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Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Around New Mexico
APS Committee OKs West Side Stadium
The Albuquerque Public Schools capital outlay committee voted Tuesday to build a new West Side stadium at Atrisco Heritage Academy.
The board had previously considered building the stadium farther north, but reconsidered after a deal with developer SunCal fell through. APS already owns the land near Atrisco Heritage, which is near Dennis Chavez and 118th SW.
"This is a dream come true for that community," said board member Dolores Griego, who represents much of the South Valley. She said the stadium would bring economic development to the area.
The site still must be approved by the full board, but APS officials hope to put the project out to bid in the next few months and break ground by late summer.
Mountain Lion Seen In Central Santa Fe
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish says a large mountain lion has been sighted near downtown Santa Fe and may be living in a residential area.
Department wildlife biologists sighted the cougar Tuesday morning about an hour after residents reported seeing the animal.
The cougar eluded capture by traveling along walls and through backyards in the quiet but densely populated neighborhood near Cordova Road and Don Gaspar Avenue.
Authorities said that if the mountain lion is located, it will be tranquilized and removed from the area.
Rio Rancho Schools' Aid Request Denied
SANTA FE — Rio Rancho Public Schools was turned down Tuesday by a state board for $500,000 in emergency state aid to help with a looming budget shortfall.
The state Public Education Department had recommended the extra money for the district, which has increased costs because of rising enrollment for several years. The district serves nearly 16,000 students.
The state Board of Finance rejected the money for Rio Rancho but approved emergency aid for seven other school districts, with each getting $500,000. Districts receiving the money were Gadsden, Jemez Mountain, Lake Arthur, Mosquero, Roy, Taos and Vaughn.
Because the state faced budget problems this year, the Legislature cut spending on public schools. However, lawmakers set aside $4 million to help schools experiencing severe budget shortfalls. The board must approve schools' requests.
Critical Habitat Proposed for Jaguar
Environmentalists want the federal government to set aside more than 53 million acres in New Mexico, Arizona, California and Texas as critical habitat for the endangered jaguar.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is evaluating which areas of the Southwest will be set aside for the elusive cat, once thought to have disappeared from the United States.
The agency has acknowledged there are "physical and biological features" in the region that can be used by jaguars, but the area proposed by the Center for Biological Diversity would represent one of the largest swaths of land ever set aside for any one species.
The group contends jaguar recovery in the United States is dependent on large areas being protected as critical habitat. The proposed habitat is more than half the size of California.
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