Thursday, January 1, 2015 THE NEW MEXICAN
Gun: New bag made for firearm Continued from Page A-1 reached into the purse, unzipped the compartment, found the gun and shot his mother in the head,” Rutledge said. “It’s a terrible, terrible incident.” The aftermath has been crushing, he said. His son went to the Wal-Mart to collect his nieces and son, and no one now is sure what to say to the boy, who is not doing well. “My son is terrible,” Rutledge said. “He has a 2-yearold boy right now who doesn’t know where his mom is and he’ll have to explain why his mom isn’t coming home. And then, later on in his life, as he questions it more, he’ll again have to explain what happened, so we’ll have to relive this several times over.” Rutledge isn’t just sad — he’s angry. Not at his grandson. Nor at his dead daughter-in-law, “who didn’t have a malicious fiber in her body,” he said. He’s angry at the observers already using the accident as an excuse to grandstand on gun rights. “They are painting Veronica as irresponsible, and that is not the case,” he said. “… I brought my son up around guns, and he has extensive experience shooting it. And Veronica had had handgun classes; they’re both licensed to carry, and this wasn’t just some purse she had thrown her gun into.” The path Veronica Rutledge charted before her death, friends and family say, was one of academics and small-town, country living. “Hunting, being outdoors and being with her son” was what made her happiest, her friend Rhonda Ellis said. She was raised in northeast Idaho and always excelled at school, former high school classmate Kathleen Phelps said, recalling her as “extremely smart… . valedictorian of our class, very motivated and the smartest person I know… . Getting good grades was always very important to her.” She went on to graduate in 2010 from the University of Idaho with a chemistry degree, according to a commencement program. From there, she got a job at Battelle’s Idaho National Laboratory and published several articles, one of which analyzed a method to absorb toxic waste discharged by burning nuclear fuel. While away from the lab, she and her husband, whom she married in 2009, spent time shooting guns. “She was just as comfortable at a camp ground or a gun range as she was in a classroom,” close friend Sheri Sandow said in an interview. On Facebook, she showed an interest in the outdoors and the National Rifle Association, and followed Guns.com, a publication that reports on gun life. “They carried one every day of their lives, and they shot extensively,” Rutledge said. “They loved it. Odd as it may sound, we are gun people.” A lot of people in Idaho are. Earlier this year, the state legislature passed a bill that allows people to carry concealed guns onto state university campuses. And more than 85,000 people — 7 percent of the population — are licensed to carry concealed weapons, according to the Crime Prevention Research Center. So many locals didn’t discern anything odd with a 29-year-old woman carrying a loaded gun into a Wal-Mart during the holiday season. Stu Miller, a spokesman for the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, told the New York Times that it didn’t strike him as anything out of the ordinary. “It’s pretty common around here,” he said. “A lot of people carry loaded guns.” Sandow told The Post she often sees people with a gun cradled at their side. “In Idaho, we don’t have to worry about a lot of crime and things like that,” she said. “And to see someone with a gun isn’t bizarre. [Veronica] wasn’t carrying a gun because she felt unsafe. She was carrying a gun because she was raised around guns. This was just a horrible accident.”
