The Albuquerque Tribune (Albuquerque, NM) articles from January 2001

The Albuquerque Tribune (Albuquerque, NM) archives from January 2001

New leadership changes picture for lobbyists.
January 31, 2001... Byline: Gilbert Gallegos GGALLEGOS@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3670 Legislature 2001 SANTA FE New Senate President Richard Romero said he plans to hang a special sign outside his office today with a message for lobbyists. That...

'Robin the Hood' strikes twice in a day, FBI believes.
January 31, 2001... Byline: Joline Gutierrez Krueger JGLENN@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3603 The bold bad boy of bank heists has struck again. And it's that boldness that authorities say could soon botch Byron Shane Chubbuck's continued run of robberies. ...

Feds may take 112 jail inmates.
January 31, 2001... Byline: Kate Nash KNASH@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3602 City-County Jail officials have identified 112 inmates whose crimes they say make them eligible for federal punishment under a new multiagency program. That means some criminals who...

Bug-sized robots promise to give terrorists the creeps.
January 31, 2001... Byline: Lawrence Spohn lspohn@abqtrib.com / 823-3611 Bond, James Bond, meet Bug, Micro Bug. Adding a new dimension to the world of creepy-crawlies, Albuquerque's Sandia National Laboratories has developed and successfully tested...

Elephant gets past Mexican customs agents.(Local News)
January 31, 2001... Byline: Tribune staff IN BRIEF SAN ANTONIO, Texas The latest contraband to cross the Texas-Mexico border has presented law officers with a jumbo problem after customs officials didn't check its trunk. Someone managed to smuggle...

Calgary owners in town to talk baseball.(Local News)
January 31, 2001... Byline: Kate Nash KNASH@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3602 Ken Young and Emmett Hammond are hardly big names in Albuquerque sports or City Hall politics. But starting today, Young and Hammond are changing all that in the name of returning...

Positive SunTran report fails to sway critical councilor.(Local News)
January 31, 2001... Byline: Kate Nash KNASH@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3602 Albuquerque's transit operation is in good shape and well run, according to a report done by regional bus system administrators. "It confirms what I believed," said Transit Director Anne...

Medical pot bill appears to have Dem support.(Local News)
January 31, 2001... Byline: Lowry McAllen LMCALLEN@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3625 SANTA FE Gov. Gary Johnson now has some legislative allies among Republicans and Democrats to join at least part of his crusade to rewrite the state's drug laws. Rep. Joe Thompson...

Ban on child porn approved by House.(Legislature 2001)
January 31, 2001... Byline: Lowry McAllen LMCALLEN@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3625 GOP amendments to increase penalties and clarify definitions could still be considered in the Senate. SANTA FE House legislators voted unanimously with 67 members present today...

Bingaman questions Ashcroft's 'fairness'.
January 31, 2001... Byline: Stacey Zolt zolts@shns.com / (202) 408-2726 WASHINGTON Sen. Jeff Bingaman announced today his opposition to the confirmation of John Ashcroft as U.S. attorney general. The U.S. Senate could vote on the issue as early as...

Ill no more.(Sports)
January 31, 2001... Byline: Rick A. Maese rmaese@abqtrib.com / 823-3687 Sandia's Chris Jenkins is regaining his strength and stamina after early-season injuries and a bout with mononucleosis; just ask the Highland Hornets Ron Jenkins lets out the...

Barren roads of Utah are rarely the place for Lobos to find a win.(Sports)
January 31, 2001... Byline: Edgar Thompson ethompson@abqtrib.com / 823-3614 WOLF TRACKS A Lobo team coming off a loss that could ruin its chances for a conference title can expect little relief in Utah. Needing a road win to offset Monday's loss to...

Spurned by Lobos, Mo finds No. 1 glory with Irish.(Sports)
January 31, 2001... Byline: Richard Stevens If Monique "Mo" Hernandez chose to wag a finger at the New Mexico Lobo team that once snubbed her, the digit of choice likely would be the finger most overused, most misused, in all of sports. But for this...

