New Mexico
Miss New Mexico Pageant in Alamogordo
A dozen young ladies from around New Mexico joined the Alamogordo Sertoma Club for its June 6 meeting, ahead of the Miss New Mexico Pageant slated for June 8 at the Flickinger Center.
Seven of them were set to vie for the title of Miss New Mexico 2024, and the chance to represent the Land of Enchantment in the next Miss America Pageant.
Three were competing for the title of Miss New Mexico’s Teen 2024.
And two were the reigning title-holders, Miss New Mexico Lianna Hartshorn of Las Cruces, and Miss New Mexico’s Teen Emily Lehr of Alamogordo.
The local contestants were Emille-Marie Enriquez, Miss Otero County; Dakota Cullers, Miss Alamogordo; and Haidyn Hill, Miss Lincoln County.
At the meeting, which took place at Desert Lakes Golf Course in Alamogordo, Miss New Mexico Executive Director Rhonda Haynes addressed the assembled crowd of contestants, pageant supporters and Sertomans. Like nearly everything else on the planet, the Miss New Mexico Pageant suffered setbacks because of the pandemic. In years past, there were often twice the number of contestants.
More: Miss New Mexico competitions set for Saturday
“We may be small, but we’ve got a great group of girls,” Haynes said. “You are very talented and very smart.”
Haynes also referenced the recently deceased Carol Henry, who for many years was a vital leader for Miss New Mexico.
“We have created four community service scholarships in Carol’s name,” Haynes said. “This is a great way to honor Carol.”
Did you know the current Miss America, Madison Marsh, is a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force?
More: Flickinger Center looking forward to Miss New Mexico, fall season
Haynes made sure to let the audience know. Indeed, Marsh, who won as Miss Colorado, is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, with a degree in physics. She earned her pilot’s license at age 17, and is a cancer research scholar.
“Having a pilot in the Air Force as Miss America is very cool,” said Haynes, who reminded all the Miss New Mexico candidates they too can accomplish great things.
The group also heard from Sarina Turnbull-Paul, who was Miss Alamogordo in 2008 and 2010, and became Miss New Mexico in 2011.
“Among the skills you are learning in this organization, I hope you learn to say yes, and lean in with all your heart,” Turnbull-Paul said. “Be true to yourself. Believe in yourself. And I hope you can carry this back into your communities.”
LAS CRUCES, N.M (KFOX14/CBS4) — A gun-tracking program that uses shell casings to connect shootings is already helping investigators link crimes in Doña Ana County, according to new numbers released by the New Mexico Department of Justice.
The effort is part of New Mexico’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center, which uses ballistic evidence such as shell casings to track guns believed to be used in multiple crimes. The program relies on the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, or NIBIN, a national database that compares ballistic evidence to determine whether shell casings may have come from the same weapon.
In April, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez described how the technology can connect cases across jurisdictions.
“There may be a shooting that occurs in Deming that’s actually connected to a crime gun that’s recovered in Las Cruces. We may find shell casings in Silver City that are connected to something that happened in T or C,” Torrez said.
Four months into the program, the Department of Justice said 210 bullet casings have been analyzed in Doña Ana County. Those casings helped link 32 incidents to 13 guns.
Jordan Salas reports on New Mexico DOJ data: Shell-casing tracking links shootings in Doña Ana County (Credit: KFOX14)
Statewide, more than 700 casings have been entered into the system, connecting 74 shootings to 31 guns.
One person reacting to the numbers said, “That’s crazy. Honestly, all those shootings all coming from that little amount of weapons is crazy.”
New Mexico officials say the system is designed to help law enforcement share information faster and build cases more efficiently.
Also in April, Doña Ana County Sheriff Kim Stewart pointed to a local case she said the technology helped resolve quickly.
“We resolved a homicide with a suspect arrest in four days. We know that those casings may lead to another 1 or 2 incidents in another city,” Stewart said.
Some residents said the technology alone will not solve gun violence, but they see it as a step forward. One person said, “I mean, growing up, like hearing gunshots in the distance. That wasn’t something crazy. I have stories of, like, friends who’ve gone to parties that had guns go off there. So, yeah, I would say guns are a problem there.”
Another person said, “I would think that it’s a good thing. I’m personally like, just anything to help the gun crimes, you know?”
KFOX14/CBS4 contacted Las Cruces police and the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office to ask how the leads are being used in local investigations, but we are awaiting a response.
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- Who: New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez brought a lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc.
- Why: The state claims Meta misrepresented harms to minors and created a public nuisance through its social media platforms.
- Where: The lawsuit is pending in New Mexico state court.
- How to get help: Has social media impacted the mental health of you or your child? You may qualify to join a social media lawsuit against the platform.
New Mexico’s attorney general is asking a state court to order Meta to pay approximately $3.7 billion to address what the state describes as a “public nuisance” caused by the company’s social media platforms.
The request comes after a jury previously found Meta misrepresented the risks its platforms — including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp — pose to underage users. The jury also imposed a $375 million penalty in the first phase of the trial.
The case has now moved into a second phase, where the court will determine what additional remedies, if any, Meta must provide.
According to the state, the proposed $3.712 billion abatement plan would fund a 15-year effort to address the alleged harms caused by Meta’s platforms. The plan includes funding for public education, school resources, law enforcement support and mental health services for children affected by issues, such as online bullying and sexual exploitation.
“This request recognizes the scope of the public nuisance that Meta has caused,” counsel for the state argued in court.
The lawsuit alleges Meta concealed or downplayed the extent of harmful activity on its platforms while publicly portraying them as safe for younger users.
Meta disputes liability, challenges proposed abatement plan
Meta denies the allegations and argues there is no legal basis for the sweeping relief requested by the state.
Attorneys for the company contend the proposed abatement plan does not directly address or stop the alleged harmful conduct and instead seeks compensation for downstream effects.
“What no court has ever allowed … is payment for the downstream effects,” Meta’s counsel argued, describing the request as “damages masquerading as something else.”
The court is expected to hear additional testimony during the second phase of the trial before determining whether to approve any form of injunctive relief or financial remedies.
In March, a California jury found Meta and Google liable for mental health harms suffered by plaintiff Kaley G.M., who became addicted to Instagram and YouTube as a child, awarding $6 million in damages, including $3 million in compensatory damages and $3 million in punitive damages.
What do you think about the claims against Meta in this case? Let us know in the comments.
The state is represented by Raul Torrez of the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General and Donald Migliori, Linda Singer, Michael Pendell and David Ackerman of Motley Rice LLC.
The Meta lawsuit is New Mexico v. Meta Platforms Inc., et al., Case No. D-101-CV-2023-02838, in the First Judicial District Court of New Mexico.
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