U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell is scheduled to visit the capital of the Navajo Nation in Window Rock, Arizona later today to announce a 554 million dollar settlement over allegations of mismanagement of tribal resources. Jewell released a statement Thursday saying the agreement strengthens ties between the Navajo and U.S. governments and helps empower the tribe's communities. Navajo officials hailed the settlement as a positive end to a long ordeal. President Ben Shelly, in a statement, called it "a victory for tribal sovereignty." The tribe contended that the U.S. government mismanaged revenue from grazing, oil and gas leases and other activities on the sprawling reservation. Navajo Nation Council Delegate Lorenzo Curley said public meetings will be held starting in October to seek community input on how the money should be spent.
The son of Rio Arriba County Sheriff Tommy Rodella, who’s accused of roughing up a driver, says he and his father chased the motorist because he had run a stop sign. Tommy Rodella, Jr., told jurors Thursday his father had identified himself as a lawman twice before arresting 26-year-old Michael Tafoya. Authorities say the older Rodella was in plainclothes in March when he pulled over Tafoya in a fit of road rage, jumped out of his personal SUV with a gun, and shoved his badge in Tafoya's face. Rodella is standing trial on federal charges of deprivation of rights and brandishing a firearm. He has pleaded not guilty. Under cross examination, the young Rodella admitted he was taking several psychotropic drugs and suffered from PTSD. The son also says he had memory problems.
Secretary of State Dianna Duran is refusing to place advisory questions on the general election ballot in Chaves County. Duran said Thursday the county missed a deadline for getting questions on the ballot. The state Supreme Court last week ordered Duran to add ballot questions polling voters in Santa Fe and Bernalillo counties about marijuana penalties. However, Duran said the court wrongly determined that the deadline was October fourth when it was actually September ninth. Duran said the court's ruling applied only to the two counties and "cannot be used for guidance going forward." Chaves County wanted five nonbinding ballot questions, including ones to ask the county's voters whether they would support local ordinances to require voter identification and ban the release of wolves in the county.
Santa Fe County authorities say a man whose body was found in the Santa Fe River's bed was a Santa Fe resident. The Sheriff's Office identified the man as 58-year-old Robert Trujillo and say preliminary autopsy results indicate he drowned. His body was found Tuesday morning near State Route 599 and the El Camino Real Park trailhead. According to the Sheriff's Office, water levels in the river reached four to six feet on Monday evening.
You can safely return unused, unwanted and expired prescription medications at locations across Santa Fe County tomorrow in the County’s twice a year Prescription Drug Take Back Event. Peter Olson is with Santa Fe County: *****092614-Olson-2 :12***** Olson reminds us that the easiest way for kids to get drugs is from your medicine cabinet, so if you don’t need what’s in there, drop it off at the locations posted on Santa Fe County’s website.
The state Department of Transportation says New Mexicans can use an online mapping service to get information about routes and schedules for the agency's Park and Ride regional bus system. The department said Thursday that bus information is now available through Google Maps and travelers can use the trip planning feature to pick the best route for getting to their destination. The agency's regional transit system has 100 daily bus departures. There are routes serving Santa Fe, Las Vegas, Espanola and Los Alamos as well as between Moriarty and Albuquerque. Buses connect Las Cruces and El Paso, Texas and Las Cruces and White Sands Missile Range. The buses also provide links to other transit systems, including the Rail Runner Express commuter rail service.
A truck carrying 110 barrels of brine water has overturned near the federal government's nuclear waste dump in southeastern New Mexico. New Mexico Motor Transportation Police and New Mexico State Police say the commercial vehicle's brakes apparently failed and it flipped over after going through an intersection. The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant is about 26 miles east of Carlsbad. Authorities say the truck's 39-year-old driver was taken to the Carlsbad Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.
A 17-year-old boy managed to escape while in custody in a Farmington courthouse but was apprehended a short time later. The Daily Times reports that the unshackled boy fled during a Wednesday morning court hearing and was chased by a sheriff's deputy out a door. The deputy then lost track of the boy, but a search by deputies, jail personnel and Farmington police resulted in the boy's recapture. It's not immediately known what charges the boy faces.
Santa Fe Weather: Mostly sunny today with a high near 75. Tonight, Partly cloudy with the overnight low, 52. Tomorrow, partly sunny and the high 75. There’s a 20-percent chance for showers and thunderstorms today and tomorrow, it’s at 10-percent tonight.