Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 123, No. 16 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
January 18, 2014
www.rdrnews.com
SATURDAY
DA appoints special prosecutor in Campbell case JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
District Attorney Janetta Hicks has appointed Matt Chandler, district attorney for Clovis, as special prosecutor for the Mason Campbell case. Campbell, 12, is charged with three counts of aggravated assault for Tuesday’s shooting at Berrendo Middle School, where two students and a security guard were
injured. Kendal Sanders, 13, was struck in the shoulder and underwent surgery in Lubbock, Texas. Her condition is improving. The other victim, a 12-year-old boy, was hit in the neck and the face. He remains in critical condition. Security guard Kevin Hayes received minor injuries. The incident received national attention. In a press release, Hicks said: “Today, I have made the dif ficult decision to
ly depicts how devastated my nephew was to find out one of his friends had done this. ... Moreover, I heard my niece’s 911 call on one of the national cable television shows and her fear was evident.” Hicks and her family have known the Campbells for generations. Mason’s grandmother attends Hicks’ church. She also knows the principal, Susie Martinez, and knows members of the Sanders family. Kendal’s
conflict the school shooting that occurred at Berrendo Middle School.” She cited several reasons. “Roswell is a small community. I was born and raised here, and almost all my family continue to live in Roswell. On the day of the shooting, three of my nieces and two nephews were in the gym. On the front page of our local newspaper was a picture of my father and one of my nephews. The picture clear-
AP Photo
President Barack Obama signs the $1.1 trillion spending bill that funds the federal government through the end of September, in Washington, Friday, at Jackson Place, a conference center near the White House.
Obama signs $1.1 trillion gov’t spending bill
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Friday signed a $1.1 trillion spending bill that funds the federal government through the end of September.
Obama put his signature on the 1,582-page measure the day before federal funding was set to run out. He made the short walk from the White House to sign it at a nearby conference cen-
ter, saying he wanted the ceremony held there because the bill is the product of the hard work of the many budget office employees who work there. “We would not be here
and we would not be able to sign this legislation if it hadn’t been for your work and your dedication,” the president said. “And so this is my way of saying thank you.”
grandfather is a retired police officer with whom Hicks has worked in the past. In addition, a daughter of an employee of the 5th Judicial District Attorney’s Office helped Kendal after the shooting. Hicks feels she has too many connections to the case and her prosecution of it might be conceived as a conflict of interest. “A prosecutor has a responsibility as a minister
of justice and not simply as an advocate. These connections would render any handling of this matter by me subject to questions or criticism to the detriment of all parties involved. My prosecution of the case would become an unwarranted distraction, which would not serve the victims, their families, the child, or the people of Chaves County and the 5th Judicial District.”
JILL MCLAUGHLIN RECORD STAFF WRITER
Department. “He never disclosed that,” Dunn said. “At a minimum, a judge should disclose that kind of conflict. But he really never should have taken the case at all.” Wilson filed an order at 1:15 p.m. Friday to consider removing himself and withdraw previous orders against the plant, but issued a ruling on King’s motion to issue a preliminary injunction against Valley Meat at 5 p.m. Dunn plans to petition the state Supreme Court on Tuesday to file a writ of superintending control. “The judge acted capriciously and this is out of control,” Dunn said. “It’s their job to get him off the case.” King applauded the judge’s decision. “The judge’s decision allows our lawsuit to continue while preventing the immediate killing of horses for human consumption,” King said in a statement. “I still strongly believe that Valley Meat’s proposal for
Judge rules in favor of attorney general in Valley Meat case A Santa Fe judge ruled in favor of Attorney General Gary King’s request Friday to prevent Valley Meat Company from opening, disregarding a request by the plant to have him removed from the case. Valley Meat’s attor ney filed an emergency motion earlier that day for Judge Matthew Wilson to remove himself from the case after finding that the Democratic candidate had several Facebook postings from supporters who applauded his decisions to temporarily stop Valley Meat’s operations. “It’s absolutely improper for him to have done this from start to finish,” Valley Meat’s attor ney A. Blair Dunn said. One comment on the social networking site commended him for his work with the attorney general’s office, Dunn said. Wilson also served as a special assistant attorney general from 2002 to 2010 for the state Human Services
Art contest welcomes Fed review finds civil rights issues in NM entries from local youth Salvation Army-Roswell and the Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art are co-sponsoring a youth art contest aimed at helping students in Roswell heal after the Tuesday shooting at Berrendo Middle School. Elementary, middle and high school students, ages 7 and up, are encouraged to enter pieces into the Healing Art Contest. The contest asks for two pieces of art sized 8.5 by 11 inches or larger. The first piece should depict hurt; the second, hope. Salvation Army will grant scholarships to the Salvation Army Summer Camp in Arizona to the 20 win-
ning entries. Students must be at least 7 years old to attend the camp, hence the age minimum. Younger children may also enter but will not be eligible for the prize.
