Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 120, No. 226 50¢ Daily / $1 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
NEW YORK (AP) — When Wendy’s decided to remake its 42-year-old hamburger, the chain agonized over every detail. A pickle chemist was consulted. Customers were quizzed on their lettuce knowledge. And executives went on a cross-country burger-eating tour. - PAGE A6
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N.M. Senate OKs redistricting plans
SANTA FE (AP) — Republicans objected Monday that Democrats could keep a solid grip on two of New Mexico’s three congressional districts in the future under a redistricting plan approved by the Senate.
WENDY’S REMAKES BURGER
September 20, 2011
The proposal cleared the Senate on a 27-14 partyline vote and was sent to the Democratic-controlled House for consideration. It’s uncertain when the House will take up the plan.
Currently, Democrats
hold the Albuquerque-area 1st District and the 3rd District of northern New Mexico. A Republican represents the 2nd District of southern New Mexico.
Republicans contend that proposed changes in district boundaries would strengthen Democratic support in the 1st District, which has been a swing district recently but in GOP hands for nearly four decades until a Democrat won it in 2008.
The 3rd District has been
Obama plans to tax the rich
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a blunt rejoinder to congressional Republicans, President Barack Obama called for $1.5 trillion in new taxes Monday, part of a total 10-year deficit reduction package totaling more than $3 trillion. He vowed to veto any deficit reduction package that cuts benefits to Medicare recipients but does not raise new revenues. “We can’t just cut our way out of this hole,” the president said. The president’s proposal would predominantly hit upper income taxpayers but would also reduce spending in mandatory benefit programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, by $580 billion. It also counts savings of $1 trillion over 10 years from the withdrawal of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. The deficit reduction plan represents See OBAMA, Page A3
solidly Democratic in its voting since it was established in the early 1980s, and the 2nd District has been reliably Republican. Democrat Harry Teague was elected in 2008 in the 2nd District but lost to Republican Steve Pearce in 2010. Sen. John Ryan, R-Albuquerque, suggested that lawmakers should try to make districts more politically equal.
SPECIAL SESSION: FINAL WEEK JULIA BERGMAN RECORD STAFF WRITER
The fear, expressed early on in the session, that history could repeat itself seemed closer to becoming an actuality as legislators embarked on the final week of the special session on Monday with no redistricing plans ready to be seen by Governor Susana Martinez. The legislature last took up redistricting in 2001. After meeting for 17 days, legislators and then Republican Governor Gary Johnson were unable to come to an agreement, which caused the state courts to decide on See SESSION, Page A3
See SENATE, Page A3
Field of Honor comes to a close
Mark Wilson Photo
Cadets play “Taps” during closing ceremonies for the Field of Honor at New Mexico Military Institute’s Stapp Field Friday evening. The flags, on display for one week, represented victims of 9/11 and service men and women.