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Baby: Some parents are going gaga over rare names Continued from Page A-1 of a popular biblical name that had been the most popular for boys in the state for two years running before finishing second to Liam in 2014. Noah was also the most popular name for boys nationally in 2013, followed by Liam. Jacob wore the crown as the nation’s most popular boy’s name for 14 years before Noah unseated him. Before that, Michael was the most common name given to baby boys every year between 1961 and 1998. Mia has been patiently waiting her turn. It’s been a mainstay in New Mexico’s top 10 girls’ names for the past decade, and was among the five most popular names in the state for girls seven times during that span. Also among the top 10 girls’ names in New Mexico in 2014 were Sophia and its homonym Sofia, Emma and Emily, Isabella, Olivia, Ariana, Ava and Abigail. Joining Liam and Noah in the list of top 10 boys’ names in the state last year were Elijah, Jacob, Aiden and Jayden, Daniel, Josiah, Ethan and Michael. Nationally, Sophia, Isabella, Emma, Emily, Jessica and Ashley have had turns occupying the top spot for girls’ names throughout the past 25 years. For the most part, name popularity in New Mexico tracked with national trends. The top 10 boy names nationally in 2013 included seven from New Mexico’s 2014 list, and eight of the most prevalent girls’ names in the state in 2014 were on the top 10 list nationally the year before. But popular names aren’t popular
with everyone. Christopher Vincent of Santa Fe named his son Caellum (pronounced “kay-LUM”) to assure the boy’s name didn’t appear on lists like the one the state put out this week. Along with Caellum’s mom, Vincent consulted several books about choosing baby names to find something unusual. “It was not a common name,” Vincent said. “We wanted a very rare name. We didn’t want him to have a typical name. We wanted to name him something that people would look at and say, ‘Hey, that’s a really cool name because it’s so different.’ ” When Caellum is old enough to attend school, Vincent doubts his son will have any classmates by the same name. “When I was in school and the teacher called out ‘Chris,’ it seemed like everybody jumped up because so many of us shared that name,” Vincent said. One day this week in the Santa Fe Place mall, a woman named DeeDee from Santa Fe, who preferred not to share her last name, wheeled a newborn along in a stroller while his toddler sister bounced along beside them. DeeDee, who’s twice named babies in the last couple of years, explained the process she and her husband used to name their kids. “My husband makes his list of names, and I make my list,” she said. “We decide between them.” Harrison is 1 month old; Fiona is 2 years old; and DeeDee is 2-for-2 in the name choosing department. Her favorites won out over her husband’s when
TOP 10 BABY NAMES IN NEW MEXICO, 2014 Boys: 1. Liam 2. Noah 3. Elijah 4. Jacob 5. Aiden 6. Daniel 7. Jayden 8. Josiah 9. Ethan 10. Michael
Girls: 1. Mia 2. Sophia 3. Emma 4. Isabella 5. Olivia 6. Emily 7. Sofia 8. Ariana 9. Ava 10. Abigail
SOURCE: NEW MEXICO BUREAU OF VITAL RECORDS AND HEALTH STATISTICS
they named their children. “I wanted something kind of classic and strong,” DeeDee said. Baby Harrison’s name tracks with a growing trend in recent year to give boys or girls first names that historically have been surnames. That practice is discussed on a number of websites devoted to choosing a baby’s name. Think Jackson, Hudson, Carter, Harper, Cooper etc. “I did have quite a few last names on my list before we chose Harrison,” DeeDee said. Harrison almost was Paxton, and came close to walking through life as Sheldon. Other names were eliminated along the way, or made their way into consideration because of people who had those names that DeeDee or her husband had known. “You have certain associations with a given name, and that can add to a
name’s appeal or take away from it,” DeeDee said. What association could be stronger than family? Ivon Moncada of Santa Fe didn’t have to look outside her own household for the inspiration to name her 1-year-old son, Daniel. “It’s after his dad,” she said. “I know it’s used a lot, and we know a few [Daniels]. But I like it.” In choosing a baby name, parents liking it is all that ultimately matters — with a few exceptions. “There are no specific New Mexico laws that restrict naming a baby, however there are federal naming conventions that all states have to comply with when accepting birth certificates,” said Kenny Vigil, spokesman for the New Mexico Health Department. For instance, fans of the Star Wars movies, no matter how avid, cannot name their children R2-D2 or C-3PO after the robots that attained fame in the films. However, if spelled in letters, Artoo-Detoo and See-Threepio have the feds’ blessings. Federal law prohibits numbers from being used in names, including, for example, John Doe 2nd. But Roman numerals in names such as John Doe II are allowed. Federal law also bans symbols such as %,$,*, and @ as parts of names. So it will take an act of Congress before social media fanatics can apply hashtags, such as #JohnDoe, to their babies’ names. Contact Patrick Malone at 986-3017 or pmalone@sfnewmexican.com. Follow him on Twitter @pmalonenm.
