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For this nation to fulfill the promises made by its forefathers, there is only one clear path of action... KILL THE COWS!!

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For this nation to fulfill the promises made by its forefathers, there is only one clear path of action... KILL THE COWS!!

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The U.S. Forest service plans to slaughter 150 cattle as they are "pose a significant threat to public safety and natural resources." However, several opponents are suing the Forest Service in hopes to stop the execution.

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Less than 24 hours before bullets are set to fly, a group of animal activists including the Humane Farming Association hopes an 11th-hour lawsuit stops the planned aerial slaughter of 150 cattle in New Mexico.

During a federally-approved, three day-event set to start Thursday, the U.S. Forest Service plans to shoot feral cattle from a helicopter roaming a southwestern area of the state.

The federal agency announced its decision on Feb. 16, explaining feral cattle on the 560,000-acre Gila Wilderness Area "pose a significant threat to public safety and natural resources."

Opponents including The New Mexico Cattle Growers' Association (NMCGA) this week asked a judge to grant a temporary restraining order to stop the mass killing. A hearing on the scheduled slaughter is set for Wednesday morning, court records show.
Scheduled slaughter of 150 cattle: 150 feral cows to be shot from sky in New Mexico national forest as US Forest Service issues kill order
On Tuesday, the group jointly filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico against the Forest Service and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to prevent "the inhumane aerial gunning" of cattle.

"No matter what the Forest Service claims, this is unadulterated animal cruelty," said Humane Farming Association National Director Bradley Miller. "These animals don't take the shots standing still - they run in fear from the helicopter chasing them. These are not clean kills; the cattle experience horrifically slow deaths. Their orphaned calves are left to starve or be killed by predators."
Before and after: Photos show recovery at drought-stricken California reservoir
USA TODAY has reached out to the Forest Service and the USDA for comment.

One week's notice

The animals are to be shot within the Gila National Forest, a 3-million-acre reserve in New Mexico.

Last year, the NMCGA filed a temporary restraining order in an effort to stop the Forest Service's plan to use aerial gunning to eliminate free-roaming cattle from the wilderness area, during which 65 cattle were shot at and killed from a helicopter. That legal effort was denied.

A stipulation resulting from last year's lawsuit required that the agency provide the cattle growers and the public 75 days' written notice before future shooting commenced, this year's lawsuit alleges.

"Yet, this year, the Forest Service provided only one week's notice," according to a press release from the Humane Farming Association.

APHIS intends "to shoot as many as 150 cattle with high-powered rifles from a helicopter, leaving their carcasses strewn throughout New Mexico's Gila Wilderness," the new 31-page lawsuit reads. "Intervention is necessary to put an immediate stop to this unlawful, cruel, and environmentally harmful action, both now and in the future."

Lawsuit claims violation of law
U.S. weather: 23 million Americans under winter storm warnings as blizzards barrel across Midwest, West Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.
In the suit, the plaintiffs argue that, in addition to not complying with the 75-day notice, the Forest Service has no legal authority to carry out its aerial gunning plan, in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act, which governs the process by which federal agencies develop and issue regulations.

"Shooting violates the APA because it is not authorized by statute or regulation, exceeds the Forest Service's authority, and fails to follow the existing regulations for the removal of unauthorized cattle," the suit continues.

In addition, plaintiffs argue that, by proceeding without first conducting an environmental review of the significant harms to the wilderness ecosystem, the Forest Service is violating the National Environmental Policy Act. Because the Forest Service intends to leave all 150 dead and dying cattle in the wilderness to decompose, the government will cause catastrophic pollution of the Gila River and impermissibly interfere with the natural feeding behaviors of native wildlife.

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Officials plan to shoot 150 cattle from the sky Thursday. An 11th-hour lawsuit hopes to stop it.

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Less than 24 hours before bullets are set to fly, a group of animal activists including the Humane Farming Association hopes an 11th-hour lawsuit stops the planned aerial slaughter of 150 cattle in New Mexico. During a federally-approved, three day-event set to start Thursday, the U.S.