Lobos join throng wooing wavering prep big man.(Sports)
January 31, 2001... Byline: Daniel Libit dlibit@abqtrib.com / 823-3614 With most of the nation's top high school seniors committed, college basketball coaches are turning their attention to junior colleges and prep schools. Last season, the Lobos...

Gates buys 6 percent stake in PNM.(Business)
January 31, 2001... Byline: Today's top story By Sherry Robinson srobinson@abqtrib.com / 823-3632 Bill Gates now owns a piece of PNM. A small piece. Cascade Investment LLC, the Microsoft Corp. chairman's personal investment arm, has taken a 6 percent...

School board candidates make their cases.(Insight and Opinion)
January 31, 2001... On Feb. 6, voters will consider 13 candidates and choose four of them as school-board members for the Albuquerque Public Schools. The job that the seven-person board will shoulder promises to be tougher than ever as local, state and national...

EDITORIAL.(Insight and Opinion)
January 31, 2001... Expanded track gaming would be no gift horse Sometimes, a handsome payoff isn't worth the ugly aggravation it requires. Such is the case with state Sen. John Arthur Smith's proposal to expand gaming at New Mexico's four horse racetracks....

Voter ID bill tabled by committee.(Legislature 2001)
January 31, 2001... Byline: Tribune staff ROUNDHOUSE ROUNDUP SANTA FE Democrats dealt a blow to a Republican bill that would have required people to present identification, such as a driver's license, at the voting booth. All seven Democrats on the...

Bingaman undecided on Ashcroft vote.
January 31, 2001... Byline: Stacey Zolt zolts@shns.com / (202) 408-2726 WASHINGTON As the U.S. Senate prepares to vote on the confirmation of John Ashcroft as attorney general, Sen. Jeff Bingaman remains undecided. Bingaman, a Silver City Democrat,...

Road burn over Eagles trip.
January 31, 2001... Byline: Rick A. Maese rmaese@abqtrib.com / 823-3687 In five long days, stranded Eldorado players learned plenty of economics (Monopoly)and spelling (Scrabble). But it's the subject of geography that has parents upset. Their high...

Explosives truck removed safely from I-40.(Local News)
January 31, 2001... Byline: Tribune staff IN BRIEF GALLUP A tractor-trailer rig carrying munitions was towed safely off an icy stretch of highway in Gallup on Tuesday, hours after it jackknifed on the icy surface. Authorities ordered nearby schools,...

AT A GLANCE.(Local News)
January 31, 2001... Byline: Tribune staff IN BRIEF Lost snowmobilers found: A man and his son from Los Lunas reported missing when they failed to return from a snowmobiling trip in the Manzano Mountains on Tuesday night were found this morning in good...

CORRECTIONS.(Local News)
January 31, 2001... An evening edition story Tuesday about proposed legislation that would make leading police on an automobile chase a felony should have been attributed to The Associated Press. See story 01/30/01 Pg. A4 "LEADING POLICE ON CHASE COULD...

Stiffer DWI penalties proposed by GOP.(Legislature 2001)
January 31, 2001... Byline: Tribune staff IN BRIEF SANTA FE Senate Republicans said they intended to introduce drunken-driving bills that stiffen the penalties for repeat offenders, increase treatment for first-time offenders and use new devices to keep...

Legislators: no drug reform without cash for treatment.
January 30, 2001... Byline: Gilbert Gallegos GGALLEGOS@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3670 LEGISLATURE 2001 They said the governor must endorse an infusion of money before they consider new drug laws. SANTA FE Gov. Gary Johnson is under pressure from the...

DWI proposals include car-ignition interlocks.
January 30, 2001... Byline: Lowry McAllen LMCALLEN@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3625 SANTA FE Senate Republicans said today they are introducing drunken-driving bills that stiffen the penalties for repeat offenders, increase treatment for first-time offenders and use...

Teachers union chief jabs at chamber, Allison.
January 30, 2001... Byline: Andy Lenderman alenderman@abqtrib.com / 823-3659 This is one fight actually, two fights Ellen Bernstein won't pass up. The president of the Albuquerque Teachers Federation is in battle mode as the Albuquerque Board of...

