Aggies’ 7-foot-5 Bhullar stands in the way of SDSU’s hopes
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Tuesday, March 18, 2014
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City tax revenues fall short of expectations for January
Waves bolster Big Bang theory Astronomers report ripples that indicate the universe rapidly ballooned. PAge A-4
Business Matters New Mexico job numbers continue to lag behind the rest of the U.S.
Mine That Bird film tour begins in N.M. Cast and crew are making their way to Albuquerque for the premiere of 50-1 before embarking on a monthlong trip around the country. LOCAL News, A-7
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Congress studies new way to pay for big fires
Finance director says he didn’t see anticipated bump from annexation By Daniel J. Chacón The New Mexican
The city of Santa Fe expected to collect an additional $200,000 to $300,000 in gross receipts taxes for the month of January following the
annexation of 4,100 acres on the city’s south side. Instead, collections were down 8.34 percent from the year before. City Finance Director Marcos Tapia said Monday that the city received $6.16 million in gross receipts taxes for January, about $561,000 less than in January 2013. “If annexation was supposed to hit city pockets, city funds, I didn’t see the bump,” Tapia said.
Tapia told the City Council’s Finance Committee that he’s asking the state Taxation and Revenue Department to try to break out the numbers for the newly annexed area of the city. “My thing is, ‘Hey guys, did you turn the switch on?’ That’s my question. Right now, I don’t know if it is or not. I would say no,” he said. Overall, however, gross receipts
‘Unfinished business’
Lobos hope to make it past opening weekend for first time in 15 trips to Big Dance New MexICO’s NCAA TOuRNAMeNT hIsTORy Coach Steve Alford 2013: Lost to Harvard in first round, 68-62 2012: Defeated Long Beach State in first round, 75-68 Lost to Louisville in second round, 59-56 Coach Ritchie McKay 2010: Defeated Montana in first round, 62-57 Lost to Washington in second round, 82-64 2005: Lost to Villanova in first round, 55-47 Coach Dave Bliss 1999: Defeated Missouri in first round, 61-59 Lost to Connecticut in second round, 78-56 1998: Defeated Butler in first round, 79-62 Lost to Syracuse in second round, 56-46
Legislation would allow use of natural disaster funds, spare money for prevention efforts By Nicholas K. Geranios
The Associated Press
BOISE, Idaho — A bipartisan effort underway in Congress would change the way the country pays to fight catastrophic wildfires, tapping natural disaster funds instead of money intended for fire prevention, lawmakers from Oregon and Idaho said Monday. In the past, as fire seasons have progressed, money set aside for forest thinning and other fire prevention efforts has been syphoned to pay for battling the biggest blazes. “And then, of course, the problem gets worse,” said Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, who met with lawmakers to discuss the proposed budget reform. The legislation introduced in Congress would direct that when firefighting costs reach 70 percent of the 10-year average, firefighting agencies could dip into the government’s fund for battling natural disasters such as hurricanes. Republican Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch of Idaho, and Democratic Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley of Oregon worked together on the idea of fighting the season’s biggest fires with natural disaster funds, thus sparing fire prevention and restoration money for that important work. “Wildfires are being allowed to become
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Obituaries
Partly sunny; breezy and cooler. High 51, low 22.
Jeffrey Thomas Chavez, Feb. 18 James W. Garcia, 61, Santa Fe, March 13 Irene M. Gonzales, 100, Santa Fe, March 16 Richard R. Gorman, 60, Santa Fe, March 16 Pasqual A. Sanchez, 53, Santa Fe, March 5 William Wiese Jr., 74, Santa Fe, March 12
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A win there likely would set up a rematch with perennial power Kansas on Sunday — the same Kansas Jayhawks whose one-time coach, James Naismith, is credited with inventing the sport. It’s also the same Jayhawks team that cruised to a double-digit win over UNM back in December. The done that part, well, that’s a whole ’nother story. Current head coach Craig Neal was the Lobos’ top assistant for six years before taking over last March when he-who-must-not-be-named — aka former head coach Steve Alford — jilted the Lobos in favor of a more lucrative post at UCLA. Neal knows all about the pound-
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The Associated Press
Putin recognizes Crimean independence KIEV, Ukraine — Ignoring the toughest sanctions against Moscow since the end of the Cold War, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula as an “independent and sovereign country” on Monday, a bold challenge to Washington that escalates one of Europe’s worst
Student ensemble from Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music; 6 p.m., United Church of Santa Fe, 1804 Arroyo Chamiso, no charge, call Santa Fe Concert Association for details, 984-8759.
