Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 122, No. 273 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
November 15, 2013
Police investigating two armed robberies JESSICA PALMER RECORD STAFF WRITER
De t ec t iv es at the Roswell Police Department a r e i nvest ig a t i ng t w o armed robbery incidents that occurred this week. The first took place at Little Caesars Pizza, 1320 S . M ai n S t ., M o nd a y around 9:25 a.m. A c co r d in g t o a R P D release, an employee was t ak in g a d e po s i t t o t h e bank when an male subject approached after she enter ed her vehicle. He pointed a gun at her and
demanded the money. The police have provided no description since t h e s u bj e ct ‘ s f ac e wa s concealed. He reportedly fled the scene on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash. On Wednesday, a second robbery occurred at Famous Footwear, 4301 N . M a in S t . , a r o u n d 3 p.m. Three male subjects entered the store, picked up thr ee pairs of shoes and started to leave without paying. A clerk went to stop them at the door. S u r ve i l l an c e fo o t ag e shows one subject in front
www.rdrnews.com
of h er an d a secon d behind her. The second young man pointed a gun at her head. The employee did not realize a gun had been pointed at her until she reviewed video surveillance. Descriptions are limited w it h on e su bj ect described as a juvenile, and the other two young men in their early twenties. The subjects left in a vehicle. The shoes were valued at less than $200. The police do not believe the two incidents are connected. However, officials are seeking more informa-
FRIDAY
tion from potential witnesses. Detectives would like to speak with anyone who saw someone running fr om the Little Caesars location a little after 9:30 a.m. Monday or saw three you ng m en leavin g t h e Famous Footwear in a car s om et i me a ft e r 3 p .m . Wed nes day. A s a lways, anyone who may have any knowledge of these events, i s as ke d t o c on t ac t t h e p ol ic e, 62 4- 677 0, o r Crime Stoppers, 1-8885 94 -8 477 . C a lle rs t o Crime Stoppers could be eligible for a reward.
Courtesy Photo
Surveillance video footage shows a female employee trying to prevent three male subjects from shoplifting at Famous Footwear, Wednesday. As she confronts one, another points a gun at the back of her head.
Talk About It
RISD Health Centers promoting suicide prevention this month TESS TOWNSEND RECORD STAFF WRITER
Steve Stone Graphic
Suicide attempts among Chaves County high school students peaked in 2007, with 12.5 percent of students attempting suicide that year, according to the New Mexico Youth Risk Resiliency Survey.
Between 2008 and 2012, 16 youth aged 5 to 24 committed suicide in Chaves County, according to New Mexico’s Indicator -Based Information System. These are the kind of statistics Roswell High School Junior Hiram Olvera, 16, and his classmates want to prevent. “I know for a fact that there are students who think about it and they need someone to talk about it,” said Olvera, president of student community service group Key Club at Roswell High. School Based Health Centers in the Roswell Independent School District are promoting awareness about suicide throughout the month. The
centers provide health care including mental health services. The third annual suicide prevention event is part of state Department of Health’s “Talk About It” campaign. The campaign encourages students to seek professional help if they are feeling stressed, especially if they are considering suicide. Each of the district’s three health centers is participating in the campaign for one week. Centers are located at Mesa Middle School and Goddard and Roswell High Schools. Goddard held a campaign last week and Roswell finishes its campaign today. The promotion will wrap up at Mesa next week. Students are leading the See SUICIDE, Page A3
Ruidoso, NMED settle AerSale, city work toward expansion over water violations JILL MCLAUGHLIN RECORD STAFF WRITER
New Mexico Environment Department announced Thursday it had reached a tentative settlement with the Village of Ruidoso over violations of federal and state drinking water regulations. Ruidoso Village councilors will consider adopting the agreement at its regular meeting Dec. 10. The agreement allows the village to take several corrective measures instead of
paying a $48,000 fine. “We feel very good about the settlement,” said Ruidoso Mayor Raymond “Gus” Alborn. “The good news is, it absolves everybody of guilt. As soon as we can get it to the council, we will.” NMED issued an administrative compliance order to Ruidoso after the village failed to submit water test results for water provided to its customers from June 1-8, according to NMED. See RUIDOSO, Page A3
