Vandals take aim at windows

A Tuesday night vandalism spree left thousands of dollars worth of damage in southwest Santa Fe when someone fired pellets or BBs at a McDonald's restaurant and two homes, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Department.

At about 10:15 p.m. Tuesday, a window on Camino Vista Aurora, near McDonald's off Airport Road, was shot.

A few minutes later, someone shot a window at McDonald's, 4011 Calle Lucia. About an hour after that, six windows were damaged at a house under construction on Camino Sabanero, not far from the other two locations.

The McDonald's windows were double-paned safety glass and will cost about $11,400 to fix, a report said. Damage to the two homes totaled about $4,900, according to reports.

No one was injured in any of the shootings.

Maj. Ron Madrid said investigators believe the incidents are related but had no suspects Wednesday.

Governor unwinds in Caribbean

Gov. Bill Richardson is taking time off for a little relaxation under the tropical sun.

The governor and first lady Barbara Richardson left Wednesday for a vacation in the Caribbean, Gilbert Gallegos, the governor's spokesman, said.

No details were released about the location of Richardson's vacation spot. Gallegos cited security concerns as a reason for not publicly disclosing where the governor planned to stay. The Richardsons took a commercial flight to their destination.

Lt. Gov. Diane Denish serves as acting governor while Richardson is out of state.

Richardson is to return to New Mexico about the middle of next week, but no specific date was released by Gallegos.

Richardson rarely takes time off from his hectic schedule. He spent the last year campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination, but dropped out of the race in early January.

In July 2006 and the summer of 2003, the governor and first lady vacationed on Cape Cod, Mass.

Farmington OKs Halliburton bond

FARMINGTON — The Farmington City Council has approved an industrial revenue bond for Halliburton Energy Services, with Mayor Bill Standley breaking a tie to grant the bonds.

Under the bonds, Farmington gives up an estimated $15,000 annually for 30 years in property taxes and about $200,000 in one-time gross receipts taxes.

But Councilor Dan Darnell says the bonds will let the company do more business.

Proponents argued the breaks are worth it to keep Halliburton's tax money and 200 jobs in the city. But opponents contend the international company shouldn't need help.

Halliburton will use the revenue toward a $24 million facility to combine and expand its Farmington operations. The company estimates the project will mean $234,000 more in taxes annually once it's finished.

Plane makes rough landing at airport

Landing gear on a small plane failed at the Santa Fe Municipal Airport on Wednesday, but no one was injured, according to an airport official.

Two people were in the plane, which made a rough landing at 11:30 a.m., according to Ken DeLapp, operations manager at Santa Fe Air Center.

Baby left in tub drowns at home

A 9-month-old girl accidentally drowned Tuesday night at a home in the 2300 block of Camino Capitan after she was left unattended in the bathtub, police said Wednesday.

The child was left for a "short time" in a bathtub chair designed to keep her upright that was suction-cupped to the bottom of the tub, and the chair fell over, said Santa Fe Deputy Police Chief Aric Wheeler.

"It appears to be a case of accidental drowning," he said. "I don't anticipate we will be filing charges at this point."

Wheeler said the case will likely be referred to the District Attorney's Office. The baby was the couple's only child, he said.

Feds: Navajo Hawaii trip OK

ALBUQUERQUE — The U.S. Interior Department's Office of Inspector General has determined one of the nation's largest American Indian tribes was not out of line in sending several dozen employees to an education conference in Hawaii.

The inspector general also found the Navajo Nation did not misuse federal money by sending employees to the National Indian Education Association conference in Honolulu last October.

U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., who had requested the inquiry, said Wednesday that he hopes the inspector general's review answers some of the concerns raised about the Navajos' participation in the conference.

Tribal officials came under fire last fall after it was reported by The Daily Times in Farmington that 362 tribal members preregistered for the conference. Critics contended fewer representatives could have gone, saving money needed by tribal schools.

Archaeologist to speak on Nepal

Nancy Wilkie, a part-time Santa Fean and former president of the Archaeological Institute of America, will speak on Nepal on Monday at the monthly meeting of the Santa Fe Archaeological Society.

Wilkie will present photographs and her personal experiences related to archaeology along the southern border of Nepal. Recent excavations in the Sacred Garden of Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, have revealed structures dating as early as the third century B.C.

Her free lecture is at 7:30 p.m., at the Courtyard by Marriott, 3347 Cerrillos Road.

Church again sorry for vandalism

SAN LUIS, Colo. — Mormon Church officials have again apologized to the town of San Luis after church missionaries were accused of desecrating a Catholic shrine.

Photos posted on the Internet showed three young men holding the broken head of a statue, preaching from the Book of Mormon at an altar and pretending to sacrifice one another.

A delegation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints told the San Luis Town Board on Monday that the church is ashamed and disappointed.

LDS officials say they have given the names of the three men believed to have been involved to Costilla County sheriff's deputies, who are investigating. The missionaries have not been publicly identified.

Mesilla mayor removes marshal

MESILLA — Mesilla Mayor Michael Cadena has removed the town's marshal, Angelo Vega, a day short of Vega's one-year anniversary in the job.

Vega said he doesn't know why he was removed Monday, and he hadn't received any reprimands or complaints about his job performance.

Cadena said he can't discuss his reasons for dismissing Vega because it's a personnel matter. He also said performance reviews for exempt employees, such as Vega, typically are done in June.

The firing comes several months after a dispute between Cadena and Vega over Cadena's use of a marshal's vehicle.