Authorities ordered the immediate evacuation of Ruidoso, N.M., on Monday as a wildfire raged right outside the town.
New Mexico
Wildfire forces New Mexico town of Ruidoso to evacuate
The South Fork Fire was spreading just northwest of the town of 7,700 people. As of Monday evening, it had grown to an estimated 360 acres and was threatening multiple structures, according to the New Mexico Forestry Division, dwarfing the nearby Salt Fire, which covered 35 acres.
Evacuation centers were set up at the Inn of the Mountain Gods, a lodging facility about three miles south of Ruidoso, and at Eastern New Mexico University at Roswell, about 65 miles east of the town.
A live webcam showed heavy traffic heading east, as haze and smoke filled the skies.
Ruidoso was designated a high-risk area by federal officials in 2000 because of the thick forests surrounding the town, which can serve as fuel for wildfire, resulting in “catastrophic” damage to residential properties, the water supply and the local population, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
LAS CRUCES, N.M. — An ‘imposter nurse’ in Las Cruces is facing 34 charges after nearly causing the death of a patient and illegally giving medications to patients under 18 years old.
A Doña Ana County grand jury indicted Margarita Gonzalez. She is accused of assuming the identities of nurses in Texas to get hired at four nursing facilities in Las Cruces:
- Village at Northrise
- Las Cruces Wellness and Rehabilitation
- Peak Behavioral Health
- Matrix Home Care
The New Mexico Department of Justice’s Medicaid Fraud and Elder Abuse Bureau investigated and discovered instances where Gonzalez illegally gave injections and dispensed prescriptions, including narcotics to eight inpatient residents under 18 years old.
An investigation also found Gonzalez was also about to allegedly give “an incorrect insulin dose” to a patient that they claim could’ve killed the patient if another nurse hadn’t caught the error.
Several facilities fired Gonzalez over patient safety concerns and an observed lack of knowledge.
“Impersonating a healthcare provider is a reckless and selfish crime that subjects those most vulnerable to risk of serious injury or death,” Attorney General Raúl Torrez said. “I will not tolerate those who risk the safety of patients or cause danger and unnecessary confusion within the healthcare system. These charges should keep anyone attempting to pose as a healthcare provider on notice: we will find you, and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law to protect New Mexicans.”
Gonzalez’s charges include identity theft, nursing without a license, abuse of a resident, distribution of controlled substances to a minor and fraud totaling over $25,000.
If convicted on all counts, Gonzalez could face up to 100 years in prison.
New Mexico
Republican governor candidate calls for eliminating New Mexico’s gross receipts tax on retail sales – New Mexico Political Report
Duke Rodriguez, a Republican candidate for New Mexico governor wants to eliminate the state’s gross receipts tax on retail sales entirely — and says the state can afford it right now. Rodriguez, a former state cabinet secretary and hospital executive, reiterated the idea during Friday’s Albuquerque Journal Republican gubernatorial debate, arguing the state’s surplus reserves of $3 to $4 billion cover the estimated $1.2 to $1.5 billion cost of elimination.
Rodriguez was careful to draw a distinction: his proposal targets only the state’s portion of the tax, leaving intact the local rates cities and counties levy to fund police, fire and other services. “It’s the state portion of New Mexico gross receipts tax,” Rodriguez said. “I still say cities and counties should have their local control.”
Fellow candidate Gregg Hull called the personal income tax the “lowest-hanging fruit” for reform but cautioned that eliminating the gross receipts tax required protecting municipal revenue streams that fund police and fire departments. Doug Turner, who is also running for the Republican nomination, didn’t put a specific number on the shortfall from GRT elimination, but said “that cost could be as much as two billion or three billion dollars that the state would have to come up with.”
Rodriguez pushed back against the estimate of a $2 billion shortfall, arguing that the actual $1.2 billion to $1.5 billion cost of his targeted tax cut is already covered by the state’s massive revenue windfall. “We have a surplus now that goes directly into our reserves closer to three to four billion,” Rodriguez explained, noting that the state could easily afford the elimination “before even talking about cutting services.” Instead, he argued the state is failing because it puts money “in the wrong places.” His proposed solution is to implement better accountability and demand better results from the money that is already being spent. He’s also initiated lawsuits to undo the universal childcare program, a new spending program he opposes.
Rodriguez’s plan is not without precedent. When the state legislature and Governor Bill Richardson eliminated the sales tax on groceries in 2005, they created a “hold harmless” payment to cities and counties paid from other state funds to make up for the lost sales tax revenue.
Vote in the June 2 Primary
Early voting is open now through May 30.
- Now through May 15 — Early voting and same-day registration available
- May 16–May 30 — Early voting and same-day registration expand to additional locations
- All early voting locations closed Monday, May 25 in observance of Memorial Day
New this year: The June 2 primary is New Mexico’s first under a semi-open system. Voters with no party affiliation may choose a Republican or Democratic ballot at the polls without changing their registration.
Find early voting locations: NMVote.org
Find your county clerk: sos.nm.gov
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