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Local News

  • Educator focuses on energy

    Las Vegas native Stephanie Gurul-Leyba doesn’t just want to lecture about alternative energy. She seeks to give students hands-on lessons.

    Gurul-Leyba was recently in the national spotlight after being named as one of the nation’s most innovative educators in the 2008 ING Unsung Heroes awards program. That award got her $2,000. She will now compete with other winners for one of the top three prizes — an additional $5,000, $10,000 or $25,000.

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  • Candidate says he was negligent

    Jerome Block, the Democratic candidate for the state Public Regulation Commission, is changing his story again.

    Last month, Block’s campaign repeatedly stated that local band Wyld Country played at a campaign rally near Romeroville in May.

    One of his supporters, San Miguel County Clerk Paul Maez, the county’s chief election official, belonged to Wyld Country. After originally going along with Block’s story, he told the Optic that Wyld Country didn’t play and that the rally never even happened.

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  • City may give more money to EDC

    Las Vegas’ main economic development group would get a sizable increase in funding from the city under a proposed agreement.

    The contract with the Las Vegas-San Miguel Economic Development Corporation calls for upping the city’s annual donation from $40,000 to $65,000.

    The City Council will consider the agreement at its meeting Wednesday.

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  • Candidate forums planned

    The Las Vegas Optic will hold a candidates forum Thursday at Memorial Middle School’s auditorium.

    The Optic will take written audience questions for the candidates.

    From 5:30-6:30 p.m., the County Commission candidates will take center stage. The District 2 candidates are Democrat Marcellino Ortiz and Republican Mary Bridget Maloney. From District 5 are Democrat Nicolas Leger and Republican Fred Romero.

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  • RFK Jr., union leader speak in town

    Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wowed an audience gathered at Margaret Kennedy Hall on the Highlands campus Friday with stories about his father’s involvement in the fight for civil rights, including the early days when he was deeply involved with Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers’ struggle for equality.

    Kennedy also had the crowd laughing at times when he talked about some of his own experiences supporting environmental causes around the world.

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  • Official says he's here to stay

    East school board member Ramon “Swoops” Montao wants to set the record straight: He said he has every intention of staying on the board through the end of his term in 2011.

    Montao said many people are under the impression that he has moved out of town. But he said he still maintains a residence in the Las Vegas City Schools district.

    One of Montao’s colleagues wants to discuss his residency at a meeting this week, saying that Montao has “to do the right thing.”

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  • Court reduces warrant number

    Municipal Court has made progress in reducing the number of those wanted on outstanding warrants.

    Judge Eddie Trujillo said last week that many people have come into his court since late August when the Optic published the names of those wanted on warrants.

    “It was a big help. I was hoping for more people, but we really cleaned up a lot of files. Some people were deceased, and we had no way of knowing it, so we had death certificates brought in,” he said.

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  • College looking at tax increase

    Luna Community College is considering whether to ask voters to approve a tax hike to pay for building improvements.

    Under its proposal, the tax bill for a $150,000 house would go up by $101. That would apply if the Luna service area — Las Vegas, Mora, Santa Rosa and Springer — stays the same.

    If the service area expands to places such as Raton, Vaughn and Pecos, the tax bill for a $150,000 house would be $81.

    The increased tax would allow Luna to sell bonds to generate the proceeds for the improvements.

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  • Residents want more info on proposed wind farm

    Some residents are concerned about a proposed wind farm that is proposed for the area near Bernal.

    As such, they are holding a meeting Wednesday at Valley Elementary and Middle School to discuss the plans.

    In March, a representative of Chicago-based Invenergy told the San Miguel County Commission that his company was interested in building a wind farm for electricity generation on the mesa south of Interstate 25.

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  • Man arrested in 2007 killing

    A man accused of killing another man in Las Vegas was arrested this week in Alabama.

    Bernardino “Bernie” Baca, 28, was charged with murder in connection with the May 20, 2007, death of David Siler, 53, of Montezuma. Baca was arrested Wednesday.

    Siler was found dead in a small sports car around 12:30 p.m. May 20, 2007. Officers found wounds to the victim’s upper left side of the torso that they said were consistent with gunshots.

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The Las Vegas Optic is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in San Miguel County and Las Vegas, NM, and the surrounding area.