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THE NEW MEXICAN Tuesday, September 23, 2014
LOCAL NEWS Officer’s stolen handgun recovered Three people arrested in connection to theft By Chris Quintana The New Mexican
The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday that deputies recovered a handgun stolen from the car of a New Mexico Corrections Department employee earlier this month and arrested three people in connection with the theft and two other auto burglaries in Eldorado. Antonio Chavez, 31, of Santa Fe was arrested on charge of three counts of aggravated burglary, three counts of larceny, identity theft and conspiracy.
In brief New shuttle draws 65 riders on weekend Sixty-five riders took advantage of the city’s free shuttle service between the Santa Fe University of Art and Design campus and the downtown area during the first weekend of the publicly funded pilot project. Nobody used the shuttle on Thursday, but 40 rode the bus on Friday and 25 on Saturday, city spokesman Matt Ross said. The shuttle service, which is available to the general public, was proposed by Mayor Javier Gonzales as a way to boost business and connect a younger crowd with the heart of the city. The shuttles are scheduled to run from 6 to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday during the fall semester between the university campus on St. Michael’s Drive and the Plaza and the Railyard. The City Council, which recently approved the estimated $18,300 pilot project on a 6-1 vote, will receive a report back in November.
Two others, Ana Lara, 26, of Bernalillo and Edward Lucio, 33, of Santa Fe were arrested on charges of receiving or transferring stolen property and conspiracy. Detectives are still searching for a fourth person, Elvis Lopez, 18, who is wanted for burglary, larceny, criminal damage to property, conspiracy and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to a news release. A Magistrate Court document says that Chavez asked a friend to drive him out to Eldorado on Sept. 8 so he could “retrieve some personal items from a friend’s house.” According to an affidavit in the case, Chavez stole items from three cars including the corrections officer’s duty bag containing a .40 caliber handgun, a bulletproof vest, a law
enforcement badge, a Taser, a duty belt, a baton and a set handcuffs. The corrections officer said her vehicle was locked at the time. But the affidavit says that Chavez claimed only to target unlocked vehicles. And Deborah Martinez, a spokeswoman with the sheriff’s office, said a deputy confirmed that there were “no signs of forced entry.” Attempts to reach the corrections officer were unsuccessful. After taking items from the vehicles, Chavez, the driver and a second woman who was in the car, went to McDonald’s where he allegedly used a stolen credit card to buy $30 worth of food, the document says. Chavez, who was arrested on Sept. 14 in connection with an
unrelated case, denied the charges, according to an affidavit. Lara agreed to sell the firearm and the deputy’s badge for Chavez. Deputies later identified the buyer of the gun as Lucio, who paid $125 for it. Lucio told police that he sold the gun to a friend. The sheriff’s office then received a call from an unidentified male who told them the gun was at Ragle Park. Another deputy later found it there in a trash can. Martinez said the badge, which was sold for $20 by Lara, had not been recovered. The bulletproof vest was also recovered, but other items are still missing. The handgun will be returned to the Department of Corrections, Martinez said.
Please see CHARTER, Page A-7
Autumn cleanup effort planned Keep Santa Fe Beautiful is seeking volunteers for its annual “oss No Mas Fall Clean-Up Day on Saturday, Sept. 27. Citizens, businesses, schools, neighborhood and civic groups can join with city Environmental Services and Parks division employees in picking up litter from city parks, school campuses, rights-of-ways and other visible public areas around the city, an announcement by the nonprofit organization said. Organizers are asking volunteers to go to 1142 Siler Road between 7 and 9 a.m. Saturday to pick up trash bags. Participants can clean areas they have identified or be assigned to an area, the statement said. City crews will pick up the refuse for disposal. To sign up in advance, email Gilda Montaño at gjmontano@santafenm. gov. The New Mexican
Gov. Susana Martinez, second from left, embraces one of the evacuees of the SKP Campground Monday in the Lakewood area just north of Carlsbad. Approximately 30 residents were evacuated early Friday morning to the Eddy County Fairgrounds in Artesia after flood waters cut off access along Eddy County Road 381. JESSICA ONSUREZ/CARLSBAD CURRENT-ARGUS
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The New Mexican
Please see PECOS, Page A-7
24 Carlsbad residents take shelter at nearby high school
CARLSBAD ome Carlsbad residents spent part of the night in a shelter after authorities went door to door early Monday warning them to leave because of Pecos River flooding, while dozens of area roads were closed. The floodwaters began receding later in the morning, and authorities said dams along the river were working properly. Bureau of Reclamation officials said Brantley Reservoir, some 10 miles north of Carlsbad, was holding about 59,000 acre-feet of water. The reservoir’s flood capacity is about 1 million acre-feet, so officials said there was plenty of room to continue capturing any inflow. An acre foot is nearly 326,000 gallons, or enough to cover a football field with a foot of water. The bureau shut down releases from Brantley late last week in anticipation of the storms. Eddy County emergency center spokesman
By Robert Nott
Kenny Rayroux said the Pecos River, which runs through Carlsbad, was receding after cresting at about 3:30 a.m. Monday. He was not immediately available to provide details on flooding or the river depth. At about 1:30 a.m., police, deputies and National Guard soldiers went door to door to tell residents of 110 homes that they needed to evacuate, Rayroux said. Red Cross spokeswoman Beverly Allen said 24 people took refuge at a shelter at Carlsbad High School. Some others went to stay with friends or relatives. “As far as we can tell, people are pretty much back out of the way,” Rayroux said. Dozens of roads and streets in the Carlsbad area were closed, and Carlsbad Caverns National Park officials said the park would remain closed Monday due to hazardous road conditions from high water and debris on the road. The park closed late last week because of road conditions.