Mother Nature 4, Eagles 0, as stranded team heads home.
January 30, 2001... Byline: John Whitmore jwhitmore@abqtrib.com / 823-3665 When Eldorado High boys basketball coach Roy Sanchez took his Eagles on the road, he had absolutely no idea how long the homecoming would take. Now he does, and the answer isn't...

Bill would expand racetrack gambling.
January 30, 2001... Byline: Gilbert Gallegos GGALLEGOS@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3670 SANTA FE A state senator wants to open the door to more gambling at horse-racing tracks and allow table games such as poker and blackjack. Sen. John Arthur Smith has...

Police, jail overspending stir criticism.
January 30, 2001... Byline: Kate Nash KNASH@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3602 Most people who pay attention to city politics know Albuquerque's Police Department and the City-County Jail overspent their budgets this fiscal year. But the debate about where to dig...

Notorious 'Robin the Hood' might be to blame for bank heist in Northeast Heights.(Local News)
January 30, 2001... Byline: Joline Gutierrez Krueger JGLENN@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3603 Convicted bank robber Byron Shane Chubbuck might have surfaced again as the culprit in yet another bank heist. And once again, the so-called Robin the Hood has hoodwinked...

Albuquerque will get a break from weather, forecasters say.(Local News)
January 30, 2001... Byline: Jan Jonas JJONAS@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3627 The stubborn winter weather system that trapped an Albuquerque high school basketball team in rural New Mexico for four days was running out of steam and snow today. As the state...

New Mexico's grades.(Legislature 2001)
January 30, 2001... Byline: Stacey Zolt zolts@shns.com / (202) 408-2726 States are rated on everything from use of information technology to capital management. WASHINGTON New Mexico has made ample improvement in state government performance, but has a...

Bill requiring voters to show ID is tabled.(Legislature 2001)
January 30, 2001... Byline: Gilbert Gallegos GGALLEGOS ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3670 SANTA FE Democrats dealt a blow to a Republican bill that would have required people to present identification, such as a driver's license, at the voting booth. All seven...

Leading police on chase could become a felony.(Legislature 2001)
January 30, 2001... Byline: Gilbert Gallegos GGALLEGOS ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3670 SANTA FE A Carlsbad lawmaker wants to put the brakes on drivers who flee the police, putting others in danger. Rep. John Heaton, a Democrat, told a House committee Monday that...

Legislators rap two state agencies in budget process.
January 30, 2001... Byline: Lowry McAllen LMCALLEN@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3625 SANTA FE High-performance state government has hit a speed bump. Key lawmakers in the budgetary process complained Monday that two state agencies either failed to attend a recent...

New park revives community's horse-friendly feel.
January 30, 2001... Byline: Ollie Reed Jr. oreed@abqtrib.com / 823-3619 When the Vista Sandia Equestrian Park opens in North Albuquerque Acres next week, horses and riders will once more be able to hoof it through this community without worrying about cars...

Poked and pounded.(Sports)
January 30, 2001... Byline: Edgar Thompson ethompson@abqtrib.com / 823-3614 Cowboys' towering Nsonwu-Amadi punishes the Lobos with 22 points, 11 rebounds in 82-78 Wyoming win The bump over senior Brian Smith's left eye might have given him post-game...

As probation ends, Begay has earned a clean slate.(Sports)
January 30, 2001... Byline: Sean McAfee Two days from now, Notah Begay III's probation, stemming from an aggravated DWI conviction, is due to be completed. You might remember that last January, Begay had drinks at a local bar, got into his vehicle,...

Chatfield makes 2 bare points as slump bears down.(Sports)
January 30, 2001... Byline: Rick A. Maese rmaese@abqtrib.com Not at the University of New Mexico. Not in junior college. Not in high school or youth ball. Not ever, Eric Chatfield says. The University of New Mexico junior guard can't...

School board candidates make their cases.(Insight and Opinion)
January 30, 2001... On Feb. 6, voters will consider 13 candidates and choose four of them as school-board members for the Albuquerque Public Schools. The job that the seven-person board will shoulder promises to be tougher than ever as local, state and national...

