Woman charged with child endangerment

Santa Fe police arrested a 42-year-old woman after officers found her twin 9-year-old boys wandering along St. Francis Drive with two homeless men late last week, court documents show.

The boys told police that their mother, Regina Brooks, showed up "highly intoxicated" at a campsite where they were staying the night of June 17. The next morning, Brooks wouldn't wake up to feed the boys — who hadn't eaten at all the day before — so they left with two men who also stayed at the camp and were friends of their mother's, says a police report filed Wednesday in Santa Fe County Magistrate Court.

The two men told police they took the children to eat, then to a park, where they lost sight of them and began to walk back to the camp, the report states. The men later found the children on St. Francis Drive. Both children were dirty and had cuts on their legs, the report says.

The state Children, Youth and Families Department took custody of the boys.

Brooks was charged with two counts of endangering a child's health.

City code restricts electronic signs

Electronic signs that are designed to rapidly flash messages at passers-by will be more regulated in Santa Fe following Wednesday's approval of changes to the city code.

The new rules spell out that electronic signs are prohibited in the city's Historic District and that those erected in other parts of the city must change their displays no more than once every 24 hours. Restrictions will also establish a maximum brightness for signs.

Councilor Carmichael Dominguez asked whether Santa Fe schools, many of which already have electronic messaging signs, would have to follow the rules.

"It does apply to the schools, although I suspect the schools don't think so," said Frank Katz, the city attorney.

The city's Genoveva Chavez Community Center has already changed its policies to reflect the new rules, said Jeanne Price, city legislative liaison.

Code enforcement officers with the city's Land Use Department will be in charge of making sure the rules are followed. Dominguez and Councilor Ronald Trujillo voted against adoption of the ordinance.

Los Alamos computer fastest in world

Los Alamos National Laboratory's Roadrunner supercomputer remains the fastest in the world.

It's the third time in a row that the Northern New Mexico laboratory's computer has led the Top500 list, issued twice a year.

The Roadrunner turned in a performance of 1.105 petaflops per second. A petaflop is a quadrillion floating-point operations per second.

Roadrunner was the first supercomputer to break the petaflop speed barrier.

The Roadrunner project director, Andy White, says the lab is pleased to be number one again, but the focus is to use the system for science and move Roadrunner into classified operation.

Currently, it's running computational models, including HIV and supernovae calculations.

City workers to get shorter weeks

Up to 800 Santa Fe city employees who are members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees will work shorter work weeks beginning later this summer.

A contract unanimously approved Wednesday by the City Council sealed a deal between the union and the city management as a way for workers to be awarded promised raises but to preserve the city's shrinking resources. For the foreseeable future, union members will work 38.5 hours per week instead of 40.

The shortened work week would begin in late July. Regular working hours could resume if the city's gross-receipts tax revenues begin to show growth again. Each city department is supposed to devise a plan for the shortened hours that will have as little possible effect on services.

City Manager Galen Buller has also been negotiating with unions for fire and police workers. The Santa Fe Firefighter's Association ratified a new contract this week, he said, but negotiations are ongoing with the Santa Fe Police Officer's Association.

N.M. man accused in burning death

LAS VEGAS, N.M. — A 22-year-old Rainsville man has been arrested on charges of homicide, arson and other counts in the death of another Mora County man who was burned to death earlier this month.

Michael Strand also faces charges of aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle and conspiracy in the death of 59-year-old Roberto Mendez of Buena Vista Ranch.

State police responding to a call June 8 found Mendez burned to death and his sport-utility vehicle missing.

The next day, Mora County Undersheriff Tim Marquez spotted a vehicle matching Mendez's on N.M. 518 and stopped it. State police say Strand was driving.

According to a criminal complaint, he told officers he was being paid $400 to hide the vehicle.

Gila forest visitors get flood warning

SILVER CITY — Officials with the Gila National Forest are warning visitors to be prepared in case streams and rivers flood during the monsoon season.

Joe Garcia, a spokesman for the southwestern New Mexico forest, said streams that are easily passable early in the day can swell and become impassable following intense rainfall.

He said only 6 inches of fast moving water can sweep a person off their feet and 2 feet of water can carry away most vehicles.

The National Weather Service said the best chance for precipitation later in the week will be the western mountains as the plume of moisture heading north from Mexico shifts to the west.

Forest officials recommend camping on higher ground and avoiding drainages and narrow canyons.

State seeks new health providers

LAS CRUCES — State officials are working to find other health providers for more than 260 people after Innovative Health at Home Inc. decided to close because of financial problems.

The state is requiring the company to continue serving clients until they have another provider.

The departments of Health and Aging and Long-Term Services say the company will no longer provide case management and home health services to clients in McKinley, San Juan, Bernalillo and Rio Arriba counties.

It served 121 people on the Health Department's developmental disabilities waiver program and provided home health services to 142 people on Aging and Long-Term Services programs.

The agencies say the company, which has provided services for more than 20 years, has not given them a closing date.

Jail guard charged in inmate's rape

CARLSBAD — A 20-year-old Eddy County Detention Center guard is charged with rape after authorities say he admitted having sex with a female inmate while on duty.

Shane Allen Moore of Carlsbad was arrested Tuesday on two felony counts of criminal sexual penetration.

A criminal complaint says the 22-year-old inmate told sheriff's investigators she had sex with Moore on two different occasions. The complaint says Moore also admitted having sex with her twice this month.

According to the complaint, the inmate alleged Moore offered to speak to a judge to get her probation or other assistance to deal with charges against her.

Moore did not enter a plea during a Magistrate Court appearance. Bond was set at $50,000.

A sheriff's report says Moore has worked at the jail for seven months.