Pecos River flooding prompts evacuations
The Associated Press
Monte del Sol and Tierra Encantada plan to move away from district control
As part of an effort to gain more independence and direct federal funding, two more Santa Fe charter schools are moving forward with an application for state recognition. The governing board of Monte del Sol Charter School, which serves about 360 students in grades 7-12, recently voted to apply for state authorization for its charter. And on Sunday, Daniel Benavidez, director of Tierra Encantada Charter School, which serves 360 students in grades 7-12, said in an e-mail that his school is pursuing a state charter as well. In July, Turquoise Trail Charter School, another district-authorized charter serving about 500 students from pre-K to the sixth grade, announced it would apply for state authorization. That means three of the district’s four charter schools are attempting to move out from under district control. The fourth, the Academy for Technology and the Classics, said it will stay with the district. The four schools collectively serve about 1,470 students and their charters up are for renewal by the summer of 2015. This summer, Santa Fe Public Schools began paying closer attention to their charter schools’ academic and financial programs as it considers approving their charter renewals. In 2013, the district also asked the heads of those schools to agree to certain performance compacts to ensure greater accountability and transparency. But none of the three heads of the charters in question said that is the reason behind their moves. They cite having more freedom in pursuing their school’s mission and easier access to federal funds. For instance, Monte del Sol head learner Robert Jessen said state authorization gains the school more Title II federal funds to use professional development money for training specific to the needs of its teachers and students. Now the school district receives those funds, sets up professional development training and invites charter school teachers to attend, he said. The financial benefit would otherwise be slim for these three schools — they must pay 2 percent of their operational budget for authorization, be it from the district or the state. Jessen also said the state allows for more autonomy with scheduling. For instance, the district charters now follow Santa Fe Public Schools’ calendar in terms of scheduling winter, spring and summer breaks. As a state charter Monte del Sol could expand its learning day — as New Mexico School for the Arts, a state charter located in Santa Fe, does — or expand its school year into the summer months. The only drawback Jessen sees is that the move would not allow the school to draw on district school buses to transport students. But he believes the school could set up a contract with the district to continue that service. Benavidez echoed many of Jessen’s points and said it will be easier for the school to deal directly with the state rather than to use the district as a “middle man.” He said his school has enjoyed a
Pueblo man pleads guilty in abuse case A 22-year-old Santo Domingo Pueblo man pleaded guilty Monday to an aggravated sexual abuse charge, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Albuquerque said. Javin Keith Reano, 22, was arrested in May 2014 on a charge that he sexually assaulted a Native American woman on July 19, 2013 at Santo Domingo, also known as Kewa Pueblo, a news release said. As part of a plea agreement Monday, Reano acknowledged that he forced the woman to engage in sexual acts against her will. Under the plea deal, Reano will spend seven years in federal prison, followed by a probationary period to be decided by a judge. Reano also will have to register as a sex offender. The 22-year-old will remain in federal custody until his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. The news release described the conviction as part of a program between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and tribal governments to address violence against Native American women.
Two more schools seek shift to state charter
Campaign ad war in Pearce, Lara race heats up Over $6 million spent in this year’s election races By Sandra Fish New Mexico In Depth
The ad war in the 2nd Congressional District race between incumbent GOP Rep. Steve Pearce and Democratic challenger Rocky Lara is heating up. Lara is outspending Pearce for ads running in September, $209,020 to $151,265. But Pearce retains a substantial lead in spending on campaign TV ads, with more than $600,000 in ads scheduled through Election Day. Pearce the thirdlargest ad spender among New Mexico’s political candidates, behind Republican Gov. Susana Martinez and Democrat U.S. Sen. Tom Udall. The $209,020 that Lara’s campaign is spending is for ads that will run through
next Sunday, Sept. 28. According to the latest reports, Lara hadn’t purchased ad time past Sept. 28. Pearce’s first ads began running Sept. 10 and Lara’s appeared a couple of days later, government records show. Pearce’s and Lara’s spending in the 2nd Congressional District race helped push spending on political ads in this year’s New Mexico election races beyond $6 million through Friday, Sept. 19. Total ad time would near six straight days of viewing, or 142 hours. As New Mexico In Depth wrote in an initial analysis of the political ad market, Martinez and Udall, both incumbents, account for more than half the ad spending. The only other advertising thus far by a congressional candidate is from Republican Mike Frese, who is challenging Democratic Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham in Congressional District 1. His ad buys
Section editor: Howard Houghton, 986-3015, hhoughton@sfnewmexican.com Design and headlines: Rachel Valerio, rvalerio@sfnewmexican.com
are almost $29,000 for portions of September. Martinez’s ad spending neared $2 million last week, compared with about $358,000 for her Democratic opponent, Attorney General Gary King, who hasn’t been on TV for almost a month. In Udall’s race, his $1.2 million in spending tops the $365,000 spent by his Republican opponent Allen Weh. The analysis is based on filings by TV stations with the Federal Communications Commission. It doesn’t include ads run solely on cable or satellite TV or on radio. New Mexico In Depth will continue to analyze TV political ad buys each Monday through the Nov. 4 election. Sandra Fish, New Mexico In Depth’s data journalist, can be reached at fish@ nmindepth.com or on Twitter @fishnette.
ADVERTISING COSTS
$600KSteve Pearce $200KRocky Lara King $350KGary Martinez $1.9MSusana $1.2MTom Udall $360KAllen Weh Balderas $55K Hector
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