- PUBLIC WATERS-ACCESS FIGHT
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A coalition of outdoor groups is asking the New Mexico Supreme Court to weigh in on a long-running dispute over public access to rivers and streams that flow through private property. The New Mexico Wildlife Federation and others filed their petition Friday. They are seeking to invalidate a rule adopted previously by the state Game Commission that gives landowners the ability to petition wildlife managers to certify waters on private property as "non-navigable" and prohibit public access. Critics say the rule violates the state Constitution and that wildlife managers don't have the authority to determine how waterways should be classified.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico authorities are trying to ensure children are fully fed and cared for as public schools are shut down to guard against the spread of the new coronavirus. Health officials say 10 people in the state have now tested positive for the new coronavirus, with the new cases including household companions of those who had previously tested positive. The new cases in Bernalillo and Santa Fe counties come as students pick up laptops and books from school to settle into life at home without public gatherings for at least three weeks. The governor acknowledged the school closures are difficult and have social and economic impacts.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-SCHOOL MEALS
ELK GROVE, Calif. (AP) — Millions of students across the U.S. may go without free lunches and breakfasts they receive at schools, as more districts decide to close due to the coronavirus. Many schools are rushing to arrange grab-and-go lunch bags or set up delivery routes so America's poorest children don't go hungry while classes are out of session. The outbreak has already temporarily closed schools in states including Ohio, Maryland, Michigan, Illinois, Virginia, Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, and South Dakota. Cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Houston, Seattle, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., also announced public schools would shut down. Meanwhile, Congress may take action to waive regulations nationwide to make it easier for school meals to be distributed at more sites.
- DROUGHT-NEW MEXICO
TIJERAS, N.M. (AP) — A mountain village in central New Mexico has been awarded nearly $750,000 in federal funding from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation that will be used to help the community bolster its resiliency to drought. The grant for Tijeras is part of an overall announcement made Thursday where 12 projects were selected to receive $7.5 million to increase the reliability of water supplies as well as improve water management and the environment. Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman says communities throughout the West need to take steps to prepare for drought. The latest federal drought map shows more than 40% of the state is dealing with some level of dryness.
- BOWLING ALLEY MASSACRE
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — Detectives are examining dozens of new tips related to the massacre at a southern New Mexico bowling alley more than 30 years ago following the announcement of a new reward. KVIA-TV reports the tips come a month after Las Cruces police detectives announced a $30,000 reward for information leading to the suspects behind a deadly robbery that left four dead. Police say two unidentified robbers came into the Las Cruces Bowl in February 1990 and shot seven people before burning a portion of the building. Las Cruces Detective Amador Martinez said he's combing through 50 to 60 tips he's received since holding a news conference in early February.
- MURDER CONVICTION UPHELD
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Supreme Court has upheld the first-degree murder conviction of a Raton woman in the fatal 2016 shooting of her boyfriend. The state's highest court unanimously decided Thursday there was sufficient evidence to support Crystal Vigil's conviction. The court also rejected Vigil's arguments that she failed to receive a fair trial. She says the judge prevented the cross-examination of a witness about text messaging statements concerning the murder and declined to make an instruction to the jury that the defense initially requested but later withdrew. Vigil was sentenced to life in prison for killing Zachariah Holderby in the house they shared in Raton. She must serve 30 years in prison before becoming eligible for parole.
- AP-US-CENSUS-HIRING
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The Census Bureau hasn't ruled out extending the once-a-decade head count past the end of July, when it was scheduled to end, amid the new coronavirus outbreak. On Friday, Census Bureau officials told U.S. lawmakers that concerns about the virus hadn't yet caused a drop in staffing levels, according to a statement from the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. Bureau officials will make a decision on extending the count after reviewing response rates. The bureau also is shifting training for temporary census-takers online and providing safety equipment for workers. The U.S. Census Bureau says it has reached its goal of recruiting more than 2.6 million applicants, but it has been a bumpy road to get there.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's governor announced Thursday that K-12 schools will close for three weeks in an effort to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a news release that the extended closure will begin at the end of the school day Friday. Many public school districts had shorter spring breaks scheduled next week. Public Education Secretary Ryan Stewart said the extended closure is designed to guard against the spread of COVID-19 within communities. The state confirmed a sixth positive test for coronavirus for a woman in her 50s from Santa Fe County. New Mexico health officials are temporarily banning many mass gatherings that involve 100 or more people.