- STATE OF STATE-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico's governor is rebooting her annual State of the State speech about accomplishments, economic challenges and her legislative agenda after a weeklong delay. Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is expected to deliver the speech on Tuesday remotely via Facebook amid safety precautions against the pandemic. Ordinarily Lujan Grisham would address a joint session of the Legislature with her Cabinet and the state Supreme Court in attendance. Lujan Grisham is calling for legislation aimed at reviving a battered state economy during aggressive restrictions on business activity and school attendance. The Legislature's budget and accountability office says state government income decreased by 8.3% in September 2020 versus the prior September.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Nearly one quarter of New Mexico's population has registered to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. But officials with some of the state's largest health care providers said Monday that inconsistencies with the supply chain are among the barriers to getting more shots in arms. They say they have been planning and are ready to set up more clinics to administer vaccines when more doses arrive. More than 507,000 residents have registered on the state's vaccine website. Health officials say the focus right now remains on those who are 75 and older. More than 203,800 doses have been administered.
- NAVAJO COUNCIL SPEAKER
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — Lawmakers on the Navajo Nation have chosen Seth Damon to serve another two-year term as speaker. The lawmakers are meeting this week for their winter session in Window Rock, Arizona. The first item on their agenda was to select a speaker to oversee the tribe's legislative branch. Seth Damon received the only nomination. Damon has served on the 24-member council for six years, representing a handful of communities around Gallup, New Mexico. As speaker, he presides over quarterly Navajo Nation Council sessions. The position also is second in line to succeed the Navajo Nation president.
- COCHISE COUNTY-HUMAN REMAINS FOUND
DOUGLAS, Ariz. (AP) — Cochise County Sheriff's officials say human remains have been found in the Peloncillo Mountains east of Douglas and about a mile from the New Mexico border. They say hunters were in the area when they found the remains Sunday and notified authorities. Sheriff's deputies and the U.S. Border Patrol responded to the scene. The remains were carried out and turned over to a mortuary for transport to the medical examiner's office. Sheriff's officials say they're continuing to investigate the case and working with the medical examiner to identify the remains and determine the cause of death.
- SOUTHWEST WEATHER
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — A major winter storm buried northern Arizona in snow on Monday while sending flurries to the outskirts of Las Vegas and Phoenix, delighting desert dwellers. A series of storms dropped more precipitation in Flagstaff than the city had during last summer's monsoon season. The mountainous northern Arizona city recorded its driest monsoon seasons on record in 2020 and 2019. The snowfall measured as water easily topped the 1.78 inches that fell as rain from mid-June to September. More snow is expected overnight into Tuesday before the storm moves out, even in lower-lying areas. A blast of cold will follow in its footsteps.
- ABORTION-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Democratic legislators are advancing a bill to repeal New Mexico's dormant, 50-year-old ban on most abortion procedures that could go into effect if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion ruling. A bill that would shore up abortion rights statewide won its first committee endorsement on Monday after lengthy and divided public comments. Twenty-five senators have signed on as co-sponsors of the bill. That's an indication of strong support in the 42-member, Democrat-led state Senate. Several anti-abortion Democrats were ousted from the state Senate in the 2020 elections.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NAVAJO NATION
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — Navajo Nation health officials on Monday reported 89 new COVID-19 cases and four more deaths as a revised public health order is set to take effect. The latest figures bring the total reported coronavirus cases on the reservation to 27,573 with 977 known deaths. On Monday, the tribe extended its stay-at-home order with a revised nightly curfew to limit the spread of COVID-19. The Navajo Department of Health has identified 53 communities with uncontrolled spread of the coronavirus, down from 75 communities in recent weeks. The Navajo Nation also is lifting weekend lockdowns to allow more vaccination events. The Navajo Nation extends into Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
- VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Health officials in New Mexico on Sunday reported 635 new COVID-19 cases and 30 more deaths. The latest figures pushed the state's totals to 169,205 cases and 3,145 known deaths since the start of the pandemic. On Saturday, health officials had reported 859 additional cases and 38 deaths. Bernalillo County had the most additional cases reported Sunday with 146. Most of the additional deaths involved older New Mexicans, but they also included several people in their 30s. The number of infections is thought to be far higher than reported because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.