EDITORIAL.(Insight and Opinion)
January 30, 2001... Mesa del Sol confusion teaches diligence lesson In 1996, it was envisioned as a bare-bones, open-air stage on state-owned land. But for Bernalillo County officials, the amphitheater at Mesa del Sol has turned into a hard lesson on the...

Downtown living space goes up.(Business)
January 30, 2001... Byline: Today's top story By Nancy Salem nsalem@abqtrib.com / 823-3675 Downtown revitalization got a boost Monday with the launching of the first major housing development in the city's core in 15 years, a project that almost sank last...

Planning in full swing for Route 66 revelry.(Business)
January 30, 2001... Byline: OTHER BUSINESS NEWS Sherry Robinson srobinson@abqtrib.com / 823-3632 Route 66 will provide even more kicks this year. The Mother Road celebrates its 75th anniversary, and New Mexico has been chosen to be host of the national...

Legislators want money for treatment in drug policy.
January 30, 2001... Byline: Gilbert Gallegos GGALLEGOS@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3670 LEGISLATURE 2001 The governor must plan for funding recovery programs before considering law changes, they said. SANTA FE Gov. Gary Johnson is under pressure from the...

Eagles beat the Cave, but they can't get past Mother Nature.
January 30, 2001... Byline: John Whitmore jwhitmore@abqtrib.com / 823-3665 When Eldorado High coach Ray Sanchez took his Eagles on the road, he didn't realize it would take so long to get home. Sanchez and his team have been displaced for so long now he...

Weather is expected to be cool, dry, windy rest of week.
January 30, 2001... Byline: Jan Jonas JJONAS@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3627 As New Mexico continues to clean up after a stubborn weather system that generated snowfalls across the state for several days, the weather forecasters are saying relief is just around the...

Doctors seek tax cut, but city fears the knife.
January 29, 2001... Byline: Kate Nash KNASH@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3602 Legislature 2001 SANTA FE Even at the best of times, with an office full of patients and his schedule stacked with surgeries, Dr. Norman Assad has had trouble paying off his bank loans....

Desert rains prove too hard to model for best computers.
January 29, 2001... Byline: Lawrence Spohn lspohn@abqtrib.com / 823-3611 Nature's a tough customer, admits David Gutzler, a University of New Mexico climatologist. When it comes to simulating nature with even high-powered computers, Gutzler confesses,...

Social worker pushes home-based intervention.(Local News)
January 29, 2001... Byline: Susie Gran SGRAN@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3682 INTERVIEW WITH....DIANE WAGNER Diane Wagner is the lead social worker for a new program designed to touch the lives of juvenile delinquents before they grow into adult criminals. ...

Med students push health insurance bill.
January 29, 2001... Byline: Staff and wire reports ROUNDHOUSE ROUNDUP Students and residents at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine worked the Roundhouse today, asking legislators to support a forthcoming bill that would mandate health...

Internet firm blazes high-speed trail to smaller cities.(Business)
January 29, 2001... Byline: Sue Vorenberg svorenberg@abqtrib.com / 823-3678 When it comes to Internet reliability, nothing beats a T1 connection and New Mexico is getting more of them. Rangefire New Mexico Inc., headquartered in Santa Fe, has been...

Apartment-occupancy decline called normal for the time of year.(Business)
January 29, 2001... Byline: Nancy Salem nsalem@abqtrib.com / 823-3675 REALESTATE ROUNDUP The apartment-occupancy rate in Albuquerque dropped a bit in the fourth quarter of 2000 after climbing steadily since last March. Steve English, director of...

Roman Fountains' field of fortune.(Business)
January 29, 2001... CAPTION(S): PHOTO CAPTION PHOTO BY: Courtesy Roman Fountains PHOTO: b/w Construction on the new Roman Fountains corporate headquarters begins in March. The 6,000-square-foot office, design and manufacturing facility will be...

PUBLIC COMPANY BRIEFS.(Business)
January 29, 2001... Byline: Tribune staff Public Service Company of New Mexico reported fourth-quarter net earnings of $14.1 million, or 36 cents a share, on revenues of $461.5 million. This compares with earnings of $16.9 million, or 41 cents a share, on...

