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Latest New Mexico news, sports, business and entertainment at 6:20 a.m. MDT

  • ELECTION 2020-HOUSE-NEW MEXICO

Santa Fe-based DA takes step toward congressional runSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Democratic District Attorney Marco Serna of Santa Fe has taken a new step toward running for Congress in 2020 by forming an exploratory committee.
Serna told The Associated Press on Monday that he has formed a committee and created a fundraising account to test the waters for a potential campaign in the 3rd District.
The seat is opening up to competition as sixth-term Rep. Ben Ray Luján runs for U.S. Senate.
Serna said he wants to help bring greater economic opportunity to people in northern New Mexico and continue work to combat the region's opioid epidemic.
The 36-year-old prosecutor plans to make a decision by mid-May on whether to run. The son of former state insurance superintendent Eric Serna, Marco Serna won election as district attorney in 2016.

  • CHACO CANYON-DRILLING

Congress measures conflict over drilling near sacred sitesSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Advocates for greater restrictions on oil and natural gas drilling near untrammeled Native American cultural sites in the Southwest are urging Congress to establish better safeguards.
A research trip by a U.S. House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources culminates Monday in a public hearing at the New Mexico Capitol. The committee is exploring the effects of air pollution on ruins held sacred by indigenous communities.
New Mexico's delegation to Washington wants to halt new oil and natural gas lease sales on federal holdings within a 10-mile (16-kilometer) buffer zone around Chaco Culture National Historic Park and its ancient stone structures and avenues.
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez says many tribes want a greater area around Chaco protected from industrial incursions.
Oil developers say robust protections already are in place.

  • CHILD ABUSE-DWI SUSPECT

Las Cruces woman accused of child abuse, DWI after car crashLAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — A Las Cruces woman accused of driving while intoxicated and crashing into another vehicle now is facing a child abuse charge after police say her 10-year-old son was a passenger in her car.
They say 28-year-old Maria Vielma is jailed without bond on suspicion of a third-degree felony count of child abuse, misdemeanor counts of aggravated DWI and operating a motor vehicle with an open container of alcohol.
Police responded to a two-car crash around 8:30 p.m. Sunday.
An officer says Vielma had bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred speech and an odor of alcohol and there was an open container of beer on the car's passenger side.
Police say Vielma indicated she had been drinking for several hours before the crash and field sobriety tests showed signs of impairment.

  • CHEERLEADING-POOR SPORTSMANSHIP

New Mexico cheerleading contest may end over sportsmanship(Information from: Albuquerque Journal, http://www.abqjournal.com)
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A statewide high school cheerleading and dance competition in New Mexico may be terminated thanks to a rash of terrible sportsmanship.
The Albuquerque Journal reports the New Mexico Activities Association is considering canceling the 2020 State Spirit Competition following death threats and inflammatory social media posts.
Association Executive Director Sally Marquez says she will go before the group's commission next month to discuss options, which include cancellation.
The state competition, which encompasses female cheer, co-ed cheer and dance, is the third-largest money-making postseason event on the high school calendar, after basketball and football.
Earlier this year, the association warned Estancia High School over rowdy fans. Carlsbad High School imposed crowd restrictions after improper behavior from student fans.
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  • O'KEEFFE MUSEUM-IN COLOR

Georgia O'Keeffe Museum tackles visitors' color blindnessSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The vibrant colors and hues in Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings soon will be on full display for color-blind visitors.
The Santa Fe museum announced Monday it's teaming up with California-based EnChroma to expand the gallery experience through special glasses.
Starting May 3, visitors with red-green color blindness can borrow glasses to see O'Keeffe's work in the way that she intended.
One of the museum's curators, Katrina Stacy, says O'Keeffe in her later years developed visual impairment from macular degeneration and turned her attention to sculpture.
Stacy says the project with EnChroma has ties to that part of the artist's story.
EnChroma co-founder Andrew Schmeder says O'Keeffe juxtaposed colors from nature in ways that evoked emotion and seeing that relationship between colors has been challenging for people with color blindness.

  • PECANS-NEW MEXICO

Report: New Mexico led pecan production in 2018(Information from: Carlsbad Current-Argus, http://www.currentargus.com/)
ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico was the national leader in pecan production last year thanks to Hurricane Michael striking down large swaths of Georgia's pecan crop.
The Carlsbad Current-Argus reports U.S. Department of Agriculture numbers show New Mexico produced around 90 million pounds of pecans in 2018.
Georgia, traditionally the United States' largest pecan-producing state, saw its crop crippled by the storm, cutting production by almost half from 107 million pounds to 56 million.
Records show Texas was ranked third at 28 million pounds and Arizona was fourth at 25 million pounds.
New Mexico reported a growth of almost 50 million pounds in the last decade from 2008's production of 43 million pounds.
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  • BORDER ARRESTS-NEW MEXICO

230 migrants detained near New Mexico's Mount Cristo ReySUNLAND PARK, N.M. (AP) — Federal border authorities say more migrants have been arrested after illegally crossing into the United States through New Mexico.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection said 230 migrants were taken into custody late Friday at the base of Mount Cristo Rey in Sunland Park.
Officials say the majority of the migrants were from Central American countries.
Mount Cristo Rey is a Catholic shrine and is the site where a 29 foot-tall (8.8 meter-tall) limestone statue of Jesus sits on a hill.
New Mexico's isolated regions along the U.S.-Mexico border has seen more migrants claim asylum after being detained by U.S. Border Patrol agents.

  • ALBUQUERQUE-WOMAN SHOT

Police: Woman wounded in shooting in southwest AlbuquerqueALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Police say they are investigating a shooting in southwest Albuquerque that has left a woman wounded.
They say the shooting occurred around 6 a.m. Sunday near 59th Street and Central Avenue.
Police say when officers arrived on the scene, they found a woman who was suffering from a gunshot wound.
She was taken to the hospital, but her condition is not immediately known.
Police didn't release her name and age and they say no suspects in the case are in custody at this time.