Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Several county officials sworn into office Vol. 124, No. 01 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
BY JEFF TUCKER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Several Chaves County officials were sworn into office Wednesday for fouryear terms beginning today. Fifth Judicial District Judge Kea Riggs administered oaths of office to Assessor Mark Willard and Chaves County commissioners James Duffey and Will Cavin in the morning in the commission chambers at the Chaves County Administration Building.
January 1, 2015
THURSDAY
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In the afternoon, Sheriff Britt Snyder and 37 sheriff’s deputies, two animal control officers and a civil processor were sworn in by Riggs in the packed commission chambers. Snyder, a 25-year veteran of the Chaves County Sheriff’s Office, defeated Pat Barncastle, chief investigator for the Fifth Judicial District Attorney Janetta Hicks, by 12 votes in a four -way race for Chaves County sheriff in the Republican primary in June.
Treacherous traction
Snyder ran unopposed in the general election. Snyder, whose mother was killed by a drunk driver, said enforcing driving while intoxicated laws would be a top priority of his administration. Snyder announced Shane Baker will be his chief deputy when Snyder assumes office today. Baker joined the Chaves County Sheriff’s Office in 2006 after serving 26 years at the
Jeff Tucker Photo
Chaves County Commissioner James Duffey signs his
oath of office Wednesday. Duffey, today, begins a sec-
ond four-year term on the commission. Pictured in the background is Fifth Judicial
District Judge Kea Riggs, who administered several
Building, Lands Committee talks farm lease renewal
See SWEARING-IN, Page A3
oaths of office Wednesday.
City property sales put on hold for further study
BY RANDAL SEYLER RECORD CITY EDITOR
Christina Stock Photo
Roswellites were driving very carefully New Year’s Eve morning with the powdery winter wonderland awaiting them outside.
A number of items came before the Building and Lands Committee on Monday, but the panel deferred action on all of them pending further study. Dean Sons, a local far mer who leases land from the city, asked the committee to consider renewing his lease for a five-year term instead of a 10-year term. “I am getting to the point where I am wanting to wind things up,” Sons said. The lease expires in 2015 and the committee has to recommend renewing the lease to the full City Council for final approval. Sons noted that he had installed a new $125,000 irrigation system that he
would leave on the property and donate to the city at the end of his lease. “I know you have done an outstanding job with your farm,” said City Councilor and Committee Member Steve Henderson. “You have really kept the property clean, and accommodated the city over the years. You’ve done a great job and taken good care of the land.” Henderson said that Sons has been a good steward of the city’s property and that the committee needs to recognize that fact during its deliberations. City Manager Steve Polasek said there has been some discussion about the property out near Leprino Foods, and noted that the
Year ends with Gov. Martinez prepares for 2nd term state’s gas price average dropping SUBMITTED BY AAA NEW MEXICO
Drivers taking a road trip to celebrate the New Year will get another break at the gas pumps. According to the AAA New Mexico Weekend Gas Watch the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded fuel in the Land of Enchantment is now $2.12. That’s nine cents less than last week and ninety-five cents less than one year ago. Of the major metropolitan areas surveyed in New Mexico, drivers in Las Cruces are paying the most at $2.05 per gallon while drivers in Albuquerque are paying the least at $1.96 per gallon. The average in New Mexico is 15 cents less than the national average of $2.27 per gallon. AAA New Mexico fore-
casted 7.5 million Mountain Region residents (New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming) will travel 50 miles or more away from home from Dec. 23 through Jan. 4. The majority, 6.7 million, are taking trips by automobile and are benefitting even more from this latest drop in retail gas prices. AAA estimates that drivers are saving more than $500 million per day each day compared to the highs in both the spring and summer. The global oil market remains in a state of perceived oversupply due to record production from the United States combined with lower than expected See GAS, Page A3
HIGH 40 LOW 22
TODAY’S FORECAST
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — When the clock strikes midnight today, Susana Martinez will be sworn in for her second term as the governor of New Mexico during a private ceremony in the governor’s mansion. Waiting for the rising star in the Republican Party will be a GOP-led House, something the state hasn’t seen in 60 years. Also ready to greet her is another Democraticcontrolled Senate that likely isn’t going to roll over and approve sweeping Republican-led refor ms without a fight. Still, Martinez enters her second ter m with more political capital after easily winning re-election over Democrat Gary King in a campaign that stressed bipartisanship. She remains the nation’s only Latina governor. Matt Barreto, co-founder of a nonpartisan Latino political research firm and a University of Washington political science professor, said the next few weeks
• MERLE “CISSY” FREYER
See COMMITTEE, Page A3
tees.
Barreto said Martinez can’t blame Democrats this time, especially since she campaigned on working with both parties and because she has been critical of Washington for its political gridlock.
AP Photo
In this Nov. 4 file photo, Gov. Susana Martinez celebrates winning her second term at the Albuquerque Marriott.
will be critical to Martinez’s future as a potential national figure in the Republican Party. That’s because the upcoming 60day session, which begins Jan. 20, will determine if Martinez can successfully navigate the divided Legislature. “Martinez has an opportunity to demonstrate she can work with both chambers to get legislation passed,” Barreto said.
• LORETTA RILEY
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE A3
The Republican-led House is expected to be friendly on the governor’s education refor m plans and her efforts to repeal a state law that allows immigrants in the country illegally to obtain driver’s licenses. However, Martinez still will likely face resistance from a Democratic-controlled Senate that can block legislation and appointments in commit-
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B6 COMICS .................B5 ENTERTAINMENT .....B6 FINANCIAL ..............B4
“If she comes out of the session with nothing, it could hurt her,” Barreto said. “She’s going to need something on her resume that shows she can get things done.”
Martinez will hold a public swearing-in ceremony Thursday at the New Mexico State Capitol. After the ceremony, Martinez will host a “Gover nor’s True Inaugural Ball” at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Danny Diaz, a spokesman for the Martinez campaign, said the inaugural ball is being funded entirely by private donations. A ticket for the dinner and concert costs $100, he said.
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2
HOROSCOPES .........A8 LOTTERIES .............A2
OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ..............A8