The Albuquerque Tribune (Albuquerque, NM) articles from January 2000, page 2

The Albuquerque Tribune (Albuquerque, NM) archives from January 2000

State may have legal grounds for modifying prison contracts.
January 28, 2000... Byline: Barry Massey The Associated Press SANTA FE New Mexico could have strong legal powers to pressure a private prison company to renegotiate contracts for housing state inmates, one of the state's top prosecutors said. Deputy...

APD won't release information on wreck.(Local News)
January 28, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF The Albuquerque Police Department this morning clamped down on the release of information regarding a chase Thursday night that resulted in a collision at a Northeast Heights intersection. ...

City convention-catering deal snaps.
January 28, 2000... Byline: Kate Nash KNASH@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3602 They thought they had a deal. But after many late-night meetings, several attempts to compromise and a detailed war of words, it is still undecided who will cater some of the city's...

Plan to shift firefighters criticized.(Local News)
January 28, 2000... Byline: Kate Nash KNASH@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3602 It's being called a Band-Aid measure, a do-nothing proposal and a step in the right direction. But a plan to staff some county fire stations with city firefighters is one thing for...

Lee defense challenges secrets law.(Local News)
January 28, 2000... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Attorneys for a former Los Alamos scientist accused of mishandling nuclear weapons secrets want to overturn a law that requires them to reveal details of their case to prosecutors before trial. Attorneys...

Low bidder begins meetings on Big-I project.(Local News)
January 28, 2000... Byline: Kate Nash KNASH@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3602 For Twin Mountain Construction II Co., one of the biggest jobs in the firm's history begins today. Not long after being selected as the apparent low bidder for the Big-I reconstruction...

DWI bill would increase penalties for repeaters.(Legislature)
January 28, 2000... Byline: Nicole Dunn TRIBUNE REPORTER LEGISLATURE 2000 SANTA FE Repeat drunken drivers would face increased jail time and mandatory substance-abuse treatment under a package of anti-DWI bills making its way through the Roundhouse. ...

Committee tables bill to raise liquor tax.(Legislature)
January 28, 2000... Byline: Tim Archuleta tarchuleta@abqtrib.com / 823-3674 LEGISLATURE 2000 SANTA FE The city of Albuquerque's efforts to allow its residents to increase a local liquor tax for a Downtown detoxification center ran into a major...

Senate panel OKs open conference committees.(Legislature)
January 28, 2000... Byline: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LEGISLATURE 2000 SANTA FE The Senate Rules Committee has unanimously approved a change to the Legislature's rules to require that conference committees be open to the public. A conference committee,...

Prosecutors in Avalos' trial prepare to present sole physical evidence.
January 28, 2000... Byline: Leslie Hoffman LHOFFMAN@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3610 Prosecutors have nearly wrapped up their efforts to set the scene tying murder suspect Jesse Avalos Jr. to the 1998 killing of Carly Martinez. Several witnesses have said they...

Dietz, 83, embraced photos, books, community.(Obituary)
January 28, 2000... Byline: Ollie Reed Jr. oreed@abqtrib.com / 823-3619 Ann E. Dietz, who for many years shared with the community her passion for books and photography in her Quivira Bookshop and Photograph Gallery, has died at her home on Edith Boulevard....

Lobos have given fans little to cheer about as Pit falls silent.(Sports)
January 28, 2000... Byline: Edgar Thompson ethompson@abqtrib.com / 823-3614 The pulse of The Pit is faint. Ask fans or players. Most will tell you that the arena renowned for its energy, intimidation and decibel level has resembled a mausoleum during...

This time, Mustangs win.(Sports)
January 28, 2000... Byline: Rick A. Maese rmaese@abqtrib.com / 823-3687 West Mesa wrestlers avenge earlier loss to Del Norte, putting the city's top two squadson a potential collision course at state It was a big win, but the West Mesa wrestling team is...

