08-20-11 PAPER

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Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY

Vol. 120, No. 200 50¢ Daily / $1 Sunday

INSIDE NEWS

ARTIFACT DEALERS REGAIN TRUST

SANTA FE (AP) — It’s been two years since swarms of federal agents burst into nearly two dozen homes scattered throughout the archeologically rich Southwest, looking to take down what they believed was a criminal element robbing Native American grave sites and illicitly selling ... - PAGE B3

AUGUST 20, 2011

20 killed despite Assad’s pledge to UN BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian security forces killed at least 20 protesters Friday despite promises by President Bashar Assad that the military operations against the 5-month-old uprising are over. The killings, which came as thousands poured into the streets across Syria, suggest the autocratic leader is either unwilling to stop the violence — or not fully in control of his own regime. Assad, who inherited power from his father in 2000, is facing the most

SATURDAY

www.rdrnews.com

serious international isolation of his rule. On Thursday, the United States and its European allies demanded he step down. Military operations have subsided in the past few days, following a fresh crackdown on major flashpoint cities that started at the beginning of the month to root out anti-government protesters. But persistent gunfire and shootings, along with Friday’s killings, underscore the difficulty of any kind of diplomatic pressure achieving results in the

absence of any appetite for military intervention. Human rights groups said Assad’s forces have killed nearly 2,000 people since the uprising erupted in mid-March. A high-level U.N. team recommended Thursday that the violence in Syria be referred to the Inter national Criminal Court over possible crimes against humanity. The International Committee of the Red Cross also said it is optimistic Syrian authorities will See SYRIA, Page A7

AP Photo

Currier denies mistrial motion

Supporters of Syrian President Bashar Assad shout slogans and wave their national flag, in Damascus, Syria, on Friday.

TOP 5 WEB

For The Past 24 Hours

• Pecos League Champions! • Roswell FM filming in progress • Vega trial Day 3 • Parent calls RHS north parking lot ‘dangerous’ • RPD chief names his new deputy

JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER

INSIDE SPORTS Courtesy Photo

Roswell High students do a teambuilding activity at the school during Ignition Day, Aug. 15. Clockwise, beginning with the girl at the top in the blue shirt: Gabby Fisher, Camry Forrest, Ismael Franco, Amairani Jimenez, Daisey Ceja, Julissa Rivera, Victoria Holley, Jabari Faust-Reese, mentor Katelyn Jordan, Isiah Baldonado, Aaron Dominguez, and Alyssa Sharp.

RHS initiates Freshmen Academy VANESSA KAHIN RECORD STAFF WRITER

EAGLES BEST COYOTES AT BULLDOG INVITE

ARTESIA — As far as season openers go, the Roswell girls soccer team probably had a better one in mind. Hobbs scored a goal less than three minutes into the game and didn’t let up as the Coyotes dropped their first game of the season, 6-0 at the Lady Bulldog Invitational on Friday. Roswell got the first possession of the game but they quickly turned the ball over and before most of the fans were even seated ... - PAGE B1

TODAY’S OBITUARIES

• Francisca Rivera • Maria de Jesus Miranda • Quinton B. Willingham - PAGE B3

HIGH ...99˚ LOW ....72˚

TODAY’S FORECAST

Three new R’s of education implemented at Roswell High School are

part of a new initiative to help incoming freshmen adapt to their new school environment. All Roswell High freshmen — more than 400 students— are now part of

the Freshmen Academy, an umbrella ter m for a series of new initiatives. The Freshmen Academy proposes three new R’s: rigor, relevance and building relationships.

“We’re just overwhelmed with all of this. We’re trying to take it all in,” his wife, Martha, told The Associated Press on Wednesday. She has been sharing his story, relaying from Spanish to English details of that eventful afternoon that turned the mechanic and father of two into a hero. Diaz Chacon had no idea his quick reaction would result in such an outpouring of appreciation and an online flood of high-fives for his heroic actions. Diaz Chacon was not even supposed to be home Monday afternoon. He left work early to spend time

with his family. Nor was he supposed to be at his mother -in-law’s home about a block away, where the couple had gone to do laundry after their washing machine had broken. He was in the right place at the right time to see what could have been a family tragedy. “He just says, ‘You know what, it was something I had to do,”’ Martha Diaz said of her husband’s gut reaction. “We didn’t expect this outcome.” The phone was constant-

Brian Byrd, assistant principal of Roswell High, said the Freshmen Academy initiative is aimed to make the school curricu-

Defense attorney Jesse Cosby filed for mistrial, Friday, in the State’s case against David Vega. Vega is accused of the murder of Christopher Vega, 25, and his girlfriend, Michelle Montgomery, 31. Cosby told the court that the District Attorney’s office had not made full disclosure. Certain medical records were missing, specifically the radiology reports. Assistant District Attorney Michael Murphy pointed out that the documentation had been available on computer in the DA’s new paperless system since Aug. 27, 2010. Cosby argued that he had not enrolled in the system until October of 2010. Therefore, he was unaware they existed. He presented a copy of the radiology report to Judge Charles C. Currier.

Offers pour in for man who thwarted abduction

ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — A man whose gutsy and quick action saved a family from its worst nightmare is winning praise and offers of help from people across the country. Antonio Diaz Chacon, 24, used his truck to chase a man after he allegedly snatched a 6-year-old girl and fled with her in his van, rescuing the child when the vehicle crashed. Now, police and reporters have received calls from people requesting an address to send gift cards, money and even donations for a college savings fund for his two children.

See RHS, Page A7

See VEGA, Page A7

AP Photo

Antonio Diaz Chacon poses with his wife Martha and their daughter, Brisseida, after he was recognized for his heroism during a ceremony in Albuquerque, Friday.

Asa Gibbs keeps busy with more than beauty pageants See HERO, Page A7

VANESSA KAHIN RECORD STAFF WRITER

CLASSIFIEDS..........B6 COMICS.................B4 ENTERTAINMENT...B10 FINANCIAL .............B5 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ......A10 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 STATE ...................B3 WEATHER ............A10

INDEX

Asa Gibbs, student, ukulele player

Courtesy Photo

Asa Gibbs, who recently won the Teen Beauty title at the Cinderella Scholarship Pageant, has a resume that proves she is much more than what meets the eye. The bashful 15-year-old has lived around the country and the world. She speaks several languages and plays a variety of instruments, including the ukulele. During her first participation in a pageant ever, Gibbs impressed the judges enough with her poise and stage presence she was awarded the Teen

Beauty title for New Mexico. Gibbs’ family — including mother, father and 3year -old sister, Samira, have lived in Roswell eight months. A military family, they have lived in Japan, Italy, and Hawaii, anywhere the Navy sent them. “Asa hasn’t spent more than three years in any given location,” said Gibbs’ mother, Sergio Coker-Bello. When Coker -Bello retired

from the military, she found an opportunity to settle in Roswell — a dramatic change for a family that is used to living by the ocean. When mother and daughter learned about the pageant in a newspaper ad, they figured it would be a good way to meet people and “be a part of the community, instead of just visSee SPOTLIGHT, Page A7


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