Explosives in Home Removed
A load of old explosives has been safely disposed of by the Albuquerque police bomb squad and federal agents after a contractor found a roll of detonating cord at a home.
The discovery led the contractor to notify authorities.
Further checking determined the homeowner once owned an ammunition manufacturing business.
As agents conducted a further search Tuesday, they recovered nearly 300 pounds of mixed explosive powder as well as machinery, tools and empty brass casings.
While checking a crawl space, agents found about 30 pounds of 50-year-old plastic explosives, along with 25 explosive shape charges, about 270 pounds of ammonium nitrate, fuel oil and more detonating cord.
The APD bomb squad will store the materials while an investigation continues.
Man Died of Gunshot Wound
An Albuquerque murder suspect who died after a police standoff in Mora County Tuesday was killed after suffering a gunshot wound, according to New Mexico State Police.
However, police are still investigating whether he died as the result of officer gunfire, or whether his wound was self-inflicted.
Wes Brannon was pronounced dead Tuesday in Mora County after authorities said Brannon slammed into a parked deputy’s car and officers fired on him.
Police said Brannon was linked to the death of Albuquerque resident Greg Miller whose body was found Tuesday. Police said they suspect the man who killed Miller believed he was sleeping with his wife.
Deputies and State Police responded to a call from Brannon’s estranged wife in Mora County who said Brannon was at her door with a gun. When they arrived, he’d left her home, but he came back and authorities said Brannon rammed into a parked deputy’s car.
CNM Board Looks at Districts
Central New Mexico Community College board will hold its first public forum at 6:30 p.m. today on redistricting board boundaries based on 2010 Census information.
The forum will be held at the Joseph M. Montoya Campus, 4700 Morris NE, in the J Building, Room 122.
Representatives from Research & Polling Inc. will provide maps of redistricting possibilities for review. Proposed maps are posted on the CNM website at www.cnm.edu/redistricting. Additional forums will be scheduled to provide more opportunities for comment. Also, comments or questions can be emailed to mco@cnm.edu.
High Court To Review Case
The New Mexico Supreme Court has decided to review the Court of Appeals opinion on the lawsuit former Rio Rancho City Manager Jim Palenick filed against the city claiming he was due more than $120,000 in back pay because he was fired illegally in 2006.
Palenick based his claim on an attorney general’s opinion that said conversations between former Mayor Kevin Jackson and several city councilors before they voted to fire him violated the state Open Meetings Act.
The Open Meetings Act, among other things, prohibits a quorum of elected officials from conducting public business in private. Actions taken in violation of the act are invalid.
The council acted to correct the violation in September 2007, eleven months after firing Palenick.
A District Court judge maintained the city could cure the violation retroactively, but the Appeals Court opinion issued in November effectively said a city can’t wait nearly a year to correct a violation of the Open Meetings Act.
Last month, the city asked the Supreme Court to reverse the Appeals Court decision.
PAT VASQUEZ-CUNNINGHAM/JOURNALBrandon “Bamm” Roberts does some freestyle dancing Wednesday at the gazebo in Old Town Albuquerque.
Got the Cool Moves
— This article appeared on page C2 of the Albuquerque Journal
