Here’s a look at today’s headlines:
April Matthews, who has been at Western New Mexico University for the last 28 years, was recognized as Employee of the Year by her peers. Matthews implemented the Help Desk system for student and employee technology troubleshooting, and initiated a process where paper documents are now filled out and traced online. She also employed a document imaging system where student records are available online to university personnel on campus. Matthews will be retiring from WNMU in September and she is looking forward to spending a lot of her time away from the computer screen.
A 29-year old man from Deming was sentenced in federal court in Las Cruces to 21 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for violating the federal firearms laws. He was arrested in October last year and charged with a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition after having previously been convicted of a drug trafficking felony in Texas.
The New Mexico State Forestry Division in sending help to western states affected by ongoing wildfires. 116 personnel, including 30 members of the Returning Heroes Wildland Firefighter Program, are supporting teams on fires in California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and Utah.
The Bureau of Land Management yesterday announced that it is implementing authority provided by Congress giving the agency the flexibility to conduct online lease sales. The move is a continuation of the BLM’s ongoing efforts to modernize the oil and gas program by increasing program efficiency and generating savings for taxpayers. The BLM’s Eastern States Office will hold the first auction under this new authority on Sept. 20, 2016, when it offers 14 parcels encompassing 4,398 acres of Federal mineral estate in Kentucky and Mississippi. The BLM is evaluating other opportunities to hold additional online sales.