Shelter: Facility has been tearing through supplies Continued from Page A-1 day, so patrons could have a break from the wintry weather. The shelter also will be open for its normal night hours Thursday starting at 6 p.m. The facility has been tearing through food, clothing and money this season. In-kind donations such as spare clothing, toiletries and extra food are always appreciated, but financial donations make the biggest impact, he said. Chris Luckett, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service said Wednesday that Santa Feans probably won’t get a reprieve from the bitter cold until the weekend, but the temperatures are not so unusual for this time of year. After all, he said, “We’re right in the heart of winter.” The agency forecast a 70 percent chance for snow Thursday with highs in the upper-20s, thanks to an east-
A winter storm watch was issued From Wednesday until 5 tonight. moving storm that was in Arizona on Tuesday. By nightfall, those temperatures will drop into the upper single digits, and the chance for snow will decrease to 20 percent. The agency issued a winter storm watch from midnight Wednesday to 5 p.m. Thursday. Luckett said these conditions could make for icy roads, and motorists should exercise caution while traveling Thursday. The latest road conditions are available at nmroads.com. Melissa Dosher, a spokeswoman with the New Mexico Department of Trans-
portation, said crews will be working if necessary. “There’s not going to be a lack of people because of the holiday,” she said. Dosher also said that as of Tuesday, road conditions around the state were improving, but overall driving was still dangerous in many areas. And she added that if the forecast holds true, she expects the conditions to worsen in the coming days. Despite the cold weather, local law enforcement officials said they hadn’t responded to any exposure-related deaths in the past week. Andrew Phelps, the city’s emergency manager, said the wintry weather hadn’t caused any major problems for the city, but he said he or city police might issue a travel advisory Thursday via the text-based alert system, Nixle, if road conditions in town are treacher-
ous. He added that snowplow crews would be on call, though it might take them some time to clear all the city’s streets. With colder temperatures comes an increased demand for natural gas, but New Mexico Gas Co. spokeswoman Teala Kail said the utility company purchased “plenty” to avoid an outage similar to the one during a cold snap in February 2010, which left thousands of New Mexico residents without natural gas to heat their homes. Kail also said the recent storm brought the highest heating demand this season. In Southern New Mexico, the National Weather Service forecast up to 6 inches of snowfall in the mountains near Cloudcroft and Silver City. The agency also issued a winter storm warning for the western portion of the state.
Laws: Minimum wages rise today in several states Continued from Page A-1 Alcohol: Wine connoisseurs will be popping the cork over a new law taking effect Thursday that allows out-ofstate wineries to ship bottles directly to consumers in Massachusetts. The drive for direct wine shipments had been stalled for years before getting a big boost from former New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe. Now a winemaker in Washington state, Bledsoe complained to lawmakers he could not send his products to Massachusetts residents, including fans and former teammates like current Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Animals: In California, a ballot initiative approved by voters in 2008 takes effect restricting the confinement of egg-laying hens, breeding sows and veal calves. The Humane Society of the United States says the law goes further than any in the country when coupled with a law signed by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that extends the space requirements for egg-laying hens to out-of-state suppliers. In Utah, cities and towns can no longer ban specific dog breeds within their limits. At least 10 cities now have restrictions that ban ownership of breeds such as pit bulls. Crime: In California, a “yes means yes” standard for sex between college students takes effect, requiring “an affirmative, conscious and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity,” meaning silence or a lack of resistance can no longer be deemed consent. In Michigan, rape evidence may be better organized and tracked under laws designed to help ensure kits aren’t caught in the sort of backlog found when more than 11,000 untested boxes were discovered in a Detroit Police storage facility in 2009. In Louisiana, law enforcement agencies must provide a tally of the number of untested rape kits on their shelves by Thursday, part of a law that took effect in August. In Tennessee, ex-felons who have turned their lives around can now receive a certificate of employability, which gives businesses who hire such