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HEALTH ME!! (Get it?) Governor requests $200 million dollars to increase healthcare in rural communities.

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HEALTH ME!! (Get it?) Governor requests $200 million dollars to increase healthcare in rural communities.

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7 of 33 counties in NM have no local hospital or emergency department. Governor Lujan-Grisham plans to change this by directing funds from a $200 million dollar grant to expanding healthcare in rural counties.

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7 of New Mexico's 33 counties, including Torrance County, have no local hospital or emergency department but that could change if Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham's request for $200 million to the Rural Health Care Delivery Fund wins legislative support. The huge request is one of the largest individual line items in the governor's $9.4 billion budget proposal and is similar to legislation sponsored by State Senator Liz Stefanics in last year's legislative session.

Stefanics' expansive rural district includes parts of 5 rural counties, including most of Torrance County. "This funding will provide support for our rural healthcare facilities across the state, giving them the ability to expand services like behavioral health, prenatal services, dialysis, rehab, and any number of other much-needed care offerings currently out of reach to too many New Mexicans," Stefanics said about last year's efforts.

The appropriation is the "centerpiece" of her second term's health policy programs Lujan Grisham said in a statement last week. The funds could be used to ease the start-up and operational burden for setting up new medical centers in rural communities like Torrance County where most residents must travel to Albuquerque, over an hour drive for some county residents, for emergency and routine care.

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Gov. Seeks $200,000,000 to Expand Rural Health Care - The Independent

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7 of New Mexico's 33 counties, including Torrance County, have no local hospital or emergency department but that could change if Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham's request for $200 million to the Rural Health Care Delivery Fund wins legislative support. The huge request is one of the largest individual line items in the governor's $9.4 billion [...]

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Fire vs. 'Merica: Federal Assistance Increased to Combat Dangerous NM Wildfire

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Fire vs. 'Merica: Federal Assistance Increased to Combat Dangerous NM Wildfire

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The wildfire in New Mexico isn't slowing down, so President Biden is escalating federal assistance at governor Lujan Grisham's request.

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SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - President Joe Biden said Saturday he was escalating federal assistance for New Mexico as it faces its largest wildfire in recorded state history.

The fire began with prescribed burns that were set by the U.S. Forest Service, a standard practice that's intended to clear out combustible underbrush. However, the burns spread out of control, destroying hundreds of homes across 500 square miles (1,300 square kilometers) since early April, according to federal officials.

"We need to be sure this doesn't happen again," Biden said during a visit to an emergency operations center in Santa Fe, where he met with local, state and federal officials. He was returning to Washington from Los Angeles, where he had attended the Summit of the Americas.

The president said the federal government would cover the full cost of the emergency response and debris removal, a responsibility that was previously shared with the state government.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham told Biden that "your administration has leaned in from the very beginning" and that "we need the federal government to keep accepting responsibility."

Biden said he also supports having Washington foot the bill for damages caused by the fire, but such a step would require congressional action.

Evidence of New Mexico's struggle with wildfire was visible from Air Force One as the president's plane approached. There were plumes of smoke in the distance, and rows of burned trees looked like blackened scars slashing through green forests.

Evacuations have displaced thousands of residents from rural villages with Spanish-colonial roots and high poverty rates, while causing untold environmental damage. Fear of flames is giving way to concern about erosion and mudslides in places where superheated fire penetrated soil and roots.

The blaze is the latest reminder of Biden's concern about wildfires, which are expected to worsen as climate change continues, and how they will strain resources needed to fight them.

"These fires are blinking 'code red' for our nation," Biden said last year after stops in Idaho and California. "They're gaining frequency and ferocity."

But the source of the current wildfire in New Mexico has also sparked outrage here.

A group of Mora County residents sued the U.S. Forest Service this past week in an effort to obtain more information about the government's role.

