Roswell Daily Record
INSIDE NEWS
JULIA BERGMAN RECORD STAFF WRITER
AUTHOR SENDAK DIES
DANBURY, Conn. (AP) — Maurice Sendak, the children’s book author and illustrator who saw the sometimes-dark side of childhood in books like Where the Wild Things Are and In the Night Kitchen, died early Tuesday. He was 83. Longtime friend and caretaker Lynn Caponera said she was with him when Sendak died at a hospital in Danbury, Conn. - PAGE A3
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Dexter council OK’s shaky audit
Vol. 121, No. 111 50¢ Daily / $1 Sunday
The Town of Dexter faced and consequently approved its audit for the 2011 fiscal year, Tuesday, which includes findings of alleged fraudulent use of taxpayer’s money for personal use and discloses instances of noncompliance. The Dexter Council approved the audit 4-0 at its regular business meeting. The public remained mute, sporadically shaking
May 9, 2012
WEDNESDAY
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their heads and whispering to their neighbors, as Mayor Dave White read all five of the listed material weaknesses submitted in the audit.
Resident Sarah Porte, who ran for a council seat during the March election, was the sole individual to address the council publicly. Speaking on behalf of the concerned citizens of Dexter, Porte said, “Though these alleged improper actions did not happen overnight, you as a council
‘Who put that hole there?’
Dexter Fire Chief Justin Powell had no comment. Councilor Thomas Mireles also did not wish to comment.
have fought and in defiance of state law have publicly asserted your role as managers of the Fire Department. You have approved every charge, participated in budget processes and approved each monthly report.” The audit listed findings
such as a review of all fleet services bills for gasoline and diesel revealed that fuel was allegedly purchased for personal vehicles. Another finding reads that the amount of pharmaceutical drugs purchased were greater than could have possibly been
Lawrence jury trial under way
See DEXTER, Page A3
JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
TOP 5 WEB
For The Past 24 Hours
• Watch out here we come!!! • That’s a lot of hot air • Ready to launch • Day of Prayer on the courthouse lawn • Back-to-back: Colts champs again
INSIDE SPORTS
used by the patients served by EMS volunteers. A third reads that the majority of invoices from NAPA Auto Parts of Hagerman appear to have been signed by a volunteer fireman. Additionally, this fireman “appears to have repaired fire vehicles owned by the Town for no monetary value. Additional discussion revealed the volunteer many not be a legal citizen
Noah Vernau Photo
A Nature’s Dairy delivery truck sinks into the pavement Tuesday morning near the former Alco Store, 900 W. Hobbs St. Dale Juarez, driver, said he was driving in the area after making a delivery when suddenly the left rear tires fell into an unmarked hole. “I didn’t know what was going on, it happened so fast,” he said. “And I jumped out of there quick! It was scary.” The company is trying to determine who is responsible for the hole, and why there was no barricade.
The jury trial for David Lawrence, former Goddard high School coach, started Tuesday. Lawrence is charged with criminal sexual contact after allegations of sexual misconduct with a student on Feb. 4, 2011. In her opening statement, Assistant District Attorney Florie Nunez told the jurors, “A line was crossed. He had an opportunity to have a relationship with a 17-year-old.” She said the issue was how far he had allowed this to go. Nunez explained that Lawrence’s wife was out of town. “It was the biggest game of the season and he left early. Texting her, he gave her permission to come to his home.” Nunez informed the jurors that See TRIAL, Page A2
Lea County to be site ENMU-R, Sacred Power, Xcel of CITE’s ghost town Energy commission carport
PACERS ELIMINATE MAGIC
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Danny Granger scored 25 points to help the Indiana Pacers defeat the Orlando Magic 105-87 on Tuesday night and clinch their firstround Eastern Conference playoff series 4-1. It was Indiana’s first series win since 2005 and its first clincher on its home court since the first round of the 2000 playoffs. The Pacers will play Miami or New York in the second round. Darren Collison scored 15 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and George Hill added 15 points for the Pacers, who trailed by two at the end of the third quarter but outscored the Magic ... - PAGE B1
TODAY’S OBITUARY
• Ernest Montgomery - PAGE A3
HIGH ...72˚ LOW ....52˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