individuals protection from negligent hiring lawsuits. Drug abuse: In Michigan, buying cough and cold medicines for the purpose of making methamphetamine will be illegal under another series of measures intended to crack down on meth makers. The laws also prohibit asking someone to buy the ingredients and require state police to add meth offenders to a national database. Elections: In Louisiana, 16- and 17-year-olds will be able to register to vote when obtaining a driver’s license, though they still won’t be able to vote until they turn 18. In North Carolina, individuals filing as a candidate in a party primary must have had an affiliation with that party for at least 90 days before filing a candidacy notice. A Delaware law establishes new rules for allocating campaign contributions among joint account holders, such as when spouses submit a political contribution using a single check. Environment: In North Carolina, home sellers will have to disclose whether they know if underground oil and gas rights have been sold. In New York State, consumers must begin recycling old computers, televisions and video game consoles instead of throwing them in the trash. In the face of a three-year drought, new California laws require water districts and other local entities to develop plans to manage their groundwater and allow the state to intervene if necessary. Health: Tennessee joins more than 20 states adding insulin to medications that school staff may volunteer to be trained to administer. Proponents said it will help in an era of dwindling school nurses, while opponents say only someone with a medical background should give insulin in case something unexpected happens. In Louisiana, smoking will be banned within 25 feet of public entrances to state office buildings, as a way to lessen exposure to secondhand smoke. Hunting: In North Carolina, the state Wildlife Resources Commission
faces new restrictions on how high it can raise fees on hunting, fishing and trapping licenses. Starting with the new year, the fees can’t be raised beyond a widely used measure of inflation averaged over the previous five years. Motor vehicles: In California, driver’s licenses will be available for people in the country illegally. In Nevada, students who are declared habitually truant could be delayed from obtaining a driver’s license, or could have their license suspended. In Florida, all children aged 4 and 5 will be required to sit in a child safety seat or booster seat instead of using just a car seat belt. In Indiana, license plates will be required on motor scooters for the first time following complaints about unsafe driving by those who’ve lost their licenses because of drunken driving arrests or other offenses. In Michigan, lawmakers closed a loophole so motorcyclists can no longer buy a temporary permit every riding season without taking a safety or skills test needed for a full endorsement. Massachusetts will finally allow “hold open” clips on pumps at selfservice gasoline stations, ending motorists’ complaints — particularly in winter — about being in one of the few states where the clips weren’t allowed. In Utah, police will be required to impound the vehicles of uninsured drivers instead of just having the option to do so. Social media: In New York in February, it becomes illegal to pose for a photo with a lion, tiger or other big cat. The measure, which specifically prohibits contact between members of the public and big cats at animal shows, passed after self-portraits with the animals started becoming more popular online, particularly with some young men on dating sites. Taxes: In North Carolina, Republican lawmakers who approved an income tax cut also took away breaks to Hollywood and cab drivers. Expiring is a 25 percent tax credit for TV and
film productions that in 2013 allowed producers to forego paying $61 million in state taxes. It’s being replaced in 2015 by a grant program for video productions capped at $10 million. In Virginia, drivers can expect to see a 5 cents-per-gallon increase in the cost of gas, while Maryland’s gas tax is set to rise about 3.5 cents. In Mississippi, totally disabled veterans and their surviving spouses who have not remarried would not have to pay property taxes on their primary residence. Veterans: In Nebraska, vets and the spouses of fully disabled veterans will receive a hiring preference when applying for jobs in state or local government. Wages: The minimum wage goes up Thursday in several states, including Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Maryland, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. A wage increase in New York takes effect Wednesday. In addition, troopers in Oklahoma get their first pay raise in seven years. Weapons: In Pennsylvania on Jan. 5, a law takes effect that’s designed to give the National Rifle Association, or any gun owner, a better chance at successfully challenging local firearms ordinances in court. In general, Pennsylvania bars its municipalities from enforcing firearms ordinances that are stronger than state law. But the NRA has complained that dozens of local ordinances go unchallenged in Pennsylvania courts by residents who can prove it harmed them. In California, law enforcement agencies are required to develop policies that encourage officers to search the state’s database of gun purchases as part of routine welfare checks. The bill was prompted by sheriff’s deputies’ failure to detect the danger posed by a man who weeks later embarked on a deadly rampage in May near the University of California, Santa Barbara. Welfare: In Tennessee, as part of welfare eligibility, a parent or guardian with a child struggling in a school must attend two or more conferences with the teacher within a year to review the child’s status.