Roswell Daily Record
190,000 acres, 5% contained THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 121, No. 131 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s Barack Obama’s house now, but his predecessor and political foil, George W. Bush, stole the show at the White House on Thursday with his wisecracks and grin. “Thank you so much for inviting our rowdy friends to my hanging,” ... - PAGE A6
TOP 5 WEB
For The Past 24 Hours
• Udall leads round tables on city visit • RFD receives hands on aircraft rescue ... • County approves interim budget • Lawrence Bros. IGA raises $1,500 for ... • Elks host Veterans Prayer Breakfast
INSIDE SPORTS
STALLINGS LEADS IN DUBLIN
DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — Erik Compton considers the Memorial a special week no matter how he plays, knowing his second heart transplant came from a donor in Ohio. The opening round was even sweeter with three birdies on the back nine late Thursday afternoon at Muirfield Village for a 5-under 67, leaving him one-shot out of the lead after a day that featured a timely rally by Rory McIlroy and a surprising departure by Phil Mickelson. - PAGE B1
TODAY’S OBITUARY
• Cora Jean Armitage - PAGE A6
HIGH ...92˚ LOW ....66˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
CLASSIFIEDS..........B3 COMICS.................B7 ENTERTAINMENT.....B8 FINANCIAL .............B6 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........B8 LOTTERIES ............A2 NATION .................A6 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8
INDEX
FRIDAY
www.rdrnews.com
LRH-R names new CEO
RESERVE (AP) — A massive wildfire in the New Mexico wilder ness that already is the largest in state history spread in all directions Thursday, and experts say it’s likely a preview of things to come as states across the West contend with a dangerous recipe of wind, low humidity and tinder-dry fuels. The erratic Gila National Forest blaze grew overnight to more than 190,000 acres, or nearly 300 square
AP Photo
BUSH UNVEILS PORTRAIT
June 1, 2012
Work continues
miles, as it raced across the area’s steep, ponderosa pine-covered hills and through its rugged canyons. More than 1,200 firefighters are at the massive blaze near the Arizona border, which has destroyed a dozen cabins and eight outbuildings, fire information officer Iris Estes said. Experts say persistent drought, climate change and shifts in land use and firefighting strategies mean
other western states likely will see similar giant fires this season.
“We’ve been in a long drought cycle for the last 20 years, and conditions now are great for these type of fires,” said Steve Pyne, author of Tending Fire. Coping with America’s Wildland Fires and a life science professor at Arizona State University. “Everything is in See FIRE, Page A3
JULIA BERGMAN RECORD STAFF WRITER
The latest addition to the Lovelace Health System family has found its patriarch. Lovelace Regional Hospital-Roswell has named Lloyd Scarrow as its new chief executive officer. “It was an opportunity that was just serendipitous to what I was ready for in terms of a new challenge,” Scarrow said. Scarrow comes to Lovelace from Advanced Surgical Hospital in Washington, Penn., where he served as CEO of Acute and Ancillary Services for three years. He brings more than 25 years of health care service to
Mark Wilson Photo
Construction work on Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell’s new Educational Center continues, Tuesday.
