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Feb. 24 First News: Senator Heinrich in Santa Fe Talks Local and National Concerns (Listen)

 

President Obama recently signed an executive order, requiring federal contractors to pay employees a minimum wage of ten-dollars, ten-cents an hour. The President's action is being hailed by New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich, who spoke in Santa Fe Saturday. *****022414-Heinrich-minimum-3 :28***** Heinrich encouraged those who supported a failed legislative effort to get a minimum wage increase in the state constitution to continue their efforts. The Democrat was in South Santa Fe to hear about efforts to improve the impoverished area's quality of life. Heinrich was briefed on, among other programs, the Quality of Life Initiative and the “REACH,” or Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health effort. Heinrich credited the community for the improvements he heard about. *****022414-Heinrich-3 :14***** Heinrich comments came at La Familia's Agua Fria Clinic.

 

The board that runs the New Mexico History Museum and the Palace of the Governors has selected New Mexico State University history professor Jon Hunner to serve as interim director of the museum. The museum's current director, Frances Levine, will be heading to St. Louis this spring to take over at the Missouri History Museum. Hunner will start in early May after the spring semester, while a national search is conducted.

 

A longtime furniture factory in Santa Fe is considered a total loss after a fire last week reduced it to ashes and debris. Friday's blaze at Hands of America furniture maker destroyed the company's four-thousand square-foot building. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

 

The most recent agriculture census shows New Mexico has more farms and ranches than it did five years ago. The survey also shows the state has seen significant increases in the number of young farmers and minority farmers in recent years. State Agriculture Secretary Jeff Witte says that diversity will help create more opportunity. The 2012 agriculture census shows there are nearly 25-thousand farms and ranches in New Mexico, an 18 percent increase since 2007. That bucks a long-term national trend that has seen the number of U-S farms drop.

 

Santa Fe Weather: Sunny today with a high near 60. Mostly clear tonight with a low down to 29. Tomorrow: Sunny and a high of 61.