Jury still works on stabbing case

A Santa Fe jury is scheduled to resume deliberating today the fate of a Japanese man who allegedly stabbed an English biologist because he thought the biologist was controlling his thoughts.

Kazuki Hirano, 34, has been in the Santa Fe County jail since the April 2 stabbing of Rupert Sheldrake as he finished a lecture on "thought transference" at the 10th International Conference on Science and Consciousness at La Fonda.

State District Judge Michael Vigil on Thursday afternoon told the nine-woman, three-man jury they could consider four charges against Hirano — attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, attempted voluntary manslaughter or aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. On any single charge, the jury could find Hirano guilty, not guilty by reason of insanity or guilty but mentally ill, Vigil said.

During final arguments, defense attorney Sydney West urged the jury to acquit Hirano because of his irrational but firm belief that his thoughts were being controlled. Assistant District Attorney Joseph Campbell maintained the jury couldn't find Hirano acted in self-defense because no reasonable person would have acted in the same way.

O'Keeffe movie to be shot in N.M.

Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons will star in a Lifetime Television movie, Georgia O'Keeffe, to be filmed in New Mexico this month and next.

The movie chronicles the relationship between the celebrated artist and her husband, internationally known photographer Alfred Stieglitz.

It will be shot around Santa Fe, Albuquerque and Abiquiú, where O'Keeffe had homes and did some of her most iconic paintings.

Shooting begins Nov. 17, according to a spokeswoman for Lifetime Television.

Academy Award-nominated Bob Balaban will direct from a script by Michael Cristofer. The project will premiere on Lifetime Television next year.

Pay county land taxes online

Santa Fe County property owners can now pay their property taxes online for a fee of 2.35 percent of the payment being made. Proceeds from the fee go directly to Pay Point, the company handling the transaction, and credit card companies, according to a statement released by county spokesman Stephen Ulibarri. Only Master Card and Visa are currently accepted for online payments, according to the release, but American Express and Discover payments will be accepted by the end of the month.

To pay a property tax bill online, visit www.santafe
county.org, click on Departments, then Elected Officials, then Treasurer.

Burrito Co. to close for work

The Burrito Co., a popular downtown restaurant at 111 Washington Ave., will close for about four to six weeks after Sunday.

The restaurant owned by Eleanor and Arquimides Castro will be installing a new floor. The old one suffered water damage and needs to be replaced, Eleanor Castro said.

"It's got to be done now rather than later," Eleanor Castro said. "Look for us to reopen around Christmas."

S.F. River slammed in book

In a warning to potential tourists who might consider the Santa Fe River as one of this city's attractions, a travel writer has included the intermittently flowing stream in a book titled Don't Go There! The Travel Detective's Essential Guide to the Must-Miss Places of the World.

Compiled by Peter Greenberg, travel editor for NBC's Today show, the book explores such topics as dangerous roads, bad hotels, polluted sites and places that stink.

With regard to the Santa Fe River, the book says, "For the past 20 years, the river has been mostly dried up — overgrown with weeds, littered with trash, eroded, blocked by upstream dams that collect water from the mountains. City wells have affected the water table so much that it cannot sustain the river while supplying water to the city of Santa Fe."

The author mentions recent "river restoration" efforts but says "Bottom line: No water, no fish ... why would you ever go?"

In a chapter titled "Most Depressed and Depressing Destinations," New Mexico is mentioned for its suicide rate — 17.7 suicides per 100,000 residents — which ties with Wyoming for fourth in the country.

Judge shoots down lawmakers' suit

An Albuquerque judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit filed by three Albuquerque lawmakers who were defeated in the June Democratic primary and then sued several nonprofits who had distributed campaign literature against them.

But one of the plaintiffs, State Sen. Shannon Robinson, said he, along with Sen. James Taylor and Rep. Dan Silva, plan to appeal the case to the state Supreme Court.

Robinson and the others allege their election opponents acted with nonprofit groups and others to evade the state campaign finance law. The nonprofits include New Mexico Youth Organized and the Center for Civic Policy, both of which have been at the forefront of an effort to adopt ethics reform in the state Legislature. The suit sought to overturn the results of the primary.

Matt Brix, policy director for the CCP, said, "This lawsuit was nothing more than an attempt to muzzle nonprofit organizations from educating the public about how their legislators vote."

The lawsuit alleged money was transferred to secretly pay the nonprofit groups to finance attacks on the lawmakers — mailers that pointed out campaign contributions and various votes on ethics bills and other issues.

Hospital, heliport zoning approved

A hospital and heliport would be permitted on the south edge of Santa Fe under a zoning change approved Thursday by the city Planning Commission.

Presbyterian purchased 40 acres of the proposed Las Soleras development with the intention of using the area for a new hospital. The new zoning will allow a hospital building up to 70 feet tall and a landing zone for helicopters, among other medical office and professional uses.

The development was the topic of heated disagreement between the city and the county, but as part of an agreement, developers would seek to annex the project into the city limits. A road to the hospital property is under construction.

Zoning changes must also get approval from City Council and should have hearings before the Public Works and Finance committees.

Rio Rancho teacher top in N.M.

RIO RANCHO — Rio Rancho Elementary School teacher Blythe Turner has been named New Mexico's Teacher of the Year.

Turner will now represent the state at a national competition aimed at recognizing excellence in teaching. Turner has been a bilingual education teacher for six years and is the Native American liaison for the Rio Rancho school district.

Turner will be honored by Garcia and the Public Education Commission next month in Santa Fe.




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