Wednesday’s Top Stories

Wednesday’s Five Facts

[1] Police physical force reform – New Mexico lawmakers are pushing a bill that would change how officers use physical force. Senate Bill 252 is being called the law enforcement officer procedures act, aimed at holding officers and departments accountable and building a saft standard. The goal is to get officers to de-escalate the situation first, when possible, and use less deadly options.

[2] Should the voting age be lowered to 16? Some state lawmakers say ‘yes’ – New Mexico state lawmakers want to lower the voting age in the state to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in state, county, and city elections. House Bill 217 deals with who is allowed to cast a vote under the Constitution of New Mexico and the Constitution of the United States. This bill changes that definition to anyone 16 years old or older. That would only allow them to vote in state, city, or county elections. House Bill 217 is set to be discussed in front of the House Government, Elections, and Indian Affairs Committee.

[3] Wintry mix and freezing rain threat for southern New Mexico – Central and northwest New Mexcio will stay mostly sunny. A storm will bring rain, freezing rain, mix and snow to southern New Mexico today through Thursday midday. There is a winter weather advisory for Otero, Eddy and Lea Counties. There is a chance for 1-2″ of snow, sleet and up to .10″ of ice accumulation. Roads will be icy and slick in spots by Thursday morning in this area.

[4] Metro Detention Center says pay increase helping staff shortages – Nearly eight months after Bernalillo County’s Metropolitan Detention Center declared a state of emergency over staffing, things are finally improving. A month after that state of emergency, officials started making moves to address the problems. The County Commission voted for 13% pay raises for most correction officers, plus hefty sign-on bonuses. Officials say in less than half a year staffing capacity jumped form 46% to 54%.

[5] Pojoaque High students appear on ‘Shark Tank’ – Three Pojoaque High School grads gained national exposure for their company on the popular TV show, Shark Tank. They started the company in Arizona after one of their homes became infested with scorpions. They created Slick Barrier to stop pests and critters from getting into people’s homes. The company was eventually selected to appear on Shark Tank, which was filmed last fall. They say they’re working to finalize a deal with Lori Greiner at the moment.