Here’s a look at today’s headlines:
The Grant County Commission held a special meeting on Wednesday to make final adjustments to the fiscal year 2016 budget, including a $153,000 increase in property tax receipts and a $390,200 increase in the federal Payment in Lieu of Taxes.
In sports news, the Lone Star Conference pre-season football poll was recently released. The poll shows Western New Mexico University tied for 8th in the conference; and last year’s champions Texas A & M – Commerce earned the first place votes. The Conference season starts September 1st, and each team will play nine conference games to determine the Lone Star Conference Champion.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Santa Teresa Port of Entry made a large drug seizure on Tuesday. Border Patrol officers seized 927.96 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of $742,368. The seizure was made after a semi-tractor hauling metal pipes on a flatbed trailer entered the port from Mexico. Officers selected the conveyance for a non-intrusive x-ray inspection which revealed an anomaly in the metal pipes. Officers then discovered six non-metal containers concealed within the pipes containing marijuana. The case remains under investigation.
According to a report from the Santa Fe New Mexican, the president of Ultra Health was recently denied permission to use the New Mexico True Certified program stamp for his medical marijuana, despite the fact that he claims that his products meet the state requirements. Ultra Health is licensed to grow medical cannabis by the state Department of Health, but cannabis is still illegal under federal law and New Mexico limits consumption for medical purposes only. According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, The website that outlines the requirements for the New Mexico True Certified program says to qualify for the promotional program, plant products must be grown in the state and carry marks that make it possible to trace them to the place of harvest. The website doesn’t say what criteria may be used for excluding a product from the program.
Advocates for recipients of food aid and Medicaid health care are urging the New Mexico Legislature to keep tabs on wasteful bureaucratic problems that can cause aid beneficiaries to submit applications repeatedly and unnecessarily.
