Governor to speak at convention

Gov. Bill Richardson is scheduled to speak at the Democratic National Convention in Denver on Aug. 27 as a part of a program focusing on national security.

Richardson will speak the same night as U.S. Sens. Joe Biden of Delaware, Evan Bayh of Indiana and Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia. Richardson, Bayh and Biden have been mentioned as possible running mates for Barack Obama.

The convention begins Aug. 25.

Obama coming to New Mexico

Presidential candidate Barack Obama will visit New Mexico on Monday.

A spokesman for the state Obama campaign said Thursday evening that it had yet to be decided where and when Obama would appear or what kind of event is planned.

Obama is scheduled to appear in Nevada on Sunday. Both Nevada and New Mexico are considered battleground states in the general election.

The candidate last appeared in New Mexico in late June, when he spoke about women's issues at an Albuquerque coffee shop. In May, he appeared in Las Cruces for a Memorial Day ceremony.

Domenici endorses Pearce for Senate

ALBUQUERQUE — Pete Domenici has endorsed fellow Republican Steve Pearce in the general election battle to succeed Domenici in the U.S. Senate.

Domenici announced his backing of Pearce on Thursday in Albuquerque.

Pearce is running against a fellow New Mexico congressman, Democrat Tom Udall, for the seat that Domenici has held for six terms.

Domenici announced last fall that he is retiring in January because of an incurable brain disease.

His support of Pearce comes nearly three months after he endorsed Pearce's rival, Republican U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, in her unsuccessful bid for the Senate seat during the primary election.

Bicyclist injured in hit-and-run mishap

TAOS — The Taos County Sheriff's Department on Thursday was investigating a hit-and-run incident that left a bicyclist hospitalized with a broken neck and two broken legs.

The Taos News reported Jennifer Fowler of Taos was airlifted to an Albuquerque hospital late Wednesday night after she was struck by a vehicle near the junction of Millicent Rogers Museum Road and Ranchitos Road between 9 and 10 p.m.

Fowler's employer at Mondo Kultur in Taos told a reporter that Fowler was going home after a meeting when a vehicle struck her and she was thrown from her bicycle. The employer said the driver left the scene. The injured woman then crawled to the road, the report said.

Undersheriff Ed Romero told the newspaper that, as of Thursday afternoon, investigators hadn't located any witnesses.

3 named to group's board of directors

Santa Fe residents Michael Anaya, a Santa Fe county commissioner: Gary Kilpatric, the managing partner for Montgomery and Andrews; and Julia Peters, senior vice president of Avalon Trust, will serve on Leadership New Mexico's 2008-2009 board of directors.

Leadership New Mexico identifies and enhances leadership throughout the state.
Police impound ATV, cite rider

Santa Fe police cited an all-terrain vehicle rider and impounded his ATV on Wednesday in Tierra Contenta, according to a news release.

The rider — who was not identified — was cited for riding in an area off-limits to ATVs, not having a license plate and not having proper documentation for the vehicle, the release from city spokeswoman Carla Lopez states. Police also impounded a Ford Explorer, which was found high-centered in an area off-limits to vehicles, according to the release.

Illegal use of ATVs in the Tierra Contenta area "has been a longtime problem for residents of Tierra Contenta," the release says.

Water rate increase discussed

Only a handful of businesspeople showed up Thursday evening at the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce office to hear about the city's water future.

But those who did come learned that a good water system won't come cheap — the water division is asking the City Council to adopt a new ordinance that would increase water rates by 6.99 percent per year each year for seven years.

The average monthly residential water bill would increase from $31.51 this year to $38.59 by 2011. Commercial users would see rates go up from $1,030 now to $1,261 by 2011.

Gary Martinez, director of the water division, said an improved water system is critical. "At the rate we're pumping now, it's not sustainable."

Martinez also said there's a need to reduce the strain on the aquifer.

"It's too bad the city hasn't been buying water rights like Albuquerque and Taos," said Michael Friestad, an account manager at Communications Diversified, a Santa Fe company.

Much of the revenue raised would go to build the Buckman Direct Diversion, a new project that will cost the city $250 million.

The proposed ordinance goes to Public Utilities Department for consideration on Wednesday followed by Public Works, Finance and then City Council. If the measure is OK'd, the new rates would go into effect Jan. 1.

