Roswell Daily Record THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
New immigrant licenses down 57%
Vol. 120, No. 222 50¢ Daily / $1 Sunday
INSIDE NEWS
‘TO INFINITY AND BEYOND’
WASHINGTON (AP) — To soar far away from Earth and even on to Mars, NASA has dreamed up the world’s most powerful rocket, a behemoth that borrows from the workhorse liquid-fuel rockets that sent Apollo missions into space four decades ago. But with a price tag that some estimate at $35 billion, it may not fly with Congress. - PAGE A6
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• Roswell Reads (and sings) Emily ... • Area dogs compete in Dog Show • Roth recounts Holocaust ... • Demons finally topple Hagerman • The biggest test to date for the Broncos
INSIDE SPORTS
IRVING, Texas (AP) — For Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, the next game can’t come soon enough. The only way to start redeeming himself for the two costly fourth-quarter turnovers in Dallas’ seasonopening loss at the New York Jets is play again. And do more than just play. “I can’t get back on the field fast enough,” Romo said Wednesday. “You need to come back from it - PAGE B1
TODAY’S • • • •
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Dorothy Juanita Jones Denny Wright Jerry Soliz Elmer Lee Sanders - PAGE A6
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CLASSIFIEDS..........B6 COMICS.................B7 ENTERTAINMENT.....B4 FINANCIAL .............B3 GENERAL ..............A2 HOROSCOPES ........A8 LOTTERIES ............A2 NATION .................A6 OPINION ................A4 SPORTS ................B1 WEATHER ..............A8
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THURSDAY
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SANTA FE (AP) — The flow of driver’s licenses to immigrants has slowed in New Mexico since the state tightened its application system last year, but the drop-off steepened after Republican Gov. Susana Martinez took office in January promising to end the licensing policy, according to a review of state records by The Associated Press. Martinez has unsuccessfully pressed the Democratic-controlled Legislature to repeal New Mexico’s immigrant license law, but fewer licenses are being issued to foreign nationals as the
NTSB issues prelim report
VANESSA KAHIN RECORD STAFF WRITER The National Transportation Safety Board, Wednesday, released a preliminary report for the April 2 plane crash in Roswell in which four people were killed. The incident involved a Gulfstream G650 airplane that crashed around 9:34 a.m. during takeof f at Roswell International Air Two flight Center. crewmembers and two technical crewmembers on the aircraft were all Gulfstream employees from Savannah, Ga. The preliminary report
political debate intensifies. New Mexico is one of only three states where illegal immigrants can be issued a driver’s license. New immigrant licenses — those issued for the first time to people without a Social Security number — dropped 57 percent during the first seven months of the Martinez administration compared to the same period a year ago under her predecessor, Democrat Bill Richardson. Immigrant licenses in New Mexico declined 44 percent in the past 12 months compared with the
previous one-year period, according to license numbers obtained from the state in response to a public records request by the AP. The decline started in August 2010 after illegal immigrants and other foreign nationals were required to make an appointment for a driver’s license at a Motor Vehicle Division office, rather than walking in at any time for the transaction. About 92,000 foreign See LICENSES, Page A3
INGLE SEEKS TO EXPAND TURF JULIA BERGMAN RECORD STAFF WRITER
Sen. Stuart Ingle, R-Portales, introduced a redistricting plan to the Senate on Wednesday that could affect representation in Chaves County. Senate Bill 31 affects only Senate representation, and could result in Ingle gaining more precincts in Chaves County and Sen. Rod Adair, R-Roswell, losing a few.
Foundation work next week
Ingle’s representation of Chaves County has expanded and contracted throughout his years in office. Ingle said he would like to keep all of the senators in the Southeastern region of the state, and would enjoy the opportunity to further represent Chaves County. Senate President Pro Tem T im Jennings, DRoswell, said Ingle’s plan See INGLE, Page A3
Mark Wilson Photo
Jorge Enriquez, right, and Diego Sanchez of Facility Build, out of Albuquerque, prepare the foundation of the Chaves County war memorial in front of the courthouse for next week’s concrete pour. The concrete requires a week to set before the monuments can be set in place.
Hey! Who’s in charge here? Gov names Helen Cheromiah to JJAC See NTSB, Page A3
ROMO REQUIRES REDEMPTION
September 15, 2011
EMILY RUSSO MILLER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Dexter town councilors in a meeting Tuesday voted to strip the mayor of his supervision duties of the Dexter Fire Department, further fueling the nearly year -old debate raging in the small town on for whom the volunteer department works. Councilor Mitch Daubert moved for town councilors to supervise the fire department instead, until legal advice on the issue is sought on the issue from the town’s attorney, AJ Olsen. The motion was unanimously approved by the four councilors, who were outright hostile to Dexter Mayor Dave White in the
public meeting, eliciting snickers from some in the audience, and gasps of disbelief from others. “I was a volunteer fireman for 15 years,” Councilor Andy Lopez said. “Ain’t no way this man here (pointing to the mayor) would have been my boss. I would have told him to go to hell.” Another councilor later in the meeting, Norman Caffell, insinuated that the mayor’s resignation would be welcome. “I can sign them all (checks) if you want to quit,” Caffell said. White, who has been with odds with the councilors and Dexter Fire Chief Justin Powell since he took office last March, initially protested the motion, saying, “You can’t
JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Emily Russo Miller Photo
Dexter Mayor Dave White
do that!” Daubert responded that during the previous week, he consulted with New Mexico Municipal League attor ney Randy Van Vleck, and was advised the councilors could
Gov. Susana Martinez has named Roswell Police Officer Helen Cheromiah to the Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee. The appointment was announced Tuesday. Judge Freddie Romero recommended her for the committee. He has been a member, but has found his time limited. He suggested Cheromiah as a replacement because of her involvement with local youth and because she was a representative of law enforcement. The Juvenile Justice Board is designed to come up with programs to prevent juvenile delinquency
and gang involvement before children and youth become in involved. The board examines strategies to encourage youth, parent, school and community involvement, and they are charged with originating, coordinating and implementing strategies and programs, along with locating funds to support initiatives, programs, services and activities Through her work with the school system, Cheromiah has experience with children. She has been working the police representative to Roswell Independent School District since the position was reinstated in January. She
Advocates want Ruidoso A referendum on Obama? GOP mayor, lawyer to resign
RUIDOSO (AP) — Gun advocates are calling for the Ruidoso mayor and village attorney to resign after the two defended a new executive order banning guns in village property. The Alamogordo Daily News reports that advocates from Ruidoso, Roswell, Alamogordo, Eunice and even Virginia crowded a village council meeting Tuesday to express anger at Mayor Ray Alborn's order Alborn made the order after Ruidoso resident Tony Seno showed up at a council meeting in July wearing a pistol and was asked to remove it. Alborn said the ban only applied to village buildings and was meant to protect village employees and residents. But Ruidoso resident Carl Kelley Jr. warned that the village faced lawsuits. In 1986, New Mexico residents voted to amend the state constitution forbidding local regulation of firearms.
See DEXTER, Page A2
See CHEROMIAH, Page A3
celebrates its New York City win WASHINGTON (AP) — Savoring the unlikeliest of victories, Republicans called their triumph in a New York City congressional race a repudiation of President Barack Obama’s policies on the economy and Israel on Wednesday as public and private polls showed his approval ratings plummeting in a district he carried handily in 2008. “We’re not going to sugarcoat it, it was a tough loss,” conceded the See ELECTION, Page A2
AP Photo
Bob Turner and his wife Peggy are all smiles as he delivers his victory speech during an election night party, Wednesday, in New York.