New Mexico officials are facing a deadline this year regarding how to manage the Gila River. If New Mexico doesn't use its available water, it could forgo millions of dollars in federal funds available for construction of a diversion project. Santa Fe Senator Peter Wirth is co-sponsoring legislation with Silver City Senator Howie Morales that would prioritize conservations efforts on the state's last free-flowing river: *****020314-Wirth-2 :18***** Opponents says Gila River diversion projects could cost more than 400 million-dollars, about half coming from federal funds and leaving New Mexico taxpayers responsible for the balance.
House Education Committee members heard testimony from numerous educators at the Roundhouse Saturday expressing concern about statewide education reforms. House Committee Chair Mimi Stewart of Albuquerque explains one of the problems. ******020314-Stewart-3 :31***** Teachers and other education professionals told Committee members about from the state’s unpopular new teacher evaluation system to an overload of required student-testing.
Santa Fe Police want your help identifying a thief who obviously didn’t know he was being watched. Police say surveillance video shows a man who appears to browse through the Turquoise Butterfly, a jewelry store on East Alameda Street, and instead shoves some pricey items into his pockets. The incident occurred last Tuesday. Video shows the suspect taking his time looking at items, before shoving about two-thousand dollars' worth of jewelry into his sweatshirt pockets and then leaves. During the theft he walks in plain sight of the security cameras multiple times. Police say the video is posted on the Santa Fe Police Department's Facebook page and on You Tube.
Milan police are on the hunt for a woman who escaped jail and stole a police car. KOB-TV reports that police officials say the prisoner, 27-year-old Bridget Romero, was handcuffed in the back seat of the car. When the officer was not in the unit, Romero was able to slip out of the handcuffs and gain access to the driver's seat. Romero then took off in a 2013 white Ford Taurus. The police car does not have any official police markings on it. The license plate number is G87-187. Anyone with information is urged to call state police.
Santa Fe Weather: Mostly cloudy today, with a high near 42. There's a slight chance of snow showers between 8am and 11am, then a slight chance of rain showers after 11am. Chance of precipitation is 20-percent. Tonight: Scattered snow showers. Cloudy, with a low around 18. Northwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50-percent with snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible. Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 36,with scattered snow showers and a 30-percent chance of showers.