New Mexico News

J&J Reaches Opioid Settlement With Holdout New Mexico

Johnson & Johnson on Friday said it had agreed to pay $44 million to resolve claims that it fueled the opioid epidemic in New Mexico, a state which originally opted against participating in a nationwide settlement resolving thousands of similar …

Investigators Track Ammunition in Fatal Film Set Shooting

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Authorities pursued new leads Tuesday on possible sources of live ammunition involved in actor Alec Baldwin’s fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the New Mexico set of a western movie, as they searched the premises …

Risk of Quakes Caused by Oil, Gas in New Mexico Rising

CARLSBAD, N.M. (AP) — Multiple earthquakes were felt earlier this fall in West Texas, leading regulators in that state to designate a seismic response area and call for less wastewater from oil and gas development to be injected in disposal …

Supply Chain Problems Threaten Utility’s Power Supplies

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — When Public Service Co. of New Mexico abandons the coal-fired San Juan Generating Station in June, the utility won’t have enough solar replacement power to pick up the slack because of supply chain issues caused by …

Firefighters Battling Wildfires in Arizona and New Mexico

KINGMAN, Ariz. (AP) — Mohave County authorities have issued an emergency declaration after a wildfire near Kingman prompted the evacuation of more than 200 homes in Pine Lake area. In the meantime, firefighters stepped up efforts to control another wildfire …

New Mexico Acequias Prepare for Brutal Year Amid Drought

TALPA, N.M. (AP) — It was a scenic day in Talpa, a small village in Taos County, and that concerned Darryl Maestas. The sky was blue, temperatures were warm and a slight breeze moved through the valley. Meanwhile, the clear …

New Mexico Seeks Court’s Protection From Business Lawsuits

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico’s governor and top health officials are trying to fend off a flurry of lawsuits by businesses owners who say financial losses caused by the state’s pandemic health orders amount to a regulatory taking …

District Settles For $475K After Teacher Punched Boy, 9

ESPANOLA, N.M. — A New Mexico school district has agreed to pay $475,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by the family of a boy who was punched by a music teacher. The Santa Fe New Mexican reports a copy of …

$12.7M Dam Project Aimed at Protecting New Mexico Village

In one southern New Mexico village, it’s like clockwork — the summer rains come and the floodwaters follow. Federal officials say storm runoff regularly causes significant damage to residential, commercial and agricultural areas in and around the village of Hatch, …

New Mexico Bill Reducing Workers’ Comp Benefits for Intoxicated Workers Signed into Law

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez signed legislation that reduces workers’ compensation benefits for employees who injure themselves on the job while drunk or high. “If an employee is drunk or high on the job, they shouldn’t be rewarded with full …