DAILY LOBO new mexico
Cupcakes are the 99% see page 4
September 24, 2012
The Independent Student Voice of UNM since 1895
Woman hit by bullet at game
monday
VENI, VIDI, VICI
Staff report
sports@dailylobo.com LAS CRUCES — A woman attending the UNM-NMSU football game Saturday night at Aggie Memorial Stadium was struck by a bullet fired from a small-caliber handgun, a spokesman for the NMSU Police Department said Saturday night. The woman’s identity was not released. The round struck the woman in the leg at approximately 8:15 p.m. inside the stadium, NMSU Police Department Deputy Chief Andy Bowen told the Daily Lobo after the game. The woman was transported to University Medical Center in El Paso for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Bowen said police recovered the bullet that struck the woman. The bullet remained intact, which would indicate the round was fired toward the sky. Bowen added there was no gunshot heard inside the stadium and no shot came from inside the stadium. “It would appear that it came from outside somewhere,” he said. The woman was the only individual struck, Bowen said.
Adria Malcolm / Daily Lobo Redshirt freshman Jhurell Pressley talks to the press after UNM’s 24-14 victory at NMSU Saturday. Pressley ran for 71 yards and two touchdowns. See full story on page 12.
UNM postpones Senate confirms law dean hospital approval The Associated Press
by Svetlana Ozden news@dailylobo.com
The hearing for final approval of a $146 million adult-care hospital has been postponed pending a series of public meetings that will address concerns from the community. UNM representatives sent a letter to the State Board of Finance last Monday asking to defer the final approval of the hospital after members of New Mexicans for Equal Health Care Access and the Rio Grande Foundation expressed concern that approval for the hospital was not made transparent with sufficient public conversation and that the hospital’s purpose is unclear. UNM Health Sciences Center members asked to move the discussion to Oct. 16 and said the town hall meetings and the additional time will provide an opportunity to address concerns over the new hospital, such as the hospital’s mission and finances. No dates have been set for the town halls yet. The hospital was approved by the Health Science Center Board of Directors, the regents’ Finance
Inside the
Daily Lobo volume 117
issue 26
and Facilities Committee and the Board of Regents in June and was scheduled to open July 2014, pending approval from the New Mexico Higher Education Department and State Board of Finance. The New Mexico Higher Education Department approved the hospital and approval was on the agenda for last Tuesday’s State Board of Finance meeting. The new hospital, which would be constructed near Lomas Boulevard and I-25 and include 96 inpatient hospital beds, aims to decrease emergency waiting room wait time, which is about 24 to 36 hours on average. UNMH sees about 90,000 emergency patients a year and runs at a 95 percent occupancy rate; the additional beds will allow emergency room beds to be used for emergency cases. HSC Communications and Marketing Executive Director Billy Sparks said that before the meeting next month, regents will host a series of town hall meetings to allow for public input. He said the meetings will provide an opportunity for the University
see Hospital PAGE 2
The U.S. Senate has confirmed a member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma who is currently the dean of the University of New Mexico Law School to oversee the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Senate approved President Barack Obama’s nomination of Kevin Washburn as Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs by unanimous consent late Friday. The vote was applauded by
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “As we continue to strengthen the integrity of the nation’s government-to-government relationship with federally recognized Indian tribes and empower Native American and Alaska Native communities, Kevin Washburn will be an outstanding addition to our leadership team and a vital asset for President Obama’s initiatives in Indian Country,” Salazar said in a statement. Washburn has been UNM law
school dean since June 2009. He also worked as a federal prosecutor and has taught at law schools at the University of Arizona and the University of Minnesota. “Kevin understands the pressing needs of Indian Country, and he brings the experience and enthusiasm needed to meet those challenges, Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) said in a statement Saturday. “The Senate’s quick
see Confirmation PAGE 2
Laws may deter Hispanic voters The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The combined effects of voter roll purges, demands for proof of citizenship and photo identification requirements in several states may hinder at least 10 million Hispanic citizens who seek to vote this fall, civil rights advocates warn in a new report. Hispanic voters are considered pivotal to the presidential election this November, and are being heavily courted by both Democratic incumbent Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney. If they turn out in large numbers, Hispanics could sway the outcome in several swing states.
Out of the shot, 13!
Drop it low
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See page 9
In an analysis based on government data, civil rights group The Advancement Project identified legal barriers that could deter voter registration and participation among eligible Hispanics. In some of those states, the group’s researchers said, the number of voter-eligible Latino citizens potentially blocked by those barriers exceeds the margin of victory in the 2008 election. “Like African Americans, Latinos have experienced decreased access and correspondingly lower levels of voter registration and participation than non-Hispanic whites,” said the report, which was released Monday. The report called for repeal
of policies that wrongfully inhibit Hispanic voters, and asked that the Justice Department investigate and prosecute “any related voting rights violations.” According to census data, there were more than 21 million Hispanics of voting age in 2010. They made up roughly 10 percent of all eligible voters and 8 percent of registered voters in the United States. Among eligible Hispanics in 2010, 6.3 million said they were not registered to vote, and 10.8 million — about half of those of voting age — said they did not vote, the report said.
see Voting PAGE 3
TODAY
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