The New Mexico House Committee that’s exploring impeachment proceedings against New Mexico Secretary of State Dianna Duran is holding its first meeting today. Duran has been accused of funneling campaign contributions into personal bank accounts and later withdrawing large sums of money while frequenting casinos around the state. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges in state court. The Legislative Council has set-aside 250-thousand dollars in public funds to finance the Committee’s proceedings. The panel today will discuss hiring a special counsel for the probe and set a hearing schedule.
Meanwhile, Duran is trying to assure state residents that her office can fairly enforce campaign finance laws despite the fraud, embezzlement and other criminal charges pending against her. The New Mexican reports that in the wake of the allegations against Duran, three legislators are accused of having irregularities in their campaign finance statements. The complaints brought by the legislators' political opponents are being reviewed by Duran's office. While Duran says her office can handle the cases appropriately, Common Cause New Mexico spokeswoman Heather Ferguson says the public will still be skeptical.
An educational provider in conjunction with the WGN America series "Manhattan" have developed a curriculum based on the series and the history of the atomic bomb. The network announced Monday that the educational program, created by Young Minds Inspired, will offers teachers the tools to help students learn more about the secret World War II-era plan called The Manhattan Project. Officials say toolkits will include a teacher's guide, student activity sheets, and Common Core Standards. WGN America executive vice president Brian Dollenmayer says the series "Manhattan" can spark a vibrant conversation in the classroom. The show is set in the 1940s during The Manhattan Project and follows the lives of the scientists who built the world's first atomic bomb in Los Alamos.
New Mexico's Secretary of Education Hanna Skandera is warning parents, students and educators to expect lower scores from a new statewide exam designed to test students' knowledge of Common Core standards. The Partnership for Assessment and Readiness for College and Careers test results will be released for high school students Oct. 16 and for third- through eighth-graders Oct. 30. Skandera told the Albuquerque Journal that other states that have implemented the test have seen up to a 40 percent drop in student proficiency ratings under the former Standards Based Assessment. The new test is administered online instead of on paper and requires students to show how they got their answers. Skandera says she expects scores to increase in coming years as students become more familiar with the test.
Despite a persistent drought and a growing need to replace old pipelines and storage tanks, more than 20 million dollars’ in federally appropriated funds for drinking water infrastructure remains unspent in New Mexico. A review by The Associated Press found a total of more than $1 billion sitting unspent in drinking water loan accounts across the country, largely because of project delays, poor management by some states and structural problems. In New Mexico, officials say many of the water systems are small and there are simply not enough staff and technical experts to do the work needed before the money can be doled out. New Mexico also leads the nation when it comes to the share of money — 30 percent — that's set aside through the loan program for expenses other than actual infrastructure, such as salaries or administrative costs.
A southern New Mexico ranch for troubled youth is suing a state police officer in federal court over his investigation of abuse allegations. Scott and Colette Chandler, who operate the Tierra Blanca Ranch Youth Program, filed a complaint last week against New Mexico State Police officer Felipe Gonzales. According to the suit, authorities and state child welfare workers used a ranch employee's accidental death as a way to launch an investigation on behalf of a disgruntled parent. The couple says state officials entered the ranch without a search warrant and interviewed youth residents without permission. The embattled ranch previously settled a lawsuit against the state in February 2014 and agreed to some state oversight. The New Mexico State Police did not immediately return a message seeking comment Saturday.
The Navajo Nation is expanding low-cost veterinary care in response to a spill of millions of gallons of toxic wastewater at a Colorado gold mine that sent pollutants downstream. The Daily Times in Farmington reported Friday that the Navajo Veterinary and Livestock Program is opening up free blood testing and examinations for cattle and sheep at least 2 years old. Officials are offering the service to any ranchers and farmers with livestock living along the Animas and San Juan Rivers. The animals may have drunk from the rivers at the time of the spill. Tribal veterinarian Scott Bender says all testing and exams will be done at the Navajo Veterinary Clinic in Shiprock. A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency contractor accidentally triggered the August spill.
Santa Fe Weather: Mostly sunny today and tomorrow—today’s high, 83, rising to 86 tomorrow. Tonight, Mostly clear skies the overnight low, 55.