Roswell, New Mexico experienced historic rainfall that led to severe flooding, leaving two dead and hundreds stranded on rooftops. The community, known for being the site of a purported spacecraft crash in 1947, received record-breaking rainfall that resulted in over 300 rescues by the New Mexico National Guard. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a state of emergency, providing $1 million in funding for relief efforts. The flooding was caused by an upper-level low pressure system over Arizona, bringing almost 6 inches of rain to Roswell and up to 9 inches in surrounding areas.
In another development, Governor Lujan Grisham rescinded an emergency order banning guns in public parks and playgrounds in Albuquerque after facing backlash and legal challenges. The original order sought to reduce gun violence but faced opposition from gun rights advocates. Meanwhile, in Oklahoma, a group of parents, teachers, and ministers filed a lawsuit against the state’s education official for forcing the incorporation of the Bible into lesson plans, claiming it violates the state constitution by favoring one religion.
On a positive note, three California condors, including a survivor of the avian flu outbreak, were released into the wild near the Grand Canyon as part of conservation efforts to save the endangered species. The annual release was put on hold last year due to the outbreak, but efforts to bring the condors back from the brink of extinction have been successful, with around 360 birds estimated to be living in the wild today.
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Photo credit www.coloradopolitics.com