Estes stepped on Lobo paws, but she did right by UNM.(Sports)
January 28, 2000... Byline: Richard Stevens The retirement of Linda Estes as guardian of Olympic and women's sports at the University of New Mexico will be hailed in some corners as a huge and positive step for Lobo athletics. They will say UNM now can...

Slam beat San Diego for 8th time.(Sports)
January 28, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports UPDATE If the New Mexico Slam could play San Diego every night, they might go unbeaten. The Slam, behind a late scoring burst by Keith Carter, defeated the host Stingrays 131-123 in two overtimes...

Bryant snaps out of a four-game reposejust in time to sink 18, beat Wyoming.(Sports)
January 28, 2000... Byline: Brad Moore bmoore@abqtrib.com / 823-3679 Unfortunately for the Lobos, it took an uncomfortable seat on the bench for Sonya Bryant to snap out of her recent slumber. After sleepwalking through the four previous games, the...

Rattlers enter Tingley in defanged funk.(Sports)
January 28, 2000... Byline: Sean McAfee smcafee@abqtrib.com / 823-3662 The New Mexico Scorpions' three-game losing streak registers barely a blip on the futility meter compared with the fortunes of tonight's opponents. The Amarillo Rattlers come into...

Baseball season opens with depth at mound.(Sports)
January 28, 2000... Byline: Brad Moore bmoore@abqtrib.com / 823-3679 LOBO SCENE University of New Mexico baseball coach Rich Alday is hoping his pitching staff, the deepest in recent years, will propel the Lobos into contention for the first Mountain...

Phelps Dodge reportsfourth-quarter loss.(Business)
January 28, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports LOCAL & REGIONAL Curtailing operations also curtailed Phelps Dodge Corp. profits at least on paper, the copper company says. Phelps Dodge reported a fourth-quarter loss of $212.7 million or $2.91 a...

Reinventing the ordinary.(The Arts & Entertainment)
January 28, 2000... Byline: Leanne Potts lpotts@abqtrib.com / 823-3676 In her piece, 'Green House,' sculptor-photographer-painter Sandy Skoglund uses her trademark artificial color like electric purple and green dogs to take the blah out of...

Ageless photographs capture The Moment.(The Arts & Entertainment)
January 28, 2000... Byline: Leanne Potts lpotts@abqtrib.com / 823-3676 'The beauty of life itself is written on their face,' says photographer Anne Noggle of her work, which dispels the notion of old age If you're under 40, Anne Noggle probably won't...

A hunchbacked jester and a long-lost son take stage at Santa Fe Opera 2000.(The Arts & Entertainment)
January 28, 2000... Byline: Trilby Davis tdavis@abqtrib.com / 823-3684 There are no multi-million dollar renovations or additional elaborate electronic systems at the Santa Fe Opera this year. Two years ago the opera underwent a $19.6 million overhaul,...

Police link drive-by shooting to crash.(Local News)
January 28, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire report IN BRIEF A suspect fleeing the scene of what police say might have been a drive-by shooting ran a red light and hit a truck traveling westbound on San Mateo where it crosses underneath the freeway and...

State expects additional $29 million in revenue.
January 28, 2000... Byline: Barry Massey The Associated Press SANTA FE The revenue outlook for next year is a bit brighter. Lawmakers have been told that the state should have $173 million in "new money" available in the budget year that starts in July....

Concerns of jury tampering in Avalos trial prompts judge to warn audience.
January 28, 2000... Byline: Leslie Hoffman LHOFFMAN@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3610 Members of the Albuquerque audience in the murder trial of Jesse Avalos Jr. have been warned by the judge not to talk to jurors. The admonition came Thursday after Avalos'...

Child-sex case based on 'disturbing' videos.
January 28, 2000... Byline: Joline Gutierrez Krueger jglenn@abqtrib.com / 823-3603 Bernalillo County sheriff's detectives viewed nearly 100 videotapes as part of the unnerving task of identifying the young boys who are believed to be victims of sexual...