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ALBUQUERQUE t’s a case of been there, done that for The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team this week. The been there part, that’s the NCAA Tournament. The Lobos’ inclusion in the Big Dance is the 15th in school history. Ranked 17th in the final Top 25 polls from the media and coaches, they were given a proverbial slap in the face with a No. 7 seed in the South region and will play Stanford out of the Pac-12 Conference in the tournament’s second round Friday in St. Louis.
The Associated Press
Curtis on Tour family concert
Index
By Will Webber
The New Mexican
By Jim Heintz
www.pasatiempomagazine.com
ing heartbeat of the Lobo Nation’s fan base. He also knows how badly his team’s followers want a chance to sip the from the sacred chalice of the Sweet 16, to see their beloved cherry and silver on the national stage deep into the tournament. In 14 previous trips to the college game’s penultimate event, the Lobos have never advanced into the tournament’s second weekend. For the ill-informed, that’s the Sweet 16, the round before the Elite Eight and the one two steps before the unthinkable Final Four. It takes two wins to get out of the opening weekend. That makes New Mexico 0-for14 in that category. And every fan
1997: Defeated Old Dominion in first round, 59-55 Lost to Louisville in second round, 64-63 1996: Defeated Kansas State in first round, 69-48 Lost to Georgetown in second round, 73-62 1994: Lost to Virginia in first round, 57-54 1993: Lost to George Washington in first round, 82-68 1991: Lost to Oklahoma State in first round, 67-54 Coach Norm Ellenberger 1978: Lost to Cal State Fullerton in second round, 90-85 1974: Defeated Idaho State in second round, 73-65 Lost to San Francisco in regional semifinal, 64-61 Defeated Dayton in third place game, 66-61 Coach Bob King 1968: Lost to Santa Clara in regional semifinal, 86-73 Lost to New Mexico State in third place game, 62-58
New Mexico’s Kendall Williams, center, waves a towel to cheer on his teammates during the first half of the Lobos’ quarterfinal matchup last week against Fresno State in the Mountain West Conference Tournament in Las Vegas, Nev. ISAAC BREKKEN/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Blatant challenge to strict sanctions against Russia worsens security situation in the region
Pasapick
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security crises in years. The brief decree posted on the Kremlin’s website came just hours after the United States and the European Union announced asset freezes and other sanctions against Russian and Ukrainian officials involved in the Crimean crisis. President Barack Obama warned that more would come if Russia didn’t stop interfering in Ukraine, and Putin’s move clearly forces his hand.
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The West has struggled to find leverage to force Moscow to back off in the Ukraine turmoil, of which Crimea is only a part, and analysts saw Monday’s sanctions as mostly ineffectual. Moscow showed no signs of flinching in the dispute that has roiled Ukraine since Russian troops took effective control of the strategic Black Sea peninsula last month and supported the Sunday referendum that overwhelmingly called for annexation by Russia. Recognizing Crimea as independent would be an interim step in absorbing the region.
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Crimea had been part of Russia since the 18th century, until Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev transferred it to Ukraine in 1954 and both Russians and Crimea’s majority ethnic Russian population see annexation as correcting a historic insult. Ukraine’s turmoil — which began in November with a wave of protests against President Viktor Yanukovych and accelerated after he fled to Russia in late February — has become Europe’s most severe security crisis in years. Russia, like Yanukovych himself,
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Two sections, 24 pages 165th year, No. 77 Publication No. 596-440