A copy of the entry form is printed on page A3. Entries are due by Feb. 14 to the Salvation Army, 612 West College Blvd., or the Anderson Museum, 409 East College Blvd. Entry forms can also be picked up at either location.
“The beauty of this project is its simplicity,” said Salvation Army Capt. Beau See CONTEST, Page A3
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — A coalition of norther n New Mexico Hispanic and Native American ranchers is asking U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to address civil rights violations they say have compromised their traditions and livelihoods.
The Northern New Mexico Stockman’s Association has sent a letter to Vilsack and a White House senior policy adviser in response to a federal review that shows the U.S. Forest Service in New Mexico and Colorado was not complying with several civil rights requirements, including policies aimed at helping people who speak limited English.
The review also found the agency was inconsistent in implementing policies and procedures, namely when it came to the termination or suspension of grazing permits. “The issue of access to grazing permits is of vital importance to the minority Hispanic and Native American ranchers in Colorado and New Mexico and has long been a source of conflict with the (Forest Service) over complaints of discriminatory practices,” the ranchers told Vilsack in their letter dated Jan. 6. The Forest Service did not directly address the lack of civil rights compliance or the ranchers’ claims of discrimination.
Brown proclaims California in a drought LOS ANGELES (AP) — California is nearly as dry as it’s ever been. High water marks rim half-full reservoirs. Cities are rationing water. Clerics are praying for rain. Ranchers are selling cattle, and far mers are fallowing fields.
Gov. Jerry Brown formally proclaimed a drought Friday, saying California is in the midst of perhaps its worst dry spell in a century. He
made the announcement in San Francisco amid increasing pressure from lawmakers and as firefighters battled flare-ups in a Southern California wildfire that chased thousands of people from their homes. Unless the state gets significant rainfall in the next two months, television sets glowing with wildfires could play like reruns throughout the year.
HIGH 63 LOW 25
TODAY’S FORECAST
Reservoir levels in the north and central parts of the state wer e mor e depleted than in Southern California, but Brown still asked Los Angeles to do its part to conserve — and gave a nod to the politics of water in the vast state.
“The drought accentuates and further displays the conflicts between north and south and between urban and rural parts of the state. So, as
The USDA’s Of fice of Compliance, Policy, Training and Cultural Transformation conducted a review last spring, interviewing about 100 agency managers and employees and more than 135 per mit holders.
The report states civil rights training has fallen by the wayside for many employees and the training that does take place is largely ineffective. Also, the agency’s anti-discrimination statement was consistently omitted from key documents, including grazing per mit applications, and there was no evidence that brochures or websites were offered in any other language than
See VALLEY MEAT, Page A3
English. Forest Service representatives are supposed to meet with ranchers to discuss annual operating plans. However, the report found that employees prepared the instructions and told the ranchers to “take it or leave it” with little or no discussion. According to the report, ranchers told the reviewers that Forest Service staff uses “Gestapo” intimidation tactics, such as constant threats, suspension of permits, retaliation and discrimination. Agency officials in Washington, D.C., said the compliance reviews are done See RIGHTS, Page A3
governor, I’ll be doing my part to bring people together and working through this.”
Farmers and ranchers in the nation’s No. 1 farm state already are making hard choices to conserve. Some cities are in danger of running out of water. And the first snow survey of the winter found more bare ground than fluffy white stuf f — a key barometer of future supply.
THERE ARE NO OBITUARIES FOR TODAY. TODAY’S OBITUARIES
AP Photo
Webb Petty, left, and Rob Snyder survey the water level of Black Butte Lake, which is visually below average, as seen from the Observation Point Recreation Area, after Gov. Jerry Brown formally proclaimed California in drought emergency, Friday.
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B6 COMICS .................B5 ENTERTAINMENT .....A8 FINANCIAL ..............B3
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2
HOROSCOPES .........A8 LOTTERIES .............A2
OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ..............A8