State

Democrat Lawrence Rael Joins Race for Governor

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Lawrence Rael

Staff Report

Joined by his wife, Kim, and their three children, Lawrence Rael announced Wednesday his candidacy for governor of New Mexico in 2014 in Santa Fe.

Rael serves as the president of the New Mexico Green Chamber of Commerce. He has been chief administrative officer of Albuquerque, deputy secretary of Transportation for the State of New Mexico and director of the Mid-Region Council of Governments, serving Bernalillo, Valencia, Torrance and Sandoval counties.

He issued the following statement to the press:

“My life has been shaped by the goodness and decency of New Mexicans Read More

National Forest Christmas Tree Cutting Permits Begin Nov. 25

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Courtesy/USDA

USFS News:

Santa Fe National Forest offices and various vendors in Los Alamos, Santa Fe, Pecos, and Las Vegas will begin selling Christmas Tree cutting permits Nov. 25.

Trees may be cut between Nov.25 and Dec. 24. If you plan to cut your tree on Thanksgiving Day, please purchase your permit ahead of time, because all Forest Service offices will be closed Thanksgiving Day.

Cost is $10 per tree (up to 10 feet). For trees taller than 10 feet, an additional permit must be purchased. The tags are also good to dig up a living tree.

For Christmas tree maps, guidelines, Forest Service and vendor Read More

FBI Seeks Help Finding Whoever Threw Explosive Device at Probation-Parole Office

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FBI News:

The FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Albuquerque Police Department are asking for the public’s help in finding the person or persons who threw an improvised explosive device in front of the New Mexico Probation-Parole Division Office, 3010 Monte Vista Blvd NE, Albuquerque today, Nov. 21, 2013.

The device did not explode, and nobody was injured. The incident occurred at approximately 1:45 p.m. and the APD Bomb Squad rendered the device safe.

Anybody with information on this incident is asked to contact the Albuquerque FBI at 505.889.1300 (24 hours) Read More

First Significant Snowfall Heading This Way

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Courtesy/NWS

NWS News:

This afternoon’s National Weather Service briefing slides indicate Los Alamos should start feeling and seeing the impacts of its first significant snowfall of the year. 

Beginning with drizzle and freezing rain, sleet and snow tonight into Friday morning, and continuing off and on Friday with an expected 1-2 inches. Saturday should demonstrate precipitation mostly in the form of snow with another 5-7 inches as the brunt of this system hits. 

Sunday also will be an off/on day of snow, sleet and drizzle, and the Monday morning commute could prove challenging Read More

Free Days and Christmas Tree Sales Highlight Valles Caldera’s Winter Calendar

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Snowshoeing on the Valles Caldera. Courtesy/VCNP

Horse-drawn sleigh and wagon rides offer visitors an hour long excursion through the Valles Caldera’s winter landscape. Courtesy/VCNP

VCNP News:

Jemez Springs – Snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and sleigh rides highlight a full calendar of activities and events at the Valles Caldera National Preserve this winter. In addition, two free trail access days will be offered. Dogs are permitted on the K9 Trail and non-groomed areas.

Winter hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at the Valle Grande Staging Area. The Preserve Read More

NMDOT Ready For Winter Storm

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State snow plow. Courtesy/NMDOT

NMDOT News:

Santa Fe – New Mexico’s first wave of winter weather is on our doorstep and the New Mexico Department of Transportation wants to assure the public that our crews are on standby and ready to go. 

Snowplows and trucks that apply salt and cinder to icy roads are loaded and ready. Crews will work around the clock to clear roads and assist where needed.

“The Department of Transportation is prepared for the storm and asks all motorists to be safe,” said NMDOT Deputy Secretary of Highway Operations Anthony Lujan.

The NMDOT’s Traffic Management Center is Read More

Heinrich Challenges Effectiveness of Dragnet Surveillance Program in NSA Court Case

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U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich

U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Mark Udall, D-Colo., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and members of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, today challenged the effectiveness of the National Security Agency’s bulk phone records collection program.

The senators’ amicus curiae brief, filed in the First Unitarian Church vs. National Security Agency U.S. District Court case, questioned a central premise of the government’s argument. The brief argues that after extensive review, the senators

Read More

Ben Lujan Honored Posthumously

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NMVC News:

ALBUQUERQUE—New Mexico Voices for Children is honoring four exceptional people at its annual Spirit of Hope Awards Ceremony this weekend. Speaker of the House Ben Lujan will be honored posthumously with the Alice King Public Service Award. Frank Sanchez, who is known, among other things, as one of the lead plaintiffs in New Mexico’s first successful Voting Rights Act lawsuit, will receive the Patty Jennings and Polly Arango Citizen Advocacy Award.

 “Speaker Lujan really embodied the spirit of what a citizen legislator should be,” said Veronica C. García, Ed.D., Executive Read More

LANL Community Leaders’ Breakfast Draws Crowd

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Influential people from around northern New Mexico gathered at the El Dorado Hotel in Santa Fe Tuesday for the LANL Community Leaders’ Breakfast. Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists were seated at each table to share their research in a wide variety of areas. Photo by Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com
 
Dist. 43 Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard with Director Kurt Steinhaus of LANL’s Community Programs Office, was among legislators from across the state in attendance at Tuesday’s breakfast event. Photo by Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com
 
Alan Bishop,
Read More

Educators Wear Black in Statewide Day of Action to Take Back Joy of Learning

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By Charles Goodmacher
NEA-New Mexico UniServ
Research, Communication & Government Relations

Today is the statewide day of action in New Mexico to take back the joy of learning, time for teaching and professionalism in public education.

In schools across New Mexico, education employees will wear black to express outrage against the Governor’s policies that are failing our schools, our students and our state, including the new teacher evaluation system which is largely based on standardized test scores. Teachers in many communities will also hold marches, rallies and other actions Read More