The Forest Service sets roughly 4,500 prescribed burns each year nationwide, and Biden said the practice has been put on hold during an investigation.

Ralph Arellanes of Las Vegas, New Mexico, said many ranchers of modest means appear unlikely to receive compensation for uninsured cabins, barns and sheds that were razed by the fire.

"They've got their day job and their ranch and farm life. It's not like they have a big old house or hacienda - it could be a very basic home, may or may not have running water," said Arellanes, a former wildland firefighter and chairman for a confederation of Hispanic community advocacy groups. "They use it to stay there to feed and water the cattle on the weekend. Or maybe they have a camper. But a lot of that got burned."

READ MORE: Mark Ronchetti wins GOP primary for New Mexico governor

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved at least 900 disaster relief claims worth more than $3 million for individuals and households.

On Thursday, the Biden administration extended eligible financial relief to the repair of water facilities, irrigation ditches, bridges and roads. Proposed legislation from U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M., would offer full compensation for nearly all lost property and income linked to the wildfire.

Jennifer Carbajal says she evacuated twice from the impending wildfire at a shared family home at Pandaries in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The house survived while about 50 neighboring homes burned along with the tanks that feed the municipal water system, leaving no local supply of potable water without truck deliveries.

"There is no long-term plan right now for water infrastructure in northern New Mexico," Carbajal said.

She said matters are worse in many hardscrabble communities across fire-scarred Mora County, where the median household income is roughly $28,000 - less than half the national average.

"They barter a lot and really have never had to rely on external resources," she said. "The whole idea of applying for a loan (from FEMA) is an immediate turnoff for the majority of that population."

Jaclyn Rothenberg, a spokeswoman for FEMA, said the agency had more than 400 personnel in the state to work with residents and help them seek federal assistance.

George Fernandez of Las Vegas, New Mexico, says his family is unlikely to be compensated for an uninsured, fire-gutted house in the remote Mineral Hills area, nor a companion cabin that was built by his grandparents nearly a century ago.

Fernandez said his brother had moved away from the house to a nursing home before the fire swept through - making direct federal compensation unlikely under current rules because the house was no longer a primary residence.

"I think they should make accommodations for everybody who lost whatever they lost at face value," Fernandez said. "It would take a lot of money to accomplish that, but it was something they started and I think they should."

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Biden elevating federal assistance for New Mexico wildfire fight

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The fire began with prescribed burns that were set by the U.S. Forest Service, a standard practice that's intended to clear out combustible underbrush. However, the burns spread out of control, destroying hundreds of homes across 500 square miles (1,300 square kilometers) since early April, according to federal officials.

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Automobile Violence Leaves Attendees of an Inter-Tribal Meeting "Shook Up" (It felt wrong to come up with a clever title for this one)

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Automobile Violence Leaves Attendees of an Inter-Tribal Meeting "Shook Up" (It felt wrong to come up with a clever title for this one)

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The 100th anniversary of the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial in New Mexico was tragically interrupted when a car drove directly into the crowd. Police acted quickly and saved many, but multiple people were injured. Because of this, residents have been urged to avoid the area to prevent corrupting the investigation.

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Indianz.Com > News > 'We're all shook up': Violence mars inter-tribal gathering in New Mexico

'We're all shook up': Violence mars inter-tribal gathering in New Mexico

The 100th anniversary of the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial in New Mexico was marred by violence after a car drove into the crowd and parade, causing injuries and wreaking havoc on the opening day of the highly-anticipated event.

Dramatic footage posted online shows the car heading straight toward a contingent that included women and children from the Navajo Nation. The vehicle, which appears to have been traveling at a high speed, came within striking distance of First Lady Phefelia Nez, the wife of President Jonathan Nez, who also was nearby.

"Get out of the way!" a police officer can be heard yelling as Nez and other parade marchers, including representatives of Missing and Murdered Diné Relatives, ran for safety from the quickly approaching car.

"Get out of the way!" the officer yelled a second time, rushing toward the participants in order to help them avoid being hit.

