- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico health officials are reporting 46 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus _ the lowest daily number in the state since early April. The new cases announced Monday bring the state's total to 26,144. State health officials also said four more people have died from the virus. According to state numbers, 807 people in New Mexico have died from COVID-19. There are 65 individuals hospitalized in New Mexico for the virus. That number may include individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 out of state but are currently hospitalized in New Mexico.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-FILM CREWS
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico officials have approved the start of production work by film crews in a sign the industry could soon be back in business after a suspension because of the coronavirus. The Santa Fe New Mexican reported film companies will follow specific guidelines created by an industry task force, while also adhering to public health rules for all businesses in the state. Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has not yet announced when health restrictions will be eased to allow filmmaking to fully resume. A union representative says several hundred crew members have returned to work.
- ELECTION 2020-SENATE-NEW MEXICO
RIO RANCHO, N.M. (AP) — Candidates for New Mexico's open U.S. Senate seat have released their first slate of attack ads. Democratic Rep. Ben Ray Luján on Friday unveiled a commercial that assails Republican Mark Ronchetti for seeking to replace the Affordable Care Act. The ad named "Decision" uses a nurse practitioner who says Luján will protect coverage for pre-existing conditions. Ronchetti shot back on Saturday with a commercial that blasts Luján for supporting the New Green Deal _ a proposal Republicans say would hurt New Mexico's oil and gas industry. The ad also seeks to link him to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
- RECORD HEAT-HOMELESS
PHOENIX (AP) — Extreme temperatures across the Southwest and a record-breaking summer in Phoenix pose additional threats during the coronavirus pandemic, especially for people living on the street. Public health officials in the Phoenix area reported 55 confirmed heat-related deaths so far this year with about 270 cases under investigation. Weather experts expect the heat to continue having an impact. Officials say the dangerous heat has been exacerbated by the pandemic as some heat relief locations have closed. In response, Phoenix has opened a "heat respite center" in the south building of the Phoenix Convention Center to provide shelter from the weather while employing virus safety measures.
- UNM-TIKTOK POST
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — University of New Mexico officials are investigating a video posted by a campus police officer that appears to make fun of people of Mexican descent. The school announced last week it has suspended University of New Mexico Police Department officer Eric Peer in connection with a video posted March 29 on the social media app TikTok. In the video, a man is seen laying tile with a "South Park" voice-over saying "scanning for Mexicans." The video was recorded inside an unspecified house and showed the floor where the tile is being placed. No phone number is listed for Peer.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NAVAJO-SURVIVOR
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Carol Todecheene has survived COVID-19 but she has lasting effects after becoming severely ill and spending nearly three weeks on a ventilator. She had to learn to walk and talk again. Months after getting the coronavirus, she still is weak, dizzy and has trouble remembering things. Doctors say the medical field isn't quite ready to focus only on long-term effects of COVID-19 while vaccines are in the works and communities are still working on reopening. The vast Navajo Nation where Todecheene lives still has daily curfews and partial weekend lockdowns. Despite her limitations, Todecheene recently went back to work.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico reported 66 more cases of coronaviurus on Sunday and three more deaths. The latest numbers from the state Department of Health bring the total reported number of cases statewide to 26,107, with 803 deaths from COVID-19. The three deaths reported Sunday were a man in his 90s in Doña Ana County, a man in his 80s with an underlying health condition in San Juan County and a man in his 30s with an underlying health condition in McKinley County. New cases include 16 in Chaves County, 10 in Bernalillo and 9 in Doña Ana . The rest were in 10 other counties.
- NAVAJO NATION ELECTRICITY
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — Federal coronavirus relief funding has helped more than 100 homes on the Navajo Nation get connected to the electric grid. The Navajo Nation said Sunday that electric line crews are working to connect more homes to the grid ahead of a December 2020 deadline to use the funds. The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority plans to extend electricity to 510 families. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said in a statement that access to the electric grid can help minimize the impacts of COVID-19 for families. The utility was awarded $13.8 million in coronavirus relief funds for power projects and $24.7 million to increase the electrical grid capacity.