Emissions battle is brewing TheGIG offers
LESSONS LEARNED IN WEEK 4 Four weeks down, seven to go in the high school football season. It’s time to once again to take a look at what we learned about the area’s high school teams during the past week. The Demons are close. The win over Hagerman was a big step for... - PAGE B1
TODAY’S OBITUARIES • • • •
Gilbert Romero Guadalupe Castaneda Victoria Dutchover Joe Smallwood Barnabas - PAGE A6
HIGH ...88˚ LOW ....61˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
CLASSIFIEDS..........B5 COMICS.................B3 ENTERTAINMENT.....B5 FINANCIAL .............B4 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........A8 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8
INDEX
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — Republican lawmakers are asking New Mexico regulators to hold more hearings outside of Santa Fe when they begin considering the fate of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions rules. The House Republican Caucus said in its request that having the hearings in various locations around the state would give more people a chance to weigh in. The caucus is sending its request along with the signatures of 33 Republican legislators to the state Environmental Improvement Board and the state Environment Department, Rep. Dennis Roch, R-Texico, said Monday. “If we’re trying to get public input on regulations that affect the whole state, we felt like there ought to be opportunities for input around the whole state,” he
said. Several Republican senators, including Senate GOP Leader Stuart Ingle of Portales and Vernon Asbill of Carlsbad, have also requested public hearings outside of Santa Fe. The Environmental Improvement Board has scheduled hearings to begin in November on a series of petitions filed by electric utilities, the oil and natural gas industry and other critics of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions rules. Critics have been pushing through both regulatory channels and the state Court of Appeals to have the rules repealed. They argue the regulations will have devastating economic ef fects on New Mexico, including higher costs for electricity customers. Environmentalists fought for more than two years to
get the board under former Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson’s administration to adopt the rules. They argued at the time that the state couldn’t afford to leave such emissions unchecked. The board held public meetings around the state when it was considering adopting the rules last year, and the board’s hearing officer has indicated she would include public testimony from the previous proceedings in the current case since there was little time to schedule more meetings to gather public testimony. Once the hearings start in November, the public will also have time each evening to submit comments. Hearing of ficer Felicia See BATTLE, Page A3
Palestinians will submit membership letter for U.N.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The Palestinians brushed aside heated Israeli objections and a promised U.S. veto Monday, vowing to submit a letter formally requesting full U.N. membership when Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the General Assembly. As the Palestinians edged closer to seeking statehood recognition from the United Nations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for Abbas to meet AP Photo with him in New York. The Israel leader said he Saeb Erakat, member of the Executive Committee of the wanted to resume peace PLO, right, gives an interview to Jacob Eilon, of Channel 10 of Israel, Monday, in New York. Erakat is attending the 66th See LETTER, Page A2 General Assembly Meeting of the United Nations.
prayer and worship JULIA BERGMAN RECORD STAFF WRITER
God is God. That is the idea behind theGIG, an open prayer and worship event hosted by the Salvation Army on Friday nights at the Chaves County Courthouse lawn. Budding from the idea to give high schoolers a place to practice their faith publicly, theGIG, which held its first open prayer session on May 6, has grown to draw a total attendance of 2,711 and a total of 482 seekers, those who come for prayer, in its first four months. Captain Beau Perez, corps officer for the Roswell Salvation Army, said these num-
bers are low estimates, given theGIG held a session for three nights during the UFO Festival, which attracted people from all over the world.
TheGIG attracts those wanting to hear a gospel message. It also encourages people to pronounce their faith in Jesus Christ, loudly over a microphone, inviting those who call him their savior and lord to come to the courthouse lawn. Food is always provided, and, oftentimes, bands per for m during the event. Seekers often perfor m their own songs and music as well. “We don’t want it to look like a church service,” Perez See THEGIG, Page A3
Autopsy rules death accidental JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
According to the Office of the Medical Investigator, Octavio Loya’s death was ruled accidental. The 40year -old Roswell resident was found dead at Remco Auto Parts and Wrecking, 4600 S. Main St., in March. The subject’s death followed pursuit, on-foot, by members of the Chaves County Sheriff’s Department, Roswell Police Department and New Mexico State Police. The chase ensued after a deputy initiated a traffic stop on the 4300 block of South Main. Loya produced a fake driver’s license, and, said Sgt. Daniel Ornelas, “Loya fled on foot after a small struggle.” The autopsy states, “The decedent was reportedly involved in an altercation with a law enforcement offi-
cer, in which the officer was knocked down and he fled on foot.” The OMI found no indication of physical injury besides a small scrape, onehalf inch in length, on Loya’s right arm. Officials also listed acute amphetamine and methampetamine intoxication as a cause of death. The autopsy reports, “The toxicological analysis revealed many markedly elevated levels of methamphetamine and amphetamine in the blood.” It also noted the presence of alcohol. The autopsy appears to indicate that the drugs may have been a contributor in his death. “In overdose, both methamphetamine and amphetamine can cause convolutions, circulatory collapse and sudden death.” Amphetamines stimulate See DEATH, Page A2