Local news in brief June 21

| The New Mexican and wire services

6/20/2008 - 6/21/08

Blazes scorch N.M. landscape

The West Fork Fire burning on Vermejo Park Ranch west of Raton had scorched an estimated 3,500 acres by Friday afternoon, according to New Mexico State forestry officials.

The fire was only 5 percent contained, with more than 230 firefighters and support staff working to contain it. The blaze, started by lightning, was burning in ponderosa, piñon and juniper woods, and was threatening some well pads.

In Southern New Mexico, firefighters battled heat, rattlesnakes, cactus and a threat of killer bees along with an uncontained fire that has swelled to more than 20,344 acres in the Guadalupe Mountains.

Crews also are fighting the 100-acre Cowboy Fire on state trust land in Socorro County and the 3,187-acre Bonnie Fire east of the Mescalero Apache Reservation.

Obama to stop by Albuquerque

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will appear Monday in Albuquerque at what a spokeswoman said will be a small, invitation-only event.

The stop is part of his Change That Works for You tour, which means Obama will focus on economic matters. There was no information on the time or place of his appearance.

Caution advised with tomatoes

The New Mexico Environment Department is urging people not to buy, eat, sell or serve food containing tomatoes believed to be linked to a salmonella outbreak.

The department is singling out raw red plum, raw red Roma and raw red round tomatoes grown and harvested in Mexico or Florida, with the exceptions of Baja California Norte in Mexico and specific Florida counties.

New Mexico has reported 78 salmonella cases in 17 counties.

Las Vegas faces water cutbacks

Water restrictions have been imposed for Las Vegas, N.M., residents, including curbing of outside watering and car washing.

The City Council voted 2-1 Wednesday in favor of water conservation measures, which also cover ornamental fountain use, swimming pool upkeep and restaurants serving water to customers.

The city's utilities director, George DuFour, said water use needs to be curtailed because the city is diverting more than 3 million gallons daily from the Gallinas River, and water is evaporating from the city's reservoir.

NNMC to offer free concerts in July

Northern New Mexico College plans to host two free concerts July 2 by the 531st Air Force Band of the Texas Air National Guard from Carswell Field in Fort Worth, Texas.

The 36-member concert band will perform at noon in the commons lunch area of the Montoya Administration Building and at 7 p.m. in the Center for Fine Arts at the Española campus.

Iraq veteran gets reduced sentence

ALBUQUERQUE — State District Judge Pat Murdoch on Friday reduced the sentence of an Iraq war veteran who fatally shot a would-be burglar to time served and five years of probation.

Elton John Richard II was initially sentenced in February to two years in prison after pleading no contest to a charge of voluntary manslaughter in the death of Daniel Romero. In addition to the prison term, Richard was ordered to pay restitution.

But the sentence caused an outcry in the community, and Richard's attorney asked Murdoch to reconsider. The judge reduced Richard's sentence to the three months in prison he had served and placed him on probation. However, Murdoch said he did not take into consideration the public outcry, only testimony from members of both families.

Richard will serve his probation in Texas where members of his family live. He also will continue to pay restitution of $500 a month to Romero's family for funeral expenses.

Former judge's charges lessened

ALBUQUERQUE — Prosecutors have reduced charges against a former state district judge from Albuquerque who was arrested in March after neighbors called police to say a woman was screaming for help from his home.

John Brennan, 61, is now charged with false imprisonment and misdemeanor battery on a household member. He originally was charged with felony kidnapping and aggravated battery in the March 9 incident.

Brennan filed a not guilty plea Friday in a written waiver of arraignment, his attorney, Bob Gorence, said. He said he hopes a trial date can be set before Sept. 1.

Brennan, a state district judge for 25 years who resigned in 2004 after pleading guilty to aggravated drunken driving and cocaine possession, was accused of assaulting his 25-year-old girlfriend and preventing her from leaving his home. A conviction on the revised charges would mean a much less severe punishment than on the original charges.

Puma believed to have eaten man

PINOS ALTOS. N.M. — Searchers were looking Friday for a mountain lion that is believed to have fed on the body of a 55-year-old man who was reported missing Thursday.

The lion was wounded by a game officer Thursday night, and searchers with dogs were looking for it near this mountainous southwestern New Mexico town, state police Lt. Rick Anglada said.

Authorities don't know if the lion killed Robert Nowojski, whose body was found Friday morning about 80 yards from his home, Anglada said. "It's going to take an autopsy to actually determine how he died," he said.

However, it appeared that something had been feeding on the body, and authorities believe it was the lion, Anglada said.

Searchers called the state Game and Fish Department on Thursday night after encountering a mountain lion while searching for Nowojski, whose brother reported him missing earlier in the day. The brother said Nowojski was last seen Tuesday, Anglada said.

Man arrested after cops find pot

CLOVIS — A search for a man wanted on drug charges resulted in his arrest and the discovery of more than 100 marijuana plants growing in the backyard of a house here.

Investigators had received a tip that Jarrod Martin, 25, was staying at the home, the Curry County Sheriff's Department said. They found him there and arrested him Wednesday.

After getting a search warrant, investigators found 103 marijuana plants, more than 6 grams of cocaine, two guns and more than $1,000 in cash.

Martin was arrested and charged with trafficking cocaine and distribution of marijuana in addition to the outstanding arrest warrant for distribution of narcotics, authorities said. He was booked into the Curry County Detention Center.

More opposition for Navajo AG

ALBUQUERQUE — The Navajo attorney general is facing a third attempt at removing him from office.

A measure moving through Tribal Council committees seeks to fire Louis Denetsosie from the job he's held since 2003. The council's Government Services Committee voted in favor of the bill Friday. It must go to the Ethics & Rules Committee before being considered by the full council.

Joshua Lavar Butler, a spokesman for the council, said delegates have taken issue with a recent opinion by Denetsosie supporting President Joe Shirley's initiative to reduce the council from 88 delegates to 24. "He's causing discord within the government right now, siding with the president," Butler said. "With that, the council delegates felt he wasn't being fair in his representation."