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Local News

  • Union backers take to the streets

    More than 50 protesters on Thursday took a message to the front doors of the hospital: “Negotiate now.”

    The group, which included Alta Vista Regional Hospital employees, demonstrated starting at 11 a.m. at all four corners of Las Vegas’ busiest intersection — Seventh Street and Mills Avenue.

    Many of the cars passing by honked their horns in support throughout the lunch hour. Many demonstrators held yellow union flags; others waved signs with messages such as “People before profits” and “Appreciate-negotiate.”

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  • Luna to improve city park

    Luna Community College this week approved an agreement with the city and a local Little League for Luna’s softball team to play at a city park, but officials aren’t exactly sure how they’ll pay for improvements to the field.

    The city signed off on the agreement last week, and La Plaza Little League officials are happy with it.

    Luna is forming a softball team, which is expected to start playing at Rodriguez Park next school year.

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  • Man sentenced in home invasion case

    A man has been sentenced to nine years in prison for invading a home last year, the district attorney said.

    On Aug. 28, Robert Sandoval was convicted on a charge of aggravated battery, a second-degree felony, and was sentenced to five years of supervised probation, District Attorney Richard Flores said in a statement. Georgia Vigil was also sentenced in the case, Flores said.

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  • College delays salary hikes

    Luna Community College’s Board of Trustees on Tuesday approved the school’s annual budget but held off on pay increases for employees.

    Luna officials have been crafting a salary plan that would address inequities among employees. However, Sigfredo Maestas, Luna’s interim president, recommended to the trustees that they delay until January a pay plan that would cost the school an additional $430,000 annually.

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  • Snow brings spring mushrooms

    The dip between the cut monolith of Hermit’s Peak drips with moisture this time of year, the ground swollen with melted snow, mist clinging to each budding leaf each time clouds gather around the hermit’s cave.

    The mountain feels alive. Pine trees burst skyward with new growth. Tiny yellow and purple flowers dot sunny secret corners protected from the wind by resting rocks. And mushrooms begin to peek from underneath the thick cover of forest floor, mushrooms in strange shapes and colors, some as thin and wide as dinner plates, some sturdy and scalloped.

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  • Dorms OK'd; neighbors critical

    Highlands University hasn’t had new dorms since the 1960s. That’s likely to change.

    The Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday voted unanimously to allow the closure of Washington Street to make a planned residence hall a reality. That’s the last procedural hurdle for Highlands to clear before construction.

    The council’s decision followed about an hour of criticism from nearby residents, who complained that Highlands failed to involve the public in its planning. A top university official apologized.

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  • Police: Man has gun in bar

    Guns aren’t allowed in bars, but that didn’t stop a Las Vegas man last Friday, city police said.

    When police got a call about a disturbance at Joe’s Ringside, an officer dealing with an unruly crowd heard someone pulling the slide back on a gun, according to court documents filed in Magistrate Court.

    The officer turned around and identified the sound as coming from Walter Maes, 20, 1003 Tecolote, documents state. Maes then started walking way, with his hands concealed, officers said.

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  • East to interview superintendent finalists

    The Las Vegas City Schools board may select a new superintendent as early as Thursday after holding public interviews with the five finalists for the position. The public is invited to the interviews.

    The finalists are Garrett Bosarge, a middle school principal for the Los Alamos schools; Richard Romero, superintendent of the Questa schools; David Briseo, federal projects administrator for the Clovis schools; Robert Archuleta, superintendent of the Mesa Vista schools; and Barbara Perea Casey, associate superintendent of the City Schools.

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  • Resident accused of trafficking

    Authorities arrested a Las Vegas man they suspected of trafficking in crack cocaine. In so doing, they discovered a house that they believed was dangerous for two children.

    The Region 4 Narcotics Task Force got an arrest warrant from state District Court for Joseph A. Montoya, 41, 837 Union St.

    According to court documents, a narcotics agent on April 18 found six rocks of crack cocaine that were wrapped in foil as well as a crack pipe in the suspect’s pants pockets. More crack was found around the Union Street house, officials said.

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  • Manager to stay after all

    Less than two weeks ago, Rudy Romero, the manager of the Mora-San Miguel Electric Cooperative, looked as if he were leaving the utility.

    Now, that’s all changed. He was in attendance at the cooperative’s monthly meeting this week, and Board of Trustees members said they hadn’t accepted his letter of resignation.

    Two weeks ago, Romero wouldn’t say why he was resigning but that he would issue a statement.

    At the time, Carlos Lovato, chairman of the trustees, said the utility would launch a search for a new manager.

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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.