Christus St. Vincent addresses mental-health closures

The top administrator at Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center says the hospital will not close its behavioral-health treatment unit, but is considering reducing staff as part of an effort "to plug gaps," in Santa Fe's mental-health system.

Hospital CEO Alex Valdez appeared before a gathering of mental-health providers and family members in a meeting organized by the National Alliance for Mental Illness at LifeLink on Cerrillos Road. The center provides housing and therapeutic assistance for mental-health patients.

Valdez said the 11-bed Christus unit for mental-health patients averages six patients a night. He said finances might force more outpatient care.

Some 60 people attended the meeting and few seemed satisfied with the hospital's answer, saying it was short-sighted at a time when stress and mental illness are running higher than ever. Some said family members had been turned away from the unit because there were not enough beds.

'New Mexican' vendor pleads guilty to drug trafficking

A longtime New Mexican street vendor arrested in February for selling heroin along with the newspaper pleaded guilty to drug trafficking Monday, the man's lawyer said.

State District Judge Stephen Pfeffer sentenced Felo Stan Villegas, 44, to five years probation after granting him a conditional discharge, said Earl Rhoads, a public defender and Villegas' attorney.

Agents from the Region III Narcotics Task Force arrested Villegas Feb. 10 at his usual spot at the intersection of Cerrillos Road and St. Michael's Drive. Agents made an unspecified number of heroin purchases from Villegas a year ago after complaints about his activities, police said at the time.

Villegas sold The New Mexican at the same corner for about a decade.

Hunting permits, licenses still available

More than 1,700 New Mexico public-land deer permits, 20 elk licenses for mobility impaired hunters, and 231 javelina licenses leftover from the 2009-2010 drawing will be available beginning at 10 a.m. Aug. 19 on the Department of Game and Fish Web site. (www.wildlife.state.nm.us).

The deer permits are for hunts in game management units where the number of permits or licenses exceeded the number of applicants. The deer permits will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis for an application fee of $9 for residents and $12 for nonresidents.

Judge approves Eclipse sale date

ALBUQUERQUE — A federal bankruptcy judge Monday set a sale hearing for Eclipse Aviation's assets for Aug. 20, setting the stage for the sale of the shuttered Albuquerque aircraft manufacturer before the end of the month.

Eclipse Aerospace president Mason Holland Jr. says other companies hoping to bid on the assets must do so by Friday.

Holland says it's unlikely anyone else will bid on the maker of the Eclipse 500 very light jet. The plane has been likened to a sport-utility vehicle with wings.

Eclipse Aerospace submitted a $40 million plan to purchase the plant, which entered bankruptcy proceedings last November.

Holland says Eclipse Aerospace has hired several key employees and plans to begin upgrading and servicing the aircraft shortly after closing.