Robbery suspect targeted elderly strangers, police say.
January 28, 2000... Byline: Joline Gutierrez Krueger jglenn@abqtrib.com / 823-3603 A suspect who authorities said preyed on the kindness of elderly strangers is in custody today after he was tracked to a homeless shelter. Arthur Ortega, 43, was...

District Court rejectsLibertarian lawsuit.(Local News)
January 28, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF SANTA FE A state District Court judge has declined to hear arguments in a lawsuit brought by the Libertarian Party of New Mexico against the secretary of state. Party Chairman Joseph...

Four APS teachers receive district award.(Local News)
January 28, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEFS Four Albuquerque Public Schools educators have been honored with the district's highest honor for teaching. The Marshall Floyd Awards, named for a 45-year veteran of Highland High School,...

Espanola coach placed on leave.(Sports)
January 28, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports UPDATE ESPANOLA Espanola Valley basketball coach Lenny Roybal has been placed on paid leave after he reportedly was involved in a physical confrontation with a student. He said the incident was...

Ex-Duke pleads guilty to assault.(Sports)
January 28, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports UPDATE Former Albuquerque Dukes pitcher Pedro Astacio, who led the Colorado Rockies in wins and strikeouts this past season, pleaded guilty to an assault charge but will avoid jail if he stays out of...

School-design field narrowed to four.(Business)
January 28, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports The final four applicants have been chosen to compete for a contract to design the new School of Architecture and Planning at the University of New Mexico. The four were selected from respondents to a...

Bones found in Santa Fe prompt investigation.(Local News)
January 28, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire report IN BRIEF SANTA FE Police who are trying to link an Oklahoma man to human bones buried in a Santa Fe back yard plan to compare his DNA to that of the bones. Santa Fe Police detective Mark Clayton...

Teens survive freezing night on mountain.(Local News)
January 28, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire report IN BRIEF KEYSTONE, Colo. Two teen-age cousins from Louisiana survived a frigid night on a mountain by huddling so close to a fire that they charred their lift tickets. Neither Brandon Cranford, 14,...

Deal reached on deregulation.
January 27, 2000... Byline: Tim Archuleta tarchuleta@abqtrib. com / 823-3674 Telecommunication bill would cap rates, encourage investment SANTA FE In one of the biggest surprises of the 2000 legislative session, a compromise has been reached among New...

Local firm apparent low bidder in Big-I project.
January 27, 2000... Byline: Kate Nash KNASH@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3602 Twin Mountain Construction II Co. of Albuquerque is the apparent low bidder for the Big-I reconstruction project set to begin in June. Twin Mountain, a national company with an...

N.M. gaming tribes huddle with officials at fed agency.
January 27, 2000... Byline: Gilbert Gallegos ggallegos@abqtrib.com / 823-3670 SANTA FE Indian gaming officials were returning today from Washington, D.C., where they met with U.S. Department of Interior officials to get answers to critical questions...

Senate's drug memorial debate hinges on naming Johnson.
January 27, 2000... Byline: Tim Archuleta tarchuleta@abqtrib.com / 823-3674 SANTA FE The New Mexico Senate has passed a memorial opposing Gov. Gary Johnson's efforts to legalize drugs. The debate, however, rages today over whether the memorial goes far...

Deadbeat parents could lose casino cash.
January 27, 2000... Byline: Jessica Wehrman WEHRMANJ@SHNS.COM / (202) 408-2705 WASHINGTON In his State of the Union address tonight, President Clinton will unveil a plan to get deadbeat parents to pay their child support by taking it from their gambling...

Poll: 21% of N.M. doctors want out of state system.
January 27, 2000... Byline: Nancy Salem nsalem@abqtrib.com / 823-3675 One-fifth of a random sampling of New Mexico doctors are frustrated enough to think about leaving their practices, and their professional organizations are calling on the Legislature to...