JILL MCLAUGHLIN RECORD STAFF WRITER
AerSale and the city are working on a plan that would allow the aviation company to build a massive new hangar at the Roswell Air Center to boost business, jobs and growth. City Councilors were updated Thursday on a memorandum of agreement currently being drafted between AerSale and the city that would allow AerSale to build the hangar. “We have signed the (agreement),” said Jennifer
Brady Griego, Roswell Air Center manager. “We are very excited. AerSale is committed to a long-term lease.” The hangar is proposed to be built near the end of Hangar 85, built in the 1940s, that is owned by the city and leased to AerSale. The company is also talking about bringing in 40 new jobs, Griego said. If the agreement were approved by the council, the city would assist with a bond for the project. At the site Thursday, General Manager Jim Barker discussed its cur-
rent work with a DC8, owned by NASA. The plane is a Dryden Flight Research Center and is undergoing a thorough maintenance check. Crews at AerSale will completely strip the plane and conduct a comprehensive check for rust or corrosion, for instance. During the work, AerSale will bring in several maintenance workers, Barker said. AerSale came to Roswell nearly four years ago. The company owns 38 aircraft at the air center. AerSale is also prepared to sign
another 30-year lease agreement with the city, Barker said. AerSale is looking to change its business model in 2004 from buying big fleets of aircraft, to building and expanding at its bases, such as Roswell and begin bringing in third-party work, Barker said. “(Roswell Air Center) is really under the radar as a place to bring airplanes,” Barker said. The combination of a new hangar, scholarships, See AERSALE, Page A3
A place to grow: Habitat for Humanity helps realize dream of homeownership TESS TOWNSEND RECORD STAFF WRITER
Marisol Vargas never thought she would one day have their own home, but with the help of Habitat for Humanity, her dream has come true. The nonprofit gave Vargas, a senior teller at Washington Federal Bank, the key to her new house on East Beech Street last night during a service of dedication at the address. “I just want to thank everybody who was a help getting me this house,” said an emotional Vargas during the service.
“This means the world to me and my babies.” Mayor Del Jurney, members of Habitat’s Family Selection Committee and representatives of community organizations were present Thursday to bless the new home. They welcomed the residents with gifts including quilts, gardening supplies and a Bible. Vargas and her three children previously lived with her mother and grandmother. The new homeowner said she could not live on her own before because she could not afford a mortgage while covering the costs of caring
HIGH 73 LOW 35
TODAY’S FORECAST
for her sons. The home cost $50,000 to build, according to Mike Puckett, president of the Roswell affiliate of Habitat. The organization gave Vargas an interest-free loan to repay the expense. Puckett said building homes is about more than putting a roof over families’ heads. “A home in my view is not only a place to sleep, but it’s a place of refuge, it’s a place of family bonding, it’s a place to grow a family,” he said. More than 50 people worked on the home, contributing more than 2,000 hours of labor, according
to Puckett. Local businesses E and CS Electric and Custom Construction installed necessary equipment at no labor cost. Vargas contributed more than 270 hours of labor herself. Habitat requires that recipients of singlefamily homes work on their homes at least 250 hours. With the house built, only one task remains: moving in. Vargas said she plans to move in after ordering furniture. Habitat has been active in Roswell for over a decade. The latest home See DREAM, Page A2
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE A8 • Norma Jean • Eva Rae Murphy • Michael Edward Gonzales • Henry Barton Carrasco • Janice L. Hayes • James Groseclose • Dayl Mary Wilson • Leslie Earnest
Mark Wilson Photo
Marisol Vargas and her sons Jaylon, 7, Jordan, 9, and Javien, 2, pose for photographs in their new home provided by Habitat for Humanity during a house warming and dedication celebration, Thursday evening.
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B7 COMICS .................A7 ENTERTAINMENT .....A9 GENERAL ...............A2
INDEX HOROSCOPES .......A10 LOTTERIES .............A2 NATION..................A8 OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1 STOCKS .................B5 WEATHER ............A10 WORLD ..................B6