Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 120, No. 41 50¢ Daily / $1 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
The City Council voted during a special session to reverse its original decision on the Kerr Ranch lease and awarded the contract to the highest bidder, Wednesday. The 5-1 vote came after at least two councilors told other of ficials they had
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Gunmen who shot up an SUV carrying two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, killing one, knew they were attacking law enforcement officers, according to U.S. officials. But details of the attack that emerged Wednesday indicate the two agents were not targeted ahead of time, rather stopped in the wrong place at the wrong time in a blue Suburban... - PAGE A2
February 17, 2011
Kerr Ranch lease goes to high bidder MATTHEW ARCO RECORD STAFF WRITER
DRUG WARS
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
THURSDAY
www.rdrnews.com
changed their minds following the lease’s original January vote, which would have rejected the bids. During that meeting, officials heard a plea from the land’s current occupant, Chaves County Commissioner Kim Chesser, to reconsider the matter after his of fer came up about $1,500 short of what the highest bidder said he
Nice day to be outside
Following the vote, Chesser told reporters that he was disappointed with the decision, but that he respected the councilors’ votes.
would pay for the lease. Chesser argued the bidding process didn’t take other benefits to leasing the property into consideration. The county official operates a guest house on his ranch that gives outsiders from
around the globe a glimpse inside the life of a rancher. He used the Kerr Ranch to host cattle drives for visitors to his Bur nt Well Guest Ranch. However, the council’s original decision sparked
controversy after some officials said the last-minute decision to reject the bids was unfair and a bad business practice for the city. “I could care less who gets the bid,” said Floyd Lard, Roswell’s support services administrator and property manager, who spoke during the special
Ponce to retire
See LEASE Page A3
EMILY RUSSO MILLER RECORD STAFF WRITER
A newly elected school board member announced Wednesday that she will resign her teaching job later this month in order to keep her seat on the school board. The announcement came after state Attorney General Gary King advised the school board, the board’s attorney and the Roswell school district’s superintendent that Pauline Ponce, who was elected Feb. 1, would not be able to finish out her current teaching contract while simultaneously serving on the school board without violating state statute. A 1967 state statute holds that members of a local school board cannot by employed by the school district during their terms of office.
TOP 5 WEB
For The Past 24 Hours
• City on graffiti patrol • Push is on to save Youth ChalleNGe • RPD executes warrants ... • Rockets outlast Coyotes in OT • Dexter topples NMMI
INSIDE SPORTS Mark Wilson Photo
Construction workers from Van Winkle Roofing Inc., install new steel metal trim on the roof of St Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church on a warm and sunny Tuesday afternoon.
Fry confirms Madsen’s firing Legislature to Jeannie Madsen was placed on paid administrative leave the same day she was arrested, and Eric honor Roberson Madsen was placed on paid leave the following
See PONCE, Page A3
JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
CHARACTER COUNTS! LAUDS GIRL HOOPSTERS
Character Counts! of Chaves County released the third installment of its Winter Athletes of Recognition program on Wednesday and this week’s honorees are from the sport of girls basketball. This week’s winners are Hagerman’s Gabby Barela, NMMI’s Caitlin Duree, Goddard’s Cheyenne Kyser, Gateway Christian’s Ayrin Meeks, Roswell’s Natalie Mendoza and Dexter’s Stephanie Miles. - PAGE B1
TODAY’S OBITUARIES
There are no local obituaries today, Feb. 17, 2011.
HIGH ...80˚ LOW ....33˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
CLASSIFIEDS..........B5 COMICS.................B3 FINANCIAL .............B4 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........B5 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 RECORDS ..............A6 SPORTS ................B1 STATE ...................A6 WEATHER ..............A8
INDEX
Roswell woman Peggie Roberson will be honored during the celebration of Behavioral Health Day in the state Legislature today. “There are 18 local collaboratives in New Mexico,” said Jesse Chavez, community service manager. “For the past four years, each local collabo-
rative recognizes a person who has gone above and beyond the call of duty — someone who has improved services and improved communication.” Roberson will receive a plaque from Linda Roebuck Homer, CEO of the Behavioral Health Collaborative. According to Homer, See HONOR, Page A3
On Wednesday, City Manager Larry Fry confirmed that Sgt. Eric Madsen was not “working for the (police) department any more.” Fry was unwilling to say if Madsen had been terminated, or if he resigned. City records indicate that Madsen’s status was changed to “discharged.” In a previous interview, Fry stated that standard procedures required a disciplinary review board. Human Resources Director Stacye Hunter con-
day.