Another video shows the gold-colored vehicle continuing to drive head-on into the parade route in downtown Gallup. A group of children who were hoop dancing on the street got out of the way just in time as the car sped down Coal Avenue in the Arts and Cultural District part of town.

Additional footage shows law enforcement authorities eventually catching up to the car - but the driver attempts to flee the scene. A handful of bystanders, visibly angered and upset by the dangerous situation, can be seen attempting to stop the vehicle before officers were able to apprehend the driver and put an end to the violence.

"The driver is in custody," the New Mexico State Police said in a short statement later on Thursday evening.

According to the statement, "multiple people" - including two officers from the Gallup Police Department - were injured. They were being treated on the scene, the state authorities said.

NMSP is investigating an incident involving multiple pedestrians at the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial Centennial Celebration. Multiple people, including two Gallup PD officers, injured and are being treated on scene. The driver is in custody. More information when available. pic.twitter.com/fRSKmUPPcZ
- NMSP (@NMStatePolice) August 5, 2022

At least two other people can be seen in the vehicle, based on videos and photos of the incident. A total of "three occupants have been detained," the city of Gallup later said in a statement.

But initial accounts of gunfire appear to have been unfounded. "There have been reports of shots fired but nothing has been confirmed at this time," the statement read.

In a video update from Gallup, President Jonathan confirmed that his contingent came face-to-face with danger. He was seen shaking hands with well-wishers shortly before the vehicle barreled toward the group.

"We were in the path of the vehicle," Nez said in the video.

"It came straight towards us, the vehicle," Nez added.

Nez noted that many people from the Navajo Nation were in town for the start of the 10-day Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial. The incident occurred during the first of two parades that are on the schedule for the centennial celebration.

"We're all shook up," Nez said. "You would see this on television. You would think it will never happen here."

"I'm sorry to say, it happened here in Gallup, New Mexico," he said.

Nez credited police officers in Gallup with helping keep people safe by warning them about the dangerous vehicle. No one from his group, which included members of the Navajo Nation Council, were struck by the car, he said.

"Our team members are okay," said Nez, who is running for re-election this year. "A lot of the folks that were in the straightaway, they're all okay."

But Nez said the violence has caused emotional distress to those who were present. He asked relatives and loved ones to check in on attendees as they deal with mental health and other wellness issues.

"I know there's a lot of family members that are shook up and scared," Nez said. "I just ask that if you know of someone that was at the Gallup Ceremonial, just give them a call. Comfort them, pray with them."

Amber Kanazbah Crotty, a delegate to the Navajo Nation Council, also was in the direct path of the vehicle. She was still visibly shaken by the time she posted her own video update on Thursday evening.

"We're okay," Crotty said, taking several seconds to regain her composure after starting her livestream. "Everyone who was with us was okay, that we know of, at the Gallup Ceremonial parade."

Crotty was walking with a Rock Your Mocs group and Missing and Murdered Diné Relatives (MMDR) families on what she described as a "beautiful night." She said the contingent was passing out traditional Navajo hair ties and thanking bystanders for watching the parade.

"And right when we came out of that curve, we just heard: 'Everyone move, get out of the, get out of the way,'" Crotty recalled. "And someone pushed us out of danger."

"And right when they did that, that vehicle passed by us," Crotty said in offering an eyewitness account of the incident.

"And that man had no compassion in his heart," she said of the person behind the wheel of the car. "[He] sped up."

Crotty fought back tears as she confirmed footage which showed parade participants and bystanders attempting to intervene and stop the car from causing further harm to the crowd.

"I know one of our MMDR sisters was so mad, she tried to stop him," Crotty said. "She's okay. And everybody's asking how we're doing and, and we're just doing the best we can."

At this point in the livestream, an older man approached Crotty. Though he remained out of sight of the camera, she referred to him respectfully using the Navajo word for uncle.

"We saw him," Crotty said of the driver. "He wouldn't stop."

