Morning Word: Governor Promotes Vaccinations

Gov. Susana Martinez wants to make it easier for school-aged children to get vaccines. On Monday, she announced her Got Shots? Protect Tots! program, with clinics set up to offer free immunizations.

Anne Constable reports.  The state’s largest school district insists there is no teacher shortage, but New Mexico Political Report 's

Andy Lyman

has a story about Albuquerque Public Schools recruiting some 300 teachers for the upcoming school year. Read it here.  In Taos, meanwhile, teachers at the city’s most popular alternative high school say they’re applying for a one-year leave of absence after the superintendent there ordered the school to relocate. KUNM’s Rita Daniels went to Taos to cover a big parent protest. Listen to her radio story here.  The New Mexico Department of Health confirms a Santa Fe County woman died from the plague, and that has officials concerned about the potential spread of the killer disease here in the late summer months. SFR Editor Julie Ann Grimm reports. Former Rio Arriba County Sheriff Tommy Rodella, who is appealing his 10-year prison sentence, wants the feds to back off from seizing $70,000 cash from his bank account because it’s needed to help his wife, state Rep. Debbie Rodella, D-Española, operate her bail bond business. Read it at the Santa Fe New Mexican.  Officials from the state auditor's office told members of Santa Fe’s Finance Committee they’ve contracted a special audit and are seeking a legal opinion on whether money from those 2008 Santa Fe park bonds was spent appropriately. Daniel J. Chacón reports.  The Santa Fe man who is accused of throwing a banana peel at comedian Dave Chappelle is still hoping for a plea deal before the start of his trial. A judge still hasn’t decided if the comedian has to return to Santa Fe to testify against Christian Englander. Read more at KOB.com.  The Environmental Protect Agency wants the City of Albuquerque to monitor its air quality for pollution particulates floating in from forest fires, dusty roads and industrial emissions, and the federal agency is giving engineers more than $150,000 to help. Read more at KUNM.org  Journalist Marisa Demarco has learned that

Albuquerque

's Environment Department has rejected an operating permit application from an asphalt company that wanted to set up a new plant adjacent to a wildlife refuge in the South Valley, because contaminants could exceed air quality standards. Listen here.  Months after Deb Haaland was elected New Mexico Democratic Party chair, she’s hired an executive director. Denver attorney Joe Kabourek will help boost party candidates through the 2016 election cycle next year. Read more at the Los Alamos Daily Dispatch.  The GOP in Santa Fe County is looking for a new treasurer after removing Ignacio Padilla. who had created a piñata resembling Donald Trump and called the billionaire real estate tycoon a racist. The party says it doesn’t want its officers taking sides in the primary. Read it at the Santa Fe New Mexican.  US Sen. Martin Heinrich may be getting a little older, but he’s still got it going on, according to SexyCongress.net, who has him ranked as the best-looking politician on Capitol Hill. SFR’s Tom Ragan takes a look at how the rest of the state’s delegation ranks. Read his story here.   Youngsters with a Santa Fe ice skating club are thinking of military personnel still serving abroad, and they’ve decided to put together some care packages that will be shipped by Blue Star mothers once they’re all packaged up. Read more at KRQE.com.  Finally, green chile farmers are hoping a new machine they’re helping to develop will make it easier for them to harvest the summer bounty.

Read it at KRQE. 

Santa Fe Reporter