Regional

Operations of an appointed advisory commission that investigates citizen complaints against the Albuquerque Police Department would be suspended while the City Council considers the commission's future.

Councilors Trudy Jones and Brad Winter plan Monday to propose that the Police Oversight Commission's operations be put on hold. A decision would come later.

The Albuquerque Journal reports that critics of the commission range from the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico to the police union.

New Mexico State Police say a 17-year-old Glorieta girl is accused of trying to blackmail a 43-year-old man over consensual sex by threatening to falsely report that he raped her.

According to police, the man said the girl demanded that he pay her $1,500.

State Police says the girl made incriminating statements during an arranged phone call with the man and was arrested when she arrived at a store parking lot, supposedly so the man could pay her.

According to national news reports, the Better Business Bureau is warning of a new utility bill scam that is popping up throughout the U.S. and Canada. The scam involves asking people to pay their bills with prepaid debit cards.

The BBB reports scammers claim to work for a local electric, water or gas company. Callers tell people they're late on a utility bill and service will be cut off if they don't pay immediately. They then instruct people to purchase a prepaid debit card to pay their bill and call them back with the card number. Thieves then drain the value from the card.

Las Cruces Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for information that helps identify the three suspects who broke into a Mesilla restaurant twice since April 9.

The Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the two burglaries at Meson de Mesilla, at 1803 Avenida de Mesilla, which occurred on April 9 and May 15. Surveillance photos from the restaurant show three men entering the restaurant shortly after 3 a.m. on Wednesday, May 15.

The same three men are suspected of burglarizing the restaurant the previous month.

The former director of an Albuquerque halfway house for criminal defendants and former inmates has admitted she stole from the federally funded treatment center.

The U.S. Attorney's Office says 56-year-old Robin Cash pleaded guilty Wednesday to four counts of thefts from a program receiving federal funds and three counts of willfully failing to file a tax return over three years.

Cash was executive director of the La Pasada Halfway House at the time of the offenses.

The New Mexico Supreme Court is considering whether thousands of state workers covered by union contracts are owed back pay and raises totaling millions of dollars.

The state high court on Wednesday heard arguments on an appeal by the administration of Gov. Susana Martinez.

Her administration is appealing a state Court Appeals' ruling.

A northern New Mexico historic site that is considered one of the best preserved examples of a 17th century Spanish colonial mission has been designated as a national historic landmark.

The San Jose de los Jemez Mission Church was added to the list of landmarks Thursday. There are now nearly four dozen national historic landmarks in New Mexico.

State Cultural Affairs Secretary Veronica Gonzales calls the church in Jemez Springs an "outstanding example of American history and culture."