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Local News

  • Council enacts new ethics rule

    The City Council enacted a resolution last week to establish a protocol for how the mayor and council members can communicate with bidders and contractors.

    The resolution bans governing body members from talking with bidders about negotiations or procurement of contracts. The officials can talk to the bidders about other subjects.

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  • Lawyer: Give power to mayor

    Members of a committee drafting a new city constitution want to give more powers to the council and the people — at the expense of the mayor.

    But a former city attorney says that would be unwise and make city government less efficient.

    For more than a half hour at a hearing last week, local attorney Dave Romero spelled out his objections to the City Council about the 35-page proposed city charter.  

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  • Man dies in crash

    A man was killed while crossing Grand Avenue on Thursday night, city police said.

    Joseph Guerin, 73, was crossing Grand in the 1100 block of Grand Avenue wearing dark clothing when he was hit by a 1987 Ford pickup, Police Chief Gary Gold said.

    He was taken by ambulance to Alta Vista Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Herminia Romero, 62, was the pickup driver traveling south on Grand, police said. She took a blood test and was determined to be completely sober, police said.

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  • N.M. sheriffs questioning panel's powers

    San Miguel County Sheriff Benjie Vigil has fellow sheriffs in his corner in the effort to convince the County Commission to approve the sheriff’s use of Tasers.

    Vigil told county commissioners during a public forum on the electroshock weapon that he was down to four deputies plus himself. He said Tasers would be a good tool to help his understaffed department.  

    Commission Chairman David Salazar said a decision on the use of Tasers by the Sheriff’s Department may be made at Wednesday’s commission meeting.

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  • Number of business licenses about same

    The national recession doesn’t appear to be affecting the number of businesses in Las Vegas.

    According to the city, 1,077 business licenses were issued this year, five more than last year.

    “We average over 1,000 licenses each year. That’s been pretty constant for years,”  said Elmer Martinez, the city’s community development director.

    This year, 937 businesses renewed their licenses and 140 businesses applied for new licenses, the city reported. The previous year, 945 renewed and 127 new licenses were issued.

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  • Cousins charged in holdups

    Two cousins were arrested Wednesday morning after two Allsup’s stores on Grand Avenue were held up.

    Richard Griego, 23, of Ribera and Jimmy Griego, 29, of Villanueva were charged with two counts each of armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery and tampering with evidence.

    Police said they robbed the Allsup’s at Grand Avenue and Alamo Street at 4 p.m. Tuesday and the Allsup’s at Grand and University Avenue at 2:30 a.m. Wednesday.

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  • Possible drilling enrages some

    The Santa Fe Opera is revisiting its decision to lease nearly 27,000 acres of shared mineral rights to drill for oil and gas in the Las Vegas Basin.

    The move comes after an outcry by environmentalists, activists and others in the area.

    Charles MacKay, director of the Santa Fe Opera, said he had signed the lease without first examining all of the implications.

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  • City attorney gets some backing

    An effort to push out the city’s interim attorney, Carlos Quiñones, likely wouldn’t get the backing of City Councilman Morris Madrid.

    “I didn’t vote for him (Quiñones) as attorney, and I don’t always agree with him. But I think he’s competent,” Madrid said this week.

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  • Officials eye hiring in-house attorney

    Las Vegas Mayor Tony Marquez wanted to avoid a discussion Wednesday on whether to have an in-house attorney at City Hall.

    The debate happened anyway.

    Near the end of a four-hour meeting, council members Andrew Feldman and Diane Moore brought up the issue, saying the city could save money by having an in-house attorney, rather than contracting out for such services.

    Last week, the two council members requested the issue be placed on the council’s meeting agenda, but the mayor turned them down.

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  • School officials say: Don't cut funding

    Area school superintendents are pleading with local lawmakers to hold their districts harmless when they strike the budget ax.

    But a state senator painted a grim picture, saying the budget shortfall may be even greater than previously estimated.

    Gov. Bill Richardson said he will call the Legislature into special session starting next Saturday to deal with the budget shortfall caused by the national recession.

    During a public meeting last week to discuss the state government’s budget crisis, area legislators got an earful — and then some.

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