Roswell Daily Record
Cardinals elect Jorge Bergoglio
Vol. 122, No. 63 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina was elected pope Wednesday, becoming the first pontiff from the Americas and the first from outside Europe in more than a millennium. He chose the name Francis, associating himself with the humble 13th-century Italian preacher who lived a life of poverty.
DEMS UNVEIL BUDGET PLAN
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats unveiled a largely stand-pat budget Wednesday that calls for $1 trillion in new tax revenues over the coming decade but actually increases spending, while protecting the party’s domestic policy priorities and adding $4 trillion more to the national debt than a slashing alternative ... - PAGE A2
Looking stunned, Francis shyly waved to the crowd of more than 100,000 people who packed a rain-soaked St. Peter’s Square for the announcement, marveling that the cardinals needed to look to “the end of the
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
March 14, 2013
THURSDAY
www.rdrnews.com
Earth” to find a bishop of Rome. In choosing a 76-year-old pope, the cardinals clearly decided that they didn’t need a vigorous, young pope who would reign for decades but rather a seasoned, popular and humble pastor who would draw followers to the faith and help rebuild a church stained by scandal. The cardinal electors overcame deep divisions about the future of the church to select the 266th pontif f in a remarkably fast, five-ballot conclave. Francis asked for prayers for himself, and for retired
’Tis almost the season
Pope Benedict XVI. “Brothers and sisters, good evening,” Francis said to wild cheers in his first public remarks as pontiff from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica. “You know that the work of the conclave is to give a bishop to Rome. It seems as if my brother cardinals went to find him from the end of the Earth, but here we are. Thank you for the welcome,” he said. Latin Americans burst into tears and jubilation at news that the region, which counts 40 percent of the See POPE, Page A3
AP Photo
State budget passes
Pope Francis waves to the crowd from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Wednesday.
TOP 5 WEB
For The Past 24 Hours
• State revokes Lawrence’s license • Child abuse trial opens • Pipe bomb found, detonated ... • Pickup truck driver dies ... • Roswell girls hold off Gallup ...
INSIDE SPORTS
Mark Wilson Photo
Roswell Job Corps student Michael Harris is instructed while installing a junction box at the batting cages that are under construction at the Lions Hondo Little League baseball fields on South Sunset, Wednesday. Home Builders Institute Electrical wiring students were on site helping with construction of the soon-to-be completed cages.
RIO RANCHO — Talk to an opposing coach about the Dexter boys basketball team and the names of Kevin and Kyle Bonner, Kevin Paez and David Lopez will come up frequently. Have a conversation with Demon coach James Voight and he will tell you about all of his kids, because he preaches that it’s a team game. In Dexter’s matchup with Bosque in the quarterfinals of the NMAA Class 2A State Basketball Championships at the Santa Ana Star Center, the Demons proved that what Voight preaches isn’t just coach-speak. - PAGE B1
DEMONS WIN!
TODAY’S OBITUARIES
• David Clowers • Tom Deck Jr. • Tony Macks - PAGE A7
HIGH ...80˚ LOW ....41˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
CLASSIFIEDS..........B5 COMICS.................B3 FINANCIAL .............B4 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........A8 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8
The state House of Representatives voted 37-33 Wednesday to concur with the Senate’s $5.9 billion budget, which House Republicans and Gov. Susana Martinez oppose. House Republicans have issued a statement against the budget, saying it is flawed and lacks provisions that were in the House’s budget intended to improve the state’s education system, increase economic development and enhance public safety. “We have been attempting to find common ground to move New Mexico in the right direction for our children and for future generations,” said House Minority Floor Leader Rep. Don Bratton, R-Hobbs, in a statement. See STATE, Page A3
Kautz trial enters Day 2 Tonight last chance to glimpse comet JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
The jury in the trial of New Mexico versus Steffanie Kautz was treated to a short day, Wednesday, breaking just before lunch, pending the arrival of medical experts today. Kautz, 30, is charged with two counts abuse of a child, one of which resulted in death, after Breanna (Pooh) Bodge died in her home. Public defender Anna Marie Bell told the court Tuesday the cause of death cited by the Office of the Medical Investigator was diabetic ketoacidosis. DKA as a potentially lifethreatening complication of diabetes mellitus. It results from a shortage of insulin. Symptoms include vomiting, dehydration, deep gasping breath, confusion followed by coma, and if left untreated, death. The prosecution presented photographs of the apartment where Breanna
died. Detective Jeff Prince described the scene. “There were items everywhere, on the floor, on the tables, on the bed. Everywhere.” The photos of the living room revealed several plastic storage boxes. Detective Kim Northcutt testified that the police had to follow a curved path among the storage containers to get to the kitchen, bath and bedrooms. The children’s bedroom where Breanna’s body was found had garbage stacked against one wall inside a trash container and inside a storage container. Prince opened an evidence bag containing a straw and part of a plastic bag, which he identified as paraphernalia for cocaine or methamphetamines. Bell asked if the straw had been DNA tested. He admitted that it had not. Bell brought out additional police photographs of See TRIAL, Page A3
Zen and the art of bulbs
JILL MCLAUGHLIN RECORD STAFF WRITER
Stargazers will get one last chance tonight to catch a glimpse of the bright Pan-STARRS comet, the first in a series that astronomers expect to spawn the Year of the Comet. A good set of binoculars should do the job for anyone interested in viewing tonight’s phenomenon, said Jim Waldrip, an adjunct professor of astronomy at Easter n New Mexico UniversityRoswell. AP Photo The best time to see the comet will be about 45 Comet PAN-STARRS is seen in this 30-second time expominutes after the sun sure over the western horizon and just above Mount Taysets, which is at 7:14 lor, from Albuquerque, Tuesday. p.m. Look due west and pretty good view. It’s night, the best night to low on the horizon. “They need to look heading north and start- see Pan-STARRS as it directly beneath the ing to go around the made its closest approach ever to Earth, the view moon, about 12 degrees,” sun.” Even standing on Six was a bit obscured, he Waldrip said. “If someone has a telephoto lens, they Mile Hill, where Waldrip might be able to get a viewed the comet Tuesday See COMET, Page A3
Pension overhaul clears Legislature SANTA FE (AP) — A proposal to shore up the long-term finances of a pension system for state and local gover nment workers in New Mexico cleared the Legislature on Wednesday and heads to Republican Gov. Susana Martinez.
INDEX
Mark Wilson Photo
Long Van changes out lightbulbs on signage at Zen Asian Diner, Wednesday afternoon.
The measure addresses one of the largest financial problems confronting state gover nment. The governor plans to review
the bill before deciding whether to sign or veto it, according to a spokesman.
If the proposed changes to the Public Employees Retirement Association are implemented, the pension program is projected to rebuild its finances and within three decades have 90 percent of the assets necessary to cover benefits for retirees in the future.
Currently, the projected cost of future retirement benefits is $6 billion greater than the pension fund’s assets. “It is not a perfect bill, but it is a bill that begins to solve a $6.2 billion problem,” said Rep. Luciano “Lucky” Varela, a Santa Fe Democrat. The pension system covers about 31,000 retirees and 55,400 state See PENSION, Page A3