curred. “He’s no longer working for the city. We have followed all the normal procedures.” Later in the day, Fry told the Daily Record that discharged is the equivalent of being fired. Eric Madsen’s departure follows the arrest of Detective Jeannie Madsen, who was charged with battery of a household member. According to the criminal
complaint filed in Magistrate Court on Jan. 9, Eric Madsen stated he and his wife got into a verbal argument, and “she kicked him and struck him, causing bruises and scrapes.” During a press conference on the day of the arrest, then-interim Police Chief Dennis Kintigh was
WPA ‘disappointed’ in Jennings’ childhood ed vote EMILY RUSSO MILLER RECORD STAFF WRITER
A Senate Joint Resolution allocating money to early childhood education cleared its first committee in the state Roundhouse Wednesday, but local parents are upset Senate President Pro Tem Tim Jennings, D-Roswell, did not support the measure. Members of the Working Parent Association in Roswell, a group dedicated to subsidized daycare, say they are disappointed with the
local lawmaker. “I think disappointed would be a good word to use in this situation,” Leslie Robertson, WPA member and owner of Tadpole Daycare in Roswell, said. “Investing in (children) now is another way to invest in our future.” SJR10, sponsored by Sen. Cynthia Nava, D-Las Cruces, would amend the state constitution to increase the distribution of money from the Land Grant Permanent Fund to early childhood education programs operated by public
schools. Jennings, joining two Republicans in opposition, was the only Democrat in the Senate Rules Committee to break with party lines to vote against the resolution, which passed 5-3. Jennings, a longtime early education supporter, said the resolution betrays the mission of the Land Grant Permanent Fund and “robs from future generations.” The LGPF is the state’s largest trust fund owned by beneficiaries such as public schools, universities, hospitals and correctional institu-
See FRY, Page A3
tions. “The Permanent Fund is there for all generations of New Mexicans,” Jennings said, noting that 83 percent of the fund went to public schools in fiscal year 2010. “There are six to seven thousand people on a developmentally disabled waiver waiting list. They’re all New Mexicans, too. It’s our job to set the priorities and it would have been easy to vote for it, but is it right? Is it just for a few people
Kintigh’s bill to limit House speaker’s power dies MATTHEW ARCO RECORD STAFF WRITER
Rep. Dennis Kintigh
A state House lawmaker’s attempt to strip Speaker Ben Lujan of nearly all of his authority to craft committee assignments, was stalled Wednesday. House lawmakers voted 10-9 along party lines in the House Rules and Order of Business Committee to table the rule change, effectively killing the proposal for this year’s legislative
session. Rep. Dennis Kintigh, R-Roswell, introduced the rule change during the start of the 60-day session. Currently, Lujan, DSanta Fe, decides who serves on each committee that bills navigate through before, if at all, heading to the House floor for a vote. “Unfortunately we’re stuck with the same old system,” said Kintigh, following the vote. “Fundamentally, I think it’s wrong
and unfair — and I think the losers are the citizens of New Mexico.” The proposal aimed to give the House minority leader power to decide who serves on which committee. Lujan would still retain the authority to assign each committee’s chair and vice chair positions. Kintigh claims the process would level the playing field and blamed the speaker’s power over his caucus as the reason
See JENNINGS, Page A3
for the proposal being tabled. “When you have two teams so well tuned, the ultimate winners will be the citizens of New Mexico. That didn’t happen (Wednesday and) we will still have the head coach of one team picking the starting lineup of both teams,” he said. “I think many of (the Democrats) recognized the value of my arguments, See KINTIGH, Page A3