New Mexico

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Losing Candidate Gets Decades in Shootings at Officials' Homes

Solomon Pena lost in a landslide but claimed the election was rigged

(Newser) - A failed political New Mexico candidate was sentenced to 80 years in federal prison on Wednesday for his convictions in a series of drive-by shootings at the homes of state and local lawmakers in Albuquerque in the aftermath of the 2020 election. A jury convicted former Republican candidate Solomon Pena...

Get Ready for a Tarantula Mating Frenzy

Males on the move, risking life to find a partner who hopefully won't eat them

(Newser) - As mating season sweeps across the Southwest, residents in 13 states should prepare for what could be a remarkable, or terrifying spectacle, depending on who you ask. Over the next several months, tens of thousands of male tarantulas will emerge from their burrows, setting out across states including California,...

US States That Are Home to Best Public Schools

Massachusetts is No. 1 on WalletHub's list of best public school systems

(Newser) - The preschool-to-college pipeline can be a conduit to lifetime success for kids, though it may depend on where exactly the majority of that pipe runs through. To determine what US states boast the best public school systems, WalletHub compared all 50, plus DC, across 32 metrics in two main categories:...

New Mexico Sues Air Force Over 'Forever Chemicals'

State says toxic firefighting foam has contaminated water, farmland

(Newser) - For years, toxic "forever chemicals" from a US Air Force base in New Mexico have contaminated local water and farmland—now, the state is taking the US military to court for refusing to clean up the mess. The state is suing over continued PFAS pollution stemming from Cannon...

Adult, 2 Kids Die in New Mexico Flood

They were swept away from RV park in Ruidoso

(Newser) - The New Mexico mountain village of Ruidoso prepared Wednesday for another round of monsoon rains as crews scrambled to dig out from a historic flash flood that killed three people, damaged dozens of homes, and left streets and culverts clogged with mud and debris. A man, a 4-year-old girl and...

Flash Flooding Hits New Mexico Mountain Village

A house was swept downstream in Ruidoso

(Newser) - Floodwaters trapped people in their homes and cars Tuesday in a mountain village in southern New Mexico as monsoon rains triggered flash flooding and an entire house was swept downstream. Emergency crews carried out at least 85 swift water rescues in the Ruidoso area, including of people who were trapped...

States Where the Drive-Thru Is What's for Dinner

Mississippians spend the most on fast food, per WalletHub

(Newser) - After a hard day at work or school, it's sometimes easier to just pick up a fast-food feast. In some states, that reliance on Mickey D's, Burger King, Chick-fil-A, and the like seems to be more the rule than the exception. WalletHub ran the numbers on the price...

Kentucky Measles Outbreak Raises Fear for Kindergarteners

4 cases confirmed, with another confirmed exposure; vax rate among kindergartners is 87%

(Newser) - A measles outbreak has emerged in central Kentucky. There are four confirmed cases: Three were confirmed in Woodford County before a fourth emerged in nearby Fayette County, per WKYT . The Kentucky Department of Public Health has also reported a confirmed measles exposure in Jessamine County. Officials say one measles case...

Measles Outbreak Hits County Jail in New Mexico

Luna County Detention Center has canceled visits, shifted court appearances to video

(Newser) - A measles outbreak has reached the Luna County Detention Center in Deming, New Mexico, marking the first confirmed cases in the area amid a broader surge across the state. Health officials are racing to contain the spread within the facility and the local community. Luna County Manager Chris Brice...

SCOTUS Clears the Way for Nuclear Waste Site in Texas

Justices restarted plans to temporarily store nuclear waste at site in Andrews

(Newser) - The Supreme Court on Wednesday restarted plans to temporarily store nuclear waste at sites in rural Texas and New Mexico, even as the nation is at an impasse over a permanent solution. What to know about the decision, per the AP :
  • The vote: The justices, by a 6-3 vote, reversed
...

Missing Airman Found Dead in New Mexico Lake

US Air Force member went missing at Elephant Butte Lake on Saturday

(Newser) - The body of a US Air Force member was recovered from a lake in southern New Mexico on Monday, two days after the airman assigned to Kirtland Air Force Base went missing at the popular recreation spot, military authorities said. The member of the 351st Special Warfare Training Squadron went...

Fire Sweeps Through Civil War-Era Site

New Mexico officials say structures were damaged at Fort Stanton Historical Site

(Newser) - Campgrounds and a horse ranch were evacuated Monday as a wildfire swept through a Civil War-era historical site in southern New Mexico. Ground crews, air tankers, and helicopters joined efforts to contain a blaze that damaged several buildings at the Fort Stanton Historical Site, authorities said. The wildfire scorched more...

'Disappointment and Concern' After Autopsy on Sheriff

County sheriff in New Mexico died from effects of fentanyl, alcohol

(Newser) - Medical investigators have determined that a county sheriff in northern New Mexico died from the toxic effects of fentanyl and alcohol, according to autopsy results made public Thursday. Rio Arriba County Sheriff Billy Merrifield, 50, was found dead inside his patrol vehicle outside his Abiquiu home on Easter morning following...

States With the Biggest Drug Problem

New Mexico holds dubious No. 1 spot in WalletHub rankings, with Hawaii logging the least drug use

(Newser) - There's been some positive movement in the US on fighting drug overdose deaths in recent years, but the war on drugs continues to rage on, particularly in some states. WalletHub looked at all 50 states and the District of Columbia to try to suss out where the problem is...

One State's Free Child Care Lifted 120K Out of Poverty

Without this, we would be struggling a lot, and with this, we are making it,' says New Mexico mom

(Newser) - Three years ago, New Mexico did what no other state in the nation had done before: It offered free child care to families earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level, or about $124,000 for a family of four. About half of the kids within New Mexico's...

Dead Rodents, Nests Found on Hackman's Property

Presence of live traps suggest an ongoing infestation linked to hantavirus

(Newser) - Dead rodents and rodent nests were discovered on the property where the actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa died in February. Hackman, 95, died from heart disease and complications from Alzheimer's up to a week after his wife and caretaker, Arakawa, 65, succumbed to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome,...

4 Arrested in Mass Shooting at a New Mexico Park

3 dead, 15 injured in Las Cruces

(Newser) - A 20-year-old man and three teens have been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with Friday night's shooting at a park in Las Cruces, New Mexico, that left three people dead and 15 others hurt, authorities said Sunday. Tomas Rivas and a 17-year-old male were taken into custody...

Recent Dust Storms Recall the 1930s 'Dust Bowl'

A pair of recent events in Kansas, New Mexico have proven deadly; drivers aren't prepared

(Newser) - A gust of wind sweeps over bare soil, kicking up enough dirt and dust to cut visibility to nearly zero, and for drivers, the dust storm seems to come out of nowhere. As the AP reports, such conditions resulted in a pileup on Interstate 70 last week in western Kansas...

Dust Storms Force 130 Miles of I-10 to Close in New Mexico

Emergency alerts warn of zero visibility and fire risk

(Newser) - Dust storms and strong winds gripping New Mexico on Tuesday caused massive disruption, with gusts of up to 70mph leading to highway closures and power outages for more than 39,000 customers. At least two brush fires were also sparked amid the dry, dusty weather. The National Weather Service issued...

Teen in Hit-and-Run Recording: 'Just Bump Him, Brah'

Cops say driver, 13, killed 63-year-old man in NM, with other young passengers egging him on

(Newser) - A 13-year-old boy has been charged with murder in a fatal hit-and-run of a bicyclist in Albuquerque that was captured on video from inside the boy's stolen car, law enforcement said Monday. The teenager, who's believed to have been the driver, and a 15-year-old have been charged with...

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