Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 122, No. 265 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
November 5, 2013
Botanists from Russia, Belarus visit Bitter Lake www.rdrnews.com
TUESDAY
TESS TOWNSEND RECORD STAFF WRITER
How do you describe the sound a crane makes? If you ask Alesia Kruchonok of Minsk, Belarus, the bird goes “kurly-kurly.” Be sure to trill the “r.” Kruchonok was one of a group of four botanists from Russia and Belarus who visited Bitter Lake Wildlife Refuge Sunday to watch through telescopes and binoculars as Lesser Sandhill Cranes flew into one of three roosting areas at the refuge. The botanists came as part of an exchange between biologists from the U.S., Russia and other Slavic countries. The exchange was created in the 1970s as part of the Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Protection of the Environment and Natural Resources. The exchange was established because the U.S. and Russia share many species of plants and animals due to the Bering Land
Mark Wilson Photo
Maria Tomoshevich and Banaev Evgeny of the Central Siberian Botanical Garden observe Sandhill Cranes returning to Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Sunday evening.
Bridge that connected the countries in the ice ages. Three Americans are accompanying the group on its two weeks of travel throughout the Southwest. The botanists are in search of plant specimens—mostly trees,
Sunday night fire has no leads
shrubs and other woody things — to take back to botanical gardens in their countries for study. Refuge Manager Floyd Truetken and five refuge volunteers greeted the group with hot chocolate and snacks Sunday as
Mark Wilson Photo
Sandhill Cranes return to Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge at dusk, Saturday evening. thousands of cranes flocked to Roost Unit 7 at sunset. Floyd said what makes the crane family special is how it survived the ice ages and other cataclysmic incidents in the history of the planet.
Mark Wilson Photo
Firefighters were dispatched to 207 Offutt Street around 5:30 p.m. Sunday to respond to a residential structure fire. The address was located near the corner of South Main Street, to the north across the street from an Allsup’s Convenience Store with gas station. Roswell Fire Department Lieutenant Matt Stewart said the building was abandoned and no one was found inside. He said the fire was contained by 6:15 p.m. According to Stewart, the fire was not remarkable compared to other fires encountered by the department. “This is something we encounter frequently,” he said. Eighteen firefighters from the East Grand Plains, Midway, Sierra and Roswell fire departments responded to the fire. Eight fire trucks were dispatched. EMTs were on scene, but no injuries were reported. RFD Fire Chief Chad Hamill said at 2:30 p.m. Monday that the cause of the fire was still under investigation. He said no further information would be available Monday.
“They’re one of the oldest bird species,” he said. While two of the international visitors had been to the U.S.
Providers to pay NM for overbilling
See CRANES, Page A3
SANTA FE (AP) — Two of more than a dozen behavioral health providers in New Mexico under investigation for possible fraud have agreed to repay the state $4.2 million for improperly billing for services, Gov. Susana Martinez’s administration announced Monday. The state will recover $4 million from Presbyterian Medical Services and $240,000 from Youth Development Inc., according to the Human Services Department The settlements clear the way for the state to restore Medicaid payments to the nonprofit organizations for mental health and substance abuse services they provide to needy New Mexicans. However, the department said there will be greater billing and management oversight of both providers. The companies were among 15 nonprofit organizations that were suspended in late June from receiving Medicaid reimbursements because of allegations of fraud, mismanagement and billing problems. The department previously lifted the payment freeze on one provider. The attorney general’s office continues to investigate the allegations, which were raised by an auditor hired by the department, whistle-blowers and the agency’s third-party administrator of behavioral health services. The settlements by the two companies do not end the attorney general’s investigation of them, according to a department spokesman. “This is a positive outcome that allows us to recoup a significant portion of the Medicaid funding that has been identified as overpayments,” Human Services Secretary Sidonie Squier said in a statement. The agency said the settlements recovered 89 percent of alleged overpayments to Presbyterian Medical Services and 81 percent with YDI. Presbyterian Medical Services serves about 3,400 New Mexicans through Medicaid, and is not affiliated with Presbyterian Healthcare Services or Presbyterian Health Plan. YDI provides behavioral health services to nearly 260 New Mexicans through Medicaid. “In the interest of resolving all differences between YDI and HSD amicably, and in order to avoid the time, trou-
Egypt’s Morsi defiant as his trial begins Friday shooting in macy of the court and proclaimed himself still Egypt’s leader. His fellow Muslim Brotherhood members chanted, “Down with military rule!” Morsi’s long-awaited trial got off to a chaotic start Monday, with outbursts and interruptions, and it was quickly adjourned until Jan. 8. The dramatic first public appearance for Morsi since the AP Photo July 3 military coup Supporters of Egypt's ousted President Mohammed Morsi raise that removed him their hands with four raised fingers, which has become a symbol from power was of the Rabaah al-Adawiya mosque, where Morsi supporters held a meant to be a step sit-in for weeks in August that was violently dispersed later, during toward due process. Instead, it highlighta protest in Cairo, Egypt, Friday. ed the challenges facing Egypt’s interCAIRO (AP) — Ousted caged dock in a dark busiPresident Mohammed Morsi ness suit as his co-defen- im authorities as they refused to wear a prison dants applauded. He defi- attempt to close a chapter jumpsuit, entering the antly questioned the legiti- of his presidency, while his
HIGH 74 LOW 39
TODAY’S FORECAST
Islamist supporters seek to disrupt the effort. Morsi and 14 co-defendants — seven of whom are still at large — are charged with inciting the killing of protesters who massed outside the presidential palace in December 2012 and demanded that he call off a referendum on a new Islamist-drafted constitution. Brotherhood members attacked a sit-in by the protesters, sparking clashes that left 10 people dead. Before Monday’s session began, silent video broadcast on state TV showed Morsi arriving in a minibus outside the makeshift courtroom at a police academy in eastern Cairo. He wore the dark suit, light shirt and no tie, flanked by burly policemen. A smiling Morsi later walked into the cage in the
See EGYPT, Page A3
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE A6 • BETTY HELEN LLOYD • TRAVIS JAY HELMSTETLER • MIKE N. HERNANDEZ • PATRICIO BARELA SR. • JIMMY AGUILAR • LUPE FUENTES • KEVIN AUGUST BARRON
See OVERBILLING, Page A3
Roswell leads to arrest JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
The Roswell Police Department arrested James Pena, 32, on charges of aggravated battery with a firearm and tampering with evidence, Monday. According to the criminal complaint filed in Magistrate Court by the RPD, the police responded to I Street around 11:30 p.m. Friday, after reports of a fight. The victim was taken to Eastern New Mexico Medical Center. He had been shot in the chin. The records said officers located Pena hiding in the backyard of a residence. He admitted to officers that he had shot the victim. He apologized and stated that he did not mean to shoot the victim. The court document reported the victim was visiting friends. The victim said the suspect started talking s*** to them. The suspect and victim got into a physical fight in the street. One person in the neighborhood described hearing a popping nose, but had not seen the physical fight, only “arms flailing.” Observers had tried to break up the fight and then “… the guy shot (the victim).” The affidavit reports that Pena had injuries where he had been struck during the fight. He told the investigating officer the victim just hit him. Pena pulled the gun from his pocket. It fell to the ground. He was afraid that the See SHOOTING, Page A3 CLASSIFIEDS ..........B6 COMICS .................B5 ENTERTAINMENT .....A8 FINANCIAL ..............B4
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2 HOROSCOPES .........A8 LOTTERIES .............A2 NATION ..................A6
OPINION .................A4 SPORTS .................B1 WEATHER ..............A8