Caterer dispute closer to resolution.
January 27, 2000... Byline: Kate Nash KNASH@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3602 Coffee, tea or compromise? Albuquerque Mayor Jim Baca and the City Council may have found a solution to the weeks-long battle over what company will become the interim caterer at the...

Avalos judge warns against juror contact.
January 27, 2000... Byline: Leslie Hoffman LHOFFMAN@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3610 A judge issued a stern warning this morning to members of the Albuquerque audience in the murder trial of 27-year-old Jesse Avalos Jr. The admonition came after Avalos' attorneys...

Videotapes lead to arrest of Sandia Park man on sex charges.
January 27, 2000... Byline: Joline Gutierrez Krueger jglenn@abqtrib.com / 823-3603 An East Mountain man remains in custody today after authorities confiscated nearly 100 videotapes, most of which depict sexually explicit acts with young boys, some of whom...

Suspect targeted elderly, officials say.(Local News)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Joline Gutierrez Krueger jglenn@abqtrib.com / 823-3603 A suspect who authorities said preyed on the kindness of elderly strangers is in custody today after he was tracked to a homeless shelter. Arthur Ortega, 43, was...

Panel dodges Onate battle, sends plan back to City Council.(Local News)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Leanne Potts lpotts@abqtrib.com / 823-3676 No comment. That's what a city planning committee had to say Wednesday night about the design plans for a controversial statue commemorating 400 years of Hispanic presence in New...

Lawmakers like bill giving working poor a tax break.(Legislature)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Gilbert Gallegos ggallegos@abqtrib.com / 823-3670 SANTA FE A powerful House committee gave an early kick-start to a tax-cut bill that could end up being the legislative alternative to Gov. Gary Johnson's plan to lower income...

Panel endorses bill to boost teacher salary.(Legislature)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Barry Massey The Associated Press SANTA FE School districts would be required to give 6.24 percent pay raises next year to teachers and other instructional staff under a budget proposal unanimously approved Wednesday by a House...

Amendment to anti-drug memorial rejected.
January 27, 2000... Byline: Tim Archuleta Sen. Phil Griego, a San Jose Democrat, offered an amendment that he said would strengthen the memorial opposing the legalization of drugs. The amendment was not included, after the Senate voted to table the...

Lawmakers frustrated with bills bogged down in committee.
January 27, 2000... Byline: Gilbert Gallegos ggallegos@abqtrib.com / 823-3670 SANTA FE Some legislators are worried that their bills may never see the light of day because of a backlog in the committees that decide which ones should be considered this...

A few bones to pick.(Neighborhood Trib)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Jan Jonas jjonas@abqtrib.com / 823-3627 Paleontology club members help dig up and prepare skeletal remains of dinosaurs for viewing at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History Scott Sucher never met a dinosaur bone he didn't...

JAN'S MAILBOX.(Neighborhood Trib)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Jan Jonas Today's column is more news from the military. In the Air Force: Tech. Sgt. Frank W. Baumann graduated from the Air Force Noncommissioned Officer Academy at Goodfellow Air Base, San Angelo, Texas. Baumann...

New PNM president hired back from Maryland firm.(Business)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Wire reports LOCAL & REGIONAL The Public Service Company of New Mexico on Wednesday named Jeffry Sterba as its new president. Sterba, who returns to PNM after a year with a Maryland-based energy company, will assume...

Panel backs tech tax incentives.(Business)
January 27, 2000... Byline: The Associated Press SANTA FE Tax incentives would be offered to technology companies that expand or locate in New Mexico under proposals endorsed Wednesday by a Senate panel. Sen. Roman Maes, a Santa Fe Democrat and sponsor...

Homeopathic veterinary care treats underlying problem.
January 27, 2000... Byline: Jen Barol jbarol@abqtrib.com / 823-3612 Jen Barol and Pasha How many pet owners would think of giving herbs to their dog, cat or bird when it gets sick? Enough of them do so that there are veterinarians who specialize in...