CLASSIFIEDS..........B6 COMICS.................B4 FINANCIAL .............B3 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........B6 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — A scientific ghost town in the heart of southeastern New Mexico oil and gas country will hum with the latest next-generation technology — but no people. A $1 billion city without residents will be developed in Lea County near Hobbs, officials said Tuesday, to help researchers test everything from intelligent traffic systems and next-generation wireless networks to automated washing machines and self-flushing toilets. Hobbs Mayor Sam Cobb said the unique research facility that looks like an empty city will be a key for diversifying the economy of the nearby community, which after the oil bust of the 1980s saw bumper stickers asking the last person to leave to turn out the lights. “It brings so many great opportunities and puts us on a world stage,” Cobb told The Associated Press
before the announcement. Pegasus Holdings and its New Mexico subsidiary, CITE Development, said Hobbs and Lea County beat out Las Cruces, for the Center for Innovation, Technology and Testing. The CITE project is being billed as a first-of-its kind smart city, or ghost town of sorts, that will be developed on about 15 square miles west of Hobbs. Bob Brumley, senior managing director of Pegasus Holdings, said the town will be modeled after the real city of Rock Hill, S.C., complete with highways, houses and commercial buildings, old and new. No one will live there, although they could as houses will include all the necessities, like appliances and plumbing. The point of the town is to enable researchers to test new technologies on existing infrastructure
JULIA BERGMAN RECORD STAFF WRITER
On one of the cloudiest days to hit Roswell in a while, a new solar carport on Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell’s campus, the only project of its kind in the state, was unveiled, Tuesday. The commissioning ceremony, held on the campus, signaled that the panels were actively producing electricity. “What you see right here is not only New Mexican made, New Mexican designed, but New Mexican engineered. It shows off the ability of New Mexicans to be the world leaders of this technology,” Richard Fialho, manager of new business development of Sacred Power Corp., said. Later, Fialho indicated a mere 10 percent of the compo-
Julia Bergman Photo
Riley Hill, president and CEO of Southwestern Public Service Co., speaks to attendees at the commissioning ceremony for a new solar carport on the ENMU-Roswell campus as Dr. John Madden, ENMU-R president, listens. nents used were from outside the state.
A collaboration between Xcel Energy, Albuquerque-based Sacred Power Corp., and ENMU-
R enabled the nearly $500,000 project to come to fruition. Included in this cost was money to support the educational
Indiana’s Lugar loses, North Carolina bans gay marriages See GHOST, Page A2
INDEX
AP Photo
Indiana Treasurer Richard Mourdock speaks to supporters in Indianapolis, Tuesday, after he defeated incumbent Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., in the primary.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Six-ter m Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar was routed by the right flank of his own Republican Party Tuesday night, and North Carolina voters decided overwhelmingly to strengthen their state’s gay marriage ban — a conservative show of enthusiasm and strength six months before the nation chooses between Democratic President Barack Obama and GOP foe Mitt Romney. Romney swept three Republican primaries, moving ever closer to sealing his nomination. “I have no regrets about running for re-election,
even if doing so can be a very daunting task,” the 80-year-old Lugar said as he conceded to the tea party-backed GOP opponent who ended his nearly four -decade career in the Senate. Lugar’s foe, state Treasurer Richard Mourdock, had painted the Republican senator as too moderate for the conservative state. North Carolinians voted to amend their state constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman, effectively outlawing gay unions. Also Tuesday, Democrats were picking a nominee to challenge Republican Wis-
See SOLAR, Page A2
consin Gov. Scott Walker in a June recall election.
The contests overshadowed Romney’s continued progress toward the GOP presidential nomination. He won the GOP presidential primaries in Indiana, North Carolina and West Virginia, drawing close to the 1,144 delegates he needs to clinch the nomination. He was likely to win 100 or so delegates of the 288 he still needed.
In the biggest race of the night, Lugar lost to state Treasurer Mourdock, who will face Democratic Rep. See LUGAR, Page A3