"I wanna see him, I wanna see him," the older man said in reference to the driver.

"We're all mad," she responded.

"I'm reminding myself, we did the best we could," Crotty said later in the livestream. "I'm reminding myself that everyone that I saw was okay. But mentally we're going to need to come together and have some healing."

Nearly half of the population in Gallup is Native American, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Many of the residents hail from the Navajo Nation, whose reservation and trust lands surround the city. Others come from the Pueblo of Zuni, whose northern border is less than 30 miles south of the city.

"I hope all our people that attended the parade are safe," Zuni Governor Val Panteah wrote on social media late Thursday night. "Please check on loved ones who may have been impacted by the incident. If you need help in dealing with the trauma, please call the hospital or call 911. I ask our community to pray that everyone is safe."

Buu Nygren, a Navajo Nation presidential candidate, took part in the parade at the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial. Earlier in the evening, he had posted a short clip on social media of participants lining up for the event.

"Jasmine and I are praying for the safety of everyone who participated in the Night Parade," Nygren said in a post later in the night. Violence is never a solution. Unfortunately, we were all affected tonight and it will take time to understand what happened and why. Please be safe tonight and remember to check in on each other and to be mindful of our young ones and those we love."

Nathaniel "Nate" Brown, another delegate to the Navajo Nation Council, took part in the parade as well. A photo he shared on social media depicted the moments after the vehicle ripped through the crowd in front of the historic El Morro Theater on Coal Avenue. The banner that had been carried by President Nez's group can be seen on the street, ripped apart.

"As far as I know myself and many others around us of course are traumatized but above all we're gonna do our prayers," Brown wrote in the post. "Everyone please take care of yourselves and let's just make our prayers that much stronger."

Both Crotty and Brown urged people to stay away from downtown Gallup, not just for their safety, but to ensure the investigation into the incident can be carried out properly. A second parade that covers the same route is set to take place on the morning of August 13, though event organizers had not yet offered any updates to the schedule as of midnight on Friday.

The celebration includes a powwow, rodeo and art show that take place at Red Rock Park, located about 10 miles west of downtown Gallup. A 5K Run/Walk on Saturday is set for Ellis Tanner Trading Company, a couple of miles from the downtown area.

The film festival, though, has been scheduled to take place at the El Morro Theater on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. The Ceremonial Queen Pageant is also supposed to be held at the venue.

"The incident in Gallup, New Mexico, has impacted many families and relatives attending the night parade for the 100th Annual Intertribal Ceremonial," Speaker Seth Damon of the Navajo Nation Council said in a statement. "The Navajo Nation stands with resilience against any acts of violence and sends prayers of protection to those affected. This was a traumatic and triggering event for many, especially for our youth, elders, and our veterans who acted quickly."

"Please contact your family members tonight and make sure everyone is safe," Damon continued. "Hug your children tighter knowing they are okay."

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'We're all shook up': Violence mars inter-tribal gathering in New Mexico

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Indianz.Com > News > 'We're all shook up': Violence mars inter-tribal gathering in New Mexico 'We're all shook up': Violence mars inter-tribal gathering in New Mexico The 100th anniversary of the Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial in New Mexico was marred by violence after a car drove into the crowd and parade, causing injuries and wreaking havoc on the opening day of the highly-anticipated event.

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A Walmart in ABQ's International District is on its way out with the prospect of replacing it with something better. But let's be honest... it'll probably just become a homeless camp.

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A Walmart in ABQ's International District is on its way out with the prospect of replacing it with something better. But let's be honest... it'll probably just become a homeless camp.

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Just kidding of course. The Walmart in the ID is closing, which could mean a shortage of household supplies for surrounding residents. However, there could be an upside. Representatives of the International District Healthy Communities Coalition said that the lot could become a mutual aid center, which could help communities thrive and get back on their feet. Thanks to organizations like the International District Healthy Communities Coalition, B3 Development, IDED and others, there is hope for the communities of the International District.

