Lab demolishing old buildings

LOS ALAMOS — Los Alamos National Laboratory plans to demolish a two-story, former administration building that is among a number of Manhattan Project and Cold War-era structures slated for cleanup. The lab will use federal stimulus money on the project.

Laboratory, congressional and other dignitaries plan a ceremony Dec. 1 marking the demolition of the former administration building, the first major demolition funded by stimulus money.

A large excavator will begin breaking down the roof and the walls of the building that day.

Los Alamos lab received $212 million in stimulus funds for environmental cleanup and monitoring.

2 N.M. programs to share $2.3 million

Two New Mexico Head Start programs are getting federal stimulus funds for early Head Start programs.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded more than $2 million to Presbyterian Medical Services and $245,202 to Eastern Plains Community Action Agency Inc. in Tucumcari.

Early Head Start programs began in 1995 as an extension of Head Start to serve children from birth to 3 years old and pregnant women.

Presbyterian Medical Services provides Early Head Start services in Northern and Western New Mexico, while the Eastern Plains Community Action Agency serves most of Eastern New Mexico.

Ex-prison guard gets 18 years for rapes

ALBUQUERQUE — A former corrections officer has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for raping four female inmates at a private prison in Albuquerque.

Anthony Townes had pleaded guilty to four counts of rape and false imprisonment. The rapes occurred between January and August 2007 at the Camino Nuevo Correctional Center.

Despite the guilty plea, Townes denies he committed the crimes. He told a state district judge during Friday's sentencing that the women were lying and the only reason he pleaded guilty was to avoid a longer prison term.

Townes would have faced up to 36 years in prison had he been convicted by a jury.

Couple enters plea in animal cruelty case

LAS CRUCES — A Mesilla couple has pleaded no contest to more than 100 counts of animal cruelty.

Lester Boyse and Carol Boyse were indicted last year on 55 felony counts of extreme cruelty to animals and 52 misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals. They entered their pleas in early November.

Prosecutors say the couple face at least five years' probation or a maximum of 106 years in jail. Sentencing has not been scheduled.

Mesilla authorities went to the couple's home in August 2008 about a report of a dead horse on their property. Officials found about 100 cats inside the home, four dead cats inside a freezer, and five horses, two goats and other animals on the property.

Gov. OKs cuts to 2 Navajo projects

Gov. Bill Richardson has cut state contributions to two Navajo Nation projects in San Juan County to help close New Mexico's $650 million budget shortfall.

The New Mexico Association of Counties said the axed projects include a development of waste water treatment in Beclabito and improvement for a damaged road in Naschitti.

Both were partially funded by the state. Cutting the projects from a funding transfer bill approved by the Legislature during the October special session will save the state $200,000.

State Rep. Ray Begaye said the cuts do not make sense. He said members of the Beclabito Chapter came to him pleading that money for the waste water project was badly needed.