Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
Vol. 123, No. 185 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
August 2, 2014
Burris: RISD grades compare favorably to others BY RANDAL SEYLER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Roswell Independent School District elementary school campuses generally improved in 2013-14 over their three-year average grades, according to reports from the New Mexico Public Education Department. However, three of the five middle schools scored less for 2013-14 than their three-year average grades, while two of the three high school campuses improved over their three-year average scores. “When you look at the grades, you also have to look at the grade point range, and see how the schools compare,” said Superintendent Tom Burris on Monday.
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The New Mexico Public Education Department released the 2013-14 grades on July 24, and the Roswell district ear ned three Overall Grades of “A,” and six Overall Grades of “D.” Of the 20 schools within the district, there were five schools with a “B” and six schools with a “C” grade, according to the PED report. However, under the category entitled “Opportunity to Learn,” only two schools in the district — Roswell High and University High — were graded “C.” All the other schools received grades of either “A” or “B.” “When you evaluate the grades, there are a lot of factors that go into making those reports,” Burris said. “It helps to look at the
Portofino’s peels
grade and see where that ‘B’ comes from. Is it just barely a ‘B’ instead of a ‘C,’ or was it almost an ‘A?’” Burris said compared to districts of similar size, the Roswell schools held their own or even outperformed other districts. For example, in the Far mington Municipal Schools District, out of the 10 elementary schools in that district, there were four “F” grades, and two each “D,” “C” and “B” grades. In contrast, the 12 RISD elementary schools earned three “D” grades, five “C” grades, three “B” and one “A” grades. Las Cruces Public Schools District has 27 elementary schools, twice the number of Roswell, and See RISD, Page A3
Randal Seyler Photo
Goddard High School band students wrapped up two weeks of camp on Friday. The band will hold a concert at 6 p.m. today in Del Norte Park, said band director Kevin Everitt. In case of rain, the concert will be moved to the GHS gymnasium. Goddard High School was the only Roswell high school to get an “A” grade from the state for 2013-14.
Attorney requests Kintigh’s emails, campaign reports STAFF REPORT
Jerry Heck Photo
An apparent strong wind gust peeled a section of the roof of Portofino’s restaurant around 1 p.m. Thursday. Waitress Karla Miramontes said it sounded like thunder.
A Roswell attorney has filed two record requests with the city of Roswell. Attorney Marion Craig III on July 28 filed an Inspection of Public Records Act request with City Clerk Shar on Coll requesting copies of all emails from Mayor Dennis Kintigh sent to Greg Neil (sic), Larry Connelly (sic) and Roswell Daily Record staff writer Jerry Heck. Craig requested emails sent by Kintigh to the three parties from March 5 to July 28. In a separate IPRA request also on July 28, Craig requested copies of all emails sent fr om
Kintigh to the Roswell Daily Recor d, Daily Record publisher Charles Fischer, Daily Record editor Timothy Howsare, and Daily Record cartoonist Keith Bell. Craig also r equested copies of all emails between Kintigh and City Councilor Caleb Grant.
Craig also r equested copies of all campaign reporting for Kintigh, to include donors and expenditures, for the city election in March. Craig could not be reached for comment Friday.
Recent wet weather VA chairman to host hearing in Roswell eases state’s drought SUBMITTED
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — New Mexico’s drought isn’t over, but July’s wet weather has made “major league dents” in it, weather officials said. The National Weather Service said nearly a quarter of the state has shifted from severe drought to moderate drought and an additional 16 percent of the state has dropped to severe drought from extreme drought. And no part of the state is in the most severe drought category — “excep-
tional” — for the first time since April.
“It had been a very interesting month,” Weather Service meteorologist Kerry Jones said. “Certainly a very active month for a good part of the state.”
Albuquerque received over 3.4 inches of rain in July. That’s 80 percent of what the city gets during an average entire monsoon, and some parts of the metro area got up to 4 inches of rain this week.
AP Photo
President Barack Obama leaves after speaking in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, Friday.
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TODAY’S FORECAST
House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Congressman Jeff Miller, R-Fla., will host an official committee field hearing in Roswell on Wednesday. The hearing will be from 11:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Roswell Convention and Civic Center, located at 912 N. Main St. New Mexico Department of Veterans’ Services Secretary Timothy Hale is scheduled attend. Veterans, Guard/Reserve members and active-duty personnel from throughout New Mexico are encouraged to attend the hearing and present any concerns or issues they may have relating to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs is the voice of Congress for veterans in dealing with the VA. It is the authorizing committee for the VA.
The committee recommends legislation expanding, curtailing, or finetuning existing laws relating to veterans’ benefits.
The committee also has oversight responsibility, and continuously monitors and evaluates the operations of the VA. If the committee finds that VA is not administering laws as Congress intended, the committee can then administer corrective action via a for mal hearing process and legislation.
GOP-led House OKs bill to address border crisis Miller
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans passed legislation late Friday to address the crisis on the U.S.-Mexico border by sending migrant youths back home without hearings, winning over conservatives with a companion bill that could lead to deporting more than half a million immigrants whom the Obama administration granted temporary work permits. President Barack Obama condemned the Republican action and said he’d act unilaterally, as best he could. A day after GOP leaders pulled the border bill from the floor in a chaotic
retreat, tea party lawmakers were enthusiastically on board with the new $694 million version and a companion measure that would shut off a program created by Obama granting work permits to immigrants brought here illegally as kids. The second bill also seemed designed to prevent the more than 700,000 people who’ve already gotten work permits under the program from renewing them, ultimately making them subject to deportation. The spending bill passed 223-189 late Friday, with only four Republicans voting “no” and one Democrat
voting “yes.” The measure ending Obama’s deportation relief program passed 216-192, with 11 Republican “no” votes and four Democrats crossing party lines to vote in favor. “It’s dealing with the issue that the American people care about more than any other, and that is stopping the invasion of illegal foreign nationals into our country,” said Rep. Michele Bachmann, RMinn. “And we got to yes.” But Obama said no. “They’re not even trying to solve the problem,” the president said. “I’m going to have to act alone, because we do not have enough
• DEBORAH RAY TRAHAN
• EDUARDO RODRIGUEZ MELENDEZ JR.
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B6 COMICS .................B5 ENTERTAINMENT .....B6 FINANCIAL ..............B3
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE B4
resources.”
Obama said he would reallocate resources where he could, while making clear his options were limited without congressional action. The administration already has taken steps including re-ordering immigration court dockets and boosting enforcement measures. The moves in the House came on what was to have been the first day of lawmakers’ five-week summer recess, delayed by GOP leaders after their vote plans unexpectedly collapsed on Thursday.
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2
HOROSCOPES .........A8 LOTTERIES .............A2
OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ..............A8