Roswell Daily Record
Showdown talks, but no deal THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 120, No. 85 50¢ Daily / $1 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
FARGO PUSHES BACK
FARGO, N.D. (AP) — If any city is entitled to confidence that it can handle a major spring flood, it’s this one. With the Red River lapping at Fargo’s doorstep for the third straight year, the local newspaper even wondered if overconfidence was becoming a problem - PAGE A8
TOP 5 WEB
For The Past 24 Hours
• 4 dead in plane crash at RIAC • 7 wounded in shootout, Sunday • RPD arrests, charges Carabajal • Bronco women are 13th at McMurry • Winter coaches honored by CC!
INSIDE SPORTS
QUIROS, MCILROY LEAD MASTERS
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Rory McIlroy teed off in the morning and put up a score for everyone to chase at the Masters. Then, after grabbing some lunch, he plopped down in front of the television to see if anyone could catch him. No one did — until a longhitting Spaniard in the last group of the day. Alvaro Quiros, who had never shot better than 75 in two previous Masters, birdied the final two holes under darkening skies to match ... - PAGE B1
TODAY’S OBITUARIES
• Margaret P. Brown • Pat H. Green - PAGE A6
HIGH ...84˚ LOW ....48˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
CLASSIFIEDS..........B4 COMICS.................B3 ENTERTAINMENT.....B4 FINANCIAL .............A7 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........B4 LOTTERIES ............A2 NATION .................A6 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8
INDEX
April 8, 2011
FRIDAY
www.rdrnews.com
AP Photo
From left, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, and House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, walk out to speak to reporters outside the White House, Thursday.
Why is Coon on leave?
WASHINGTON (AP) — Time growing short, President Barack Obama and congressional leaders failed to reach agreement Thursday night on a compromise to cut spending and head off a midnight Friday government shutdown that no one claimed to want. Obama, House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid all said the differences had been narrowed in a pair of White House meetings during the day. They directed their aides to work through the night in pursuit of a
The air traffic control system would stay up and running, the emergency management agency would still respond to natural disasters and border security would not be affected.
deal. “I expect an answer in the morning,” Obama said in an appearance in the White House briefing room shortly after his second sit-down of the day with the lawmakers. The comments capped a day in which the president,
Reid, D-Nev., and Boehner, R-Ohio, bargained and blustered by turns, struggling to settle their differences over spending cuts and other issues while maneuvering to avoid any political blame if they failed. See SHOWDOWN, Page A3
MATTHEW ARCO RECORD STAFF WRITER
A Roswell police officer entered his second week of being on paid administrative leave from the Roswell Police Department, today. City and RPD of ficials declined to give additional details or the circumstances surrounding reasons why Of fice Justin Coon, a nearly five-year veteran of the department and son of Chaves County Sheriff Rob Coon, has been placed on paid leave. His leave date started March 25. “We’re declining to comment on it at this time,” said T ravis Holley, spokesman for the RPD, citing confidentiality rules pertaining to personnel issues. City Manager Larry Fry confirmed Justin Coon’s leave status and, similarly, declined to give additional details. “We’re not going to comment on any specific
Mark Wilson Photo
Friends of the Zoo host Eagle Lady E.T. (Extra Terrific), a great horned owl, soars past startled visitors attending a Birds of Prey program presented by Doris Mager, founder of S.O.A.R. (Save Our American Raptors) at the Roswell Adult Center, Thursday.
JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
The Friends of Roswell Zoo presented flights of fancy in the form of Doris Mager and her avian
friends, Thursday afternoon. Founder of Save Our American Raptors, Mager has worked with raptors since 1963 and is known as the Eagle Lady.
The talk at the Roswell Adult and Senior Center, 807 N. Missouri Ave., was free and open to the public. Mager spoke of her career both in rehabilita-
tion and in education. She explained how she got started working with raptors after working in sales for the Audubon “Someone Society.
Gov signs insurance rate bill Fire 75% contained See COON, Page A3
SANTA FE (AP) — Gov. Susana Martinez signed legislation into law on Thursday to strengthen regulatory review of health insurance premium increases. The measure was developed by lawmakers in response to a public outcry over a double-digit rate increase requested last year by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico. The governor signed the legislation on Thursday, just a day after the state’s
The governor also vetoed a proposal to raise a malpractice liability cap from $600,000 to $1 million, with the limit automatically adjusted for inflation.
insurance superintendent approved a settlement of the rate case allowing a 21 percent average premium increase for about 40,000 Blue Cross customers. Martinez said the new law, which takes effect next year, “will help ensure that consumers are getting a
NTSB issues 1st report JONATHAN ENTZMINGER RECORD STAFF WRITER
National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report, Thursday, on the luxury twin-engine Gulfstream G650 airplane that crashed at Roswell International Air Center, Saturday, at approximately 9:34 a.m. The report can be accessed at ntsb.gov. The preliminary report offers a few more minute details on the crash that killed four Gulfstream employees, all of Savannah, Ga. The report states that the airplane was operating under an FAA experimental certificate of airworthiness during a take-off performance with simulated engine failure, to determine takeoff distance requirements at
minimum flap settings. The report also says that the airplane was damaged after impact with terrain during take-off. Witnesses close to the scene saw the airplane sliding on the ground with sparks and smoke coming from the bottom of the wing, described the airplane as being fully involved in fire while moving across the ground and that the airplane struck several obstructions before it came to an upright rest about 200 feet from the base of the airport control tower. According to Bridget Serchak, NTSB public affairs officer, a factual report on the crash will come out during the next 9 to 12 months and a probable report will be issued in the next 12 to See NTSB, Page A3
fair deal when insurance companies seek to increase their rates.” The insurance superintendent, who runs the Insurance Division of the Public Regulation Commission, is responsible for See SIGNS, Page A3
Fire of ficials announced Thursday that good progress had been made in the battle against a more than 10,340-acre wildfire west of Roswell that started Sunday. The blaze that charred thousands of acres of land in and around Ruidoso was 75 percent contained by Thursday night. All evacuations have been lifted.
See EAGLE, Page A3
“There’s no major activity as far as growth,” state Forestry Division spokesman Dan Ware said. “There’s not even a lot of smoke showing anymore.” He said the wind was gusting in the area, but weather was no longer an issue. Margo Whitt, of the fire information office, credited the White Fire conSee FIRE, Page A3
Spring cleaning
Mark Wilson Photo
Stacie Petersen applies a coat of protective wax to the Robert H. Goddard statue at the Roswell Museum and Art Center, Thursday morning, in a semi-annual cleaning.