Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Sheriff candidates raise nearly 60K
Vol. 123, No. 116 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
May 14, 2014
WEDNESDAY
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Barncastle leads, Graves distant BY JEFF TUCKER RECORD STAFF WRITER
The four -way Republican primary for Chaves County sheriff is turning into an expensive proposition with three weeks to go before the June 3 primary, according to the candidates’ most recent campaign finance reports. Pat Barncastle leads the pack in fundraising, having raised $21,556 in his bid to succeed Sherif f James “Rob” Coon, according to campaign finance reports that were due Monday with the New Mexico secretary of state’s office. Britt Snyder was second in fundraising through May 5, the last day of the second primary reporting
period. Snyder reported raising a total of $17,160 for the sheriff’s race. Arthur Fleming was a close third, having raised $13,540 in his bid for sheriff. Gary Graves was a distant fourth in fundraising. Graves reported receiving a total of $7,458 of contributions in his campaign for sheriff. In total, the four candidates, all from Roswell, had raised $59,714 through May 5. The candidates are to file their third primary reports by May 29, covering the period between May 6 and 27. Their fourth and final primary reports are due July 3, covering the reporting period from May 28 through June 28.
Barncastle
Following the June 3 primaries, there’s the general election in November. Snyder out-raised Barncastle in the most recent reporting period of April 8 through May 5, closing the gap between the top two fundraisers. Snyder reported raising $6,860 in the timeframe, while Barncastle raised $5,361.
Fleming
However, Bar ncastle out-spent the rest of the field combined from April 8 through May 5, reporting expenditures of $7,540 in the timeframe. Snyder spent $1,579 between April 8 and May 5. Fleming reported expenditures of $2,700 in the most recent reporting period, while Graves reported
Randal Seyler Photo
The Roswell High School Charlie’s Angels Dance Team was recognized Tuesday by the Roswell Independent School District School Board for being the 2014 AAAA State Champions. This was the team’s third state championship in a row. Kim Castro is the dance team’s head coach.
Graves
Snyder
expenditures of $2,312 in the timeframe. Barncastle’s total expenditures, dating back to Oct. 8, 2013, totaled $16,288. Yard signs and stakes, postcards, printing, letters, and mailing costs accounted for the bulk of Barncastle’s most recent expenditures. Barncastle reported an
expenditure of $2,146 on April 28 to Southwest Printers of Roswell for printing and mailing letters. Barncastle reported another recent large outlay of $2,072 to Copy Rite of Roswell on May 1 for color postcards.
BY RANDAL SEYLER RECORD STAFF WRITER
same as the final unit value, which was good — in 2008-09 and 2009-10 the final unit value was less than the initial unit value, which meant the district received less funding than expected at the end of the year. The net result is a projected increase in State Equalization Guarantee of 4.94 percent over the 2013-14 budget. The State Equalization Guarantee funds are 95 percent of the district’s operating budget, Cole said. Cole also noted that Senate Bill 313, which the Legislature approved this year, increases the base teacher
See CANDIDATES, Page A3
School board approves $75.5 million budget The Roswell Independent School District School Board members approved a $75.5 million budget for fiscal year 2014-15 on Tuesday. “The best news is that we saw an increase in the unit value in 2013-14,” said Chad Cole, assistant superintendent for maintenance and operations. The unit value is one of the figures that the state uses to determine the amount of funding a district will receive. The unit value was $3,817.55 in 2013-14, as compared to $3,673.54 in 2012-13. In the current year, the initial unit value was the
See BUDGET, Page A3
Kitty litter explored in Cooler weather helps crews fight blaze WIPP radiation leak
CARLSBAD (AP) — A mysterious radiation release that has indefinitely shuttered the federal government’s only permanent nuclear waste dump may have been caused by a change in the type of kitty litter that is mixed with the toxic waste. That’s one of the theories that officials are exploring as they investigate the Feb. 14 leak at the Waste Isolation Pilot Project in southeastern New Mexico that contaminated 21 workers with low levels of radiation, the Carlsbad CurrentArgus reported Tuesday. Jim Conca, a scientist who worked at the facility from 2000 to 2010, told the newspaper he believes a change from non-organic to organic litter caused a chemical reaction inside a waste drum, releasing the radioactive isotopes. New Mexico Environment
Department Secretary Ryan Flynn confir med to the paper on Monday that he has heard Department of Energy officials discuss the possibility that kitty litter may have been to blame for the radiation leak. Flynn said it is one of many theories and nothing is certain at this time. In a statement Tuesday, the DOE said only that it is investigating “all possible scenarios.”
The dump 26 miles east of Carlsbad cannot take in liquid waste, so kitty litter is used to absorb any liquid before drums of waste are sealed and shipped to the facility, Conca said. The dump is the federal government’s only per manent repository for waste from decades of building nuclear bombs from Los Alamos National Laboratories and other federal facilities.
HIGH 70 LOW 48
TODAY’S FORECAST
SILVER CITY (AP) — Hundreds of firefighters took advantage of cooler weather Tuesday as they tried to corral a wildfire bur ning in the mountains of southwestern New Mexico. Crews were trying to build a line around the northern flank of the Signal Fire and shoring up that line to defend against any squirrely winds that might develop as a cold front makes its way through New Mexico. The blaze has charred an estimated more than 7 square miles since being sparked Sunday. There was no containment as of Tuesday, and fire information officer Punky Moore said that might not change despite the work along the northern flank. “They want to make pretty certain fire won’t get outside that line,” she said. The crews on the ground were getting help from more than a dozen air tankers and helicopters. The water and retardant being dropped by the aircraft helped to slow down the flames and reduce some of the heat, allowing crews to get closer, Moore said. The Silver City Daily Press reports that Silver City District Ranger Russ
• DORA LORRAINE “SISSY” CAMPBELL
AP Photo
In this Sunday photo, heavy smoke is seen from the Signal Fire in the Gila National Forest, just north of Silver City.
Ward told those gathered at a community meeting Monday night that the blaze was spotted by personnel manning the Signal Peak Lookout. It was originally one acre in size, then “in a heartbeat,” Ward said, it raced toward Signal Peak. In a few hours it
• CHRISTOPHER BRANDON BYRD
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE A8
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B7 COMICS .................B6 ENTERTAINMENT ...A10 FINANCIAL ..............B4
had charred 2,700 acres.
Gila National Forest Fire and Aviation Staff Officer Gabe Holguin said initial attention was given to the ridge along the southern boundary of the fire to protect Pinos Altos. INDEX GENERAL ...............A2 HOROSCOPES .......A10 LOTTERIES .............A2 OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ............A10
WORLD ..................A7