Roswell Daily Record
City Council interviews Fry
Vol. 119, No. 253 50¢ Daily / $1 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
MATTHEW ARCO RECORD STAFF WRITER
City officials concluded their final interview for deter mining who will be Roswell’s newest city manager, as the last of the two remaining candidates took questions from the City Council Thursday night. Assistant City Manager
NRP SACKS WILLIAMS
WASHINGTON (AP) — “I’m not a bigot,” longtime news analyst Juan Williams said. Then he talked about getting nervous on a plane when he sees people in Muslim dress. Fair game for one of his employers, Fox News Channel, but a firable offense for the other, NPR. Muslim groups were outraged, saying ... - PAGE B4
Tornado!
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
October 22, 2010
FRIDAY
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Larry Fry spent the day touring the city prior to opening himself up to questioning before councilors. Fry is the remaining candidate for the position and officials will meet Monday for a closed session workshop, before a scheduled vote on the mayor’s appointment Oct. 28. “It worked,” said Mayor
... Fry said communication with the city manager’s office would be an area he would like to focus on improving ...
Del Jurney, referring to the process of finding a replacement for City Manager John Capps. “I believe it worked,” he said.
Pete Mileta, who currently works as a city manager in Raton, went through a similar interview tour and workshop process on Wednesday.
RPD axes Conner
See FRY, Page A3
MATTHEW ARCO RECORD STAFF WRITER
TOP 5 WEB
For The Past 24 Hours
• Daugherty takes witness stand • Character Counts! Honors the Badge • Teague meets with local Democrats ... • Officials interview candidate Mileta • NM revenues down but no immediate ...
INSIDE SPORTS
Jurney said he felt very comfortable with having to choose between the two candidates, but wouldn’t make a decision before meeting with the entire council to hear what others have to say. “I think that as a council
Angela Buck Photo
Angela Buck, 17, captured this image of a tornado that touched down along North Atkinson Avenue, about a mile north of Walmart, around 6:30 p.m., Thursday. Family members said they watched the tornado a full 10 minutes before they heard the sirens sound. See related photo on A2.
A top commander at the Roswell Police Department has been fired from the force after more than 13 years of service, according to city documents. Commander Scott Conner was discharged from the RPD on Wednesday. He was hired in July 1997 and prior to his termination, Conner was one of the department’s five patrol commanders. Conner’s departure is tied to an April 2009 arrest of a local dentist, Linus Brewer, who faces thirddegree felony charges after he allegedly stole more than 260 pieces of rebar, according to city sources
Day 4: Defense rests 1 dead, 1 critical in head-on JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
ROSWELL CELEBRATES 2–0 WIN
The Roswell boys soccer team had already clinched the District 4-4A title heading into its regular season finale against Artesia on Tuesday. Having the district title in hand was well and good for the Coyotes, but they wanted more. They had won district last year with a district record of 3-1. The lone blemish was a 2-0 loss to the Bulldogs. This year, the Coyotes wanted a perfect district record and they got it with a 2-0 victory over Artesia. - PAGE B1
TODAY’S OBITUARIES
• Margery Lois Slinkard • Myrl Sawyer Good • Damaris Amezola - PAGE B4
HIGH ...77˚ LOW ....45˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
CLASSIFIEDS..........C7 COMICS.................B5 ENTERTAINMENT.....B8 FINANCIAL .............B6 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........B8 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8 WORLD .................B7
INDEX
The defense rested its case, Thursday, in State of New Mexico v. Aaron Daugherty. Deliberation will begin today after Assistant District Attor ney Micheal Sanchez and defense attor ney Harry Wilcox make their closing statements. Daugherty, 25, is charged with first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of Valerie A. York, 25, and Mark A. Koenig, 23, that took place on June 13, 2009, 1207 W. Hobbs St.
Forensic psychologist Christine Johnson, Ph.D., testified for the defense. She gave an overall assessment of Daugherty’s personality based on his childhood and his experiences in serving in the military. Her conclusion was that as an individual Daugherty was “depressed, anxious, self-critical, basically insecure, passive and dependent in his relationships.” Johnson described Daugherty as self-defeating with a tendency to sabotage himself. She also referred See TRIAL, Page A3
See RPD, Page A3
EMILY RUSSO MILLER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Two cars were involved in a head-on collision south of Midway, Thursday morning, killing one and leaving another critically injured, authorities say. The accident was a result of wet road conditions and inattention by the 15-year -old driver, according to the police investigation. “After the rain last night, the road was slick See HEAD-ON, Page A3
Character Counts! Super Celebration recognizes young artists, poets, writers
Mark Wilson Photo
Emergency personnel respond to a 2-vehicle fatality south of Midway on N.M. 2 around 8 a.m., Thursday.
Deep water
EMILY RUSSO MILLER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Chaves County Character Counts!, a national ethics education program, recognized the winners of a county-wide art, poetry and essay contest Thursday night at Roswell High School. The Super Celebration also honored principals, organizational winners, and Character See CHARACTER, Page A3
Mark Wilson Photo
The Roswell High School Cyettes and Roadrunners perform for National Character Counts! Week Super Celebration, Thursday evening.
Mark Wilson Photo
A truck navigates high water on La Paloma Lane, Thursday morning, after heavy overnight thunderstorms moved through the area.
Gubernatorial candidates Denish, Martinez tangle in final TV debate
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — New Mexico’s candidates for governor jabbed at each other Thursday while tangling over familiar themes — jobs, spending and governmental ethics — in their final debate of the campaign. Republican Susana Martinez linked Democrat Diane Denish, the lieutenant gover nor since 2003, to Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson and dou-
ble-digit spending increases that occurred during what she called the “RichardsonDenish” administration. Richardson’s popularity has dropped sharply because of the sour economy and pay-to-play allegations that political considerations have influenced decisions on state investments and contracts during the Democratic incumbent’s two terms. “You want a promotion,
Diane, and you can’t get a promotion unless you talk about the last eight years, because there is no greater predictor of how you’re going ... to govern, except for the last eight years, where you sat by silently while we had one of the largest governments that is most corrupt in the country,” said Martinez, a district attorney in Doña Ana County. Denish counterpunched
later in the debate, televised on KOB-TV. “She wants this race to be about the past, not about the future. She wants it to be about what’s gone wrong, not what’s going well in New Mexico, and she wants this campaign to be about the current governor, not the next governor. You’re smarter than that,” Denish told viewers in her closing remarks.
On the economy, Denish said she has the experience to turn around the state because she has operated a small business and was a “job creator.” But Martinez seized on that, pointing out the high unemployment in New Mexico since the economy soured. “Obviously having a job creator as a second-inSee DEBATE, Page A2