AG's Office clears the way for retroactive Megan's Law.
January 27, 2000... Byline: Kate Nash KNASH@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3602 The New Mexico Attorney General's Office has stepped into the scuffle over the state's Megan's Law, issuing an analysis that says retroactively releasing a list of sex offenders dating to...

Bond vote will guide TVI's future, officials say.
January 27, 2000... Byline: Frank Zoretich fzoretich@abqtrib.com / 823-3623 In the Feb. 8 school bond election, voters are being asked to make a decision that will be "critical to the future of Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute," says TVI President...

Avalos wanted help moving body, pal says.
January 27, 2000... Byline: Leslie Hoffman LHOFFMAN@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3610 Stymied in their attempt to get the brother of murder suspect Jesse Avalos Jr. to testify, prosecutors turned to the next best thing a good friend. Joe LeCrone, one of Avalos'...

Grand jury indicts girl in death of newborn.(Local News)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Staff reports IN BRIEF A 15-year-old Albuquerque teen suspected of suffocating her newborn daughter and hiding it for three days has been formally charged with the baby's death. Crystal Gebler was indicted Wednesday by a...

Prisoner sues over transfer to Virginia.(Local News)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Ollie Reed Jr. oreed@abqtrib.com / 823-3619 A New Mexico prisoner who was transferred to the supermaximum-security Wallens Ridge State Prison in Virginia has filed a million-dollar-plus civil-rights lawsuit against Gov. Gary...

GOP official demandsan apology from Sanchez.(Legislature)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Tim Archuleta tarchuleta@abqtrib.com / 823-3674 SANTA FE A New Mexico Republican Party official is "demanding" that House Speaker Raymond Sanchez apologize for accusing the GOP of a personal attack on him. "As an official of...

Tight budget to cause big problem for schools.(Legislature)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Deborah Baker The Associated Press SANTA FE In a year with a tight state budget and a short legislative session, New Mexico faces an enormous, expensive problem. A state district judge in Gallup last year ruled that the way...

CROSSFIRE.(Sports)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Edgar Thompson, John O'Rourke Who's going to win the Super Bowl? Edgar Thompson says the Rams: The Titans needed a wild-card bid and a miracle (and highly suspicious) play to even get here. After their incredible...

GOOD NEWS!(Sports)
January 27, 2000... New Mexico State senior guard Stella Candelaria, a former Rio Grande High School standout, was selected as Big West Conference player of the week, the league announced on Monday. Candelaria averaged 16 points, seven rebounds and 2.5 steals in...

Standing 5-foot-whatever, this team comes to play.(Sports)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Rick A. Maese rmaese@abqtrib.com / 823-3687 You know things aren't looking too good when your basketball squad has only three seniors. Things probably look even worse when each of those three is listed at just 5-foot-2-inches....

Former Lobo assistant putting Highlands on the basketball map.(Sports)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Brad Moore bmoore@abqtrib.com / 823-3679 Catching up with... John McCullough For seven seasons, John McCullough was a member of college basketball's foremost coaching fraternity Division I. These days, as a Division II...

North Texas hands Aggies Big West loss.(Sports)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF DENTON, Texas Despite 33 points from point guard Billy Keys, the New Mexico State Aggies lost 75-73 at North Texas on Wednesday night. The win snapped a 10-game losing streak to NMSU,...

Lobos will add young gun to showdown with Cowgirls.(Sports)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Brad Moore bmoore@abqtrib.com / 823-3679 The only person who has proven capable of stopping Jordan Adams' jump hook is University of New Mexico coach Don Flanagan. His quick hook has kept Adams on the bench more than on the low...

TV rules where teams roost week to week.(Sports)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Edgar Thompson ethompson@abqtrib.com / 823-3614 The most powerful acronym in men's college basketball is no longer the ACC, the SEC or even the NCAA. It's ESPN. Look no further for evidence than the 2000 Mountain West...

Scorpions lose third straight at home as Pirates make puck slide their way.(Sports)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Sean McAfee smcafee@abqtrib.com / 823-3662 The long homestand that was supposed to give the New Mexico Scorpions control of their playoff destiny is doing exactly the opposite. The Scorpions lost their third straight game at...

