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April 1 First News: Santa Fe State Rep. Carl Trujillo Loses Opponent (Listen)

Santa Fe State Representative Carl Trujillo's effort to get re-elected to his District 46 seat is a whole lot easier today. That's because on Monday, State District Judge Raymond Ortiz voided Algin Mendez's candidacy for the June Third Democratic Primary election. The Journal North reports the judge rejected a number of signatures Mendez had collected to get a spot on the June Democratic Primary ballot. Mendez is a former cage fighter and Rio Arriba County Deputy- Sheriff who was a security guard at this year's legislative session until Representative Debbie Rodella filed a restraining order against Mendez and he resigned. Rodella's husband, Tommy, is the Rio Arriba County Sheriff. As for Trujillo, he's essentially re-elected since there was no Republican candidate in the race.

A group that had called for Sunday's mass protests against the Albuquerque Police Department over its recent shootings of citizens--the “ANSWER” coalition—met Monday evening and agreed on three new demands for APD. Sayrah Namaste is an organizer with the coalition: *****040114-Namaste-2 :19***** Some 150 people attended Monday's meeting. The ANSWER coalition plans to present its demands at next week's Albuquerque City Council meeting.

Four more workers were contaminated with low levels of radiation during a recent leak at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad. WIPP is the federal government's underground nuclear waste dump, and Monday's news means that a total of 21 workers were radiated during the February 14th leak. Officials also say that they're planning to get a crew underground today for the first time since the incident.

So far this year, nearly 100 fires have burned close to six-thousand acres of New Mexico land. State Forestry Division spokesman Dan Ware says current conditions make him hopeful that this year’s fire season will be similar to last year’s brief but very active. But Ware says the “big difference maker” this year is the increased vegetation on New Mexico's east side: *****040114-Ware-1 :21***** Governor Susana Martinez on Monday announced this week as  "Wildfire Awareness Week," in New Mexico. Martinez pointed to the risk the state’s current prolonged drought poses to New Mexico as it faces another active period for fires.

The University of New Mexico is seeking graduation equity. UNM announcing that two separate graduation ceremonies will recognize the success of graduate students on May 16th, with the ceremony set for baccalaureate and associates degree recipients is the following day.

Santa Fe Weather: Sunny and windy today with a high 63 and gusts as high as 40-miles an hour. Partly cloudy and windy tonight, with a low of 33. Tomorrow: Mostly sunny and breezy, with the high, 55.