Local News

Voters casting ballots for the March 4 municipal election will be able to vote at the polling place of their choice after the City Council unanimously approved a switch to convenience centers.

The Associated Press

SANTA FE — Kent Cravens is among the more than two dozen former state legislators who have made the switch to lobbying.

The Albuquerque Republican resigned from his Senate seat in 2011 to take a government relations job with the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association. While he was no industry expert, his experience with the legislative process and his connections were considered an asset.

The Associated Press

SANTA FE — New Mexico health officials are worried about an increase in the state’s infant mortality rate.

The state Department of Health announced this week that the death rate among infants one year or younger increased from 5.2 infant deaths per one thousand live births in 2011 to 6.9 in 2012. This marks the first time since 1994 that the state rate has exceeded the national rate, which was 6.0 infant deaths per 1,000 births in 2011.

Code Talker to be in Vegas Saturday
Chester Nez, the last of the original 29 Navajo code talkers, will be in Las Vegas at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Plaza Hotel Ballroom. He will answer questions about his experiences in World War II and his role in developing the code that was instrumental in defeating the Japanese in the South Pacific. Judith Avila, co-author of his memoir, will also give a presentation.