State worker rolls vehicle

A state employee driving southbound on Interstate 25 drifted off the road and rolled the state-owned vehicle she was driving Thursday afternoon, police said.

Irina Ivashkova was in the left-hand lane near La Cienega when she drifted off the road and the car rolled and landed on its roof between the road and the railroad tracks, said Peter Olson, state police spokesman. Ivashkova, an employee of the New Mexico Public Schools Facilities Authority, was taken to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center with minor injuries, he said.

Olson did not know if Ivashkova was cited.

Movie film crew to impact traffic

There will be some road closures in place tonight along Cerrillos and Airport roads to accommodate a film crew working on the movie, The Loop.

Drivers along Cerrillos Road may experience two-minute delays from 8 p.m. to midnight in front of the Cottonwood Court Motel and the blocks around Berry Street and 3rd and 4th streets will be completely shut down to through traffic. Business and residential access will be maintained.

On Airport Road, drivers may be delayed for up to 10 minutes between Country Club Road and Paseo del Sol from 10 p.m. tonight to 6 a.m. Saturday.

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Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the locations where traffic on Airport Road would be delayed for a film shooting there. The information was corrected at 3 p.m. Nov. 13.

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Angioma Alliance holds free meeting

The Angioma Alliance will hold a free meeting for patients and families who are dealing with cavernous angioma, a rare genetic mutation of blood vessels in the brain and spine, Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Hilton hotel at 100 Sandoval St.

For more information, visit www.angiomaalliance.org.

Writing contest around corner

It's that time again! Get your pen and paper or your computer keyboard ready and start writing a short story, an essay or a poem for this year's contest. Enter your piece in The New Mexican's 2009 Winter Tales writing contest. Winning entries will be published in Pasatiempo on Christmas Day.

The categories include: adults (ages 19 and up) 500-1200 words; teens (ages 13-18) 500-1200 words; children (through age 12) 350 to 1000 words. Poems should be 800 words or less. Cash prizes range from $25 to $100 for each category.

Mail entries to: Sandra Baltazar Martínez, Winter Tales, c/o The Santa Fe New Mexican, 202 E. Marcy St., Santa Fe, NM 87501 or e-mail them to smartinez@sfnewmexican.com

Electronic submissions are highly recommended.

The rules: Entries must be received by 10 a.m. Dec. 4. No exceptions. We reserve the right to edit winning stories. Submissions must include name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, age and category (short story, essay or poem). For a complete list of rules, e-mail Martínez or call at 986-3062.

Wilson to take part in science study

Weeks after she announced she wouldn't be seeking the Republican nomination for governor next year, the National Research Council has appointed former Congresswoman Heather Wilson of Albuquerque to a committee conducting a year-long science study.

In a news release e-mailed to reporters late Wednesday, Wilson said she'll be part of a 16-member committee conducting a year-long study of "global science and technology strategies and their effect on U.S. national security."

The study is sponsored by the Defense Intelligence Agency and, Wilson said, will "examine science and technology strategies of countries including Brazil, Russia, India, China, Japan and Singapore and compare them to U.S. strategies."

The National Research Council is part of The National Academies, a private, nonprofit institution that provides science, technology and health-policy advice under a congressional charter signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863.

Wilson was in Congress from 1998 until last year, representing the 1st Congressional District. She lost to Steve Pearce in last year's GOP primary for U.S. Senate. She'd been considering a run for governor for several months.

State Dems name new director

State Democratic Party Chairman Javier Gonzales on Thursday named Scott Forrester as the party's executive director.

For about seven months, Forrester has served as acting chief of staff for outgoing Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chávez. Before that, he worked for Chávez for about four years as an executive assistant.

Forrester will take over for outgoing director Josh Geise on Dec. 1.

Chimayó corps gets trail funds

The Chimayó Youth Conservation Corps is among several groups to receive a share of federal funds through New Mexico State Parks to upgrade trails around the state.

The money was among almost $1.6 million the state awarded for eight trail projects in New Mexico through the 2009 Recreational Trails Program. The funding will support maintenance of 90 miles of existing trails and development of 9.5 miles of new trails.

The Chimayó Youth Conservation Corps received $383,377 to improve trails and restore lands on a popular BLM-owned multi-use recreation area near Española. The corps, now in its eighth year, works with youth and young adults ages 10 to 25 years old on agricultural production, acequia restoration and leadership skills.

The Recreational Trails Program provides up to 80 percent of a project's total cost with project managers providing the other 20 percent. Projects are recommended for funding by a panel of trail users and experts from across the state.

Pueblo gets funds for water sampling

Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo was awarded $91,903 in a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to continue a water pollution control program.

The funding, awarded Monday, covers the cost of water sampling to assess surface water quality on pueblo lands. The pueblo is compiling the data to determine if a more thorough watershed management program is needed.




Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the locations where traffic on Airport Road would be delayed for a film shooting there. The information was corrected at 3 p.m. Nov. 13.