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

Oct. 22 First News: State Officials To Brief Lawmakers Today on N.M.'s Ebola Readiness (Listen)

State officials are to brief legislators on whether New Mexico is prepared to handle a potential case of Ebola or other public health emergency. State Epidemiologist Dr. Michael Landen of the Department of Health and Homeland Security and Emergency Management Secretary Gregory Myers are among the officials scheduled to testify this afternoon at a legislative committee hearing. Their appearance comes a few days after Governor Susana Martinez directed the department to coordinate a plan with state and local government agencies and health care providers to ensure New Mexico is ready if a case of Ebola is diagnosed in the state. The department says it has epidemiologists on call around the clock to answer questions from health- care providers and provide guidance if a patient with Ebola symptoms seeks treatment.

Meantime, nurses at Santa Fe’s hospital are saying they need more training to deal with possible Ebola Cases.  The New Mexican reports the union representing the nurses at Christus-St. Vincent Regional Medical Center has sent a letter to the hospital.  The letter voices concerns that the hospital is not prepared to deal with Ebola.  A spokesperson for the hospital has said Saint Vincent is refining its strategy – particularly since last week’s Ebola scare.  They hospital says it is planning a drill with city and county agencies to practice responding to the virus – and also forming a coordinated response team. 

   KSFR Fall Fund-Raiser Reminder—Please Donate to KSFR.org—Thank You!

A federal appeals court has rejected a challenge by environmentalists who sought a review of plans in New Mexico and other Western states that aim to reduce haze-causing pollution. A handful of environmental groups questioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's decision to allow New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming to move forward with their plans. The groups claimed the plans, which center on a regional cap-and-trade program, didn't do enough to curb sulfur dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants and other industries. A three-judge panel with the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver upheld the EPA's decision in a ruling issued Tuesday. Environmentalists contend the ruling will allow several aging coal-fired power plants in the region to emit more sulfur dioxide than other plants around the country.

Immigrant rights advocacy groups want the federal government to turn over information on deportation policies at the Artesia detention center where hundreds of Central American mothers and children are being held. The American Civil Liberties Union and other immigration advocates filed their lawsuit Tuesday, saying the government failed to respond to a Freedom of Information Act request that sought information about the center's deportation procedures. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Gillian Christensen says the lawsuit was being reviewed. The suit follows another legal challenge filed in August in which the ACLU and others took aim at the expedited removal process in Artesia, calling it a "deportation mill." However, Artesia's mayor released figures last week showing that immigration officials were releasing more people than they deported from the detention center.

 A well-known Santa Fe business is restructuring its business model in the face of difficult financial times.  The Albuquerque Journal reports that Jackalope will transition away from selling items on its own, and instead rent out space to vendors.  The store was created 38 years ago on Cerrillos Road, to sell folk art, and items from around the world.  The founder of the company says the changes will affect all the business’ covered and uncovered space.

Officials say an improved southern New Mexico road to Spaceport America is slated to be under construction by next summer. The Las Cruces Sun-News reports that Dona Ana County officials told lawmakers Monday the U.S. Bureau of Land Management is reviewing the environmental impact of the road proposal. Officials also told lawmakers during a committee meeting the decision on the road could come in April. Supporter of the taxpayer-funded Spaceport have said a paved southern route is crucial for county residents and businesses to benefit economically from the project. Spaceport, located 60 miles north of Las Cruces, is where Virgin Galactic plans to launch its first space-tourism flights at a cost of 200-thousand dollars per person.

New Mexico's unemployment rate declined in September as the state's economy added thousands of jobs. The state Department of Workforce Solutions reports that the nonfarm unemployment rate in September was 6.6 percent, down from 6.7 percent in August and 6.9 percent in September 2013. The department reports that the economy added 6,400 jobs in September, the largest increase in 13 months. Gains in seven economic sectors offset losses in five others, while employment was unchanged in one sector. The biggest job gains were recorded in the education and health services sector and in retail trade. The largest losses were reported in manufacturing and in the professional and business services sector.

The numbers are in and forecasters with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque say September was a good month for New Mexico. The state received 190 percent of its average rainfall last month. In all, an average of more than 3 inches fell across the state. While last September ranked as the seventh wettest on record, state and federal officials said Tuesday during a monthly meeting that long-term drought is still a problem in New Mexico and that soil moistures have yet to recover. Counting the last three years, the officials say New Mexico still has a rainfall deficit of more than 5 inches. Forecasters say things could improve if predictions for winter precipitation hold true. The predictions are calling for above-normal precipitation across much of New Mexico through February.

Santa Fe Weather: Partly sunny today with a slight chance for showers and thunderstorms, the high today, 66. Tonight, expect partly cloudy skies with the overnight low, 44. Tomorrow: Sunny with the high near 69.