Higher than expected revenues garnered by the New Mexico lottery is boosting the amount of assistance for New Mexico's lottery scholarships. The New Mexico Higher Education Department announcing Thursday that the in-state tuition assistance for university and college students will cover around 90 percent of full tuition costs next school year. Lawmakers had feared that the amount of assistance could drop to around 80 percent of costs due to an expected drop in lottery revenues and because bickering legislators failed to bolster the state's Legislative Lottery Scholarship program's financial underpinnings. In addition to the higher revenues, the department says more money is available since New Mexico is seeing a drop in student enrollment. Lottery officials say annual demand tops 60-million dollars.
The director of the bipartisan New Mexico Legislative Education Study Committee says she will retire at the end of the year. Frances Ramirez-Maestas told committee members Thursday that she was stepping down as leader of the panel that studies educational issues and recommends public education funding levels. Ramirez-Maestas says it was time to retire after years of service. Dennis Roch, a Logan Republican, says the committee will look to hire a replacement who understands the legislative process and New Mexico's issues.
The funeral is scheduled next week for a Rio Rancho police officer who was fatally shot during a traffic stop. Officer Gregg Benner was gunned down Monday evening after stopping a vehicle in the Albuquerque suburb and later died at a hospital. The man suspected of shooting Benner was arrested Tuesday. Authorities say visitation will be held on June 3 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Daniels Family Sara Road Chapel in Rio Rancho. The funeral will be June 4 at 10 a.m. at the Santa Ana Star Event Center in Rio Rancho. Both events are open to the public. Benner was 49 and a military veteran who had been with the Rio Rancho Police Department for four years. He's survived by his wife and five adult children.
Meanwhile, District Attorney Lemuel Martinez says he plans to seek the maximum punishment against a known gang member suspected of shooting and killing a Rio Rancho police officer during a traffic stop. Martinez acknowledged Thursday that the criminal proceedings against Andrew Romero have just begun, but he says he plans to move as expeditiously as possible and avoid any delays in the case. Romero is facing multiple charges, including murder, in the death of Officer Gregg Benner. Romero is being held on a five-million dollars cash bond. His girlfriend, Tabitha Littles, was charged Thursday with accessory to murder and fleeing a peace officer. She's being held on a one-million dollar bond. If Romero is convicted, he could face a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 30 years. But Martinez says because the case involves a police officer, he could face a life sentence with no parole.
There’s been another police officer shooting in Albuquerque. Albuquerque police say officers opened fire on a man suspected of stealing a car when he allegedly drove directly at police. Police say 20-year-old Rodrigo Garcia was taken to a hospital Thursday evening with unknown injuries. Spokeswoman Celina Espinoza says events leading up to the shooting began Wednesday when Garcia was suspected of being in a stolen car that rammed an officer's vehicle. Thursday evening, she says Garcia was spotted getting out of that stolen car, but when police moved to detain him he jumped back into it. Espinoza says: "He then accelerated through a yard, a fence and directly at officers. Multiple officers fired rounds at Garcia." She says a woman who had been with Garcia earlier was questioned. Albuquerque police have faced scrutiny for more than 40 shootings since 2010.
Santa Fe County has announced that road work will begin Monday on Richards Avenue at College Avenue. A contractor for the County will be building a south-bound right slip lane at the College Avenue roundabout. The County says road work will begin daily at seven-am and be finished at five-pm. Weather-permitting, the work will last until June 26th. Motorists are advised to allow more time to negotiate the work zone.
Santa Fe Weather: Partly sunny today with a 30-percent chance for scattered showers and thunderstorms… the high reaching 73. Tonight: Mostly cloudy with the overnight low falling to 47 by 9pm, then rising to 71 during the remainder of the night. The chance for precipitation is 30-percent tonight. Tomorrow, partly sunny and a 40-percent chance for showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 4pm. The high tomorrow will rise to 75 by 8am, then fall to 54 during the remainder of the day.