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The Walmart in Albuquerque's International District is set to close on March 10 and what happens next is up in the air, because the company still owns the property.

The lot is zoned for mixed use, meaning several different options could be built in its place. In order for anything new to go in the space, such as housing, a park, or even another retail space, Walmart must choose to sell the property.

Currently, the company is having conversations with the City of Albuquerque about "the best path forward," according to Lauren Willis, the Global Communications Director of Western U.S Walmarts.

The Walmart is located in the International District off San Mateo Blvd, just south of Central Avenue. It's next to a high school and near a major public transportation hub, which makes the location easily accessible for those who do not have a car.

People that live in the neighborhood began conversations last week about what they would like to see happen with this location. One, everyone wants something to replace the store and make sure the area is not vacated for too long. An idea brought up by many at the meeting was to create a Mutual Aid hub.

Mutual Aid programs have long existed in the district. Programs like, ABQ Mutual aid, and local gardens, are services organized by the community, and allow people to connect with resources, and get things like food, or household products, according to Bernadette Hardy (Díne), and Guillermina Osoria, two community organizers with International District Healthy Communities Coalition..

"Because that's the way that we're going to be able to really get to the root cause of the problem. We can be in front of people, (and ask) do you have enough money to pay your rent? Or pay your medicine? Do you have enough money to buy your food, or pay the electricity or the water," Osoria said.

Enrique Cardiel, a community organizer who brought people together for this meeting, thinks the Walmart closure will create energy in the community to organize around a solution to address problems created by Walmart leaving the neighborhood, such as access to basic necessities like food and medicine.

"I think this creates some urgency to it. We've talked about community grocery stores in the past, but now, there's a pressure to figure it out," Cardiel said."And so I think, while it's a crisis, it also creates an opportunity, an energy to do stuff. And so, hopefully we step up as a community to figure it out."

The inspiration for creating a potential mutual aid organizing space is the large parking lot that surrounds the building. This could provide ample room to arrange food, supplies and facilitate care on a larger scale, community members discussed at the meeting.

Many are happy to see Walmart go. However, the short notice will leave many in the area without an accessible place to get groceries, toiletries and home products, along with also losing a pharmacy and banking location. Hardy said this creates an even greater of a need for mutual aid efforts right now.

"We know we have the highest rates of chronic disease, people with disabilities, people who use the bus, and we depend on Walmart a lot. But I also don't want to support Walmart. We need to be self-sufficient," Hardy said.

When Walmart opened its store in the International District it put a lot of local shops in the area out of business. Cardiel talked about watching many of those businesses close.

"We've seen over the last couple of decades, smaller businesses just not be able to keep up. We had a lot of black owned businesses, those are gone. There's a lot of Mexican and Asian businesses and a lot of those, just struggled or some of them closed," Cardiel said. "A lot of infrastructure is just not there."

Cardiel hopes that the city encourages a new grocery store to open up in the area, and also supports more cooperative efforts like getting farmers together to sell their goods.

Cardiel said they hope that if a new grocery store comes into the area they reach out to the community beforehand, something Walmart did not do.

"We need a supermarket. And I see figuring how to encourage a supermarket to be here is part of the puzzle," Cardiel said.

The Walmart closure was a celebratory moment for Osoria who said the corporation has a legacy of harming communities of color, and forces people to be dependent on the store. This moment leaves a welcome opportunity for something new in the International District, Osoria said.

"They (Walmarts) come in, make all the money, and then when they made enough, or when they feel that they want to get up and leave," Osoria said. "I'm seeing the closure of Walmart as a positive thing for the future."

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What to do with the Walmart in ABQ's International District?

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The Walmart in Albuquerque's International District is set to close on March 10 and what happens next is up in the air, because the company still owns the property. The lot is zoned for mixed use, meaning several different options could be built in its place.

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Scott Hoffman has been awarded the Together We Rise award from the NMAA for outstanding performance in athletics, academics and activities. He will be recognized soon at the state basketball tournament .