Business almanac.(Business)
January 29, 2001... BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS The New Mexico Biomedical and Biotechnology Association has named eight people to its board of directors to serve two-year terms. They are: Joseph Larsen, Mark Benak, Judi Richardson, Ami Jaeger, Janine...

Cauwels takes reins of NAIOP.(Business)
January 29, 2001... Byline: Tribune staff Paul S. Cauwels of Cauwels and Associates is the new president of the New Mexico chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties. President-elect is Carolyn Monroe, president of...

TOURISM.(Business)
January 29, 2001... Byline: Tribune staff The Tourism Association of New Mexico is asking the Legislature for an additional $4.7 million for the state Tourism Department. The association broke that down as follows: $2.6 million for general advertising;...

Expanded Xilinx to boost staff.(Business)
January 29, 2001... Byline: Tribune staff Xilinx Inc. has opened its renovated facility. The $6 million, 45,000-square-foot building opened Friday on Jefferson Street Northeast. The new facility is expected to allow the company to more than double its...

Labor pool, education top worries in survey.(Business)
January 29, 2001... Byline: Sherry Robinson srobinson@abqtrib.com / 823-3632 The labor pool, public education and taxes remain major concerns to the metro area business community. In its 10th annual business survey, the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of...

It might not have entertainment value, but new Senate offers hope of progress.(Business)
January 29, 2001... Byline: PLANET BUSINESS Sherry Robinson The winds of change are blowing with gale force. Sen. Richard Romero put it all on the line with a symbolic gesture of protest and wound up as the new Senate president, forcing Sen. Manny...

Isleta imbroglio.(Business)
January 29, 2001... Byline: Nancy Salem nsalem@abqtrib.com / 823-3675 The two-lane roadway easily can become a jam. But businesses and neighbors disagree on how much wider the stretch from Arenal to Rio Bravo should be. Isleta Boulevard is steeped in...

DOE toolbox helps uncover Isleta tanks.(Business)
January 29, 2001... Byline: Nancy Salem nsalem@abqtrib.com / 823-3675 Gas stations came and went along Isleta Boulevard, a former state and U.S. highway. And when they went, they left behind more than a memory. Underground storage tanks are the deadly...

Artists can sort out legal questions at foundation.(Business)
January 29, 2001... Byline: Dan Mayfield Art and law are strange bedfellows. Many artists have a hard time deciding what is fair compensation for their work, and what their rights are if someone uses their ideas or images without permission. Peri Pakroo...

IN BRIEF.(Business)
January 29, 2001... Byline: Tribune staff Siemens Solar Industries L.P. has received a long-term, worldwide contract from Taos-based Solaria Corp. to provide specialized packages of integrated solar products. Solaria is working on a project to power...

Shoptalk.(Business)
January 29, 2001... Byline: Dan Mayfield Susan Whittington Title: Owner Company: Albuquerque Tea & Trading Co., 4017 Central N.E. Number of employees: Basically, it's just myself. Time in business: Two years and three months. Previous...

'Telecom hotel' offers a base for high-tech business growth.(Business)
January 29, 2001... Byline: Sue Vorenberg svorenberg@abqtrib.com / 823-3678 Fast connections, backup generators and a fireproof vault for servers offer affordable security tostart-up companies. Beyond the cryptic words "telecom hotel" and "co-location...

Advisory council offers workers' comp changes.(Business)
January 29, 2001... Byline: Sherry Robinson srobinson@abqtrib.com / 823-3632 Legislature 2001 Workers' compensation will be the subject of several bills in this legislative session. The one with the broadest support is a product of two years'...

Injuries, employer premiums continue to fall.(Business)
January 29, 2001... Byline: Sherry Robinson Workers' compensation premiums and workplace accidents were both down again in 1999, according to the recently published annual report of the state Workers' Compensation Administration. The year's injury rate...

WYOMING HIGH COUNTRY.(Sports)
January 29, 2001... Byline: Edgar Thompson ethompson@abqtrib.com / 823-3614 Blessed with a big, strapping front line, Cowboys can aim plenty of firepower at the size-challenged Lobos tonight Coach Fran Fraschilla's belief that the Lobos are "going to...

