Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 123, No. 198 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
August 17, 2014
www.rdrnews.com
SUNDAY
Possible immigration rift for Obama with Democrats
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is facing potential rifts with members of his own party in tough re-election contests as he barrels toward a fall fight with Republicans over his ability to change immigration policies.
If Obama takes the broadest action under consideration — removing the threat of deportation for millions of people in this country illegally — the short-ter m risks appear greatest for Senate Democrats in conservative-leaning
states. Weeks before the November vote, they could find themselves on the hot seat for their views not only on immigration but also on Obama’s use of his presidential powers.
Wary of what could be coming, some of those lawmakers have said Obama should act with caution.
“This is an issue that I should be believe addressed legislatively and not through executive order,” said Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., one of the top targets for Republicans
trying to retake control of the Senate. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., another vulnerable incumbent, said in a statement that he also is “frustrated with the partisanship in Washington. But that doesn’t give the president carte blanche authority to sidestep Congress when he doesn’t get his way.” Such statements have immigration advocates on edge. A coalition of advocacy groups, in a letter to congressional Democrats on
Friday, said immigrant families should not have to wait until after the November elections for relief. The organizations said any attempts by Democrats to delay or dilute administrative changes “will be viewed as a betrayal of Latino and immigrant communities with serious and lasting consequences.”
The letter was released because of advocates’ concerns that leading Senate Democrats may be shifting See RIFT, Page A3
Mud, sun and fun
Roswell turned out once again for the Roswell Mud Sweat and Tears. Runners had to navigate an obstacle course built by the National Guard with help from Roswell Do It Center and Roswell Rental. Proceeds from the event will benefit the local Operation Wounded Warrior NM. Middle: Jennifer Coats Photo
For a second year in a row, Ken McMillion crawls through the mud on the team representing the Wounded Warriors.
Rey Berrones Photo
AP Photo
In this Aug. 9, photo, President Barack Obama speaks on the South Lawn of the White House, about the ongoing situation in Iraq.
Texas Gov. Perry says indictment is abuse of power AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Republican Texas Gov. Rick Perry vowed Saturday to fight a criminal indictment in a defiant response that showed an old slice of swagger that he’s kept holstered lately while seeking to remake his image for a potential 2016 presidential run. Perry called two felony counts of abuse of power issued by an Austin grand jury “outrageous” and made no apologies for his 2013 veto that prompted a criminal investigation against the longest-serving governor in Texas history. Perry made it clear he will finish his ter m that ends in January and said it was the investigation against him — and not his actions — that amounted to an abuse of power. A Travis County grand jury on Friday indicted Perry for carrying out a threat to
veto state funds to the local district attorney, an elected Democrat, who refused to resign following a drunkendriving arrest. “We don’t settle political dif ferences with indictments in this country,” Perry told reporters outside his office in the Texas Capitol. “It is outrageous that someone would use political theatrics to rip away at the very fabric of our state’s constitution.” Perry, the first Texas gover nor since 1917 to be indicted, again dismissed the charges as nakedly political and said he would not hesitate to execute a veto under the same circumstances again. “The details of my decision-making were very clear. I said early on that I was going to clearly veto those dollars as long as
SANTA FE (AP) — U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg says discrimination against women is more subtle than when she began her legal career more than 50 years ago. Ginsburg made the remarks Friday at a kickoff event for a women’s symposium at a downtown Santa Fe hotel, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported. She told an audience of about 350 people that “rooting out unconscious
bias is much harder” than simply changing laws that would prevent women from holding positions such as firefighter or police officer. The 81-year -old justice was the founding director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Women’s Rights Project. She says one way women today can help fight for equality is by voting. Ginsburg talked about several subjects, including her two bouts with cancer and opera.
Ginsburg says gender bias more subtle today
Bottom Right: Rey Berrones Photo
Shawn Naranjo Photo
The Roswell High Cross Country Boosters help children through the Muddy Kid Corral obstacle course, which was added to the Mud Sweat and Tears.
See PERRY, Page A3
Official: Bad data sunk Former cowboy now wrangles students, ninjas Santa Fe teacher ratings
SANTA FE (AP) — A new evaluation system gave Santa Fe public school teachers a lower rating than they deserved, New Mexico’s top education official acknowledged Friday. Education Secretary-Designate Hanna Skandera said initial ratings indicating that fewer than 50 percent of Santa Fe teachers were “effective” were inaccurate because of bad data, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported. Revised scores now show 67 percent of the teachers were rated effective or better. Rankings in several evaluation categories also went up, with 15 percent of teachers getting a “highly ef fective” ranking and 1 percent “exemplary.”
Santa Fe Public Schools Superintendent Joel Boyd previously said the new teacher evaluation results were wrong. Education department spokesman Larry Behrens responded last week, calling Boyd’s position “incorrect.”
Skandera met with Boyd on Friday and acknowledged there were mistakes. The Santa Fe district turned in required data for its evaluations a month after other districts. Also, some teachers received scores of zero in categories that should not have been included in their evaluations. “In any new endeavor, See EVALS, Page A3
HIGH 93 LOW 68
TODAY’S FORECAST
BY SHANNON SEYLER SPECIAL TO THE RECORD
There’s probably only one person in Roswell who has been called upon to wrangle both cattle and ninjas. Capt. Robert Newberry, director of security at Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell, wasn’t always a security specialist. He used to be a cowboy. Newberry says, “I was a cowboy for 30-plus years, except for the eight years that I served in the United States Air Force.” His father had been a cow camp foreman, so young Newberry naturally grew up around cattle and ranching. He recalls, “I
• LARRY JAMES MONTGOMERY • CAROLYN BERTRAND HANKS • JAMES EDGAR MASON
would hear my dad say, ‘Ya know, if we had the music, this would be just like the movies.’”
Life on the ranch wasn’t just about cows. There were many other tasks, including Newberry’s first paid job of putting staves in a fence line for 50 cents an hour. He eventually worked his way up to being a ranch manager, a position he held for 14 years, until the ranch owners decided that a change was in their best interests. Newberry says, “So there I was, in my mid40s, without a job or a way to support my wife.” See NEWBERRY, Page A3
• ESEQUIEL E. CHAVEZ • TIMOTHY (TIM) PAUL WILKINSON
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE A7
Randal Seyler Photo
Capt. Robert Newberry, director of security at Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell, prepares on Thursday for the return of students to the Roswell campus.
CLASSIFIEDS ..........D1
COMICS .................C5
ENTERTAINMENT .....C6
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2
HOROSCOPES .........C6 LOTTERIES .............A2
OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ..............A8