Mixed results at Edwards trial NMCCV holds town hall at ENMU-R See CEO, Page A3
the courthouse steps. He also said he had hope for his future. “I don’t think God’s through with me. I really believe he thinks there’s still some good things I can do.” Edwards would have faced up to 30 years in prison and $1.5 million in fines if convicted of all charges. He did not testify, along with his mistress Rielle Hunter and the two donors whose money was at issue. Jurors acquitted him on a charge of accepting AP Photo illegal campaign contribuJohn Edwards speaks outside a federal courthouse in tions, involving $375,000 Greensboro, N.C., Thursday, after his campaign finance from elderly heiress Rachel “Bunny” Mellon in fraud case ended in a mistrial. 2008. He had also been GREENSBORO, N.C. wife was dying of cancer, charged with illegally (AP) — John Edwards’ but prosecutors couldn’t accepting $350,000 from campaign finance fraud convince jurors that the Mellon in 2007, other case ended in a mistrial ex-U.S. senator and 2004 donations from wealthy Thursday when jurors vice presidential candi- Texas attor ney Fred acquitted him on one of date masterminded a $1 Baron, filing a false camsix charges but were million cover -up of his paign finance report and unable to decide whether affair. conspiracy. he misused money from The jurors, who deliber“While I do not believe I two wealthy donors to did anything illegal, or ated nine days, did not hide his pregnant mis- ever thought I was doing talk to the media as they tress while he ran for anything illegal, I did an left the courthouse. The president. awful, awful lot that was judge said she will release The trial exposed a sor- wrong and there is no one the jurors’ names after a did sex scandal that else responsible for my unfolded while Edwards’ sins,” Edwards said on See EDWARDS, Page A3
Susana PAC donates $19K to candidates
SANTA FE (AP) — The political action committee of Republican Gov. Susana Martinez contributed $19,000 to candidates for the Legislature and other of fices in the closing stretch of the primary election season, according to a financial report filed Thursday. The first-term governor formed the PAC to flex her political muscle in this year’s legislative races in which Republicans hope to pick up seats in the Democratic-dominated House and Senate. Susana PAC gave $14,000 to six candidates for the House and Senate
in the past three weeks, according to a finance report that provides the last disclosure of campaign spending before Tuesday’s primary election. The legislative contributions included $2,500 to Albuquerque lawyer Chris Saucedo, who is running against another Republican for the party’s nomination in House District 15. Three Democrats are in the race, but there’s no incumbent because Democrat Bill O’Neill is campaigning for a state Senate seat. Historically, governors have rarely openly endorsed and provided financial backing to legisla-
tive candidates in contested primary races. However, Martinez has irked some Republicans in eastern New Mexico by supporting a candidate in a hotly contested GOP primary race for a Senate seat being vacated by GOP incumbent Clint Harden. The governor’s PAC also contributed $5,000 to Doña Ana County District Attorney Amy Orlando, who faces a Democratic challenger in the general election but is unopposed in the GOP primary. Martinez vacated the district attorSee PAC, Page A3
NOAH VERNAU RECORD STAFF WRITER
The New Mexico Commission for Community Volunteerism held a town hall meeting Thursday at Eastern New Mexico UniversityRoswell, inviting residents to share local needs and help create the 2013-2015 New Mexico State Service Plan. NMCCV uses the plan to coordinate local, state and federal resources that support volunteerism, and awards up to $1.2 million in AmeriCorps for mula grants to community organizations. Those participating in Thursday’s meeting included area representatives from the American Red Cross, Wings for L.I.F.E., The Salvation Ar my, Roswell Refuge and Roswell Literacy Council. Commissioner Elaine Graff said NMCCV aims to assess needs across the state, and that the face-toface contact at town hall meetings serves to connect people who might benefit from collaborative efforts. “It’s an incredible value. With these federal monies
available to us, we want to be able to reach out, especially to rural communities that might not get reached by other programs,” Graff said. “... At the town hall meetings, which are kind of a new thing for us, we’re looking for input. ... So (participants) create the new service plan.” NMCCV’s stated mission is “to engage New Mexico citizens of all ages and backgrounds in community-based volunteer service that addresses local needs.” The commission’s primary duty is to promote and preserve funding priorities set forth by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that engages more than 5 million Americans in service through programs like AmeriCorps. Current priorities identified by sitting commissioners include disaster relief, economic opportunity, education, environmental stewardship, healthy futures and services to veterans and military families. NMCCV formed in 1999,
Trailer collapse
See NMCCV, Page A3
Mark Wilson Photo
A police officer surveys the damage done to a collapsed trailer that was hauling an older model mobile home at the intersection of SE Main and Hobbs streets, Thursday afternoon around 3 o’clock. The eastbound lane of Hobbs was temporarily blocked.