- ELECTION 2020-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The Democratic Party of New Mexico hopes to broaden participation in the Nov. 3 election as it launches a daytime telephone hotline and online resources about balloting. State Democratic Party Executive Director Chelsey Evans said the initiative begins Monday and aims to inform voters about new options and deadlines for requesting and casting absentee ballots. The coronavirus pandemic already reshaped voting in New Mexico during the June primary as absentee voting by mail or drop-off delivery soared in popularity. Temporary election reforms were adopted in June by the Legislature and governor that alter ballot-request deadlines, add a new signature requirement and provide ballot tracking by postal barcodes.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is apologizing for claiming residents of Espanola aren't wearing masks during the pandemic. The governor said in a statement Friday that she regrets her words gave an inaccurate impression of the town of 10,000. Lujan Grisham said their efforts to fight COVID-19 are making an enormous difference. The governor singled out Espanola during a news conference Thursday, saying she didn't see anyone wearing a mask when she recently drove through there. Espanola Mayor Javier Sanchez slammed her comments, saying it felt like "getting punched in the gut." He says it's bad enough people already stereotype Espanola as high in poverty and crime.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NAVAJO NATION
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — Navajo Nation health officials say the confirmation of a new death brings the number of fatalities from coronavirus to 500. The Navajo Nation on Friday night reported the additional death as well as 14 more confirmed cases of COVID-19. That brings the total number of people infected to 9,780. But that includes 165 cases that occurred between early April and mid-August and were recently identified as COVID-19 related. Navajo officials said 94,099 people have been tested for the coronavirus and 7,032 have recovered. The Navajo Nation lifted its stay-at-home order on Aug. 16, but is asking residents to go out for emergencies or essentials.
- AP-US-NATIVE-AMERICANS-COMIC-BOOKS
Native American comic book fans hope a new Marvel anthology by Native artists and writers will jump-start authentic representation in mainstream superhero fare. "Marvel Voices: Indigenous Voices #1" is expected in November during Native American History Month and will revisit some of its Native characters. Marvel says the project was planned long before the nation's reckoning over racial injustice, which has prompted changes like the Washington NFL team dropping its Redskins mascot. The lead artist for the comic book says the series is correcting a decades-old problem of Native American or Indigenous representation in the medium.
- OIL AND GAS-LEASE SALE
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Federal land managers say the latest oil and gas lease sale for parcels in New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas netted more than $8.2 million. The Bureau of Land Management said nearly half of the revenues earned from this week's sale will go to the states where the leases are located. The funds are often used for infrastructure projects, law enforcement and other government programs. In all, 113 parcels totaling more than 76 square miles (197 square kilometers) were offered. The highest bid per acre topped $21,500 with the lease of 120 acres in southeastern New Mexico to Santa Fe-based Federal Abstract Company.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Political party delegates from New Mexico who traveled to the Republican National Convention and President Donald Trump's speech at the White House are obligated to self-quarantine as they return home to a state that requires face masks and limits public gatherings. A spokeswoman for Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday said the delegates are subject to a 14-day self-quarantine provision that applies to most travelers as they enter or return to New Mexico. The state is relaxing its stay-at-home order gradually as the spread of COVID-19 slows. New Mexico has reported more than 25,000 confirmed cases since the pandemic began.
- WILDFIRES-NEW MEXICO RISK
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A wildfire burning outside Santa Fe, New Mexico, hasn't caused much harm beyond spewing smoke into surrounding communities over recent days. But while the blaze along Rio en Medio is slowing down, fire officials say the overall risk of wildfires in New Mexico and across the West is getting worse. Some homeowners see the fire as an opportunity to raise awareness and spur action among their neighbors. They're also pushing for plans to expand escape routes as an increasing number of Santa Fe County residents live in dry, overgrown areas along the forest's edge.
- LAKE POWELL PIPELINE
LAUGHLIN, Nev. (AP) — A group of residents in a southern Nevada town that sits along the Colorado River are organizing a campaign to oppose a proposed pipeline that would divert billions of gallons of river water to southwest Utah. The Laughlin Nevada Times reported that Laughlin residents Brea Chiodini and Sharon Sauer are collecting signatures for a letter they intend to send to the Bureau of Reclamation about Utah's consumption patterns and what they see as the project's dangers. As the Colorado River shrinks, fighting over supply between water users in the upper and lower basins is likely to intensify.