Santo Niño classes to start Aug. 26

Classes at Santo Niño Regional Catholic School won't start until Aug. 26, nearly a week later than initially planned.

Students in pre-kindergarten and in grades one to six will start at 8 a.m. Aug. 26 while kindergarten students will attend scheduled testing Aug. 26-28. Kindergarten classes will start at 8 a.m. Aug. 29. Classes were initially scheduled to start Aug. 20.

The school announced the delay Wednesday, saying in a press release that the move is intended to align its schedule more closely to St. Michael's High School, which starts on Aug. 25, and the Santa Fe Public Schools, which start on Aug. 27.

For more information, contact the school's office at 424-1766.

Western part of Valle Vidal closed

The Carson National Forest has closed the western portion of Valle Vidal for two weeks to apply a piscicide to kill non-native fish and allow restoration of the Rio Grande cutthroat.

The closure lasts until Aug. 25.

The piscicide is not considered dangerous to aquatic or other animal or plant life or to public health when correctly applied, but the forest said in a press release that it wants to limit incidental or accidental exposure during application. People driving on Forest Road 1950 will be allowed to travel through to Shuree Lakes and the vicinity as long as they do not get out of their vehicles in the restricted area.

The closure begins at the junction of forest roads 1900 and 1950 goes to the west boundary of Valle Vidal and south along the boundary to Ortiz Peak, continuing south past Van Diest Peak and down to Tetilla Peak. The closure boundary turns east along the watershed divide between Comanche Creek and North Moreno Creek to Costilla Pass and continues east to the Taos-Colfax county line and along the county line boundary north to Little Costilla Peak and then heads back west to the junction of forest roads 1900 and 1950.

Police: Stolen items found in home

Detectives arrested a 20-year-old Santa Fe County man Wednesday after finding items in his home that had been stolen in recent residential burglaries, according to a police report.

Frank Flores told detectives the items found in his house were stolen from residences in Santa Fe County, according to a police report filed Wednesday in Santa Fe County Magistrate Court.

The items detectives seized Wednesday from Flores' home in the 1200 block of Senda del Valle included four flat-screen televisions, three laptop computers, three desktop computers and a computer monitor, the report states.

Detectives also plan to charge two other men with histories of burglary in connection with the case, said Sgt. Adan Mendoza. Juan Soto, 22, was arrested Thursday on a warrant charging a violation of his electronic monitoring while Tommy Archuleta, 23, was already in the Santa Fe County jail — he was booked July 24 — on a charge of receiving stolen property. Soto was on probation for burglary, Mendoza said.

County detectives are working with their counterparts at the Santa Fe Police Department to determine ownership of the items seized, Mendoza said.

City names art awards winners

The city announced Thursday the 2008 Mayor's Recognition Awards for Excellence in the Arts. Winners include the Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, soon to celebrate its 25th anniversary; ARTsmart, an organization founded by the Santa Fe Gallery Association to raise money for art supplies for public elementary schools; Judith Espinar, co-founder and artistic director of the International Folk Art Market; Juliet Myers, co-founder of Fine Arts for Children and Teens and an advocate for visual arts education; and Arlen Asher, jazzman, band teacher and host of a jazz radio show.

Nicholas Steven Flores, a junior at Monte del Sol Charter School and a Spanish Market artist, received the Melissa Engestrom Youth Artist Award.

The awards will be presented at a dinner Oct. 30. More details on the event will be announced in September.

The awards were started in 1989. A committee consisting of members of the city's arts commission and past awardees selects the new recipients in August each year.

City tries to tackle weed overgrowth

The city of Santa Fe is reminding residents to remove or trim back weeds and other vegetation encroaching on city sidewalks.

Residents are responsible under city ordinance for keeping sidewalks free of weed overgrowth, litter and other debris for pedestrian safety.

Recent rains have spurred rapid weed growth, and City Councilor Rosemary Romero asked city staffers this week to publicize the need to keep sidewalks clear.

"It seems like the weeds came a lot sooner this year," said Constituent Services Division Director Sevastian Gurule.

Gurule said one person has been cited this year with violating the ordinance, and the case is pending in Municipal Court. Since May, he said, the city has issued more than 100 notices of violation — which allows residents seven days to come into compliance.

