A Public Service of Santa Fe Community College
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Nov. 18 First News: US Census Bureau Wants More Accurate Count Of Indigenous Americans

New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez will be in Nevada this week for an annual gathering of Republican governors. Martinez left New Mexico on Tuesday for Las Vegas, where she'll be attending the Republican Governors Association's annual conference. Her office says she'll return to the state Friday. The association is paying for the governor's travel. Martinez, the nation's only Latina governor, currently serves as the group's vice chair. Back home in New Mexico, she faces an FBI investigation into her campaign finance practices and whether the state Taxation and Revenue Department carried out retaliatory audits of former members of Martinez’s administration.

The US Census Bureau is gearing up to get more accurate information on the size and characteristics of the state’s population of indigenous people. According to the Albuquerque Journal, the 2010 census is estimated to have undercounted Native Americans and Alaska Natives by around 5 percent across the country. Bureau director John Thompson visits Albuquerque today to meet with representatives of at least 20 tribes and pueblos to emphasize the importance of local involvement to obtain a more accurate 2020 US census. The meeting will take place at Isleta Resort & Casino. The next census will be the first ever to make use of the Internet and mobile technology—Americans will now be able to complete census forms on their computers, smartphones and tablets. But this may present an additional challenge to Native communities, which often lack adequate access to the Internet. Thompson says that makes local involvement in the upcoming census especially important among Indigenous communities, where there will be a need for door-to-door census takers who know the local geography and already have the trust of community members.

Authorities say three people have been found dead inside the wreckage of a small plane north of Tijeras, New Mexico. The names of the three weren't immediately released Tuesday. The Federal Aviation Administration notified Albuquerque law enforcement agencies that it lost radar touch with a Cessna C-182 in the area around 1 p.m. Monday. The FAA says the plane was registered to an aviation company in Wichita Falls, Texas. New Mexico State Police say wreckage was located Tuesday morning near the Sandia Crest Ski Area. They say the single-engine plane was carrying three passengers from north Texas and it was headed to Las Vegas, Nevada. State Police say the search and rescue mission was slow and tedious due to inclement weather conditions and rugged terrain.

A utility company that serves about 400,000 customers in southern New Mexico and west Texas is facing stiff opposition to its request for a $6.4 million rate increase. Hearings began this week at the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission for El Paso Electric's rate hike request. The Albuquerque Journal reports (http://bit.ly/1LkGXV7) the company requested an $8.6 million increase in its base revenue in May. El Paso Electric says it has invested about $1.3 billion in new assets since 2009, the last time it requested a rate increase in New Mexico. The New Mexico Attorney General's Office, the City of Las Cruces and Dona Ana County argue for granting less than a 1 percent rate hike. Opponents say the utility is inflating the costs it needs to recover for infrastructure development.

The Santa Fe County Commission has given its approval for a plan by a small religious sect to build a temple in Arroyo Hondo following a years-long battle. According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, the church, O Centro Espirita Beneficente Uniao Do Vegetal, draws from Christian teachings  and Amazonian shamanic traditions of using hallucinogenic plants to trigger spiritual visions. UDV, as it’s often called, successfully fought against the Federal Government to use its sacramental tea, made of two Amazonian plants, in its services. Residents in Arroyo Hondo have complained about possible contamination of water with hallucinogens, water use for the facility, and increased traffic due to UDV’s late-night worship meetings. The County Commission voted November 10th to approve a settlement of lawsuits between UDV and a group of residents opposed to the construction. The settlement requires that the county pay UDV $300,000 to cover legal fees associated with conflict over the project; a previous settlement in 2013 had required the county to shell out 750,000 dollars. It’s unclear exactly how much Santa Fe County will end up paying to UDV.
 

And now these national stories:

Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry wants the state's highest criminal court to dismiss felony charges against him that the Republican has partly blamed for his failed 2016 presidential bid. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals will hear arguments Wednesday about whether Perry should stand trial on charges of abusing his power while still governor. He's called the case a politically motivated attack that dampened his short-lived run for the White House. A grand jury indicted Perry last year for making good on a threat to veto local funds after the Travis County district attorney refused to resign following a drunken-driving conviction. Perry was originally indicted on two felony counts, but a lower court has already thrown out one of the charges. The court is not expected to rule immediately.

Meanwhile, Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush is calling for a broad military buildup, saying the U.S. armed forces have been left ill-prepared to defeat the Islamic state militants who attacked Paris, killing more than 100 and wounding hundreds more. Bush says "the brutal savagery is a reminder of what is at stake in this election." He is speaking Wednesday at as the Military College of South Carolina, known as The Citadel. In excerpts provided to The Associated Press in advance, Bush said: "We are living in serious times that require serious leadership."

Muslims around the U.S. are facing backlash following the deadly attacks in Paris, including vandalism to mosques and Islamic centers, hate-filled phone and online messages and threats of violence. The Council on American-Islamic Relations is the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group in the country. It's reporting a spike in anti-Muslim incidents since the attacks. The council is urging local Muslim leaders to take precautions, including asking for increased police patrols at mosques and urging public officials to condemn hate crimes. Muslim leaders have reported recent incidents targeting mosques in Connecticut, Nebraska, Florida, Texas, Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, Ohio, New York and other states.

And the weather in Santa Fe: Mostly sunny today, the daytime high temperature, 43. Tonight, mostly clear, with an overnight low of 22 degrees. Tomorrow, sunny, a little warmer, with a daytime high near 46.