QB and his receiver commit to Lobos.(Sports)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Brad Moore bmoore@abqtrib.com / 823-3679 A junior college football passing combination, including a first-team All-American quarterback, have committed to accept scholarships from the University of New Mexico. Quarterback...

Ex-Ram Dennard remembers a rib-rammed Super Bowl.(Sports)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Richard Stevens In a way, Preston Dennard still wears the horns of the Rams. He wears them in his heart, not on his head, and you can definitely say Dennard's heart isn't in St. Louis when he talks about Rams. It's in...

Hall of Fame nominees tied to Duke City.(Sports)
January 27, 2000... Byline: STAFF REPORTS Already represented in the Pro Football Hall of Fame by Tommy McDonald, Albuquerque could lay claim to two more inductees when the 2000 class is announced on Saturday. Their connections aren't as strong as...

Last teen captured in connection with spree.(Local News)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF DURANGO, Colo. The last of three teen-agers wanted in a Colorado-New Mexico crime spree was arrested in California, where he is accused of holding up a convenience store and kidnapping the...

UNM gets millions in cancer research grants.(Local News)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF The University of New Mexico Cancer Research and Treatment Center has been awarded $7.8 million in grants to further the study of how cells communicate with one another. They include a...

Sun Tran begins taking credit cards for fares.(Local News)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF People who ride the city's Sun Tran buses, trolley or Sun Van can now use plastic to buy their monthly bus pass. Sale sites for transit passes will now accept Visa, Master Card or debit...

AT A GLANCE.(Local News)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF Mini-med school: The University of New Mexico School of Medicine will offer a "Mini-med school" for New Mexico residents to learn state-of-the-art information about medical topics from...

Big-I construction bids to be unsealed today.(Local News)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Staff reports IN BRIEF State Transportation and Highway Department officials were expected this morning to open sealed bids for the Big-I reconstruction project. Highway officials will announce an apparent low bidder...

Smugglers arrested after three-month investigation.(Local News)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Staff reports IN BRIEF A three-month-long investigation into the smuggling of undocumented aliens netted three arrests last week. Immigration and Naturalization Service special agents from El Paso arrested three smugglers...

Snowfall unlikely in city; mountains could see more.(Local News)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Staff reports IN BRIEF East Mountain residents may see occasional flurries of light snowfall and could experience some rain showers into the weekend, but the city has seen all the wintery weather expected to result from the...

Newcombe set to run track for Huskers.(Sports)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF LINCOLN, Neb. Nebraska wingback Bobby Newcombe will debut for the track team Saturday in a meet against Oklahoma and North Carolina. Newcombe has entered the 60- and 200-meter events....

Albuquerque boxer falls in semifinals.(Sports)
January 27, 2000... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF The Olympic dream of Albuquerque amateur boxer Ray Sanchez III ended at 36 seconds into the fourth round of his semifinal bout at the Western Trials on Wednesday in Boise, Idaho. Sanchez,...

Prisoner files rights lawsuit over Va. transfer.
January 26, 2000... Byline: Ollie Reed Jr. oreed@abqtrib.com / 823-3619 The lawsuit is believed to be the first civil-rights complaint filed in connection with the move from Santa Rosa to the supermax of Wallens Ridge. A New Mexico prisoner who was...

MVD wants fee to nail uninsured.
January 26, 2000... Byline: Kate Nash KNASH@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3602 Officials say they can't enforce law without $2 registration boost Legislature 2000 State Motor Vehicle Division officials are considering charging New Mexicans $2 more when they...

Fair seeks 'Band-Aid' for horse facilities.
January 26, 2000... Byline: Ollie Reed Jr. oreed@abqtrib.com / 823-3619 Don Cook was not exactly shy in his assessment of the old horse stalls just north and west of the racetrack on the New Mexico State Fairgrounds. "They're held up by wire," said...