- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico is clearing the way for hospitals to ration care if necessary. Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. David Scrase says hospitals already have been juggling patients with fewer resources, and the order he signed Monday sets up an "equitable procedure" for making tough decisions. Hospitals can suspend procedures that aren't medically necessary if they don't have capacity. Officials say many patients are being treated for non-COVID-19 illnesses and for delaying care. State officials again pushed vaccinations, as the rate in New Mexico continues to hover just below 72%. There is a proposal being introduced in Albuquerque that would require that city's police officers and first responders to be vaccinated or face termination.
- ELECTIONS EDUCATION FUNDING
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Early voting is underway across New Mexico towns, and education funding is on the ballot virtually everywhere. School districts are seeking to renew property taxes to pay for school buildings, computers and air ventilation systems. That's despite an influx this year of $900 million in federal pandemic aid. Ventilation upgrades are on virtually all school district wish lists after state authorities mandated improved systems. Denser air filters can remove virus particles from the air but often require expensive machinery. Balloting is underway, and absentee ballots can be mailed or dropped off by hand. Election Day is Nov. 2.
- SKYBOX FALL-LEGAL SETTLEMENT
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A man who fell from a luxury suite at a university sports arena in Albuquerque onto concrete stairs below has been awarded $144,000 under a state-negotiated settlement. During a basketball game in December 2016 at the University of New Mexico, Eduardo Bracamonte Jr. fell while making his way to a seat and his momentum carried him over a short wall. The university denies wrongdoing and had no immediate comment Monday. Bracamonte landed feet-first, shattering bones in his foot and ankle in a fall witnessed by his son. A lawsuit described the design and arrangement of the luxury suite as dangerous.
- ARMY VETERAN KILLING
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The man convicted of killing a decorated Army veteran at an Albuquerque ATM in 2016 will get a new trial. The Albuquerque Journal reports that the state Court of Appeals overturned the convictions of Matthew Chavez in a ruling earlier this month. A jury found Chavez guilty in 2018 of second-degree murder and lesser charges in 24-year-old Tyler Lackey's death. He was sentenced to more than 23 years. The Court of Appeals found jurors should have been told they could consider a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. Defense attorneys say Chavez tried to rob Lackey but then shot him in self-defense after Lackey drew his own gun.
- CLERGY SEX ABUSE-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — It's been nearly three years since the Archdiocese of Santa Fe filed for bankruptcy, and letters sent to a federal judge reflect impatience with the pace of proceedings. About 385 victims filed claims against the archdiocese, saying they were sexually abused by clergy members. The archdiocese's vicar general wrote on the institution's website at the end of September it is collecting money to pay the victims. The archdiocese also is negotiating with insurance companies, and the vicar general acknowledged that it "may take a while." A lawyer representing the diocese in the case said the frustration of survivors is understandable.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NAVAJO NATION
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation on Monday reported 30 more COVID-19 cases, but no additional deaths for the 13th time in the past 19 days. The latest numbers pushed the tribe's totals to 34,914 confirmed COVID-19 cases from the virus since the pandemic began more than a year ago. The known death toll remains at 1,464. Tribal officials still are urging people to get vaccinated, wear masks while in public and minimize their travel. Based on cases from Oct. 1-14, the Navajo Department of Health issued an advisory for 31 communities due to the uncontrolled spread of the coronavirus. The tribe's reservation is the country's largest at 27,000 square miles and it covers parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
- OBIT-INTERIOR SECRETARY'S MOTHER
U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland's mother, longtime civil servant Mary Toya, has died. Officials with the Interior Department confirmed Toya's passing Saturday but didn't immediately release her age or cause of death. Interior spokeswoman Melissa Schwartz said in a statement the department is celebrating Toya's long life and is grateful for her "25 years of service to Native students as a member of the Interior team within Indian Affairs." Toya also was a U.S. Navy veteran. Her daughter became the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary when she took office in March. Haaland is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna and a 35th generation New Mexican.
- PLANE CRASH-PILOT KILLED
SILVER CITY, N.M. (AP) — Authorities have identified a Silver City woman who died in the crash of a small plane in Gila National Forest. New Mexico State Police say 74-year-old Linda Pecotte was pronounced dead at the scene of Friday's crash south of Reserve. They say Pecotte's two passengers were injured and airlifted to a hospital. Their names, ages and conditions aren't immediately available. The Albuquerque Journal reported Sunday that Pecotte was a former chairwoman of the Grant County Republican Party. An online profile shows that Pecotte was a real estate agent in Silver City at the time of her death. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash.