Latest news with #Española
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Española man in possession of dynamite, firearms is sentenced to federal prison
ESPAÑOLA, N.M. (KRQE) – An Española man was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison for drugs, explosives and firearms charges. Mario James Valdez, 35, pleaded guilty to possession to intent to distribute cocaine base, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and being a felon in possession of explosive material. APS teacher arrested after accusations of sexual relationships with students According to court records, on August 1, 2023, Valdez was pulled over by the Pojoaque Police Department for driving with an expired registration. Officers located two ghost guns, ammunition, fentanyl, 377 blue pills marked M30 and 42 grams of crack cocaine. On September 15, 2023, Valdez was arrested again for shoplifting, and for an outstanding warrant. During this arrest, Valdez was found with fentanyl, Xanax, crack cocaine and ammunition on his person. While in jail on recorded calls, Valdez discussed having other firearms and sticks of dynamite stored at a house in Española, according to court documents. On October 20, 2023, a search warrant was executed at the residence and officers discovered multiple firearms and six sticks of deteriorating dynamite. Law enforcement destroyed the dynamite due to its hazardous condition. As a previously convicted felon, Valdez was prohibited from possessing firearms, ammunition and explosives. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
A deputy tazing a high school student goes too far; NM Crime Files
When Rio Arriba County Sheriff Deputy Jeremy Barnes is called to Española Valley High School to deal with a special education student, the situation escalates further than anyone expected. The results of the incident and where the then-victim, Abram Martinez, is now. Then, KRQE Anchors Dean Staley and Jessica Garate bring you the story of 42-year-old Edward Yazzie, who was found slumped at the wheel of his pick-up outside of Grants. The chase and results of the breathalyzer results that ensue here. Finally, Santa Fe police decided to auction off a ring that had been sitting in an evidence locker for two years. Before the $30,000 auction, they decided to give the public one more look. How the search for the original owner turns out. About New Mexico Crime Files This is New Mexico Crime Files – Taking it from the streets, then to the courtroom, to finally answering 'where are they now?'. Each week, KRQE News 13 anchors Dean Staley and Jessica Garate bring you the notorious, the unforgettable, and the unbelievable crime stories from the Land of Enchantment. New Mexico Crime Files is sponsored by MedradoStruck Law Firm. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
New Mexico chiles earthbound after research on plants in space trimmed
In his inaugural address, President Donald Trump said boots were imminent on the red planet. But chile — red or green — may not be coming on the trip. A 2021 experiment to grow New Mexico chile in space, known as PH-04, relied on the Advanced Plant Habitat, an automated plant growth facility on board the International Space Station. Future research at the facility, is in flux, however. NASA recently announced research applicants would no longer be able to request the use the Advanced Plant Habitat for their proposed experiments 'due to recent resource constraints.' Plant Habitat-04 Debris Removal European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet cleans up debris in the International Space Station's Advanced Plant Habitat, which has harvested a hybrid New Mexican chile that combines Hatch chile with an Española variety. One New Mexico researcher who worked on the PH-04 project said making it to Mars will require the type of research done in the specialized lab — for the health of those embarking on the yearslong mission — and the research, in turn, could inform agricultural practices on our own planet. An early proposal shows NASA's budget for the space station could shrink by more than $500 million, cutting crew members and onboard research, as the agency plans to transition to 'more cost-effective' commercial space missions. Remaining resources would be focused on missions to the moon and Mars. A federal contract award database shows there are two contracts to provide engineering services for the plant habitat: one for $1.4 million and another for $7.9 million. It was unclear if the lab has additional costs, whether it might become available later for research or if there are alternative research opportunities on the space station. A NASA spokesperson did not answer questions about the facility. NASA requested around $1.2 billion total for research and operations in fiscal year 2025 at the International Space Station. Although the price tag might seem high, it's a relatively scant slice of the government pie, representing about 4% of NASA's total budget, which in turn makes up less than 1% of the federal budget. (copy) Jacob Torres, an Española native, holds a New Mexico chile grown in space as part of a NASA experiment. Torres is now working on a doctorate at UNM and visiting schools as "Jacob Pepperseed" to deliver chile seeds, teach kids about astro-botany and generate some good news about his hometown. Hotter in space NASA began planning to grow vitamin-C-rich peppers in space a few years ago. An agency webpage on growing plants in space said astronauts on the International Space Station now receive shipments of freeze-dried and packaged foods. But on long space trips, astronauts wouldn't have regular deliveries, and the vitamins in those foods would eventually break down. That leaves a problem. 