SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico regulators have denied a request by the state’s largest electric provider to unload its shares in one of the Southwest’s few remaining coal-fired power plants by transferring them to a Navajo energy company. The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to reject the plan. Commissioners said
Continue Reading By MARGERY A. BECK and MARGARET STAFFORD Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say at least five people died when a powerful storm system swept across the Great Plains and Midwest, spawning hurricane-force winds and likely tornadoes in Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota. Officials say a 65-year-old man was killed Wednesday night when a 40-foot
Continue Reading By LARRY NEUMEISTER and TOM HAYS Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — A former office worker for financier Jeffrey Epstein has testified at Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex abuse trial that she didn’t witness misconduct by Maxwell during the six years she worked with her. The testimony by the first defense witness on Thursday came after a
Continue Reading PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — Sir’Jabari Rice scored 19 of his 22 points in the second half as New Mexico State steadily eroded a double-digit Washington State lead to come away with a 64-61 victory. The Aggies trailed by 18 after Washington State opened the second half with three straight 3-pointers. Rice scored the next seven
Continue Reading By CEDAR ATTANASIO Associated Press / Report for America SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Most of New Mexico’s congressional delegation has asked Capitol Hill for permission to invest more money into early childhood programs from its resource wealth endowment. Sen. Martin Heinrich and Rep. Melanie Stansbury are sponsoring legislation requesting permission that the change be
Continue Reading SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Health officials in New Mexico on Wednesday reported 1,357 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 25 deaths as the numbers continue to rise. The latest figures pushed the state’s totals to 334,332 cases since the pandemic began and 5,516 known deaths. On Tuesday, New Mexico had reported 788 new cases and
Continue Reading By MORGAN LEE Associated Press SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Leading Democratic legislators have introduced a revised state Senate redistricting plan that would preserve recommendations from Native American communities, amid an extended stalemate. Bill sponsor Linda Lopez said Wednesday the new redistricting proposal adopts essential recommendations from Native American leaders intended to shore up Indigenous
Continue Reading WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — A storm packing powerful winds has knocked out electricity to thousands of homes on the Navajo and Hopi reservations and snarled traffic on major roadways. Navajo Tribal Utility spokeswoman Deenise Becenti said Wednesday’s outage affected at least 10,000 homes on the Navajo Nation. Power was restored to most areas by
Continue Reading By MICHAEL CASEY Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — Housing advocates say evictions are increasing around the country, several months after a federal moratorium was allowed to end. The rise in cases, although below pre-pandemic levels in most states and cities, shows the limits on the tens of billions of dollars in federal assistance and the
Continue Reading ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Albuquerque police officers went to a familiar location, the police department’s own headquarters, to respond to a vandalism call early Wednesday. A police spokesperson said officers found “extensive graffiti” covering the southern steps of the building, which also is home to the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department. Officer Chase Jewell said the
Continue Reading By MARGERY A. BECK and MARGARET STAFFORD Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A powerful storm system is blowing through the Great Plains and Midwest, combining with unusually warm temperatures to close highways and prompt numerous tornado warnings. The winds gusting up to 80 mph hit parts of Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa. The winds caused
Continue Reading By MALLIKA SEN Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The case for and against Ghislaine Maxwell has been made, and as soon as Monday, her fate will rest squarely in the jury’s hands. Maxwell has denied all charges levied against her. Her defense contends she’s being victimized by a need to make someone pay for
Continue Reading WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation on Wednesday reported 38 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and seven additional deaths. The latest numbers pushed the tribe’s total to 40,615 cases since the pandemic began with 1,569 known deaths. Based on cases from Nov. 26-Dec. 9, the Navajo Department of Health issued an advisory for 58
Continue Reading By CEDAR ATTANASIO Associated Press / Report for America SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico state Senate has passed a spending proposal that would allocate some $478 million in federal funds to internet infrastructure, highways and other projects. It now goes back to the House. The funding could accelerate the development of high-speed
Continue Reading FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — A grand jury in Texas has returned a capital murder indictment against a man authorities have said confessed to killing five people, including three whose dismembered bodies were found in a burning dumpster earlier this year. The Tarrant County district attorney’s office says Jason Thornburg was indicted Monday on a
