12-08-11 RDR NEWS

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Roswell Daily Record

Blagojevich gets 14 years

Vol. 120, No. 295 50¢ Daily / $1 Sunday

INSIDE NEWS

HARRY MORGAN DIES AT 96

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Emmy-winning character actor Harry Morgan, whose portrayal Col. Potter on television’s “M*A*S*H” highlighted a long show-business career, has died. He was 96. His daughter-in-law, Beth Morgan, says the actor died at his home in ... - PAGE A8

THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY

December 8, 2011

THURSDAY

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AP Photo

Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his wife Patti, after he was sentenced in Chicago, Wednesday.

CHICAGO (AP) — The Rod Blagojevich who once challenged a prosecutor to face him like a man, the glad-handing politician who took to celebrity TV shows to profess his innocence, was nowhere to be found Wednesday as he was sentenced to 14 years in prison for corruption. Frowning and pulling nervously at his tie, the disgraced former governor seemed like another person as he stepped up to address the sentencing judge. Bluster once as con-

spicuous as his famously lavish head of dark hair was wiped out, a victim of his June convictions on charges that included attempting to sell President Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat. In a low voice, the twoterm Democrat apologized again and again, telling Judge James Zagel he had made “terrible mistakes.” “I caused it all. I’m not blaming anybody,” Blagojevich said, trying with uncharacteristic humility to avert severe punishment.

‘We’ll go to the mall later, when it’s warmer’

TOP 5 WEB

For The Past 24 Hours

• Roswell man dies in weather-related crash • Winter weather causes injuries and fatalities • Winter has arrived, snowfall estimated ... • Christmas parade lights up downtown • Prep football: One more in the books

INSIDE SPORTS

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — A county district attorney who has sharply criticized police and Syracuse University for their handling of sexabuse allegations against an assistant basketball coach said Wednesday that he cannot bring charges but found that two men who accused him of sexual abuse are credible. - PAGE B1

TODAY’S OBITUARIES

• Marcelo Leal Salcido • Ron Walker • Pedro Jose Perez • Andrea D. Sherfick • Clovis Archuleta • Jose Barrientos - PAGE A6, A8

HIGH ...54˚ LOW ....26˚

TODAY’S FORECAST

CLASSIFIEDS..........B6 COMICS.................B3 ENTERTAINMENT.....B6 FINANCIAL .............B4 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........B6 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8

HHS: No OTC pill

See CHICAGO, Page A3

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a surprise move with electionyear implications, the Obama administration’s top health official overruled her own drug regulators and stopped the Plan B morning-after pill from moving onto drugstore shelves next to the condoms. The decision by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius means the Plan B One-Step emergency contraceptive will remain behind pharmacy counters, as it is sold today — available without a prescription only to those 17 and older who can prove their age. The Food and Drug Administration was preparing to lift the age limit on Wednesday and allow younger teens, who today must get a prescription, to buy it without restriction. That would have made Plan B the nation’s first over -thecounter emergency contraceptive, a pill that can prevent

NM ranks 5th in Adopt-a-thon in progress US oil production Mourning doves congregate on a tree at the J. Kenneth Smith Bird Sanctuary, Wednesday morning.

STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS

Mark Wilson Photo

“I was the governor and I should have known better and I am just so incredibly sorry.” It was not enough for Zagel, who gave the 54year-old a sentence close to the 15 to 20 years prosecutors had sought. “The abuse of the office of governor is more damaging than the abuse of any other of fice, except the president’s,” he said. “Whatever good things you did for people as gover-

See HHS, Page A3

JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER

JULIA BERGMAN RECORD STAFF WRITER Part 1 of 3

New Mexico produced 61,197,485 barrels of oil in the past year, ranking the state fifth in U.S. oil production, according to Randy Dade, District 2 supervisor for the New Mexico Oil Conservation Division. As of Oct. 28, the state had 57,977 active oil and gas wells. According to the Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico, New Mexico’s oil production composes roughly 3 percent of the country’s total production. Richard Gilliland, of Hunt Cimarron LP, estimated there were between 400 and 450 oil and gas

Icicles

companies in New Mexico, the vast majority of which are independent operators. Gilliland also sits on the IPANM board of directors as southern vice president. Independents are widely defined as non-integrated companies, which receive nearly all of their revenues from production at the wellhead. Bill Owen, vice president and exploration manager at David Petroleum Corp., said independents can also be defined as the companies that do most of their work in Southeastern New Mexico and potentially West Texas. “When you talk about Southeastern New Mexico and West Texas, that’s considered the Permian Basin. So companies See OIL, Page A3

INDEX

Mark Wilson Photo

Icicles hanging from an eave begin to drip under the bright morning sun, Wednesday, as the area begins a slow thaw following the recent snowstorm.

The countdown begins for Roswell’s first Adopta-thon, a joint ef fort between Animal Services, 705 E. McGaffey St., and the Animal Welfare Alliance, 911 E. McGaffey, to save the life of local animals. The adoption fee for dogs is $20, and $15 for cats. All Roswell residents Jessica Palmer Photo are invited to come view the new facilities on Sat- Animal Services’ new facility, at 705 E. McGaffey, just east urday, from 8 a.m. to of the Humane Society. Here it still sports a festive layer of noon. Christmas snow befitting the spirit of giving. Mayor Del Jur ney urges everyone to come to homes for pets that have can no longer af ford Animal Services to “save lost their home, that them. Animal Services superthe life of an animal by would be wonderful.” His comment reflects visor Joseph Pacheco adoption and give them a the trend shown in the encouraged people to take second chance at life.” “The City Council is past year with an advantage of the halfvery supportive of the increased number of ani- price adoption fees. “We Adopt-a-thon,” Jur ney mals turned in to Animal said. “If we can help find Control by owners who See ADOPT Page A3

Pearl Harbor group will disband PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) — About 120 survivors of the Pearl Harbor bombing commemorated the Japanese attack and the thousands who lost their lives that day 70 years ago by observing a moment of silence on Wednesday. During the ceremony, a group of survivors of the Dec. 7, 1941, attack announced that they would disband at the end of the month. William Muehleib, president of the Pearl Harbors Association, cited age and poor health of the remaining members. Survivors will be able to attend future commemoration ceremonies on their

own. About 3,000 people, including Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and military leaders, attended this year’s 70th anniversary event at a site overlooking the sunken USS Arizona and the white memorial that straddles the battleship. “It was time. Some of the requirements became a burden,” Muehleib said after the ceremony. Most of the survivors have realized that at their age, there are other things they’d like to do, he said. He said the association has 2,700 members but there are an estimated 7,000 to 8,000 Pearl Har-

bor survivors. Local chapters will function as long as they have members and survivors can gather socially, but they will no longer have a for mal, national organization. The group’s announcement came as President Barack Obama hailed veterans of the bombing in a statement proclaiming Wednesday as “National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.” The attack brought the United States into World War II. “Their tenacity helped define the Greatest GeneraSee PEARL, Page A3


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