Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 123, No. 155 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
June 28, 2014
SATURDAY
No minor party, write-in candidates file for offices BY JEFF TUCKER RECORD STAFF WRITER
It’s official. Britt Snyder may now be called Chaves County sheriff-elect. No candidates filed Thursday as write-in or minor party/independent candidates to challenge Snyder in November’s general election, said Chaves County Clerk Dave Kunko. Thursday was the singular day for write-in candidates and third-party candidates to get on the
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November ballots, Kunko said. “Nobody came in,” Kunko said. Thursday’s inactivity follows a concession by GOP sheriff candidate Patrick Barncastle, who told the newspaper Tuesday he would not request a recount. Snyder, chief deputy of the sheriff’s office, defeated Barncastle, chief investigator for 5th Judicial District Attorney Janetta Hicks, by 12 votes in the Republican primary for Chaves County
sheriff. Sheriff Rob Coon could not run for re-election due to term limits. No Democrat ran for sheriff, or for several other Chaves County and state legislative offices. Will Cavin, a Republican candidate for county commissioner, is probably the biggest beneficiary of Thursday’s inactivity. Cavin was unchallenged in the June 3 GOP primary when he received 640 votes. Cavin will be unchallenged again in November
in his cakewalk to the commission. For paying the $50 primary filing fee on March 11, Cavin wins the District 5 commissioner’s seat and will earn an annual salary of $26,257 for four years. Cavin will succeed Commissioner Greg Nibert, who could not run for a third consecutive ter m due to term limits. Cavin is a retired Roswell Independent School District teacher and former golf and baseball coach. He was chair man of the
Republican Party of Chaves County from 2006 through 2008. “I’m excited,” Cavin said Friday. “I’m ready to get busy, ready to work hard, dream big and make a difference for the citizens of Chaves County.” Cavin said he has been attending commission meetings and said he plans to attend the commission’s next meeting in July. Cavin said his goals include public safety and health issues. “I think a couple of the
Reception held for ENMU-R retirees
BY JERRY HECK RECORD STAFF WRITER
Jerry Heck Photo
Retiring renewal energy technology instructor Buddy Brown slices up cake at the reception held by Eastern New Mexico University - Roswell to honor 13 retiring employees.
biggest goals are health and safety in Chaves County,” Cavin said. “As far as the health, I think we have issues we need to work on as far as getting new doctors in Chaves County. Between drugs and burglaries and other things that are going on here, and the gang activity, we need to put a stop to it.” This was Gavin’s second election attempt. He ran unsuccessfully for Division 2 magistrate judge four
Eastern New Mexico University - Roswell held a reception on Friday honoring 13 retiring employees. President Dr. John Madden said, “It’s a wonderful day and a sad day. We’re like family at Eastern New Mexico University - Roswell and all will be missed.” Buddy Brown will continue teaching as an adjunct instructor of renewable energy. The Johnsons, Sue and John, plan to travel. They just returned from Utah and are planning to see their son, an actor, in New York City. Sue is also looking forward to having more time for crafts, especially fusion glassmaking. While giving John a big hug, she said, “I married him for his money so I am going to stick with him until he makes it.” The
See CANDIDATES, Page A3
Johnsons both taught in the nursing program. Job skills instructor Louie Longoria is not sure what will occupy his time the most. “They made me the offer package,” he said with a smile. Mary Salyards of adult basic education, too, is pleased to have more time to pursue crafts as well as relaxing. Also retiring is locksmith foreman Adalberto Arenivas, EMT Director Mike Buldra, director of computer services Tillman Crock, carpenter Guadalupe Gonzales, custodian Rudy Ortega, custodial services manager Esley Robinson, payroll supervisor Nancy Vale and physical plant director Darryl Ward. The honorees have devoted a combined service of 179 years to the university and the community.
Sierra VFD to get new VA review finds ‘significant, chronic’ failures truck for new station BY JEFF TUCKER RECORD STAFF WRITER
The Chaves County commissioners have approved taking out a loan from a state agency to purchase a new fire truck for a new fire station under construction for the Sierra Volunteer Fire Department. The commissioners on June 19 approved the $267,003 loan from the New Mexico Finance Authority. The county and the NMFA approved an intercept agreement whereby the NMFA will intercept future state fire protection revenues to pay back the $265,000 loan principal and interest. The loan will be repaid beginning with a payment in July 2015 and ending in July 2024.
