06 21 14 Roswell Daily Record

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Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY

Vol. 123, No. 149 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday

June 21, 2014

Pearce confirms Obama admin eyeing FLETC

BY RANDAL SEYLER AND JEFF TUCKER RECORD STAFF WRITERS

Congressman Steve Pearce confirmed Friday the Obama administration is considering using the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Artesia as a temporary housing site for illegal immigrants currently being housed by the U.S. Border Patrol in three states. Sources told the Roswell Daily Record on Thursday hundreds of illegal immigrants from Central America, many of them children, may soon be housed at the Artesia training center. Pearce and his staff were in communication Friday with the U.S. Department

SATURDAY

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of Homeland Security, said Jill McLaughlin, Pearce’s communications director. “There has been a flood of people at the border, and they are holding them at the border in border patrol stations,” said Pearce, RHobbs. “But they aren’t able to get any work done so the government is looking for places to put them.” The Obama administration announced Friday it will open new detention facilities to house immigrant families caught crossing the border illegally, amid a surge of illegal immigrants from Central America. “There hasn’t been any timeline set for this to happen,” Pearce said. “I asked that question this morn-

ing.” Pearce said there have been discussions with the mayor’s office in Artesia about the possibility of housing the immigrants at FLETC. “They have an adjacent area where we could house families; they would not be mixed in with the dorms at FLETC,” Pearce said. Pearce said the plan is for only families to be housed in Artesia, but not unaccompanied children. “We don’t have the day care facilities we need to take care of children there,” Pearce said of FLETC. A state official told the Roswell Daily Record Friday the illegal immigrants would arrive in Artesia in a matter of days, not weeks.

The state official said only adult immigrants slated for deportation would be housed at the federal training center in Artesia. The state official said children and families would not be housed at the facility. Artesia Mayor Phillip Burch on Friday again could not be reached for comment. Dr. Crit Caton, superintendent of the Artesia Public School District, said Friday he had no information about the illegal immigrants coming to Artesia. Caton said the only information he had was from media reports. Roswell Mayor Dennis Kintigh began a special See FLETC, Page A3

Jeff Tucker Photo

Roswell Mayor Dennis Kintigh holds up an issue of the Roswell Daily Record at a special meeting of the city council Friday. Kintigh told the audience he had spoken early Friday with staff of U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce and confirmed the federal government is considering locating illegal immigrants to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Artesia.

Council clamps down on animal rescue groups

BY JEFF TUCKER RECORD STAFF WRITER

Jeff Tucker Photo

Jo McInerney of Roswell’s Animal Welfare Alliance, far left, is led away from the lectern by Roswell police officer Jonathan Daniel at Friday’s special meeting of the Roswell City Council. The council amended the city’s letter of agreement with animal groups, such as the AWA. Three dogs that had been rescued by an AWA-affiliated group attacked and mauled a 9-yearold Roswell boy on June 11.

A woman connected to the recent dog mauling of a Roswell boy was escorted by police out of a special City Council meeting Friday. Jo McIner ney of Roswell’s Animal Welfare Alliance was told her time for public comment had expired, prompting a Roswell police officer to escort her away from the lectern at Friday’s meeting. Friday’s 2-hour meeting was attended by numerous animal advocates, and others more concerned with public safety, providing an atmosphere of tension in the council meeting room. After much discussion and several amendments, the City Council approved

a revised letter of agreement with animal shelters and animal foster homes that tightens the guidelines for animal groups that wish to adopt pets from Roswell Animal Services. The amendments allow city of ficials to inspect, without notice or warrant, any third-party group that houses animals released from the city shelter to another party. Roswell police Det. Jeff Prince, whose 9-year -old son Colby was mauled by dogs June 11, also spoke at the City Council meeting. “Right now, Colby is recovering and hopefully will be recovering,” Prince said. Prince told the newspaSee COUNCIL, Page A3

2 arrested in burglary Crews make good progress in battling fire STAFF REPORT

Two men were arrested in connection with a burglary that occurred on A Street on Thursday, according to a Roswell Police news release. Officers responded to a residence on A Street in regards to a burglary in progress. Two children, aged 8 and 10, heard knocking at the front door, according to police. The knocking became a banging, and the children went to hide. When they heard a window break, one of the children called 911. While an of ficer was investigating at the house,

the suspect escaped out the window. Evidence found at the scene led officers to the neighbor’s house. The neighbor, Clifton Morro, 27, gave police permission to search the residence. Of ficers found a man later identified as James Wilson, 26, hiding in the shower. During the course of the investigation, Wilson attempted to flee from officers while handcuf fed, according to the release, but officers caught up with Wilson and detained him once again. See BURGLARY, Page A3

ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — Firefighters have made significant strides in a wildfire that has consumed more than 21 square miles of forest and grazing land on the Navajo Nation. Fire officials say crews were able to contain 20 percent of the Assayii (UH’-say-eye) Lake Fire by Thursday night thanks to less windy weather. Crews took advantage of light winds to mobilize air drops of water and fire retardant. Officials say the fire was also slowed by reduced vegetation. The blaze has destroyed at least five structures and

In this April 15, 2008, file photo, a male sage grouse performs his “strut” near Rawlins, Wyo.

HIGH 91 LOW 67

TODAY’S FORECAST

Authorities say the human-caused fire has forced some families to evacuate their sheep camps in the Chuska Mountains, just east of the Arizona-New Mexico border.

Firefighters say they plan to keep the fire from bur ning southward by continuing to remove vegetation. AP Photo

Harold Jones with the Navajo Scouts works on a section of the Assayii Lake Fire, Friday, near Crystal, N.M.

Feds to help keep grouse off threatened list RENO, Nev. (AP) — The Obama administration is launching an ef fort to accelerate protection of sage grouse along the California-Nevada line with $31 million in spending through 2024 to help ranchers and others improve habitat in what one top official says may be the best, last chance to keep the bi-state population off the list of threatened species.

AP Photo

50 homes are still threatened.

“This is the last train out of the station,” Jason Weller, chief of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conser-

• WANDA SUE STORIE • CHARLES A. MADSEN • LEONA BACON

vation Service, told The Associated Press. While the multiagency effort targets grouse habitat in Califor nia and Nevada, officials said they hope it will spread in years to come to the overall habitat of the greater sage grouse across 11 western states. “With proactive conservation investments, we’re helping farmers and ranchers who are improving habitat through voluntary efforts to stabilize this population of sage grouse,” Agriculture Secretary Tom

TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE B4

Vilsack said Friday in formally announcing what he said was a “groundbreaking commitment” to provide $25.5 million over the next five to 10 years to help buy conservation easements in areas with key habitats.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management also is committing $6.5 million over 10 years to finance a wide range of improvements for the bi-state population, which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed be granted protection under the Endangered Species Act. CLASSIFIEDS ..........B6 COMICS .................B5 ENTERTAINMENT .....A8 FINANCIAL ..............B3

The service estimates there are only about 5,000 of the birds left. A final decision is expected in April.

“The biologists that work for NRCS and our partners were concerned that absent an accelerated action, staying the course we are on, all signals were it’s likely going to be listed,” Weller said in a telephone interview from Washington. “There are no promises here, but hopefully it will make a difference in the ultimate listing decision.”

INDEX GENERAL ...............A2

HOROSCOPES .........A8 LOTTERIES .............A2

OPINION .................A4

SPORTS .................B1

WEATHER ..............A8


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