Two new wrongful-death lawsuits accuse a New Mexico prison of systemic problems, including covering up evidence surrounding prisoner deaths, allowing drugs to circulate in the prison and even denying urgent medical care. The prison is owned and operated by Tennessee corporation CoreCivic, one of the largest private prison corporations in the U.S. with dozens of […]
■ Courts & Justice
Posted in■ Courts & Justice
Equal Employment commission seeks court order to compel school district’s testimony in bias probe
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a federal court action Friday to enforce subpoenas against Gallup-McKinley County Schools, alleging the New Mexico district has refused to cooperate with an investigation into claims of discriminatory hiring practices against Native Americans. The EEOC said it issued two administrative subpoenas seeking testimony from high-level school administrators as […]
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Judge blocks Trump from cutting funding to more ‘sanctuary cities,’ including Albuquerque, for now
Late Friday, a federal judge extended a block of the Trump administration’s efforts to freeze federal funding to more cities, including Albuquerque, that restrict law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration efforts. Judge William Orrick in San Francisco extended an earlier preliminary injunction barring the federal government from withholding funds or conditioning federal funding on having […]
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RRPS keeping guns away through manpower and technology
Rio Rancho Public Schools uses a vigilant security team and technology to prevent students bringing firearms to campus, a district spokesperson says. Wyndham Kemsley told the Sandoval Signpost no firearms have been found on campus this school year. Last year, he said, the only such incident occurred when staff investigating another matter found a weapon […]
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Bernalillo schools to require clear backpacks
Transparency isn’t just for governments anymore. Bernalillo Public Schools has announced a clear backpack policy for students in Grades 4 through 12. Thomas Maes, Jr., the district’s director of safety and security, sent a letter to families explaining the policy. “Clear backpacks are part of a layered approach to safety and security that includes strategies […]
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Multiple suspects identified after Edgewood Church vandalism
By Connor Currier The Edgewood Police Department, in a press release, announced multiple people have been identified who are suspected of being involved in a recent church vandalism. On Aug. 17, Edgewood Police were dispatched to Valley View Christian Church. According to Valley View Christian Church, its building was vandalized in several spots on different […]
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Toddler dies after falling out of moving car, getting hit by vehicle in Edgewood parking lot
By Connor Currier A 2-year-old child died after being struck by a vehicle in a parking lot Saturday evening, according to the Edgewood Police Department. The Edgewood police department announced the child’s death Thursday morning. According to the press release, officers responded to a report of a two-vehicle crash in the AutoZone parking lot. A […]
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Workplace hazards lead to penalties for Hurley municipal departments
Municipal facilities in Hurley, a town in Grant County, are facing steep penalties after workplace safety inspections uncovered hazards ranging from fire risks to unmarked electrical panels and missing chemical safety protocols. The New Mexico Environment Department’s (NMED) Occupational Health and Safety Bureau (NM OSHA) issued the citations following Jan. 22 inspections of the Hurley […]
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Missing Army vet found dismembered along New Mexico highway
Two former U.S. Army soldiers led New Mexico law enforcement officers to the dismembered remains of a missing 25-year old Army veteran alongside a northern New Mexico highway on Sunday. According to court records filed today reviewed by NM.news, Matthew McLaughlin, 25, was reported missing on July 31. Taos County detectives developed information that led […]
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Teen patient abused at Mesilla Valley Hospital, lawsuit claims
A mental health clinic in Las Cruces is under fire now that a lawsuit alleges a teen patient was sexually abused while attending court-ordered counseling sessions. The plaintiff in the case, an unnamed New Mexico resident, was 14 or 15 when the alleged assaults occurred between 2005 and 2006. According to the case, the teen […]