News

News

Contractor won't face late fees

Ryan Floersheim | December 9

It is unlikely Gerald Martin General Contractor will face any penalties for the late completion of the Cornell Parking Structure, officials say. It is also highly unlikely, however, it will meet the project's latest completion date of mid-December. Roger Lujan, director of facility planning at UNM, said while the University reserves the right to impose punitive penalties on contracts that don't meet deadline or that aren't completed to the level expected, he hopes it doesn't come to that in this case.

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Project promotes clean energy

December 8

The goal of Project Green Bus, sponsored by the UNM College Green Party, is to raise funds to convert a 15-passenger diesel bus to run on vegetable oil. Fund raising for the project took place at "Hanging with the Greens" on Friday night in the SUB.

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Professor elected president of ASHA

December 8

Staff Report The chairwoman of UNM's Speech and Hearing Sciences Department will begin overseeing most of the nation's speech and language doctors in January. Amy Wohlert was elected president of the Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

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Man charged in Nob Hill attack

Ryan Floersheim | December 8

For the third time in the past six months a transient turned the Nob Hill Shopping Center into a crime scene Friday, leaving two people hospitalized and many local residents worried for their safety. Shortly after 11 a.m., Amy Fjerstad, owner of Bambini's, a child clothing store in Nob Hill, was robbed and stabbed six times by Peter Murphy, a "transient who has had past run-ins with police," according to police.

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News in Brief

December 8

Local Two pedestrians killed; police witness accident (AP) - One man is facing charges after two pedestrians were hit by a car and killed while trying to cross the street. Ronald McClellan, 38, of Albuquerque and an unidentified woman died at the scene of the accident, which happened at about 9 p.

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News in Brief

December 5

State Flu confirmed in infant death over weekend SANTA FE (AP) - State health officials confirmed Thursday that a 3-year-old Bernalillo County girl has died from influenza, marking New Mexico's first such death in a flu season experts fear could be the worst in years.

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UNM to light up tradition

Jeff Proctor | December 5

The Hanging of the Greens is thought to be the oldest tradition at UNM, and for one of the event's coordinators, it's a family thing, too. "My mom did it when she was here," said Amy Weber, co-chairwoman of Hanging of the Greens, which takes place tonight on campus from 6 to 9 p.

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Hispanic aid program gets new funding

December 5

A UNM program designed to lower the dropout rate for Hispanic students in kindergarten through college will soon be expanding its efforts, thanks to a national grant. The Engaging Latino Communities for Education Program, ENLACE, was recognized by the Lumina Foundation earlier this month for its retention efforts with minority students at Albuquerque Public Schools, TVI and UNM.

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'Spirit of Giving' helps women in need

December 5

Staff Report UNM employees are getting into the holiday spirit by donating their time and effort to one local nonprofit organization. UNM's Advancement Division, which is coordinating this year's annual "Spirit of Giving" campaign, decided to focus its efforts on the Women's Community Association after researching many organizations in the Albuquerque area, said Hilary Jetty, a development specialist for the Advancement Division.

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Flu season arrives early on campus

Jeff Proctor | December 4

The Student Health Center has seen far more patients - and earlier in the season - with flu-like symptoms this year than in years past, a UNM official said. Between 90 and 100 patients are coming to the center every day, and a majority of them are showing signs of having influenza, Beverly Kloeppel, the center's interim director, said.

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Memo sheds bad light on FBI

December 4

Since Sept. 11, 2001, the FBI has been given the enormous responsibility of protecting the nation from future terrorist attacks. Focus on homeland security has escalated, leading to increasing incidents of racial profiling that have added fuel to the controversy surrounding Americans' personal freedoms.

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Bike thefts plague campus

Clay Holtzman | December 4

Bike thefts on UNM's campus are up this semester. Not just up - drastically up. According to UNMPD figures, 67 bikes were reported stolen from campus between Aug. 1 and the middle of October this year. During that same time period in 2002, 10 bikes were reported stolen to the UNM Police Department.

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Booze rules target Greeks

Ryan Floersheim | December 4

A push by the University to enforce old regulations will soon mean an end to alcohol in two UNM Greek houses, officials say. UNM owns the land that the Kappa Sigma and Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternities sit on and lease the houses to the organizations. Those leases are ending within the month, and an official from UNM's Real Estate Department said before the organizations are allowed to sign new ones, they must go dry by Jan.

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Aggie defense paces NMSU

Michael Beniash | December 4

LAS CRUCES - The men's basketball game between bitter rivals UNM and NMSU was everything it was hyped up to be. In front of a raucous crowd full of Aggie faithful, NMSU beat the Lobos in a 67-48 battle that was reminiscent of a twelve-round boxing match.

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Police examine alleged rape case

Clay Holtzman | December 4

University police have collected physical evidence from a local man in connection with an alleged sexual assault that occurred at an SRC room early Saturday morning. According to the affidavit for a search warrant, the victim was assaulted when she went to throw up in a shared bathroom during her birthday party at the Student Residence Center.

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Crime Watch

December 4

UNM officers arrest reckless driving suspect UNMPD detained a man for reckless driving as well as driving on a revoked license on Nov. 21. Two officers were returning from Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center when they encountered a black sedan gaining speed as it entered the freeway by way of the Coors on-ramp.

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New facility welcomed by students, department

Jeff Proctor | December 3

The ASUNM Craft Studio's move from the Communication and Journalism building to the SUB has been a win-win situation for the student-artists and the department, both parties say. Since the move, the studio's membership has increased from 35 to more than 100, Associated Students of UNM President Jennifer Onuska said.

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News in Brief

December 3

Local Cousins plead guilty in fatal stabbing near UNM ALBUQUERQUE (AP) - A teenager has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of a UNM student during a party. Valentino Jaramillo, 18, also pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of aggravated battery-great bodily harm, conspiracy to commit great bodily harm, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault and escape from a peace officer.

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Crafts fair makes grand return

Jeff Proctor | December 3

Deborah La More and the ASUNM Crafts Fair have a lot in common, including University affiliation, a love of art and a hiatus from both. La More brought about 35 examples of her work - framed amalgamations of painting and photography - from her home in Santa Fe to sell at the University where she earned her bachelor's degree in 1994.

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Finance manager eager to begin job

Clay Holtzman | December 3

UNM's new director of Resource Management will be leaving the sunny beaches of Hawaii's Big Island for the dry, high-altitude climate of Albuquerque. And he actually seems to be happy about it. "Frankly, I've had my eye on New Mexico opportunities," said John Whittaker, who will take over Academic Affair's top financial post in January.