2nd bear-human attack reported this week

Bears attacked a camper and injured a goat Wednesday at the Philmont Scout Ranch in northeastern New Mexico.

One bear was killed and conservation officers are looking for a second.

An adult camper received a deep scratch to his face after a bear jumped on his tent and took a swipe at him at about 5:40 a.m. He was treated at the Philmont health facility. Another man in the tent was not injured. The men had secured their garbage and food by suspending it from a tree and had properly stored their toiletries and the clothes they wore while cooking away from the tent, according to a news release from the Department of Game and Fish.

At 6 a.m., another bear attacked a goat near the Philmont museum. It had the animal in its mouth when a staff member heard the commotion and was able to chase the bear off. Another staff member tracked down the bear and killed it. A trap was set for the bear that scratched the camper. If found, the bear will be killed and tested for rabies as required by state law.

On Monday a bear pulled a young woman from her tent while she was sleeping in the Sandia Mountains. The bear was later trapped and killed.

Tip leads to major pot seizure

State police seized more than 8,000 marijuana plants Tuesday and Wednesday from a plantation discovered on public land near Tierra Amarilla, a spokesman said.

The marijuana had an estimated street value of $10 million and was found in two separate plots off of U.S. 64 east of Tierra Amarilla, said Lt. Eric Garcia. One of the plots contained about 3,000 plants, while the other contained about 5,000 plants, he said.

No one was tending the plants when police arrived, though they found campsites and seized evidence from them they hope will lead to the growers, Garcia said. A tip led police to the plants, he said.

State police uprooted the plants Tuesday and Wednesday and took them to a large evidence locker in Santa Fe. The marijuana will either be destroyed or saved, pending criminal charges against the grower, he said.

Ortiz recuses himself on Advantage Asphalt

City Councilor Matthew Ortiz, an attorney for Advantage Asphalt, told Mayor David Coss on Wednesday night that he "could not participate in the discussion" of a $35,000 change order involving the company's contract for a trail-paving project.

The council approved the measure, bringing the value of the contract to $348,000.

Ortiz has come under fire for failing to disclose his relationship with the company he has represented since 2007. He said in an earlier interview that he would recuse himself from the discussion — not because of a potential conflict of interest, but because the project, Paseo del Sol trail network, is very near his home.

The city Ethics and Rules Committee, of which Ortiz is a member, plans to revisit the city Code of Ethics over the next year, including a potential amendment that would heighten disclosure and recusal rules. No formal complaints have been filed regarding Ortiz and the company.

Advantage Asphalt has been named as one of the targets of a Santa Fe County corruption investigation, but the city manager has said its work within the city limits is not suspect.

Council votes to disband subcommittee

City officials expect to save both money and staff time by getting rid of a 2-year-old City Council subcommittee.

Following Wednesday night's unanimous vote, the Land-Use Subcommittee will disband after finishing its current work. Its duties will revert to the Public Works Committee, which is composed of five city councilors.

The resolution to kill the committee noted that its responsibilities are important, however, "the governing body also recognizes the city's need to cut back on the amount of staff time spent preparing for and attending committee meetings."

A fiscal impact report accompanying the resolution noted that stenography costs for its monthly meetings can be $1,700 per year.

10th Circuit rules against N.M. secretary of state

A 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel on Wednesday upheld a federal judge's decision that New Mexico Secretary of State Mary Herrera's attempt to regulate two community-action organizations was unconstitutional.

The three-judge panel affirmed a federal judge's decision in favor of the Albuquerque groups, New Mexico Youth Organized and the SouthWest Organizing Project. The groups say the decision affirms the free-speech rights of nonprofit organizations

Deputy Secretary of State Don Francisco Trujillo says the Secretary of State's Office will review the opinion with its lawyer.

U.S. District Judge Judith Herrera ruled in August 2009 the state's threat to prosecute the two groups for not registering as political committees violated their constitutional rights.

"Attorney General King continues to believe that if organizations want to campaign in New Mexico then they should have to disclose where their funding comes from," spokesman Phil Sisneros said Wednesday.

Greek goddess group gives grants

The Hestia Fund — named after the Greek goddess of the hearth — announced $72,000 in grant monies going to groups that support youth and education. The college-preparatory school program AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) received $22,000. Breakthrough Santa Fe, a tuition-free program at Santa Fe Preparatory School, received $20,000. Breakthrough uses high-school and college students to teach middle-school students with limited educational opportunities the academic, organizational and social skills needed to succeed in high school. The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Fe received $60,000 for Smart Girls, which provides girls with life skills and information about health and behavior. Citizen Schools New Mexico, a nationwide apprenticeship program in which students get involved in hands-on learning programs, received $15,000. New Mexico Suicide Intervention Project received $5,000 for its Natural Helpers program. First Serve-New Mexico, an academic tutoring and tennis-instruction program, received $2,000. Finally, Gerard's House, which provides support for youths from 3 to 20 who are dealing with the death of a loved one, received $2,000.

Hestia was founded in 2000 in Boston by a group of eight women. It now has more 60 members who provide grant money.

Cochiti Lake celebrates the Fourth of July

The community of Cochiti Lake is inviting the public to a Fourth of July parade and picnic.

There will be a small parade at 11 a.m. sponsored by the volunteer fire department, followed by a picnic at noon sponsored by the Cochiti Lake Community Fund, and then a concert at 1:30 p.m. featuring Soul Sanctuary, a four-piece "easy listening" rock band.

Tickets for the picnic are $5, which includes a hamburger or hot dog, homemade sides, a drink and dessert.

If you're driving from Santa Fe, take exit 264 off of Interstate 25 and turn right at the end of the ramp. At the stop sign, turn right into Cochiti Lake.

County clerk seeks election workers

Santa Fe County Clerk Valerie Espinoza is recruiting temporary workers for the Nov. 2 election who are not PERA retirees.

She's sending out a plea for help because a law that takes effect July 1 means that a retiree's pension payment is suspended if a person is hired by a state, county or city government. That means many usual workers won't be available for the job this year.

Early voting for the election, which includes a gubernatorial race, starts Oct. 16 and ends Oct. 30.

The office also is looking for people to work weekdays processing absentee ballots, starting Sept. 20.