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Supreme court denies hospital writ petition

April 03, 2010

The New Mexico Supreme Court has decided it won’t review the hospital lawsuit, effectively ending litigation that has held up construction of a hospital for more than two and a half years. The court denied the plaintiffs’ writ of certiorari on Thursday, posting a document on its website showing the denial. Not hearing the case [...]

Hospital plaintiffs file writ with supreme court

March 01, 2010

The plaintiffs in the hospital lawsuit today asked the New Mexico Supreme Court to review a lower court’s decision concerning the hospital project’s management contract. The New Mexico Court of Appeals ruled early last month that the health care facilities contract Valencia County signed with a local nonprofit complied with state law. The plaintiffs had [...]

Supreme court writ will delay hospital project

February 19, 2010

An attorney representing Valencia County in the hospital lawsuit said at Wednesday’s county commission meeting that it could up to four months for the New Mexico Supreme Court to decide whether or not it’ll review the latest decision in the nearly three-year-old case. The attorney for the nine plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit against the [...]

Gentry says a hospital should be constructed

February 17, 2010

Valencia County Commissioner Ron Gentry wants to see construction of a hospital under contract and commenced now that two courts have ruled the county has acted properly on the issue. The New Mexico Court of Appeals ruled on Thursday that the county holds a valid contract with a local nonprofit for management of the hospital [...]

Court: Hospital contract complies with state law

February 13, 2010

The New Mexico Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that the contract Valencia County signed with a local nonprofit for management of the hospital project is a valid contract under the New Mexico Hospital Funding Act, agreeing with the district court’s earlier ruling. “The district court found that Defendant did not exceed its authority under the [...]

County opens talks with hospital executives

February 11, 2010

Two Valencia County commissioners have begun talking with top executives from Presbyterian and the University of New Mexico Hospital to find out what the two entities can do to help develop a hospital in the county. The talks were announced by the two commissioners – Georgia Otero-Kirkham and Pedro Rael — during last night’s commission [...]

Attorney general won’t rule on OMA complaint

January 28, 2010

According to a letter written by the Office of New Mexico’s Attorney General that was released today, the office won’t issue a determination on an open government complaint filed against the Valencia County Commission a year ago. The complaint was filed in January 2009 by Valencia County News-Bulletin reporter Julia Dendinger. She questioned whether or [...]

Kirkham: Wood succeeded in dividing us

December 22, 2009

Valencia County commissioners testified today during an emotional court hearing concerning the county’s attempt to permanently ban a citizen from commission meetings, the second day of legal arguments and testimony in the case. The court sought to determine if the citizen, Mike Wood, should be allowed to continue attending county commission meetings or if the [...]

Wood: I just want an honest operation

December 17, 2009

District court began listening to testimony yesterday in a hearing to determine whether or not a Las Maravillas resident who’s been banned from Valencia County Commission meetings will be allowed to continue attending those meetings. Mike Wood was issued a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction allowing him to attend meetings, pending a hearing and [...]

Hospital proponents have ties to location

December 11, 2009

A local family that has actively worked to get a hospital built in Rio Communities could benefit financially from the hospital’s proposed location. Ralph DeBaca and his father, Dan DeBaca, have advocated for the hospital and its proposed site off the Manzano Expressway in Rio Communities. Both have participated in at least one pro-hospital group [...]