'A lack of vitamin C was all it took to give sailors scurvy, and vitamin deficiencies can cause a number of other health problems,' the webpage states. 'Simply packing some multi-vitamins will not be enough to keep astronauts healthy as they explore deep space. They will need fresh produce.' Enter the chile. iss066e023165 New Mexico chiles grown in PH-04 — an agricultural experiment dedicated to peppers. The Española Improved chile was selected as the superior chile to grow in this type of controlled environment. More than 30 pepper varieties from around the world were grown under controlled conditions to replicate the International Space Station. Jacob Torres, an Española native and NASA contract scientist who worked on the project, said half the peppers didn't flower or grow, and other samples blistered and swelled. But varieties from one location thrived. 'And, of course, they were the New Mexico ones,' Torres said. A hybrid variety, NuMex Española Improved, was ultimately selected for the mission. Hatch chiles were mixed with Española chiles, which grow at a higher altitude and have a shorter season, to reduce the growing time. The seeds were delivered as part of a SpaceX resupply mission. Initially, Torres said, the peppers were too mild — more like a bell pepper. That wasn't a problem in space. 'They actually ended up being a lot hotter up in space,' Torres said, 'because microgravity stressed them out [and] they didn't grow as fast.' Torres, who worked at the Kennedy Space Center, felt a lot of pressure to get chile right. 'I felt like it was my job to ensure that our traditions were followed,' he said. 'That meant spelling chile with an e, harvesting green and red.' New Mexico chiles grown in PH-04 — an agricultural experiment dedicated to peppers. The Española Improved chile was selected as the superior chile to grow in this type of controlled environment. Good food is critical In 2023, astronaut Frank Rubio returned to Earth after spending a record-breaking 371 days in space — the longest time an American had spent off-planet. The world record still belongs to the Russian Valeri Polyakov, who spent more than 400 days in space in the 1990s. But a Mars mission would go far beyond that, with NASA estimating last year astronauts would likely be off Earth for around three years. Getting to the red planet alone would take several months. At the time of the PH-04 experiment, NASA officials said the research in the Advanced Plant Habitat was critical to get astronauts — and, eventually, inhabitants — to Mars. In a 2021 news release, researchers said astronauts' physical and mental well-being was improved when they grew colorful and scented plants. In space, astronauts can lose some of their smell and taste capabilities, so some prefer spicy foods, the news release stated. 'The food astronauts eat needs to be as good as the rest of their equipment,' one researcher said in a statement. 'To successfully send people to Mars and bring them back to Earth, we will not only require the most nutritious foods, but the best tasting ones as well.' In his inaugural address, Trump said Mars was a target, and an early budget proposal emphasizes investments in human missions to the planet. 'We will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the stars and stripes on the planet Mars,' Trump said Jan. 20. Spreading seeds Torres no longer works for NASA. He moved back to New Mexico to pursue his doctorate in mechanical engineering at the University of New Mexico and take care of his family's land in Española. For the past two years, he's been volunteering as his alter ego, 'Jacob Pepperseed,' visiting schools to deliver chile seeds, teach kids about astrobotany and generate some good news about his hometown. 'I sent seeds to the Midwest,' Torres said. 'I sent seeds to Antarctica, to Australia, to China, to South Africa. We sent chile seeds around the world — I have Johnny Appleseed beat.' iss066e023260 Red and green chiles float in the International Space Station in 2021 as crew members conduct a taste test. But Torres had hoped to do more research in the Advanced Plant Habitat as part of his doctoral work. He developed a passive irrigation system that wouldn't require electricity or pumps and hoped to test the design in space. He thinks the irrigation system could help with more sustainable plant growth in space and ultimately be used for longer spaceflights like missions to the moon or Mars. 'We were doing proposals for it, and at least they realized that they needed to give us a heads up because we were all putting like 100 hours to writing this thing,' Torres said. 'We just woke up one day and they canceled it.' Looking at agriculture in space is going to be crucial for space travel, Torres said. But he also sees potential applications for the research on Earth. Torres mentioned hearing about chile wilting in Chimayó last summer from the heat. He sees the research as an opportunity to investigate new ways to grow chile — and get a new generation of Northern New Mexicans interested in agriculture. 'It's very possible that we may need to think of new ways to grow our traditional crop,' Torres said. 'If it does get too hot, or if we do run out of water, what are we doing?'
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Española school ordered teachers to delete student immigration data during inquiry, union alleges
The entrance to Española Valley High School in an undated photo. The union representing Española teachers filed a labor complaint related to an effort to collect, and later delate, student immigration data at the high school. (Photo courtesy EVHS) The union representing teachers at an Española high school has filed a complaint with the state labor board, alleging the school committed an unfair labor practice when it asked teachers to collect — and, soon after, delete — student immigration data in recent weeks. As Source reported last month, the National Education Association initially issued a cease-and-desist letter to the Española School District superintendent regarding the high school's effort to collect student immigration data as part of a standardized workplace readiness exam, though a spokesperson for the exam company told Source New Mexico that the company has no need for that information and does not ask test administrators to collect it. In response to the NEA letter, the superintendent told the union that teachers were no longer required to collect student immigration data. However, soon after, high school leaders 'began requiring educators to delete the information they had previously collected regarding students' immigration and citizenship statuses,' NEA spokesperson Edward Webster said in a news release Thursday. Española high school sought students' immigration status as part of standardized test Deleting the information amounted to 'destruction of evidence during an open union investigation' and prompted the union to file a Prohibited Practice Complaint with the Public Employee Labor Relations Board of New Mexico. The new complaint alleges the school violated aspects of the Public Employee Bargaining Act of New Mexico, which defines unfair labor practices as those that violate employee rights and carry legal consequences. The state labor relations board had not yet scheduled a hearing for the case, according to its website. Española Superintendent Eric Spencer, who will retire in late June, did not respond to a list of questions Thursday from Source NM. He has previously said that his staff is working with the union on the matter and that, 'The district takes all matters of student confidentiality seriously.' According to the union, the emailed letter from the union cited the 1982 Plyler v. Doe U.S. Supreme Court case that guarantees the right to a free, public education for all children, regardless of their immigration status. Mary Parr-Sanchez, NEA-NM president, said in a news release Thursday that the effort to collect student immigration information plays into the Trump administration's targeting of immigrants. She noted that the Española school district and others around the state have students in different and precarious immigration statuses, including students brought to the United States as minors and others who are seeking asylum due to political persecution. 'The current administration is targeting children in this country because of the color of their skin and origin of their birth,' Parr-Sanchez said in a statement. 'This is no different than the harassment that our Las Cruces students experienced when they were going to a swim meet in Albuquerque when ICE officers boarded their private bus and demanded proof of citizenship from children,' she said.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Yahoo
Santa Fe bicyclist injured in hit-and-run south of Española
Santa Fe County sheriff's deputies arrested an Española woman accused in a hit-and-run crash that injured a bicyclist Thursday morning on a state road near Sombrillo, south of Española. The bicyclist — a 54-year-old Santa Fe woman — was taken to a local hospital for treatment. The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office did not provide an update on the woman's condition as of Friday morning. Deputies accused suspect Michele Savinsky of leaving the scene after striking the woman on the side of N.M. 399 near U.S. 84/285. Savinsky, 47, faces counts of knowingly leaving the scene of an accident with great bodily harm and reckless driving as well as two charges alleging failure to render aid and provide notice of the crash, according to a criminal complaint filed Friday in Santa Fe County Magistrate Court. When sheriff's deputies arrived at the scene Thursday morning, the injured woman was lying on the ground on the side of the roadway with cuts on her forehead. She told officers she couldn't move, according to a court affidavit deputies filed in the criminal case. Deputies noted heavy damage to her bike's rear wheel and frame. Officers talked with at least three witnesses who said a driver in a gold car had struck the woman and then drove away. One man told deputies the bicyclist had been launched about 8 feet from the initial collision, the affidavit says. Another man gave investigators a license plate number he said he recorded from the car that caused the crash. The number was registered to Savinsky, deputies wrote. Sheriff's office investigators arrived at Savinsky's home in Española in the hours after the crash, and she denied having left the house that morning, the affidavit says. Deputies alleged a gold Acura in the driveway showed damage 'consistent with having struck a person' on the passenger side bumper and windshield, as well as 'hair hanging out of the broken windshield.' Savinsky told investigators the damage to her car was preexisting, a sheriff's deputy wrote, but he noted the car did not have the same damage when he had pulled her over several weeks earlier. Deputy Francisco Villicana — who investigated the hit-and-run crash, had pulled Savinsky over in the Acura on March 25 in response to emergency calls reporting her as 'a reckless driver failing to maintain lanes,' he alleged in a citation from the traffic stop. The citation said Savinsky had admitted during the stop 'to eating food and being distracted,' and Villicana charged her with failure to maintain a traffic lane. Court records show Savinsky had received three other traffic citations over the last seven years accusing her of careless driving, speeding by more than 16 mph and not wearing a seat belt. The seat belt citation, filed in 2023, was dismissed by prosecutors. Savinsky was booked in the Santa Fe County jail on Thursday. She was scheduled to be arraigned on the new charges Friday afternoon.
