gathered at Alcatraz to mark the 50th anniversary of a takeover of the island by Native American activists.
Original occupiers, friends, family and others assembled Wednesday morning for a program that included prayer, songs and speakers. They then headed to the dock to begin restoring messages painted by occupiers on a former barracks building.
One of the original occupiers, 80-year-old Eloy Martinez, called it a "day full of smiles" that reunited old friends and reinforced the message that Native Americans are "still here" and are "still resisting."
Golden Gate National Recreation Area is hosting three days of events to commemorate the anniversary of the 19-month occupation, in collaboration with the Indians of All Tribes and others.
The events include the opening of an exhibit called "Red Power on Alcatraz: Perspectives 50 Years Later," which features photographs and mementos from the occupation.
- CAT'S LONG JOURNEY
Cat found in New Mexico after going missing in OregonSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A cat who has been missing for five years in Portland, Oregon, has been found in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The Santa Fe Animal Shelter announced this week that Sasha the black cat was recently found wandering the streets of New Mexico's capital. Officials said a scan of the cat's microchip revealed that the kitty had traveled more than 1,200 miles (1,931 kilometers) from Oregon.
American Airlines offered to fly the cat to Portland, along with a member of the Santa Fe Animal Shelter. Officials will present the animal to Viktor Usov, the cat's original owner.
Usov says the family thought they'd never see the cat again.