Tragedy in Rio Rancho Tuesday as a construction worker died and another three were critically injured following the collapse of scaffolding positioned outside a hospital that is undergoing an expansion. Authorities say the collapse of the 21 feet of scaffolding at Presbyterian Rust Medical Center buckled and collapsed from the top down. Fire Department officials say another four workers had non-life-threatening injuries were taken to other area hospitals for treatment. Authorities say the cause of the collapse isn't immediately known and officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have been notified. Work has been ongoing on a six-story addition to the medical center since June 2014. The construction site now is closed until further notice.
Navajo farmers in northwestern New Mexico have rejected some water delivered to tribal communities after a mine spill, saying the tanks holding it appeared unclean. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says the water trucked from Bloomfield, New Mexico, met all federal and state water quality standards. However, the agency said Tuesday it will replace that water with a source from within the reservation. A crowd of mostly farmers gathered Monday night in Shiprock, New Mexico, to address the water quality. Shiprock Chapter President Duane "Chili" Yazzie says the water coming out of tanks didn't look or smell right. Jason Sandel of Triple-S Trucking says the tanks and trucks were clean and he has no reason to believe the water is unsafe. The company was contracted to deliver water.
New Mexico taxi firms have been complaining about what they see as competitive advantages enjoyed by ride-sharing firms such as Uber, which unlike cab companies, don’t have to pay for licenses to operate, nor must they comply with state Public Regulation Commission rules. State lawmakers haven’t addressed the issue, and the PRC has yet to take action on it. But during today’s PRC meeting, there will be a discussion about the state Motor Carrier Act, which governs taxis, and some say, should also apply to the new smartphone-based competition. PRC Commissioner Valerie Espinoza says ride-sharing firms are deemed as Motor Carriers *****081915-Espinoza-2 :19***** Espinoza has concerns with the safety of the relatively unregulated car-sharers. And the District Three Commissioner from Santa Fe points to the competitive inequities favoring companies like Uber. She says these are displayed by the City of Albuquerque’s new pact with Uber that allows it to operate at the Albuquerque Sunport at a cost of one-dollar per car. This, Espinoza points out, while taxis are paying 12-hundred dollars a month for the same privilege. *****081915-Espinoza-4 :13*****PRC Commissioner Valerie Espinoza. Today’s PRC meeting begins at 9-30 at the PERA Building.
An Albuquerque city councilor has withdrawn his resolution to seek a change in state law that would give local governments the authority to impose teen curfews. Councilor Ken Sanchez made the decision Monday after Governor Susana Martinez announced that she would put the question on the agenda for the next legislative session in January. The City Council was set to discuss the proposal during Monday night's meeting. Dozens of speakers still weighed in on the resolution. Supporters contend a teen curfew would help reduce juvenile crime, while others argued such measures would increase the potential for conflicts between teens and law enforcement. Albuquerque imposed a curfew during the 1990s, but it was struck down in court following a challenge by the American Civil Liberties Union.
Nine airports across New Mexico will share more than three-million dollars’ in federal grants for runway expansions and other improvements. Members of the state’s congressional delegation announced the funding Tuesday. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich say local airports serve as an economic engine for many New Mexico communities and the funding will help make them stronger while boosting commerce and increasing travel. The city of Alamogordo is getting the lion's share — one-point-four million — to extend a runway to better accommodate local aircraft. Lea and Colfax counties, the village of Questa, Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo and the cities of Clovis, Grants, Farmington and Santa Rosa will also receive funding for projects that range from resealing pavement to building taxiways.
Santa Fe Weather: Sunny skies today and tomorrow, today’s high, 78, warming up to 84 on Thursday. Tonight: Mostly clear with the overnight low, 56.