Public Safety

Another Rough Weekend On The Jemez Ranger District

June 13, 2017 by Submitted by Kirsten Laskey (ladp admin)

SFNF News:

SANTA FE – Sometimes called the Albuquerque metropolitan area’s “backyard” because of its proximity to the state’s largest city, the Jemez Ranger District on the Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) hosts thousands of visitors on any given weekend between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends.

Unfortunately, a small minority of those visitors can cause huge problems for the forest. Once again, fire prevention patrols on the Jemez District found 13 abandoned or unattended campfires this past weekend.

“We’ve been lucky so far, but we are now officially in our fire season,” Jemez District

Las Vegas Man Sentenced For Interfering With Flight Crew

June 13, 2017 by Submitted by Kirsten Laskey (ladp admin)

FBI News:

LUBBOCK, Texas — Jerry Ba Nguyen, 25, of Las Vegas, was sentenced today before Senior U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to 36 months in federal custody for interfering with flight crew members and attendants, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.

Nguyen pleaded guilty in February 2017 to one count of interference with flight crew members and attendants. Nguyen has been in custody since his arrest in September 2016.

According to plea documents filed in the case, on September 22, 2016 Nguyen was a passenger on American Airlines flight 2542 in route from

New President, Project Manager Bruce Covert Takes Helm For Nuclear Waste Partnership LLC At WIPP

June 13, 2017 by Submitted by Carol A. Clark

Bruce Covert

WIPP News:

Nuclear Waste Partnership LLC (NWP), the AECOM-led management and operating contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), has a new president and project manager this week. Bruce Covert has replaced Phil Breidenbach who, for the past two years, has led NWP efforts to safely recover the facility and resume WIPP transuranic waste emplacement operations.

“I want to thank Phil for his hard work and leadership. He has been a true asset to WIPP and an outstanding partner to the DOE Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO),” CBFO Manager Todd

Worry About Aging Belgian Nukes

June 13, 2017 by Submitted by Carol A. Clark

Tihange 2 nuclear reactor. Photo by Michielverbeek – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5747203

By Homeland Security News Wire:

More micro-cracks have been discovered at the Belgian Tihange 2 nuclear reactor near the German border. safe. The worries in Germany about radiation leaks from the old reactor are strong.

Last year, the government of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, which is on the other side of the Belgian-German border, purchased iodine tablets for distribution to the public in the event of radiation leak. Belgium

Families And School Districts Seek Court Action Against State of New Mexico

June 13, 2017 by Submitted by Carol A. Clark

EDUCATION News:

Landmark Education Suit Claims Students’ Constitutional Rights Are Being Violated

SANTA FE—A state-court trial will start Monday in a landmark education lawsuit that alleges New Mexico is violating the state constitutional rights of students placed at risk.

The trial will focus on legal claims filed by MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) and the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty (the Center) challenging the state’s failure to provide economically disadvantaged students, English-language learners (ELL), Native Americans, and students

White Rock Resident Bitten In Roaming Dog Incident

June 13, 2017 by Submitted by Carol A. Clark

White Rock resident Linda Daly’s injuries from a May 24 incident involving three roaming dogs in Pajarito Acres. Photo by Maire O’Neill/ladailypost.com

By MAIRE O’NEILL
Los Alamos Daily Post

White Rock resident Linda Daly is recovering from injuries she received during a May 24 incident involving three roaming dogs in Pajarito Acres.

Daly said she was walking with her dog on a leash along her regular route

LAFD Cadets Hear LANL History

June 13, 2017 by Submitted by Carol A. Clark

Los Alamos National Laboratory Historian Alan B. Carr gives a talk on the history of the Lab Friday to members of the Los Alamos Fire Department Academy in Council Chambers at the Los Alamos County Municipal Building. Photo by Maire O’Neill/ladailypost.com

Members of the LAFD Fire Academy listen to a talk on LANL history Friday in Council Chambers at the Los Alamos County Municipal Building. Photo by Maire O’Neill/ladailypost.com Read More

Attorney General Hosts Annual Community Summit – ‘Protecting Tomorrow, Today’ To Address Critical Issues Facing New Mexico’s Youth

June 11, 2017 by Submitted by Chris Clark

New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas

STATE News:

ALBUQUERQUE ― New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas announced the 2017 Attorney General Community Summit, “Protecting Tomorrow, Today”, will focus on critical issues facing New Mexico youth.

The summit will bring together experts from around New Mexico and the nation to tackle the toughest issues facing our kids today. The summit will offer free trainings to the public and breakout sessions for experts in various fields who work to make New Mexico a safer, healthier and more prosperous

Pearce Subcommittee Hearing Targets Virtual Currency

June 11, 2017 by Submitted by Carol A. Clark

U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce

U.S. CONGRESSIONAL News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. ― U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce led a House Financial Services Subcommittee Thursday on Terrorism and Illicit Finance hearing entitled “Virtual Currency: Financial Innovation and National Security Implications”.

“Innovation revolutionizes and simplifies our lives on a daily basis. In the last 30 years, we have seen the emergence of the internet as an open source and accessible tool. Part of this revolution has been the emergence of digital financial innovation from small business lending to virtual wallets,”

Heinrich Opening Statement At Joint Economic Committee Hearing On Opioid Crisis

June 11, 2017 by Submitted by Chris Clark

U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich

SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. ― U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Joint Economic Committee, delivered the following statement at June 8 hearing entitled “Economic Aspects of the Opioid Crisis.”

In his opening remarks, Ranking Member Heinrich highlighted the impact of Medicaid cuts to substance abuse treatment and mental health care in the House Republicans’ TrumpCare bill.

Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery:

Thank you, Chairman Tiberi, and thank you to our panel