To report weed overgrowth on city sidewalks, call 955-6949.

State workers' suit in arbitration

A dispute between some 8,000 state union workers and the state over pay raises is in arbitration.

Workers represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the Communications Workers of America accuse the State Personnel Office of not giving them pay raises agreed upon in collective bargaining, according to a complaint filed in March.

The deal called for 2 percent pay raises in July and 1 percent to 3.5 percent "in-band" raises to be effective in January, but the state wound up implementing a 2.4 percent raise effective July 1 and an additional .5 percent without going through the collective bargaining process, the complaint says.

The State Labor Board deferred the case to arbitration, and that process is in its initial stages, AFSCME attorney Shane Youtz said Thursday. Youtz said the unions are seeking both the full raises agreed to in collective bargaining and challenging the State Personnel Office for its allegedly going outside the collective bargaining process.

The complaint says Gov. Bill Richardson recommended giving state workers "full raises" for fiscal year 2009 and the Legislature passed bills for full funding, but the State Personnel Office said the funding was "insufficient" to cover the raises.

Efforts to reach a State Personnel Office official for comment were unsuccessful.

Kids, adults found safe after school outing

SILVER CITY — Searchers found three adults and 14 children, safe and uninjured, on Thursday, some 19 hours after they were reported missing during a school outing in the Gila National Forest of southwestern New Mexico.

The group, from a Silver City charter school, Aldo Leopold High School, was reported missing about 3 p.m. Wednesday and was found about 10:30 a.m. Thursday. A handful of four-wheel-drive vehicles traveled muddy, mountainous roads to pick up the group and bring them back to base camp Thursday evening.

The group had headed out into the Black Range near Upper Galinas Canyon on Monday afternoon on an outdoor adventure to kick off the school year. Since its inception two years ago, the high school has conducted such trips for all new students to acquaint them with one another and the natural environment.

Eight search and rescue teams, four search and rescue teams on horseback and National Guard quick response teams had looked for the hikers, State Police Lt. Eric Garcia said.

Bush declares disaster in N.M.

President Bush has declared a disaster in two Southern New Mexico counties because of severe flooding that killed one man, destroyed homes, washed out bridges and prompted hundreds of rescues last month.

Gov. Bill Richardson said he learned of the president's declaration Thursday.

"This assistance is critical to help the affected communities in Lincoln and Otero counties continue cleaning up and rebuilding after these devastating floods," the governor said in a statement.

However, the governor noted the administration did not approve his request for individual assistance. Richardson has directed the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to review the decision and explore other options for getting additional assistance.

The flooding was caused by the remnants of Hurricane Dolly.

Soon after the flooding, Richardson declared Lincoln and Otero counties disaster areas, freeing up $750,000 in emergency state funding.

With Bush's declaration, federal assistance will be available to both counties to cover the costs of emergency work and repairs or replacement of damaged public facilities and infrastructure.

N.M. releasing water at 2 lakes

SANTA ROSA — Water levels will drop at Santa Rosa Lake and Sumner Lake state parks next week after the Army Corps of Engineers releases water for irrigation districts.

The releases are to begin at Sumner Lake on Thursday and at Santa Rosa Lake on Aug. 22. Water will be released over a two-week period.

Santa Rosa Lake, north of Santa Rosa, is expected to drop from its current level of 30,545 acre-feet to 6,500 acre-feet. Sumner Lake, northwest of Fort Sumner, will drop from 17,759 acre-feet to 7,500 acre-feet.

An acre-foot, about 326,000 gallons, can meet the annual water needs of one to two U.S. households.

Trial slated for former state judge

GALLUP — A trial is scheduled to begin Aug. 25 in Gallup for a former state district judge who was arrested after neighbors called police to say a woman was screaming for help from his Albuquerque home.

State District Judge Louis DePauli has set aside three days for the trial of John Brennan, who is charged with false imprisonment and misdemeanor battery on a household member.

Brennan has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

He was accused of assaulting his 25-year-old girlfriend and preventing her from leaving his home March 9.

All the judges in Bernalillo County have been recused from the case.

Brennan was a state district judge for 25 years. He resigned in 2004 after pleading guilty to aggravated drunken driving and cocaine possession.