State

Firefighters Respond to Four Lightning Fires

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Current fires on the Santa Fe National Forest. Courtesy/SFNF

SFNF News:

SANTA FE—Firefighters responded to four lightning caused fires as a result of Friday’s massive thunderstorm in the area.

The Rattlesnake, Alameda and San Antonio fires – all located on the west side of the Forest within the Jemez Mountains – have been contained. The fires ranged in size from .10 to .25 acres.

Firefighters are still working to contain the Aragon Fire, also burning in the Jemez Mountains.

Fire Name: Aragon

Time/Date Reported: 10:02 a.m., June 29, 2013

Location: Coyote Ranger District, Santa Fe National Read More

2013 SBA Scores Show Record Gains in High School Reading Proficiency

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STATE News:

 

BERNALILLO – Gov. Susana Martinez announced Friday the results of the latest Standards Based Assessment (NMSBA), administered earlier this year to New Mexico students in 3rd through 8th grades, as well as 10th and 11th grades.

 

New Mexico’s 11th grade class posted impressive gains in reading proficiency, increasing proficiency rates by 9.9 percentage points over 2012 – to the highest level seen since the NMSBA began in 2007. As a group, when factoring in the gains that were also posted by this class when they were 10th graders last year, these students have increased Read More

State Tightens Sex Offender Registration Laws

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Gov. Susana Martinez

STATE OF NM NEWS

SANTA FE – Gov. Susana Martinez has unveiled a new, central location for New Mexicans to find sex offender information state-wide, including real-time e-mail notifications if an offender moves into your community.

This marks the first time that sex offender registration information is available to parents and the community in a single source that is consistent throughout New Mexico.

Martinez also said that new sex offender registration requirements go into effect July 1, that will tighten registration requirements while closing an out-of-state Read More

Udall Stands Up for N.M. in Energy and Water Appropriations Bill

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U.S. Sen. Tom Udall

WASHINGTON –U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., joined the Senate Appropriations Committee in approving a bill that includes significant support for important New Mexico installations and programs, including Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) and New Mexico water projects Thursday.

The bill includes record-level base funding for waste cleanup at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), and significant funding levels for WIPP operations and maintenance. Udall also included an amendment to the bill’s report language to improve

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Schools’ 2013 Standards Based Assessment Results Unveiled at 12:30 p.m. Today

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Gov. Susana Martinez

 

STATE News:

 

SANTA FE – Gov. Susana Martinez, together with Public Education Secretary Hanna Skandera will present the results of the 2013 New Mexico Standards Based Assessment (NMSBA)  at 12:30 p.m. today.

 

PED Secretary Hanna Skandara

Students in grades 3rd through 8th, as well as high school sophomores and juniors take the NMSBA every spring and results are used to determine if students are on grade level in core subject areas.

 

Check back at ladailypost.com for full details on how Los Alamos schools rank on the assessments. Read More

Luján: With Only a Few Days Left until Interest Rates Double on Student Loans, It’s Time for Congress to Act

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U.S. CONGRESSIONAL News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico’s Third District voted today to bring up legislation to address the increase in interest rates on student loans that is scheduled to occur on July 1.

With only five days to go until rates double, Luján joined with all his Democratic colleagues in an attempt to immediately bring legislation to the floor that would freeze rates at 3.4 percent for the next two years. Not one Republican voted with Democrats to bring up the legislation, blocking the effort.

“House Republicans have passed a bill that is a non-starter in the Read More

Thompson Ridge Fire 95 Percent Contained … 3 Percent Sustained High Intensity Burn

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Initial Burn Severity Map for Thompson Ridge Fire. Courtesy/BAER

JEMEZ SPRINGS – Thompson Ridge BAER specialists recently completed their field surveys and are finalizing their analysis and findings.

The hydrologists and soils scientists finished their modeling for predicted post-fire water run-off and erosion levels.

The BAER team identified critical values-at-risk and is finalizing their recommended emergency stabilization actions and treatments for these values that will be included in their BAER assessment report along with their data, analysis, and findings. The BAER report Read More

Los Alamos County Clerk Elected VP of NMAC

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NMAC News:

CLOVIS – Los Alamos County Clerk Sharon Stover was elected vice president of the New Mexico Association of Counties (NMAC) June 20 at the 77th Annual Conference in Curry County.

Stover has served as the NMAC treasurer and board representative for Los Alamos County. Previously, she was a Los Alamos County Councilor and involved with economic development in her community. She was chosen as part of the new leadership by her peer elected officials to help guide the NMAC Board of Directors representing all 33 counties in New Mexico.

“New Mexico’s counties will be well represented with Commissioner Read More

Thompson Ridge Fire Bear Cub Gains Weight

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VCNP News:

Sunday, June 16, a hungry, thirsty and frightened bear cub was searching for the mother he lost during the Thompson Ridge Fire on the Valles Caldera National Preserve.

Firefighters working the line came across the cub a day earlier and decided to add him to their monitoring duties. They watched from a distance as he climbed trees and scampered in and out of the tall grass. But when it became obvious a mother-cub reunion would not come in time to save the toddler’s life his buddies on the fire line called for help.

New Mexico Game and Fish Department was summoned to collect the cub and transported Read More

Bandelier Hosting July 4 Naturalization Ceremony

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 Last year’s July 4 Naturalization Ceremony at Bandelier. Photo by Salvador Zapien/ladailypost.com 

BANDELIER News:

July 4th is traditionally the day when Americans celebrate our freedom and independence.

This year, building on the success of last year’s ceremony, Bandelier National Monument is proud to partner with the United States Citizenship and Naturalization Services to host a naturalization ceremony.

Fifteen candidates, after years of fulfilling their requirements, will be taking their oath and becoming the newest citizens of the United States. Read More