Continue Reading By The Associated Press On Oct. 21, on a movie set in New Mexico, what was supposed to be fiction reached into reality in the most destructive of ways. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed by a prop gun held by Alec Baldwin, one of the country’s most prominent actors. The ensuing anguish and
Continue Reading PECOS, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico state police say a Pecos man is accused of fatally shooting two drinking companions and shooting at another man who had called 911 while hiding in a closet of his residence. A state police statement said officers on Saturday found 40-year-old Mark Valencia in a vehicle outside the residence,
Continue Reading By ANDREW SELSKY Associated Press McMINNVILLE, Ore. (AP) — Thousands of towns across the United States that were wracked by the opioid crisis are on the precipice of receiving billions of dollars in the second-biggest legal settlement in U.S. history. The $26 billion from three drug distributors and a pharmaceutical manufacturer would address damage wrought
Continue Reading ESTANCIA, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico State Police says a Torrance County sheriff’s deputy fatally shot a man who reportedly had earlier entered a woman’s backyard and fired at least one gunshot. The State Police didn’t immediately release the identity of the man shot Monday. The State Police said it was investigating the incident
Continue Reading WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation on Monday reported 19 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, but no additional deaths. The latest numbers pushed the tribe’s total to 40,519 cases since the pandemic began. The known death toll remains at 1,562. Tribal health officials reported 23 cases Sunday plus one death. Based on cases from
Continue Reading By MORGAN LEE Associated Press SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A state Senate redistricting plan is in limbo amid a standoff over Native American political priorities and efforts by lawmakers to avoid competitive pairing of incumbents in the next election. The Senate canceled a floor session Monday amid negotiations. States must redraw their congressional and
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SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Department of Health on Monday announced the state’s first identified case of the COVID-19 omicron variant. Health officials say the case was identified Sunday and involves a Bernalillo County woman. They say the unidentified woman reported recent domestic travel to a state with reported cases of omicron.
Continue Reading DENVER (AP) — A mining company has agreed to pay Colorado $1.6 million to resolve its liability for natural resource damage related to the 2015 Gold King Mine spill that fouled rivers in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. Attorney General Phil Weiser’s office says a consent decree with Sunnyside Gold Corp. is being filed in
Continue Reading OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The National Weather Service is warning of potentially damaging winds in parts of Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri this week on the heels of devastating tornadoes that wreaked havoc in the Midwest. The weather service has issued a high wind watch starting Wednesday morning for most of Kansas and Nebraska and
Continue Reading WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation is reporting 23 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and one new death. Tribal health officials released their latest figures Sunday evening, bringing the reservation’s pandemic totals to 1,562 deaths and 40,497 positive cases. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez issued a reminder to get the vaccine or the booster
Continue Reading ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Albuquerque police are searching for the driver who struck and killed a 7-year-old boy as he was crossing the street with his family. Police identified the boy killed Sunday night as Pronoy Bhattacharya. Authorities say the hit-and-run occurred Sunday around 8:30 p.m. at Central Ave and Tingley Drive. A family of
Continue Reading By GLEN ROSALES Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Behind a 16-1 run over the first eight minutes of the second half, Texas-El Paso built a big lead en route to 77-69 win over New Mexico. Keonte Kennedy had 22 points and eight rebounds to lead UTEP, and Souley Boum added 26 points, including going
Continue Reading By GLEN ROSALES Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Behind a 16-1 run over the first eight minutes of the second half, Texas-El Paso built a big lead en route to 77-69 win over New Mexico. Keonte Kennedy had 22 points and eight rebounds to lead UTEP, and Souley Boum added 26 points, including going
Continue Reading By BRIAN J. PEDERSEN Associated Press TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Freshman Madi Conner came off the bench to score a career-high 15 points and No. 6 Arizona beat New Mexico 77-60. The Wildcats improved to 9-0 for the fourth time in school history and second time in three seasons. Neither team led by more than
Continue Reading RALEIGH. N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has been formally chosen to lead the Democratic Governors Association next year. Association members elected Cooper to the job on Saturday at the group’s meeting in New Orleans. He’s been vice chair and chair-elect in 2021. Now he’ll spearhead efforts to help party nominees win more
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