The Taos Municipal School Board wants to move the location of Chrysalis Alternative from its rural setting to a few rooms set off the main corridor at Taos High School. At a meeting packed with more than 100 parents, teachers and members of the community, Superintendent Dr. Lillian Torrez said she was certain if the community understood the seriousness of the issues at Chrysalis, they would be in agreement with the board. Because it involved personnel issues, however, she was prevented from revealing anything more.
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Taos County Commissioner Candyce O’Donnell raises questions about the makeup of the committee that made the decision, and that compliance issues should be addressed while Chrysalis remained in Cañon.
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The school teaches about 20-30 students each year and is especially for at-risk youth who often have social, emotional and academic issues that render them unable to learn in a traditional setting.
Megan Bradley, a teacher at the high school, says Taos High is not for everyone.
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A decision will be made at the next school board meeting August 4th -- less than two weeks from the start of the school year.
A Santa Fe judge has upheld a 165 million verdict against FedEx for a highway crash that killed a mother and her 4-year-old daughter in 2011. District Judge Francis Mathew on Wednesday denied FedEx's request for a new trial in the wrongful death lawsuit alleging negligence by the company. The family of 22-year-old Marialy Morga and her daughter filed the suit after a FedEx tractor-trailer rig crashed into the back of Morga's pickup truck on Interstate 10 near Las Cruces. Judge Mathew took over the case after the trial judge recused herself over a phone call she had with plaintiffs' lawyers following the trial. Defense lawyers argue that Mathew wasn't fit to handle the case, because he didn't oversee the trial. FedEx may appeal the judge's decision.
State and federal officials are becoming increasingly confident they'll be able to clean up a massive plume of jet fuel at the edge of Albuquerque before it reaches drinking water wells. Kirtland Air Force Base and state environment officials will be updating the public on the effort during a meeting Thursday evening. A pump-and-treat system began operating earlier this month, and officials have plans to bring more extraction wells online before the end of the year. More monitoring wells are also planned. Environment Department geologist Dennis McQuillan says those will help determine how far north the contamination extends. First detected in 1999, the fuel leak is believed to have been seeping into the ground for decades. Estimates of the amount of fuel spilled range from 6 million to 24 million gallons.
A New Mexico Democratic lawmaker says she will not resign from the board of the nation's oldest Latino civil rights group despite calls to step down. Representative Patricia Roybal Caballero said this week she has the support from members of the League of United Latin American Citizens and looks forward to her role at the group's national treasurer. Caballero, who was elected last week, faced calls to resign since LULAC's bylaws prohibit elected officials from serving on the national board if they receive "wage compensation." The Albuquerque Democrat is a member of the New Mexico House but receives no annual salary. However, she receives per diems and is eligible for a pension. A LULAC lawyer ruled that Caballero was eligible to serve.
The New Mexico State Police chief says he would personally pay for a return ticket for a fugitive living in Cuba wanted for the killing of a New Mexico police officer. Chief Pete Kassetas told The Associated Press on Thursday that the agency is working with the FBI on the possible return of Charlie Hill to face charges now that the U.S. and Cuba have restored formal diplomatic relations. Hill fled to the communist island after authorities say he killed state police officer Robert Rosenbloom in New Mexico in 1971. Responding to President Barack Obama's move to thaw relations with Cuba, New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez in December renewed a request that the Obama administration try to extradite Hill, who is now 65 years old. He is the last living suspect in Rosenbloom's death.
Construction is set to begin next month on a 23-million dollar addition to the New Mexico State Veterans' Home, which will help serve the growing demand among veterans for memory care. Officials say the Truth or Consequences facility will expand its Alzheimer's unit with about 60 beds. Two-thirds of those beds will be for Alzheimer's patients and the rest will be for patients who need skilled nursing. Officials say the current Alzheimer's unit typically has a waiting list of seven to 10 patients. According to the state Health Department, an estimated 34,000 New Mexicans are living with Alzheimer's disease. Construction is scheduled to be complete in 2017. The project is being funded by a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs grant and state money.
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Santa Fe Weather: Mostly sunny today and tomorrow with daytime highs , 86. There’s a 20-percent chance for showers and thunderstorms today, it’s at 10-percent tomorrow. Tonight: Partly cloudy with the overnight low, 61 and a 20-percent chance for precipitation.