Rio Rancho Bonds Approved
RIO RANCHO — Rio Rancho voters have said yes to a $50-million bond package and a two-mill tax that will bring $3 million to $4 million a year to the district.
Rio Rancho Public Schools will use the bond money to maintain existing campuses and purchase land and has designated $10 million for the proposed Joe Harris Elementary, although it’s unclear when it will be built.
The two-mill tax will be used to purchase technology for the classroom, upgrade security systems and other small projects. About 4,000 people cast a ballot, or about 7.7 percent.
Both measures passed with more than 60 percent of the vote.
Trapping Ban End Draws Suit
Environmentalists are suing wildlife managers over a decision last summer to lift a trapping ban in southwestern New Mexico where the federal government is reintroducing Mexican gray wolves.
WildEarth Guardians, which filed the lawsuit Tuesday, is concerned trapping could compromise the wolf population in New Mexico and Arizona. A recent survey shows there are at least 58 wolves in the two states.
The group contends the New Mexico Game and Fish Department and the Game Commission are violating the federal Endangered Species Act by allowing trapping.
An agency spokesman says the lawsuit has yet to be reviewed.
The commission’s vote to lift the ban was based partly on a federal study that found trapping accounted for only a fraction of documented wolf injuries and deaths in the recovery area.
School Chief Under Fire
RESERVE — Reserve Superintendent Christina Rigtrup is under fire after state documents show her small school district has suffered from unsupervised classrooms and unlicensed personnel.
State documents accuse Rigtrup of showing up for work sporadically and forcing other teachers to leave their classrooms to cover, according to KOAT-TV. State documents also show the district hired a counselor who doesn’t have a license and placed one principal on paid leave without giving any justification.
The school district’s attorney said the district is conducting its own investigation, although the school board said it stands behind Rigtrup.
N.M. Gets Watershed Project
New Mexico has been awarded the first installment of a 10-year, $6.75 million forest and watershed restoration project that will benefit the Zuni Mountains.
The $400,000 installment comes from the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program established through legislation written by U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman.
The New Mexico Democrat said the goal is to reduce the risk of wildfires and improve watershed and habitat conditions around the Rio Puerco and Rio Nutria watersheds. He said about 56,000 acres will be treated.
The project in the Cibola National Forest was selected from among 26 finalists from around the nation.
— This article appeared on page C2 of the Albuquerque Journal