The revenues will be redirected by the state treasurer to the NMFA, pursuant to the intercept agreement. Charlotte Andrade, Chaves County community development director and DWI coordinator, said the county earlier this year received a $100,000 grant from the New Mexico State Fire Marshal’s Fire Protection Grant Fund. The grant proceeds must be used for vehicle and equipment acquisition. “Those funds will be leveraged with loan proceeds to make the (fire truck) purchase, for a total purchase price of $365,000,” Andrade said. The $365,000 Class A pumper is being purchased from Deep South Fire Trucks of Seminary, Miss. See TRUCK, Page A3
AP Photo
Jamie Estrada, 41, of Los Lunas, leaves Federal Court in Albuquerque, Monday, June 16, after pleading guilty to the unlawful interception of electronic communications and false statements charges arising out of the unlawful interception of emails intended for others, including Gov. Susana Martinez and members of her staff.
HIGH 101 LOW 69 TODAY’S FORECAST
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a scathing appraisal, a review ordered by President Barack Obama of the troubled Veterans Affairs health care system concludes that medical care for veterans is beset by “significant and chronic system failures,” substantially verifying problems raised by whistleblowers and internal and congressional investigators. A summary of the review by deputy White House chief of staff Rob Nabors says the Veterans Health Administration must be restructured and that a “corrosive culture” has hurt morale and affected the timeliness of health care. The review also found that a 14-day standard for scheduling veterans’ medical appointments is unrealistic and that some employees manipulated the wait times so they would appear to be shorter. The review is the latest blistering assessment of the VA in the wake of reports of patients dying while waiting for appointments and of treatment delays in VA facilities nationwide. The White House released a summary of the review following President Barack Obama’s meeting
AP Photo
In this May 21 file photo, President Barack Obama speaks in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, about veterans health care.
Friday with Nabors and Acting VA Secretary Sloan Gibson. The review offers a series of recommendations, including a need for more doctors, nurses and trained administrative staff. Those recommendations are likely to face skepticism among some congressional Republicans who have blamed the
VA’s problems on mismanagement, not lack of resources.
The White House released the summary after Obama retur ned from a two-day trip to Minneapolis and promptly ducked into an Oval
Lawsuit filed over hijacked governor’s email SANTA FE (AP) — Political opponents of Gov. Susana Martinez, including the chairman of the state Democratic Party, were sued Friday for allegedly violating federal privacy protections by their involvement in intercepting and disclosing email from the gover nor’s hijacked email account.
The lawsuit in federal district court seeks civil damages and was filed by four people whose email was disclosed, including a former Martinez aide who
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had an email bank record intercepted and released. Among those sued were Albuquerque lawyer Sam Bregman, who became Democratic chairman last year, and the governor’s excampaign manager Jamie Estrada, who pleaded guilty last week to hijacking Martinez’s campaign email system in 2011 and intercepting electronic communications. Estrada, in his guilty plea, said he provided intercepted emails to the governor’s political oppo-
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE B4
See VA, Page A3
nents knowing that they would disseminate them to others. The lawsuit alleges that emails were intercepted and disclosed by the defendants “for their own illegal and improper reasons, whether to score political points, to attempt to embarrass individuals and/or simply to invade their privacy.” Bregman said he hadn’t seen the lawsuit, but “it apparently is the Republican attempt to use the judicial system to further
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B6 COMICS .................B5 ENTERTAINMENT .....A8 FINANCIAL ..............B3
their political circus.”
“I am confident that any allegations made against me will be dismissed summarily,” Bregman said.
Also sued were Democratic political consultant Jason Loera, former Martinez campaign aide Anissa Ford and Michael Corwin, executive director of a liberal political action committee that was sharply critical of the gover nor and released a number of emails to the media.
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2
HOROSCOPES .........A8 LOTTERIES .............A2
OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ..............A8