Money for Trades
PNM announced this week it will invest $1 million in support of high school students in New Mexico to pursue Electric Trade Programs and continue to live and here here in the state. Working closely with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 611, PNM will partner with High Schools in areas it serves to develop and implement this exciting trade program. Students will be trained so they can meet the growing demand for skilled professionals in the electrical industry.
“A lot of people talk about training our kids so they can stay in New Mexico and earn a good living. Well, PNM is doing more than talking, they are doing it” said Mark Strand, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 611 “I am very proud of the electric trades and this program will provide opportunities to high school students which traditionally they wouldn’t have had.”
Visit www.pnm.com/trade for more info.
NM Children, Youth and Families Facing Lawsuit
The death of a Los Lunas infant in 2021 has led to a lawsuit against the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department after it failed to safeguard the child.
According to the lawsuit, the department had six reports about the one-month-old boy being abused, with allegations of abuse both by the child’s mother and one of her other older children.
The mother, Kiria Milton, pleaded guilty to a charge of child abuse resulting in death in August and is awaiting sentencing in December.
The lawsuit claims CYFD and the state’s Behavioral Health Services failed to determine the child was at-risk..
A Presbyterian Hospital behavioral health assessment done on the mother showed she was at a “high risk” for harm to others. It also says she was at an “imminent” risk level for homicide.
Deaf Culture Center Unveiled
Local residents who are deaf have a new site to get support after the Deaf Culture Center of New Mexico opened last week in Albuquerque.
Located in an apartment complex specifically designed to aid those who are deaf, teh center will provide services such as health and nutrition education, technology training and a food pantry.
The complex is one of the five such residences in the country geared toward supporting those who are deaf and hard of hearing.
Woman Convicted of Killing Baby Free During Appeal
Although a Hobbs woman is appealing her conviction for child abuse resulting in great bodily harm, the New Mexico Court of Appeals granted her attorneys’ request that she be remain free from prison until the appeal process is finished.
Alexis Avila was sentenced to 16 years after her conviction for tossing her newborn into a dumpster.
The Appellate Court originally allowed her release pending the appeal to the state Supreme Court, then denied the state’s motion to have her locked up until that hearing.
Free Diabetes Help Available
With World Diabetes Day passing this week, the state Department of Health outlined some of the free services to those afflicted with the disease.
The department utilizes a variety of partnerships with community-based organizations, pharmacies, and other groups to provide management, prevention and support services for not only those with diabetes, but also those at risk for Type 2 diabetes.
“As a person managing Type 2 diabetes, I encourage New Mexicans to enroll in free programs and services, many of them done virtually, and in English and Spanish, to learn the risk factors of diabetes, how to prevent it, and, if diagnosed, how to manage it,” Department of Health Secretary Patrick Allen said in a press release. “Preventing and managing diabetes are key to improving the overall health and quality of life for so many New Mexicans.”
More information is available at pathstohealthnm.org and the Wellness Referral Center can be reached weekdays at 505-850-0176 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.