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Public Safety

  • Probe continues into battalion chief's DUI charge

    The Los Alamos Fire Department recently received a key piece of information regarding an investigation into one of its own.

    According to Chief Troy Hughes, the department has received the official arrest report of Battalion Chief Kelly Sterna.

    Now that the department has the report, it can set the wheels of its investigation into motion.

    Sterna was arrested at a sobriety checkpoint in Albuquerque Aug. 4,  just after midnight on Eubank Boulevard. According to police, he failed a sobriety test and had a blood alcohol level of .08. Since the arrest, Sterna has been on administrative leave pending the outcome of an LAFD internal investigation.

    Hughes said he is not sure when the investigation will wrap up, since Sterna’s guilt or innocence has yet to be determined by the courts. “We operate on the premise of innocent until proven guilty,” said Hughes.

    Hughes also said the investigation may be a while because of the department’s relationship with the Los Alamos National Laboratory. “Because there is a security clearance involved, there will be a more extensive investigation, than what you might find in other counties,” Hughes said.

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  • Flood Advisory until 5 p.m.

    THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBUQUERQUE HAS ISSUED AN

    * ARROYO AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY FOR... NORTHERN LOS ALAMOS COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO SOUTHEASTERN RIO ARRIBA COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO NORTHEASTERN SANDOVAL COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO NORTHWESTERN SANTA FE COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO

    * UNTIL 500 PM MDT

    * AT 254 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED HEAVY RAIN OVER SANTA CLARA CANYON. RADAR ESTIMATES AND SURFACE OBSERVATIONS INDICATE AROUND ONE HALF INCH OF RAIN HAS FALLEN WITH THESE STORMS IN LESS THAN 1 HOUR. THIS ACTIVITY IS MOVING QUICKLY EAST DOWN SANTA CLARA CANYON AROUND 20 MPH... THEREFORE THE FLOOD THREAT IS EXPECTED TO BE MINOR AT THIS TIME.

    * STRONG FLOWS AND HIGH WATER LEVELS ARE EXPECTED IN ARROYOS... SMALL STREAMS AND OVER LOW WATER CROSSINGS. RAPID RUNOFF CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED IMMEDIATELY OVER AND DOWNSTREAM FROM WILDFIRE BURN SCARS.

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

    RUNOFF FROM RAINFALL WILL CAUSE ELEVATED WATER LEVELS WITHIN VULNERABLE DRAINAGES IN AND DOWNSTREAM OF THE LAS CONCHAS FIRE BURN AREA.

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  • Flash Flood Warning until 4:45 p.m.

    THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBUQUERQUE HAS ISSUED A

    * FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR... SOUTHWESTERN LOS ALAMOS COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO EAST CENTRAL SANDOVAL COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO

    * UNTIL 445 PM MDT

    * AT 148 PM MDT... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM A THUNDERSTORM 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF COCHITI LAKE... OR ABOUT 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LOS ALAMOS... MOVING SOUTH SOUTHWEST AT 10 MPH. RADAR INDICATED 1 TO 1.5 INCHES OF RAIN HAS ALREADY FALLEN ON WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWESTERN PORTIONS OF THE LAS CONCHAS BURN SCAR. THE BLAND CANYON GAGE REPORTED 0.80 OF AN INCH OF RAIN IN JUST 20 MINUTES. THE COCHITI MESA GAGE RECEIVED 0.55 OF AN INCH OF RAIN IN THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME. THE THE HEAVIEST RAIN HAS SO FAR FALLEN FROM THE HEADWATERS OF FRIJOLES CANYON SOUTHWESTWARD TO BEAR SPRINGS PEAK.

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

    DO NOT DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. MANY FLASH FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES.

    BOTH LOCALIZED AND DISTANT HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CREATE SUDDEN AND DANGEROUS FLOWS IN ARROYOS AND OVER LOW WATER CROSSINGS.

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  • Flood Advisory until 3 p.m.

    THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBUQUERQUE HAS ISSUED AN

    * ARROYO AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY FOR... WESTERN LOS ALAMOS COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO EAST CENTRAL SANDOVAL COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO

    * UNTIL 300 PM MDT

    * AT 106 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY RAIN WITH STRONG THUNDERSTORMS NEAR THE UPPER REACHES FRIJOLES CANYON. THE STORMS WERE DRIFTING SOUTH BETWEEN 5 AND 10 MPH.

    THIS WILL IMPACT THE LAS CONCHAS BURN SCAR INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO BANDELIER NATIONAL MONUMENT... FRIJOLES CANYON... COCHITI CANYON... PERALTA CANYON... HIGHWAY 4 FROM STATE ROAD 501 JUNCTION TO LAS CONCHAS CAMPGROUND AND DOME WILDERNESS.

    * STRONG FLOWS AND HIGH WATER LEVELS ARE EXPECTED IN ARROYOS... SMALL STREAMS AND OVER LOW WATER CROSSINGS. RAPID RUNOFF CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED IMMEDIATELY OVER AND DOWNSTREAM FROM WILDFIRE BURN SCARS.

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

    RUNOFF FROM RAINFALL WILL CAUSE ELEVATED WATER LEVELS WITHIN VULNERABLE DRAINAGES IN AND DOWNSTREAM OF THE LOS CONCHAS FIRE BURN SCAR.

    Click here to read more...
  • Flood Advisory until 3 p.m.

    THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBUQUERQUE HAS ISSUED AN

    * ARROYO AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY FOR... WESTERN LOS ALAMOS COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO EAST CENTRAL SANDOVAL COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO

    * UNTIL 300 PM MDT

    * AT 106 PM MDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY RAIN WITH STRONG THUNDERSTORMS NEAR THE UPPER REACHES FRIJOLES CANYON. THE STORMS WERE DRIFTING SOUTH BETWEEN 5 AND 10 MPH.

    THIS WILL IMPACT THE LAS CONCHAS BURN SCAR INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO BANDELIER NATIONAL MONUMENT... FRIJOLES CANYON... COCHITI CANYON... PERALTA CANYON... HIGHWAY 4 FROM STATE ROAD 501 JUNCTION TO LAS CONCHAS CAMPGROUND AND DOME WILDERNESS.

    * STRONG FLOWS AND HIGH WATER LEVELS ARE EXPECTED IN ARROYOS... SMALL STREAMS AND OVER LOW WATER CROSSINGS. RAPID RUNOFF CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED IMMEDIATELY OVER AND DOWNSTREAM FROM WILDFIRE BURN SCARS.

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

    RUNOFF FROM RAINFALL WILL CAUSE ELEVATED WATER LEVELS WITHIN VULNERABLE DRAINAGES IN AND DOWNSTREAM OF THE LOS CONCHAS FIRE BURN SCAR.

    Click here to read more...
  • Cone Zone 08-19-12

    Eastern Area 2 Concrete, Paving  Utility Project, Phase 1
    Work continues on Myrtle between 9th Street and 15th Street. This section of Myrtle is closed to through traffic with flagging operations during the day and two-way traffic at night.
    The work zone on Canyon Road will be extended to between N.M. 502 to just south of Nugget. This section is closed to through traffic however, residential access will be maintained. Residents can expect flagging operations on Canyon Road during the day time, and two-way traffic at night. Minor delays may be experienced. All through traffic must seek alternate routes.
    N.M. 4 Improvements Project
    Expect intermittent traffic control as the contractor completes identified punch list items in order to reach final completion.  
    Expect striping operations and roadway marking installation Thursday. The striping operations occur with at least one shadow vehicle following the striper to allow adequate time for the roadway paint to dry and to prevent traffic from crossing the wet paint. Do not try to get in front of the shadow vehicles. Intermittent lane closures can be expected when the contractor installs roadway markings such as turn arrows or stop bars.
    Capital Projects
    Facilities Projects
    Central Avenue  
    9th Street

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  • Flash Flood Warning until 9 p.m.

    THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBUQUERQUE HAS ISSUED A

    * FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR... NORTHERN LOS ALAMOS COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN RIO ARRIBA COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO NORTHEASTERN SANDOVAL COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO NORTHWESTERN SANTA FE COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO

    * UNTIL 900 PM MDT

    * AT 606 PM MDT... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM A THUNDERSTORM 15 MILES WEST OF SANTA CLARA PUEBLO... OR ABOUT 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF LOS ALAMOS. THE STORM PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN WAS NEARLY STATIONARY. THE RAIN GAGE AT POND 4 IN SANTA CLARA CANYON MEASURED 1 INCH OF RAIN IN JUST 20 MINUTES. ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL IS EXPECTED.

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

    BOTH LOCALIZED AND DISTANT HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CREATE SUDDEN AND DANGEROUS FLOWS IN ARROYOS AND OVER LOW WATER CROSSINGS.

    Click here to read more...
  • Intrusion embarrasses 'Fort Knox of uranium'

    OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (AP) — Officials like to refer to the Y-12 National Security Complex as the Fort Knox for highly enriched uranium, which is why an unprecedented incursion by an 82-year-old nun and two fellow protesters has critics mocking the notion that the weapons plant is secure.

    Operations resumed last week after being shut down over the embarrassing incident 18 days earlier. The Department of Energy has called on the contractor that runs the sensitive facility just west of Knoxville to explain why it shouldn't be replaced.

    Y-12 makes uranium parts for every warhead in the U.S. nuclear arsenal, dismantles old weapons and is the nation's primary storehouse for bomb-grade uranium.

    Officials insist that despite the more than two hours that the protesters went unchallenged on the facility, there was never any danger of them getting to materials that could be detonated on site or used to assemble a dirty bomb.

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  • Super Blitz wraps up with sobriety checkpoints

    Just because summer is almost over, don’t think the state and local police are slowing up on their DWI checkpoint strategy.
    On the contrary, state and local law enforcement plan to be ever more vigilant now that school and related school activities have started up again. They are also keeping an eye on Labor Day Weekend as well.
    According to a press release issued by the New Mexico Department of Public Safety, the state police plan on running their program through Sept. 4, and some of those checkpoints may include state roads leading into Los Alamos.
    “During this final summer Super Blitz, state police officers throughout New Mexico will conduct 25 sobriety checkpoints and 67 DWI saturation patrols to deter drunk driving and arrest those who choose to drive after drinking,” said a statement in the release.
    On the local side, Deputy Chief Kevin Purtymun also said the LAPD may run some checkpoints too, though he couldn’t specifically say where.
    He also said residents may want to know that the checkpoints aren’t where they make most of their arrests.
    “We’re fairly consistent in that we make about 50 to 60 DWI arrests a year,” said Purtyman. “But, from the number of checkpoints we do a year, we only make one or two arrests.”

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  • Purtymun 'enjoyed every last minute'

    After 24 years of service to Los Alamos, Deputy Chief Kevin Purtymun is retiring from the force. According to Purtymun, it was simply the right time to do so. 

    Besides exceeding all of the department’s requirements and goals for retirement by at least a year, Purtymun decided it wouldn’t be fair to his fellow officers to stick around any longer.

    Click here to read more...