- MEOW WOLF-WORLD BUILDER
George R.R. Martin joins Meow Wolf as 'chief world builder'(Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — George R.R. Martin, author of the novels that fueled "Game of Thrones," is teaming up with Meow Wolf as the art collective's chief world builder.
Martin's storytelling skills will be tapped to tie together the Meow Wolf multi-verse.
Inside the collective's permanent installation in Santa Fe, visitors explore a multidimensional mystery house with secret passages, portals to magical worlds, and an expansive narrative amid surreal and mesmerizing art exhibits.
Meow Wolf CEO Vince Kadlubek tells the Albuquerque Journal that he always wanted to collaborate more with Martin.
New projects are planned in Las Vegas, Nevada; Washington D.C.; Phoenix and Denver — each with a different, immersive storytelling experience.
With Meow Wolf building its universe rapidly, Kadlubek says there's more in store, including a TV series and comic books.
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- FIRED MUSIC TEACHER
New Mexico jazz teacher fired for making fake awards(Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.santafenewmexican.com)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico School for the Arts teacher has been fired for falsifying awards for a student.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that the school confirmed Monday that jazz instructor Orlando Madrid was fired effective immediately.
School spokesman Sean Johnson said he could not speak further because it is a personnel matter.
The Albuquerque Journal reported last month that Madrid made up first-place certificates for a student who performed at the New York City Jazz Festival in April.
Despite the festival being non-competitive, Madrid told the newspaper he made the certificates based on judges' input. He though the awards would help with fundraising.
Johnson says Madrid taught jazz for the past year.
Madrid did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
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- AP-US-OIL-BOOM-NEW-MEXICO
Lawsuit claims oil boom imperils national park in New MexicoALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Environmentalists say U.S. land managers violated environmental laws and their own regulations when issuing dozens of leases to drill in one of the nation's busiest oilfields.
WildEarth Guardians filed a lawsuit Monday in U.S. District Court, claiming the oil boom in southeastern New Mexico is a threat to Carlsbad Caverns National Park and the surrounding area's cave systems and desert slopes.
The group also is concerned about deteriorating air quality, arguing that the Bureau of Land Management failed to consider the cumulative effects of oil and gas development in the Permian Basin.
The agency is updating the area's development plan, but environmentalists contend more than 200 leases awarded in 2017 and 2018 compromise that effort.
The leases cover more than 106 square miles (276 square kilometers) in New Mexico.
- NEW MEXICO COURTS-ONLINE RESOLUTION
New Mexico courts push online tool for resolving debtALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's judicial system has begun rolling out an online tool aimed at making the process of settling credit card, medical or other debt more convenient.
The dispute resolution pilot was launched Monday in courts located across southern New Mexico — including in Silver City, Deming, Lordsburg, Baynard, Clovis and Portales.
It is being promoted by court officials as creating a process for people sued over unpaid debts to resolve their cases without having to go to court. Instead, the cases would be handled through a multi-step process online.
It will be available in Bernalillo County's district court next Monday and its Metropolitan Court the following week.
State Supreme Court Justice Judith Nakamura says the online program is being funded with $450,000 allocated by the Legislature.
- CAMPUS FENCE-UNM
UNM considering plan to put an iron fence around main campus(Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — University of New Mexico officials are reportedly considering a plan to put a 10-foot (3-meter)-tall, wrought iron fence around the school's main campus for security purposes.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that the proposal is contained in a 45-page "Main Campus Perimeter Security Access Study" commissioned by the university.
Officials aren't saying how seriously the proposal is being considered.
A spokesman for the university tells the Journal that the project's estimated cost is about $1.6 million.
The study was done after the university issued a request for proposals for a security master plan that would detail current security threats, suggest possible solutions and estimate the cost for each proposal.
The proposed fence would cover 13,000 feet (3,962 meters) around the main campus with more than 25 entrance or exit points.
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- OIL BOOM-AIRPORT EXPANSION
Officials wants key southeastern New Mexico airport expanded(Information from: Hobbs News-Sun, http://www.hobbsnews.com)
HOBBS, N.M. (AP) — Officials for a southeastern airport in the heart of New Mexico's booming oil region want it expanded even more.
The Hobbs News-Sun reports Assistant Lea County Manager Corey Needham wants county officials to double the passenger holding area at the Lea County Regional Airport. The $1.6 million project would come as the airport already is undergoing an expansion of its terminal.
But Needham says construction begun in January to expand the passenger holding area, but many more seats will be needed in the near future.
Without the expansion, Needham says the airport's future busy flight schedule could be hurt.
The Lea County Regional Airport is located in Hobbs — a key city in the booming Permian Basin.
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- FARMINGTON-HOMICIDE
Farmington police arrest suspect in stabbing death of a manFARMINGTON, N.M. (AP) — Police in Farmington have identified the victim in a homicide case along with the suspect who's now in custody.
Police say officers were dispatched to an apartment complex about 3:30 a.m. Sunday about a stabbing.
Officers arrived and found 30-year-old Antonio Coochwikvia outside the complex with an apparent stab wound.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police say they were quickly able to identify 20-year-old Eagles Kassanavoid of Farmington as a suspect.
He was located several hours later at a west Farmington residence and arrested after a brief foot pursuit.
Police didn't immediately release a possible motive for the stabbing.
Kassanavoid has been booked into the San Juan County Detention Center on suspicion of murder, tampering with evidence and resisting arrest.
It's unclear if he has a lawyer yet.
- TRUST LAND-SURVEYS
New Mexico Land Office pursues new survey policy(Information from: The Daily Times, http://www.daily-times.com)
FARMINGTON, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Land Office officials acknowledge only a small percentage of the millions of acres of trust land managed by the agency has been surveyed for cultural resources.
The office is working on a policy to change that.
The Farmington Daily Times reports the new policy could require companies to do archaeological surveys before developing a lease.
State Land Office Archaeologist David Eck says lessees currently are required to review records to determine what's already known to exist in the areas the project will impact.
If the lessee — such as an oil or gas company — damages a cultural resource, the lessee could be fined.
In the 20 years he's worked for the office, Eck says there have been fewer than 10 lessees fined for damages to cultural sites.
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