Cash stolen from Ten Thousand Waves

Authorities are investigating a burglary in which thieves got away with some $20,000 in cash from Ten Thousand Waves late Sunday or early Monday.

Burglars used an unknown object to break a window of the Japanese-inspired spa resort at 3451 Hyde Park Road. The money was stolen from a closet that contains metal safes and individual employee tip boxes, Santa Fe County Sheriff Greg Solano said.

The missing funds included tips and money left over from weekend business receipts, Solano said.

Ten Thousand Waves employees reported the incident shortly before 7 a.m. Monday, Solano said. Damage was estimated at $6,000.

Deputies are awaiting crime lab analysis of evidence collected from the scene, he said.

An audit will be conducted to determine the exact amount of money stolen.

A cash reward of up to $2,000 is being offered for information. Anyone with information can call the Crime Stoppers hot line at 955-5050.

GOP land commissioner hopeful quits

Former Catron County rancher James Jackson is withdrawing from the race for the Republican nomination for land commissioner.

Jackson was among three candidates who failed to get 20 percent of the delegate votes at the GOP preprimary nominating convention over the weekend. That's the threshold needed to earn a position on the GOP primary election ballot in June.

Roosevelt County rancher Matthew Rush won almost 65 percent of delegate votes.

Candidates who missed the 20 percent requirement can get on the ballot by submitting extra nominating petition signatures to the secretary of state.

Spiro Vassilopoulos declined Monday to say whether he'll remain in the land commissioner race. Bob Cornelius said on the social networking site Twitter that he'll continue his campaign.

Santa Fe singer debuts at the Met

Santa Fean Rena Harms of Santa Fe says she "sang my heart out" at her debut at New York's Metropolitan Opera House on Sunday.

Harms, 25, was one of only nine finalists selected to perform at the Met along with the company's orchestra for the sold-out Grand Finals Concert, the culminating performance for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

A jury presented five of the finalists with Grand Winner Awards of $15,000 each. Though Harms didn't walk away with one of the top prizes, she was grateful for the opportunity to perform on American opera's biggest stage.

"It was a great group of singers," Harms said. "I couldn't be more happy."

Harms will also receive a $5,000 cash prize for being among the finalists.

She will return to New Mexico to perform with Albuquerque's Opera Southwest in Carmen, which opens Saturday.

City, county sued over police shooting

The wife of a man shot to death by police two years ago after he allegedly led officers on a high-speed car chase is suing the city and county.

Luis G. Lugo, 50, died Feb. 29, 2008, from a single shot to his head after he shot and injured a 21-year-old neighbor in the 1000 block of Calle Nueva Vista, police said.

Police said Lugo fled on Airport and Rodeo roads and fired at them near Calle Pava, where officers killed him.

The complaint filed in state District Court by Lugo's wife, Consuelo Lugo, claims law-enforcement officers violated his rights under the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth and 14th amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

The Santa Fe Police Department and Santa Fe County Sheriff's Department have "a policy, practice or custom of exonerating officers regarding complaints of misconduct in order to escape liability and creating an atmosphere where illegal and unconstitutional behavior is condoned, tolerated, acquiesced or approved," says the complaint written by lawyer Robert Aragon.

City Attorney Geno Zamora did not return a message seeking comment.

Expect St. Patty's anti-DWI offensive

Representatives of the Northern New Mexico Youth Leadership Coalition will be going out in the community Wednesday with the message: Don't drink and drive.

The members will conduct an afternoon blitz of grocery stories and businesses in the Guadalupe Street and Railyard areas and an evening blitz of restaurants. An announcement said more than 20 youths will participate in the blitz and other advocacy outreach activities. They'll have stickers saying, "This car is driven by a safe and sober driver."

In preparation for the St. Patrick's Community Blitz, the coalition is partnering with a number of business to encourage people to commit to not drinking and driving. They include: Whole Foods Market, Del Charro, San Francisco Street Bar & Grill, Wild Oats, La Stazione, Blue Corn Café (downtown), Party City, Ore House, Cowgirl BBQ, Kaune's Neighborhood Market, Rio Chama, Trader Joe's, Tomasita's Restaurant, Sanbusco Market Center, CVS Pharmacy (DeVargas Center) and Sunflower Farmers Market (DeVargas Center).

Police, sheriff's deputies and New Mexico State Police will be conducting saturation patrols and a DWI checkpoint Wednesday as well.

Mall's ex-owner claims back rent due

The Texas firm that used to own DeVargas Center claims in a lawsuit that Toni Maryol, owner of Diego's Cafe, which closed last year, owes thousands of dollars in unpaid rent.

Diego's closed in August 2008 after the state Health Department linked the 20-year-old eatery with several cases of salmonella poisoning.

