KBUY RADIO

A THREE YEAR OLD OTERO COUNTY BOY WITH CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS DIED OF COMPLICATIONS FROM SWINE FLU IN MID-JANUARY. SECRETARY DR. ALFREDO VIGIL URGED NEW MEXICANS, PARTICULARLY THOSE WITH CHRONIC CONDITIONS SUCH AS ASTHMA AND DIABETES, TO GET VACCINATED FOR SWINE FLU. CHILDREN UNDER 10 NEED TWO DOSES OF THE VACCINE. THE DEPT OF HEALTH HAS DISTRIBUTED 750,000 DOSES OF SWINE FLUE VACCINE STATEWIDE AND FEE VACCINATION CLINICS ARE OPEN TO ANYONE. THE BOYS DEATH IS THE FIRST REPORTED PEDIATRIC H1N1 DEATH SINCE NOVEMBER. SWINE FLU HAS KILLED 10 NEW MEXICANS AGES 17 AND YOUNGER AND HAS KILLED A TOTAL OF 53 IN THE STATE.

FEDERAL STIMULUS FUNDS ARE BEING USED IN NEW MEXICO TO PROVIDE FREE SHINGLES VACCINE FOR PEOPLE OVER SIXTY WHO CAN’T OTHERWISE AFFORD IT.  IN A PRESS RELEASE, THE HEALTH DEPATMENT IT IS  PAYING FOR 5,670 DOSES OF OF THE VACCINE THROUGH FEDERAL STIMULUS MONEY AWARDED TO THE DEPARTMENT’S IMMUNIZATION PROGRAM.
THE DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS WORKING WITH THE NEW MEXICO PHARMACY ASSOCIATION TO PROVIDE THE FREE SHINGLES VACCINE TO PEOPLE 60 AND OLDER,  WHO ARE UNINSURED, UNDERINSURED OR CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY THE CO-PAY FOR THE VACCINE.
 THE VACCINE WILL BE OFFERED ON A FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED BASIS UNTIL THE SUPPLY IS GONE.

UNLIKE SOME OTHER PARTS OF THE WESTERN U.S., NEW MEXICO IS ENJOYING ABOVE AVERAGE SNOWPACK ACROSS MOST OF THE STATE. CURRENTLY NEW MEXICO SNOWPACK RANGES FROM 82 TO 269 PERCENT OF NORMAL, ACCORDING TO THE NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE. THE NRCS SNOW SURVEY IS THE FEDERAL PROGRAM THAT MEASURES SNOW AND PROVIDES STREAMFLOW FORECASTS ACROSS THE WEST. NRCS HYDROLOGIC TECHNICIAN WAYNE SLEEP SAYS APPROXIMATELY SIXTY PERCENT OF NEW MEXICO’S WATER SUPPLY COMES FROM SNOWMELT, BECAUSE OF THIS, LOCAL COMMUNITYS, RESERVOIR MANAGERS, IRRIGATORS AND MANY OTHERS PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO OUR WINTER SNOWPACK. IN ADDITION TO MEASURING SNOW DEPTH AND MEASURING WEATHER AND CLIMATE AT MORE THAN 50 REMOTE, HIGH ELEVATION SITES IN NEW MEXICO, NRCS MEASURES THE WATER CONTENT IN THE SNOWPACK. THE NRCS PLANS TO RELEASE UPDATED SNOWPACK LEVELS LATER TODAY.

STATE LAWMAKERS ARE CONSIDERING LEGISLATION THAT WOULD EXPAND THE PUBLIC UTILITY ACT TO GOVERN THIRD PARTY RENEWABLE ENERGY GENERATION AND ALLOW PUBLIC UTILITIES TO RECOVER COSTS RELATED TO THE IMPACT ON THEIR SERVICES. PASSAGE LIKELY WOULD HEAD OFF APPEALS OF A RECENT PUBLIC REGULATION COMMISSION DECISION ON THE ISSUE SAID DON DARNELL, VICE PRESIDENT OF REGULATORY AFFAIRS AT PNM, ONE OF THE PARTIES THAT FILED A NOTICE OF APPEAL WITH THE STATE SUPREME COURT. THE HOUSE BILL AS OF WEDNESDAY HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE AND NOW WITH THE BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY COMMITTEE. THE SENATE BILL IS IN THE CONSERVATION AND INDUSTRY COMMITTEE

THE GOVERNOR HAS ANNOUNCED 90 NEW JOBS FOR THE LEA COUNTY AREA. LOUISIANA ENERGY SERVICES IS EXPANDING THEIR OPERATIONS IN SOUTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO, CREATING 30 NEW PERMANENT JOBS IN A RENOVATED BUILDING IN JAL THAT WILL SERVE AS WAREHOUSE AND PROVIDE OFFICE SPACE. THE 30 PERMANENT JOBS WILL HAVE AN AVERAGE SALARY OF $75,000. THE 60 ADDITIONAL JOBS WILL BE CONSTRUCTION POSITIONS FOR WORK ON EXPANSION PROJECTS THROUGH 2015, INCLUDING UPGRADING THE EXISTING BURKE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING. L.E.S. HAS RAISED THEIR OVERALL INVESTMENT IN NEW MEXICO TO $3 BILLION DOLLARS. THEIR NATIONAL ENRICHMENT FACILITY BEING BUILT IN EUNICE WILL PROVIDE 50% OF THE UNITED STATES TOTAL DEMAND FOR NUCLEAR FUEL BY 2015.

THE NEW MEXICO ENERGY, MINERALS AND NATURAL RESOURCES DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED THAT THE YOUTH CONSERVATION CORPS AWARDED 32 GRANTS TO PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE STATE IN THE AMOUNT OF $.31 MILLION. THE GRANTS CREATE APPROXIMATELY 650 JOBS FOR UNEMPLOYED NEW MEXICO RESIDENTS BETWEEN THE AGES OF FOURTEEN AND TWENTY FIVE YEARS WHO ARE IN-SCHOOL OR OUT OF-SCHOOL FOR SUMMER AND SEASONAL PROJECTS. SINCE 1992, OVER 8,900 YOUTH BETWEEN THE AGES OF FOURTEEN AND TWENTY FIVE HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED IN 601 PROJECTS. THE YOUTH CONSERVATION CORPS SERVES NEW MEXICO YOUTH AND COMMUNITIES WITH A COMMITMENT TO YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION, COMMUNITY SERVICE AND EDUCATION.

The state house of representatives Taxation and Revenue Committee endorsed a proposal to eliminate an income tax deduction for some taxpayers, a move that would generate $90 million next year. About 25 per cent of New Mexico’s tax filers will pay more under the proposal — an average of $271 per tax return, according to the state’s tax agency.  House Bill 270 goes to the House floor for consideration and becomes part of a package of tax measures that will provide more than $400 million next year to help balance the state budget and minimize spending cutbacks for public education and other governmental services.  The House is expected to debate the tax proposals today along with a $5.6 billion budget bill.