LOCAL & REGION
In brief
Laboratory, is scheduled to give a talk Wednesday at the Bradbury Science Museum in Los Alamos about what’s ahead for HIV research. His 5:30 p.m. presentation, “Genetics in the Era of Big Data,” is free and open to the public. The supercomputers availThe Santa Fe County Republican Party apparently is having able to LANL scientists help them process huge amounts trouble getting enough delof data and analyze it. This egates for the state GOP preability is helping their genetic primary convention. research by furthering abilities In a notice sent to members to sequence DNA. this week and posted on RepubLos Alamos developed and lican-friendly blogs, Orlando maintains a database of all Baca of the county party said, genetic sequences of HIV, the “We do not have enough people virus that causes AIDS. Analysis self nominated to fill the 44 of these sequences already has State Delegate slots for Santa Fe led researchers to understand County at the State Convention.” the origins of the virus, its biolBaca asked local Republicans ogy and how it manages to to urge people to either attend evade the immune system. Now a party gathering Saturday and scientists are working on a vacsign up as delegates, or send cine that can protect against the him an email expressing their disease. interest. Baca couldn’t be reached for comment Friday night. The county party convention is scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Santa Fe Woman’s The New Mexico EnvironClub, 1616 Old Pecos Trail. ment Department and the Pueblo The state GOP Pre-Primary of San Ildefonso signed an Convention on March 1 will updated cooperative agreement select the Republican candiFriday to share environmental dates who will appear on the data. The deal also gives the state June primary ballot. more access to pueblo lands for environmental sampling. The pueblo is adjacent to Los Alamos National Laboratory, Bandelier National Monument and the Santa Fe National ForHIV researchers are about to est. Pueblo lands have been have genetic megadata at their impacted by events on those disposal to further research the properties such as wildfire and devastating virus. Physicist Tan- floods, and faces the potential moy Bhattacharya, a theoretical for contaminants from lab scientist at Los Alamos National legacy waste piles.
County GOP seeks delegates
Department, pueblo ink deal
Supercomputers help HIV research
The new agreement updates one signed in 2002. “With this agreement, the Pueblo de San Ildefonso, with its proximity to Los Alamos National Laboratory, will be able to utilize the resources and expertise of the New Mexico Environment Department, especially during unforeseen events like a storm or nearby forest fires,” said Terry Aguilar, pueblo governor. The agreement outlines specific procedures that allow the Environment Department to access the pueblo’s lands to perform ground sampling and share chemical analysis with the pueblo.
SFCC board OKs president contract The Governing Board of the Santa Fe Community College has approved a contract for interim president Randy Grissom. The contract, which runs from Jan. 28, 2014, until July 31, 2015, pays Grissom an annual salary of $175,000 as well as benefits. Grissom, 65, has worked in various capacities at the college since it opened in 1983. In December, the board appointed him acting president after it voted to terminate former president Ana “Cha” Guzmán. Prior to that action, Grissom was serving as the college’s vice president of academic affairs and earning about $125,000 a year. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Texas Christian University.
Death prompts new task force ALBUQUERQUE — Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry says a task force of experts will scrutinize circumstances surrounding the death of a 9-yearold boy. Berry says the city needs to do more than just determine whether police officers adequately handled several situations involving the boy’s family. The mother of Omaree Varela has been arrested in his death, which occurred after he and his family had come into contact with police under various circumstances. Berry says the task force will try to find ways to help other children in what the mayor called “horrific circumstances.” The mayor says the city will spend up to $50,000 on the task force. He says it will bring in experts on abuse, poverty, hunger, substance abuse and the legal system.
N.M. farmer gets prison for fraud
Becky Dickens said some residents leave their dogs outside, scenarios, he said, people call and many homes are unfenced, animal control officers or police which allows dogs to wander. following the attack. On a half-hour drive through Resident Becky Dickens said the community, five dogs were the dog shootings were terrible, seen meandering, and only one but she echoed the complaint was wearing a collar. that dogs often are running Dogs also have been a probthroughout the area. “The dog lem at the Santa Fe Municipal problem out here is terrible,” Airport on the south side of she said. “People dump dogs out Santa Fe. Francey Jesson, the here.” airport manager, said dogs dig In fact, Becky Dickens said, their way underneath the airshe found an entire litter of pup- port fence and run around the pies dumped in the hills of La grounds. Cienega. She said she kept one Animal Protection New of the pups. She has two other Mexico is offering up to $10,000 dogs that she adopted from the for information leading to the shelter, she said, and she later arrest and prosecution of those learned that those dogs also responsible for the La Cienega were found abandoned in the shootings. Callers, who may La Cienega area. She said she remain anonymous, should call keeps her dogs inside her home 877-548-6263. while she’s away, so she hasn’t been too concerned that they Contact Chris Quintana at will become the next shooting 986-3093 or cquintana@ victims. sfnewmexican.com.
