Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 122, No. 11 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
FLU PUTS BUSINESSES, EMPLOYERS IN A BIND
WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly half the 70 employees at a Ford dealership in Clarksville, Ind., have been out sick at some point in the past month. It didn’t have to be that way, the boss says. “If people had stayed home in the first place, a lot of times that spread ... - PAGE A3
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
January 12, 2013
Flu cases spiking across New Mexico
SANTA FE (AP) — The f l u h a s wa l l o pe d N e w Mexico with an early onetwo punch and health officials are urging people to get vaccinated against the illness. Dr. Joan Baumbach, an epidemiologist in the New M e xi c o D e p ar t m en t o f Health, said Friday the flu has hit New Mexico earlier and harder than last year. “This is an unusually e ar l y f l u se a so n , ” sh e said. Medical providers report they’re seeing 7 percent of their patients with flu-like illnesses, according to the
SATURDAY
www.rdrnews.com
department. That’s higher than the national average and is up from 3 percent in New Mexico at this time las t y ear. N ew M exic o peaked at 3.7 percent in late February and March last year. There have been 88 New Mexicans hospitalized so far. That compares with two cases at this time last year, according to Baumbach. There have been no confirmed deaths from flu so far. The department doesn’t t r ack ever y flu case statewide, but it collects
information from counties representing more than half of the population. Of the hospitalizations, 55 are in Bernalillo County — the state’s largest county, which is home to the city of Albuquerque. The flu season typically r u ns fr om O c tob er through April, and there were 105 people hospitalized last year in Bernalillo County. But Baumbach said 2012 was a mild flu season in the state. There’s an ample supply of flu vaccine, according to the department. “We’re in good shape in
N ew M exico, l u ck ily,” Baumbach said. Health officials recomm en d t h at a n yon e 6 months and older should be vaccinated annually. According to the departm en t, vaccin a tion s ar e particularly important for certain groups of people — pregnant women, children who are 6 months to 5 years old, adults 50 and older, Native Americans and people with chronic medical conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes and asthma. Baumbach said people with flu-like symptoms,
TOP 5 WEB
For The Past 24 Hours
• City OKs police attorney • County shows its support of NM oil ... • RFD responds to fire at railroad bridge • IRS plans to open tax season Jan. 30 • Dexter tops ...
INSIDE SPORTS Mark Wilson Photo
Tim Jennings honored by SNMEDD Tim Jennings sits in on the SNMEDD board of directors’ 42nd annual meeting at ENMU-R, Friday.
ILISSA GILMORE RECORD STAFF WRITER
During its 42nd annual board of directors meeting Friday, the Southeastern
COWBOYS HIRE KIFFIN
IRVING, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys hired former Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin as the replacement for Rob Ryan on Friday. The team announced the move on its website a day after the 72-year-old Kiffin was at team headquarters to interview with coach Jason Garrett and owner ... - PAGE B1
TODAY’S OBITUARIES
• Geraldine Clark • Anthony Treat - PAGE A3
HIGH ...45˚ LOW ....21˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
New Mexico Economic DisDevelopment trict/Council of Governments honored for mer senator Tim Jennings for the help he provided the region throughout his leg-
islative career. The organization, which serves Chaves, Eddy, Lea, Lincoln and Otero counties, assists municipalities in business and economic development, grant writ-
ing and legislative initiatives, among other issues. Director Executive Hubert Quintana said the SNMEDD wanted to comSee JENNINGS, Page A2
which include fever, body aches and fatigue, should see a medical provider to determine if treatment is needed with an antiviral drug. Some prescription medication can help ease the severity of flu.
To help avoid catching the flu and spreading it to ot h er p eop le, p eop le should frequently wash their hands, cover their m ou t h an d nose wh en coughing or sneezing, and remain at home if sick, according to the department.
Snow, strong winds cause closures
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — Snow and strong winds struck parts of New Mexico on Friday, creating blizzard-like conditions in some areas and forcing schools to close. Many parts of the state remained under a high wind warning much of Friday as difficult driving conditions were reported along northern New Mexico highways. Drivers on parts of Interstate 25 near Las Vegas faced severe conditions through Friday afternoon, and roads near Chama were closed due to extreme winds, blowing snow and icy roads, the state T ransportation Department reported. Throughout norther n and central New Mexico,
Video game industry Obama, Hamid Karzai agree: defends its practices It’s time to wind down war WASHINGTON (AP) — The video game industry, blamed by some for fostering a culture of violence, defended its practices Friday at a White House meeting exploring how to prevent horrific shootings like the recent Connecticut elementary school massacre. Vice President Joe Biden, wrapping up three days of wide-ranging talks on gun violence prevention, said the meeting was an effort to understand whether the U.S. was undergoing a “coarsening of our culture.” “I come to this meeting with no judgment. You all know the judgments other people have made,” Biden said at the opening of a two-hour discussion. “We’re looking for help.” The gaming industry says that violent crime, particularly among the young, has fallen since the early 1990s while video games have increased in popularity. There are conflicting studies on the impact of video See VIDEO, Page A2
WASHINGTON (AP) — Uneasy allies, President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai demonstrated Friday they could agree on one big idea: After 11 years of war, the time is right for U.S. forces to let Afghans do their own fighting. U.S. and coalition forces will take a battlefield back seat by spring and, by implication, go home in larger numbers soon thereafter. “It will be a historic moment,” Obama declared. In a White House meeting billed as a chance to take stock of a war that See WAR, Page A2
See CLOSURES, Page A2
AP Photo
President Barack Obama listens as Afghan President Hamid Karzai speaks during a news conference in the East Room at the White House in Washington, Friday.
For Lori and Reynaldo Martinez, Boy Scouts a family tradition ILISSA GILMORE RECORD STAFF WRITER
CLASSIFIEDS..........B5 COMICS.................B3 FINANCIAL .............B4 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........A8 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8
INDEX
Lori and Reynaldo Martinez.
Ilissa Gilmore Photo
Instead of picking up a football or baseball, Dr. Reynaldo Martinez and his wife Lori encouraged their sons to pick up skills for life as Boy Scouts. Joseph, 15, and Lucas, 13, both started as Tiger Cubs in first grade and have continued through the years, achieving various ranks and merit badges along the way. Reynaldo, 55, and Lori, 51, have been as actively involved and now serve as Scout master and committee chair, respective-
ly, for Troop 149. As such, they enrich the lives of middle- and high school-aged young men with fun and educational experiences, such as camping, welding, rock climbing and archery. Not only do the boys learn wilderness survival tactics, such as how to start a fire without matches, to hunt, trap and build shelter, Reynaldo and Lori said they also learn about
life skills, such as financial management, personal fitness and citizenship. “You don’t learn that from video games,” Reynaldo said.
Under their leadership, six of the boys in their troop — including Joseph — recently achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest See SPOTLIGHT, Page A2