Snowbound Eagles endure long weekend.(Sports)
January 29, 2001... Byline: Rick A. Maese rmaese@abqtrib.com / 823-3687 Weekend weather woes turned a routine road game into a three-day road trip for the Eldorado boys' basketball team. The Eagles defeated the Carlsbad Cavemen 55-45 in a district...

Shepherd's exit could affect 7-footer's interest in UNM.(Sports)
January 29, 2001... Byline: Daniel Libit dlibit@abqtrib.com / 823-3614 A departing team official said his break from the New Mexico men's basketball program could hurt the Lobos' chances at landing one of their top recruits. Lobo head coach Fran...

Lobo women set sights on offensive fix.(Sports)
January 29, 2001... Byline: Brad Moore bmoore@abqtrib.com / 823-3679 University of New Mexico coach Don Flanagan is pleased with the way his defense has been performing. And he says he's encouraged with the elbow grease he's seen in the Lobo women's...

Albuquerque man faces murder charge in shooting.(Local News)
January 29, 2001... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF A 25-year-old Albuquerque man was expected to be arraigned today on murder and other charges in connection with last week's shooting death of a man at a North Valley party. David Raymond...

Cerro Grande's economic damage under evaluation.(Local News)
January 29, 2001... Byline: Staff and wire reports IN BRIEF A new report on the economic impact of the Cerro Grande Fire on Los Alamos, where the fire destroyed 200 structures, will be the subject of a public meeting Feb. 7. The report by...

Full-day kindergarten might be much cheaper.
January 29, 2001... Byline: Staff and wire reports ROUNDHOUSE ROUNDUP SANTA FE A Santa Fe group that led last year's successful push for full-day kindergarten says the price tag for the program might be far lower than previously thought. Still, the...

Democrat bills would limit telemarketing.
January 29, 2001... Byline: Staff and wire reports ROUNDHOUSE ROUNDUP SANTA FE Two legislators have introduced bills designed to protect consumers from telemarketers by limiting hours that solicitors can place calls and prohibiting them from masking...

Police say firefighter might have tried to die.
January 27, 2001... Byline: Joline Gutierrez Krueger JGLENN@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3603 Under investigation in a child abuse case, he might have provoked fatal Thursday shootout as a means to suicide, police say. A Bernalillo County firefighter might have...

Of friction and friendliness.
January 27, 2001... Byline: Lowry McAllen LMCALLEN@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3625 While trying to learn the ropes, freshman Republican Rep. John Sanchez finds he gets both respect and an occasional cold shoulder in the Roundhouse after defeating longtime House...

County to get $60,000 a year from SFX deal.
January 27, 2001... Byline: Dan Mayfield DMAYFIELD@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3620 The Journal Publishing Co. will pay $3 million total for the rights to put their name on the former Mesa delSol Amphitheatre, county says. The Journal Publishing Co. will pay more...

Balletic Lipizzaner hoofers showcase the horse, of course.
January 27, 2001... Byline: Ollie Reed Jr. oreed@abqtrib.com / 823-3619 When he was a kid growing up in tiny Willard, N.M., Dave King thought he had a calling to give voice to the Lord. Instead, he grew up to be the horses' mouth. "Early on I thought I...

Compromise reached over child pornography battle.
January 27, 2001... Byline: Lowry McAllen LMCALLEN@ABQTRIB.COM / 823-3625 SANTA FE What could have been a partisan battle over child pornography legislation ended in a unanimous reconciliation of two competing bills. A bill from Democrats to make...

Lawmakers take a poke at education this week.
January 27, 2001... Byline: Gilbert Gallegos SANTA FE As always, state schools Superintendent Michael Davis is walking a tightrope in the Roundhouse. This year the high-wire act is more tricky. To be sure, Davis is a player in the myriad efforts to...

Teen on scooter struck and killed by car.(Local News)
January 27, 2001... Byline: Tribune staff IN BRIEF A young man who may have been drinking and riding a scooter in the center lane of a busy Northeast Heights street at night was killed when he was struck by a car. The man, believed to be about 18,...