Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 122, No. 143 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
HOUSE PASSES DEFENSE BILL WASHINGTON (AP) — The House overwhelmingly passed a sweeping, $638 billion defense bill on Friday that imposes new punishments on members of the armed services... - PAGE A7
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
June 15, 2013
SATURDAY
www.rdrnews.com
Experts: Fire season depends on weather
ALBUQUERQUE — With each dry thunderstor m that moves across New Mexico, the chance of another wildfire breaking out goes up. But experts say it’s the wind that will help determine whether the state has another record season. More than 93 square miles of New Mexico’s tinder -dry forests have bur ned in the past two weeks. Firefighters are battling a handful of blazes in the Santa Fe National Forest, on private land near Whites Peak and in rugged
territory in southern New Mexico. The flames are being fueled by dense forests, terrain and dry conditions. However, New Mexico State University wildland fire management specialist Doug Cram said Friday the wind hasn’t been as big of a factor this year. “For the most part, these haven’t been big wind events,” he said. “Could this be another record setting year? I don’t know. If the winds get to blowing 30 mph and gust to 50, then it’s possible.”
Wave ‘em high
New Mexico broke records in 2011 and 2012 with massive wind-driven wildfires — first the Las Conchas blaze in the Jemez Mountains, then the Whitewater-Baldy Fire that raced through the Gila National Forest to become the largest in the state’s recorded history and the Little Bear Fire that destroyed more than 240 homes near Ruidoso. During those two years, La Nina — a weather system famous for pushing moisture from New Mexico — also brought with it
fierce spring winds. The state has seen more of a normal spring this year as the La Nina cycle gets broken, resulting in less wind, said Brent Wachter, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque. The downside, Wachter said, is the state is seeing more lightning this spring. Thunderstor ms were expected across New Mexico over the weekend. Some of those systems looked like they might move slower and bring rain, which could help firefighting
TOP 5 For The Past 24 Hours
• NMMI sues AA • City Council postpones convention fee • Person of interest turns self in • No puppy love here • Meija drives in six in 17-5 Roswell victory
INSIDE SPORTS Mark Wilson Photo
Girl Scouts of the Desert Southwest act as the color guard during a Flag Day celebration at La Villa Assisted Living, Friday morning.
Early Iran vote count shows Rowhani lead
ARDMORE, Pa. (AP) — Phil Mickelson made his first birdie on his last putt. Billy Horschel never missed a green. It was all they could do to barely break par against Merion, which is turning out to be the real star of this U.S. Open. - PAGE B1
TODAY’S OBITUARY •Toni Francis Ross
- PAGE A7
HIGH ...97˚ LOW ....71˚
TODAY’S FORECAST
CLASSIFIEDS..........B8 COMICS.................B6 ENTERTAINMENT...A10 FINANCIAL .............B7 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ......A10 LOTTERIES ............A2 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ............A10 WORLD .................B4
Parents arrested for child abuse
See FIRE, Page A3
JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
WEB
2 SHARE LEAD AT U.S. OPEN
efforts. Right now, the largest fire burning in New Mexico has charred more than 37 square miles on the Valles Caldera National Preserve. Firefighters had contained about 75 percent of the blaze by Friday. On the other side of the Santa Fe National Forest, crews continued to make progress against the Tres Lagunas Fire, which has blacked nearly 16 square miles north of Pecos since being sparked at the end of
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s reformist-backed presidential candidate surged to a wide lead in early vote counting today, a top official said, suggesting a flurry of late support could have swayed a race that once appeared solidly in the hands of Tehran’s ruling clerics. But the strong margin for former nuclear negotiator Hasan Rowhani was not yet enough to give him an outright victory and avoid a two-person runoff next Friday. Rowhani had 46.6 percent of the more than 861,000 votes tallied, said Iran’s interior minister, Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, well ahead of Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf with about 14.6 percent. Hardline nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili was slightly behind in third. It was unclear when the final count would be known. Iran has more than 50 million eligible voters, and turnout in Friday’s election was believed to be high. Many reform-minded Iranians who have faced years of crackdowns looked to Rowhani’s rising fortunes as a chance to claw back a bit of ground. While Iran’s presidential elections offer a window into the political pecking orders and security grip inside the country — particularly since the chaos from a disputed outcome in 2009 — they lack the drama of truly high stakes as the country’s ruling clerics and their military guardians remain the ultimate powers.
Going the Distance
The Chaves County Sheriff’s Office arrested Charity Calvert-Romero, 32, and Edward Romero, 63, around 1 p.m. on Friday. The couple are charged with abandonment or abuse of a child and obstructing of reporting or investigation of child abuse or neglect. “With great pleasure I can announce the arrest of the parents of the child we found on Monday...We believed this was a prosecutable case,” said Lt. Britt Snyder. Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the West Hobson home around 7:45 p.m. Monday, See ABUSE, Page A3
Mark Wilson Photo
Athletes participate in the 10K time trials at Bottomless Lakes during the New Mexico Senior Olympics Summer Games, Wednesday morning. For full results of Friday’s action, see B2.
Faggion helps others achieve independence See ELECTION, Page A3
INDEX
ILISSA GILMORE RECORD STAFF WRITER
Ilissa Gilmore Photo
Chris Faggion, in-house trainer and instructor for the Health Matters Program at Tobosa Developmental Services, works to repair lives and build community bridges.
Chris Faggion used to want to repair cars as an auto mechanic. Now she works to repair lives as an in-house trainer and instructor for the Health Matters Program at Tobosa Developmental Services. For more than 30 years, the non-profit has provided services and support for individuals living with developmental disabilities in Chaves County, as well as their families.
Faggion, 30 years old herself, “stumbled into” the field 10 years ago and has worked at Tobosa for five. When she first began, she wasn’t sure it was something she wanted to do, she said, but eventually, it “captured my heart.” “I really felt like I was doing something here; it’s such a rewarding thing to see these little steps they make,” she said. “They’re some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met. They gave me this passion and drive I wouldn’t have had
otherwise. “I can’t see myself doing anything else now actually.” Faggion came to Roswell from California, originally to meet her father for the first time. The family she had in town eventually moved away, but she stayed to raise her three children. “That’s my life,” she said. Mounted on her office wall is a photo collage of her children. Among them are photos of Faggion’s favorite comedians Will Ferrell and Jim Carrey. Faggion considers herself a movie buff — mostly comedies — and also is heavy into the music See SPOTLIGHT, Page A3