Maryol was not available for comment this week.

A complaint for breach of lease filed in state District Court on March 2 by Weingarten Realty Investors of Houston says Maryol leased the space from March 1989 through August 2009.

During the last year of the lease, Maryol was obligated to pay $5,357 a month plus 5 percent of all gross sales over $1 million a year and other amounts, the complaint says. It says Maryol had been in arrears since December 2008.

Maryol's nephew, George Gundry, remodeled the space and opened the Atrisco Cafe and Bar in June of last year.

In February, Fidelis Realty Hartners of Houston announced that it had purchased DeVargas Center from Weingarten.

Classes offered for Santa Fe birders

Residents interested in learning more about birds in the Santa Fe area can take advantage of a series of classes offered at the Randall Davey Audubon Center beginning Thursday.

Each month from March to October, a local expert will teach about an aspect of bird watching, including habitat and behavior, spring migration, summer nesting and riparian birds. Classes are designed to engage birders of all levels.

The first classes in the Birds of Santa Fe series will be held on Thursday and Saturday and will focus on the specialized adaptations of birds and the basics of bird watching. The Saturday field session will include both a bird walk and a service project, a news release said.

Next month's classes, set for April 15 and 17, will address behaviors and habitats of a variety of bird families such as doves, woodpeckers, chickadees and nuthatches. May 20 and 22 classes will focus on spring migration, bird flyways and the warblers, grosbeaks and thrushes that arrive in Santa Fe in the warming weather.

A Thursday evening class and Saturday field session together cost $15. The center is at 1800 Upper Canyon Road. For more information, call Amy Roberts at 983-4609.

Roadblocks planned for hunting season

Officers from the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish will be setting up roadblocks around the state this spring to collect hunting data and catch people violating game laws.

Conservation officers and officers from other agencies will check for compliance with registration requirements and safety provisions of the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Act.

They'll also be asking drivers of vehicles hauling wood products to produce the documents required by the Forestry Conservation Act.

Cruces woman held in false rape claim

LAS CRUCES — Police say a Las Cruces woman has been arrested for falsely claiming that she had been sexually assaulted.

Police say 20-year-old Michelle Holcomb is charged with one count of filing a false police report. She's jailed at the Doña Ana County Detention Center on $1,000 bond.

Police say were dispatched to Holcomb's home Sunday afternoon after the woman claimed that she had been drugged and raped during a party Saturday night. She was taken to Memorial Medical Center for an examination while detectives followed up on her allegations.

Through their investigation, detectives learned that Holcomb's story was possibly fabricated. They say Holcomb later admitted she made up the story to avoid getting in trouble with her parents for staying out late Saturday night.

Clovis man convicted in nose biting

CLOVIS — A Clovis resident is facing up to 13 years in prison after being convicted of biting off part of a man's nose during a fight.

Ninth Judicial District Attorney Matthew Chandler announced Monday that 36-year-old Joey Maes was found guilty of aggravated burglary and aggravated battery by a Curry County jury.

Authorities say Maes was asked to leave a house party on April 19, 2009. But witnesses say Maes returned, kicked in the front door, ran into the kitchen and grabbed a knife and began threatening people in the home.

Witnesses say one man tried to take control of the knife and during the struggle, Maes bit off the end of the victim's nose. Authorities say Maes' sentencing hearing will be set in the next 90 days.

State agency's plans causes ruckus in Hobbs

HOBBS — Parents, homeowners and school officials are calling for a stop to construction of a Children, Youth and Families Department office planned next to an elementary school in Hobbs.

But state officials say it may be too late.

Petitions have been circulated and all four Lea County state legislators have sent letters of concern to CYFD about the new facility, but the new juvenile probation and parole office, which has already broken ground near Stone Elementary, was legally permitted through the city.

Principal Dawni Nelson says parents have been contacting the school concerned for their children's safety.

CYFD spokeswoman Romaine Serna says the agency is open to working with the community, but there is little that department officials can do at this point.

Regional AP bureau chief gets new appointment

ATLANTA — Michelle Williams, chief of bureau for The Associated Press in Arizona and New Mexico, has been named chief of bureau for the South Atlantic region.

The appointment was announced Monday by Kate Lee Butler, vice president for U.S. Newspaper Markets. Williams succeeds former bureau chief Gary Clark, who retired last year.

"Michelle brought an innovative approach to the job of chief of bureau in Arizona-New Mexico. As The Associated Press and its members navigate the rapidly changing news media landscape, she brings an excellent mix of skills in membership, business development and news to the role of Atlanta chief of bureau," Butler said.

Williams will oversee AP's news and business operations for Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. She will be based in Atlanta.