Gonzales: 3 PACS have spent over $20K This is influence buying at its worst.” “As I’ve said before, we are Bushee’s former campaign focused on running our own manager, Tarin Nix, got a job grass-roots campaign,” the with Working America after candidate said. “I will remain she and Bushee had a falling focused on what we can control, out. Nix later filed an ethics and that is our own campaign.” complaint against Bushee that Gonzales and the two other eventually was dismissed. mayoral candidates, City CounNix said Friday night via cilors Patti Bushee and Bill email that she had been conDimas, each received $60,000 tacted by the news media and in taxpayer money to run their wanted to state that she is no campaigns. All three are runlonger working with the group. ning under the city’s public “As for today’s finance reports campaign finance ordinance, and the work Working America which was adopted in an effort is doing, I have nothing to do to reduce the impact of money with it nor know anything of its on elections and level the playnature,” she wrote. ing field among candidates. Friday was the deadline for In addition to Working Amer- candidates and PACs to file ica, Gonzales has the backing their latest campaign finance of two other PACs with labor reports. City Clerk Yolanda union ties: Progressive Santa Vigil released the reports to the Fe and Santa Fe Working Fami- public after the close of busilies. Altogether, the three PACs ness Friday. have spent more than $20,000, The reports show that Dimas according to campaign finance continues to lead in spending reports. among the three mayoral canWalt Borton, Bushee’s camdidates. paign co-chairman, said the Dimas has spent $43,329 so PACs are giving Gonzales an far, and reported $16,670 cash unfair advantage. on hand. “It is extremely disturbing to Bushee, who has spent $23,511 note as of this reporting period so far, reported $36,488 left in that three PACs, all committed the bank. to Javier Gonzales, have spent Gonzales has spent $20,680, as much money as the Gonzales leaving him with $39,319 cash on campaign has spent,” Borton hand. said. “They’re matching dollarContact Daniel J. Chacón for-dollar. That is not a level at 986-3089 or dchacon@ playing field, and it is far from sfnewmexican.com. the spirit of public financing.
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Continued from Page A-6 Police also said Lovato has had multiple run-ins with Santa Fe police that go back a decade. Court records show Lovato was convicted of shoplifting in 2012 and served probation. In 2007, he was charged with shoplifting and tampering with evidence and served 18 months behind bars. In 1999, court records show, Lovato faced two
tax evasion, failure to file tax returns, making false statements to the USDA and impeding the IRS following a four-day jury trial in Albuquerque. He must pay nearly $18.5 million in restitution to the IRS and about $227,000 to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Prosecutors say Melot improperly collected farm subsidies by giving the USDA a fake Social Security number and a fictitious employer identification number.
Web portal gives $10K to academy Dollars4Schools, an online portal designed to raise money for individual projects within Santa Fe Public Schools, will host a reception at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at Sweeney Elementary School to present a $10,000 donation from Patrick and Patty Carter to the district’s Parent Academy. The academy, which started last year, offers parents free classes in basic computer skills, preparing kids for school and college, and English as a second language. Over the last two years, Dollars4Schools has raised about $200,000 to support educatordriven projects in the schools. Sweeney is at 501 Airport Road.
ALBUQUERQUE — A New Mexico farmer has been ordered to pay more than $18 million in restitution and sentenced to 14 years in prison for tax fraud and fraudulently collecting farm subsidies. Prosecutors say Bill Melot of Hobbs hasn’t filed a personal income tax return since 1986. They say he owes the Internal HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE — An unmanned aircraft Revenue Service more than on a training mission from Hol$25 million in federal taxes. loman Air Force Base in SouthMelot was convicted of
Drone crashes at White Sands
Dogs: Wander from Theft: Lovato has many unfenced yards shoplifting history Continued from Page A-6
Saturday, February 8, 2014 THE NEW MEXICAN
charges of shoplifting, which were dismissed, and a charge of tampering with evidence. He was ordered to serve probation in that case, which he violated, according to online court records. A warrant has been issued for Lovato’s arrest, and police ask that anyone with information on his whereabouts call the department at 428-3710 or Crime Stoppers at 955-5050.
Love is in the air at Osteria Come join us for dinner on Valentines Day! Make your reservations now. Reservations: 505-986-5858 58 S. Federal Place • Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 See Lunch and Dinner menus on the website www.osteriadassisi.com
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ern New Mexico has crashed at White Sands National Monument. Base officials say the QF-4 drone crashed around 9 a.m. Friday. They say the monument had been closed in advance to the test mission and will remain closed until further notice. Base officials say the cause of the crash isn’t immediately known, and it’s under investigation. The aircraft was assigned to Detachment 1, 82nd Aerial Targets Squadron, which is a tenant unit at Holloman assigned to the 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group.
NMSU plans shop for student foods LAS CRUCES — New Mexico State University is preparing to open an on-campus store selling products made by students at the Las Cruces school. The Las Cruces Sun-News reports that plans call for opening the store in Gerald Thomas Hall in late summer. It will initially feature gelato, sorbet and mixes produced by a food science class, but College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences administrators hope it will eventually offer other foods as well. Those could include meat products made by animal science students, cheeses provided by food science students, and vegetables grown by horticulture students. Staff and wire services
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