CANJILON, N.M. (AP) - Juan Valdez, a land grant activist who fired the first shot during a 1967 New Mexico courthouse raid that helped spark the Chicano Movement, has died. His daughter says the 74-year-old died peacefully Saturday at his ranch in Canjilon, N.M. Valdez and a group of land grant advocates raided a Rio Arriba County courthouse to attempt a citizen's arrest of then-District Attorney Alfonso Sanchez over Hispanic land rights issues. Valdez shot and wounded a state police officer.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - The state's supercomputer could be transferred to New Mexico's three research universities. The Albuquerque Journal reports the decision whether to sell the supercomputer to private bidders or turn it over to the universities will depend on the best return for the state, which paid $11 million in 2008 to buy the machine.
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - A movie based on Rudolfo Anaya's iconic New Mexico-based novel "Bless Me, Ultima" will be screened in the state after all. The Albuquerque Journal reports the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival has scheduled a screening of the film Oct. 17 to kick off the film festival. The move comes after producers of the film announced it was to premiere in El Paso, Texas.
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) - A group of indigenous runners making a journey from Alaska to Panama are scheduled to stop in Las Cruces. The Las Cruces Sun-News reports members of the "Peace and Dignity 2012" runners are expected to rest tomorrow in Las Cruces and are inviting the public for prayers and blessings before continuing on to Central America.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
