Morning Word: Partial, redacted behavioral health audit released

However, a look at the most recent State Personnel Office’s quarterly report shows that high vacancy rates continue to be a problem across state government, with some agencies having a much higher vacancy rate than the programs Varela is concerned about.

Other state departments with high vacancy rates were Regulation and Licensing (22.3 percent); Taxation and Revenue (21.5 percent); Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources (20 percent); Public Education (19.7 percent); Environment (18.4 percent); Health (17.4 percent); Workforce Solutions (16.8 percent) and Public Safety (16.2 percent).

Many teachers fear the evaluations will be subjective rather than objective and are a witch hunt, she added.

Bernstein said a strike would be illegal because of a no-strike clause in state law. She makes that clear in the letter but adds she would gladly to go jail by breaking that no-strike clause.

State Education Secretary Designate Hanna Skandera responded by saying the state is implementing a whole new way to evaluate teachers. She said Korte's email, "summed up as a great example … the misinformation floating around the state." Skandera said that's why she used it in the mass email.

The shift has given the elected officials and their political action committees – including Republican Gov. Susana Martinez’s Susana PAC and the Democratic House Speaker’s Ken Martinez Leadership Fund – more clout in setting course for their respective parties. It has increasingly left state party leaders watching from the sidelines.

Córdova said in an interview “communication and dialogue” are important in keeping councilors fully informed about town issues, but no final decisions are ever made.

“If a councilor is against something that’s very important to the town, than I know I need to give him all the information that clearly shows why it’s beneficial,” Córdova told The Taos News.

According to draft minutes posted from the Oct. 8 employee labor relations board meeting, the district claimed that a 2003 state law did not allow school boards authority over grievances filed by employees and school personnel.

Instead, school boards only have authority over the school superintendent, and the law allows the superintendent the power to supervise and administer all schools and personnel within the district.

The money will be used in "focused advertising" and public relations campaigns to encourage travelers to visit those areas that have reopened, according to a state news release.

I absolutely refuse to go to any political fundraisers or functions held at a casino. I think if people want to gamble, (being the suckers they are) then we shouldn't make it more convenient for them by having a branch of government helping out. The committee chairs and Legislative Council need to make a big policy change here.

Greg Valdez says this contamination was caused by an experiment known as "Project Gasbuggy" that took place 21 miles southwest of Dulce on Dec. 10, 1967. The project's goal was to identify peaceful uses for nuclear explosions, and it involved the detonation of a 29-kiloton device located 4,227 feet underground. The intent was to release pockets of natural gas that could be used commercially.

City Manager Doug Redmond said Sunland officials never said anything about bankruptcy or money problems during negotiations that began in early March. Quite the opposite, Redmond said, Sunland Chief Executive Officer Jimmie Shearer presented the city with financial statements indicating the company was solvent and had just received a $3 million loan from a Denver bank to purchase new equipment.

Each array is ground-mounted and consists of more than 4,000 solar panels. The expected annual output of 4.65 million kilowatt hours will produce about 80 percent of the electricity needed to run the schools, saving the district about $200,000 in electricity costs.

At first, no one knew exactly how many miners were lost. But on Oct. 24, two days after the explosion, The New Mexican estimated that the loss of life would reach 263 — what became the official tally — making it the second largest mining disaster in U.S. history.

Most were recent immigrants — 129 from Italy, 52 from Greece, 30 from Mexico and the rest from Austria, France, England, Russia and other countries, along with 37 English-speaking Americans, both whites and blacks. Among those killed was the mine’s superintendent, William McDermott, a native of Ireland, and a man who had accompanied him into the mine that day, identified as a “wealthy New Yorker.”