News

An Arizona escapee who is accused of killing a couple in New Mexico is seeking to have a key piece of evidence thrown out.

Lawyers for John Charles McCluskey are in federal court in Albuquerque this week asking the judge to toss out DNA evidence they say is tainted.

The Texas House has narrowly approved and sent to the Senate a bill cutting taxes on chewing tobacco by more than 30 percent but raising the price of some smaller brands of cigarettes.

Passed Tuesday 74-66, it mandates that cigarette brands not included in a 1998 settlement among big tobacco companies charge an extra 55 cent per pack, like major competitors. Taxes on chewing tobacco, meanwhile, would fall from $1.22 to 80 cents.

Republican Rep. John Otto said the bill is about fairness, and 48 states have adopted similar measures.

    To mark National Teen Pregnancy Month, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) have joined with U.S. Representative Jared Polis (D-Colo.) to introduce a bill that would help states and local school districts support pregnant and parenting youth who face unique challenges staying in school and graduating ready for college or a career. Each year in the U.S., approximately 750,000 teens get pregnant and almost one-fifth of students across the country drop out of high school.

  Governor Susana Martinez has announced that Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or SpaceX, has signed a three-year agreement to lease land and facilities at Spaceport America to conduct the next phase of flight testing for its reusable rocket program. The company will be a new tenant at Spaceport America, the state-owned commercial launch site located in southern New Mexico. “I am thrilled that SpaceX has chosen to make New Mexico its home, bringing their revolutionary “Grasshopper” rocket and new jobs with them,” Governor Martinez said today.

         Three years in the making, a beautification project built by the hands of a dozen Doña Ana County youths will celebrate its third phase of completion Friday, May 10, when the Vado Park and Trail officially opens to the public.

   A grand opening event is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday at the Vado Park and Trail on Holguin Road, near Vado Elementary. The event is open to the public.

An Albuquerque man who was killed and his body found in his car trunk was a former state parole and probation officer who had his own troubles with the law.

A Corrections Department spokesman says 51-year-old Maurice Gonzales worked for the department from 1991 to 2000.

According to the Albuquerque Journal, Gonzales left his state job several months after he was charged with breaking and entering and other crimes. He later pleaded no contest to breaking and entering.

A homeless man who spent 19 years in prison for murdering his mother and a young nephew with an ax has been sentenced to more prison time for violating an order of protection.

The Alamogordo Daily News reports that Albert Lueras was sentenced on Monday 1½ years in prison for of felony aggravated stalking and misdemeanor violation of a restraining order.

He had knocked on the door of the Alamogordo home where the killings took place in 1989.

Lueras has been jailed at the Otero County Detention Center since his arrest in 2012.

Researchers are studying if strawberries could be a new cash crop for farmers in northern New Mexico.

The New Mexico State University scientists currently are testing whether the sweet red fruit could survive the area's early spring freezes.

Fruit specialist Shengrui Yao (ZHEN-grew-EE YAO) says late frosts won't kill all of the flowers or buds in a cluster so the fruit may be a good alternative for growers.

The study also is designed to determine which treatment will help strawberry plants adapt to high pH soil.

Gov. Susana Martinez is in Arizona for political fundraising and to promote New Mexico's recently approved economic development tax cuts.

The governor's office said Martinez is the keynote luncheon speaker Tuesday at a conference by the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Martinez plans to talk about tax cuts that supporters hope will help attract businesses to New Mexico.

The state is lowering its corporate income tax rate from 7.6 percent to 5.9 percent over five years. New Mexico's top tax rate currently is the highest among neighboring states.

A board appointed by the state to manage the El Paso school district holds its first official meeting after taking over for the district's ousted board.

State Education Commissioner Michael Williams will attend Tuesday's meeting and swearing-in.

   No injuries were reported but two men and a woman have been charged in connection with a Sunday evening shooting at a mobile home on Bataan Memorial West.

Avery Hamilton, 27, Jennifer C. Cullins, 32, and 30-year-old Michael David Trujillo were each charged for their role in the shooting that occurred sometime after 6 p.m. Sunday, May 5, at 4175 Bataan Memorial West.

Las Cruces boasts numerous top quality musicians, including several retirees from major orchestras who continue to share their musical talents with the community. Pamela Shaffer Reinhard, retired violinist from the Minnesota Orchestra, and L. William Kuyper, retired horn player from the New York Philharmonic, met here in Las Cruces, and have now formed the Southwest Trio, with Palm Springs-based pianist Robert Miller.

A homicide victim whose body was found in a car trunk after a high speed chase has been identified as an Albuquerque man.

Authorities say the body of 51-year-old Maurice Gonzales was found in the trunk of his car following a chase that ended near Los Lunas. Authorities say he was killed in his apartment Friday.

Court records say 18-year-old Jennifer McKee and 20-year-old Ashlee Gurule have been charged with murder. Both are from Albuquerque.

A 16-year-old girl from Gallup is charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

It was unclear if any had attorneys.

State officials are launching a campaign against underage drinking in New Mexico.

The state Department of Transportation and Gov. Susana Martinez unveiled a public service campaign on Monday that includes billboards and television advertising to help prevent underage drinking.

The department said a website has been designed to educate young people about alcohol problems and encourage alternatives to drinking.

The web site also includes information for parents and teachers.