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IN FACT OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS -- TRAFFIC HAS GOTTEN WORSE -- A LOT WORSE. A NEW STUDY FINDS ALBUQUERQUE DRIVERS ARE SPENDING 33 HOURS A YEAR JUST STUCK IN TRAFFIC WHILE GOING TO AND FROM WORK... THAT'S NEARLY AN ENTIRE WORK WEEK -- LOST. AND ALL THAT LOST TIME ON THE ROAD GUZZLES AN EXTRA 21 GALLONS OF GAS A YEAR FOR EACH ALBUQUERQUE DRIVER.. BUT A PARTIAL SOLUTION COULD COME OUR WAY. THEY'RE CALLED H-O-V LANES... OR CARPOOL LANES. BUT NOT EVERYONE THINKS THE IDEA IS GOING TO FLY IN ALBUQUERQUE. JEFF MAHER IS LIVE NEAR COORS AND MONTANO TO EXPLAIN. JEFF? THE IDEA OF ADDING AN H-O-V LANE HERE IS RAISING A LOT OF DEBATE AND A LOT OF QUESTIONS - ESPECIALLY FROM THOSE WHO HAVE LIVED IN LARGER CITIES - AND SAY THEY'VE SEEN IT FAIL BEFORE. 'I just can't imagine that the taxpayers aren't going to be up in arms about building a whole lane that they can't drive in if they're by themselves'CITY COUNCILOR SALLY MAYER VOTED AGAINST YESTERDAY'S RESOLUTION TO ADD AN H-O-V LANE ON COORS BOULEVARD. IT PASSED - BUT SHE SAYS THE IDEA IS DESTINED FOR FAILURE. 'I think it's an outrageous concept, unfortunately there are other places that have done it but I would hope we would never do it in albuquerque'UNDER THE RESOLUTION, THE H-O-V LANE WOULD BE ADDED WHEN COORS BOULEVARD IS EXPANDED TO FOUR LANES OF TRAFFIC IN EACH DIRECTION - THAT'S STILL SEVERAL YEARS OUT. IF AND WHEN THAT ADDITION IS MADE - ALBUQUERQUE POLICE WOULD HAVE TO ENFORCE IT - AND WATCH OUT FOR DRIVERS USING DUMMIES OR PUTTING HATS ON THEIR DOGS TO TRY AND LOOK LIKE THEIR CARPOOLING. 'they've had carpool lanes in california for years and they don't seem to be working there a lot either''I think it's good for highways, not for main roads into cities and stuff'BUT SOME THINK IT WOULD MAKE THEIR COMMUTE EASIER. 'I think it would be a good thing, I mean you would save money by not paying for gas and there wouldn't be so much traffic. I wouldn't be sitting in traffic for so long'OTHER DRIVERS WE SPOKE WITH DREAD THE IDEA OF FACING ALL OF THE CONSTRUCTION THAT WOULD COME WITH THAT PROJECT. LIVE IN NORTHWEST ALBUQUERQUE. JEFF MAHER. EYEWITNESS NEWS FOUR. VANDALS STRIKE IN SANTA FE... BUT LITTLE DID THEY KNOW CAMERAS WERE CATCHING THEM IN THE ACT. THIS IS SURVEILLANCE VIDEO OF THE VANDALS SPRAY-PAINTING THE EYES OF STATUES NEAR THE PLAZA. THE STORE SECURITY CAMERA ALSO RECORDED THE TAGGERS SPRAYING THE MESSAGE 'I SHOOT COPS' ON THE STORE'S MOVING VAN BEFORE MOVING DOWN THE STREET AND ATTACKING TWO SOLID-STONE BUDDHA STATUES. 'When you see somebody do something like that, it justshe looks like she's cryingand that's sad.''It's just a waste of the city. They shouldn't be doing that. It's disrespectful.' POLICE THINK THE VANDALISM COULD BE RELATED TO THE TAGGING OF NEARLY A DOZEN OTHER BUILDINGS AROUND THE PLAZA OVER THE PAST WEEK. THREE NEW MEXICO LAWMAKERS MAKE A LIST THEY DON'T WANT TO BE ON.... A GOVERNMENT WATCHDOG'S LIST OF THE MOST CORRUPT MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. THE GROUP CALLED 'CITIZENS FOR RESPONSIBILITY AND ETHICS' IN WASHINGTON HAS LABELED REPRESENTATIVE HEATHER WILSON AND SENATOR PETE DOMENICI CORRUPT FOR THE FIRING OF U-S ATTORNEY DAVID IGLESIAS. IGLESIAS SAYS THE LAWMAKERS PRESSURED HIM TO PUSH THROUGH INDICTMENTS IN THE METRO COURTHOUSE CONSTRUCTION SCANDAL ... WHEN HE DIDN'T HE SAYS THEY GOT HIM FIRED. ALSO ON THE LIST .. REPRESENTATIVE STEVE PEARCE... THE GROUP SAYS IT'S CONCERNED WITH PEARCE'S PUSH TO OPEN DRILLING AT OTERO MESA BECAUSE HIS BIGGEST CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION IS FROM AN OIL COMPANY THAT WANTS TO DRILL THERE. IN JUST TWO WEEKS.... ALBUQUERQUE VOTERS WILL EITHER CHANGE OR KEEP THE POLITICAL MAKEUP OF THE CITY COUNCIL - AND DECIDE WHETHER THE COUNCILORS WILL GET A HUGE PAY RAISE - OR NOT. STUART DYSON - LIVE AT CITY HALL - LOOKING AHEAD TO THE OCTOBER 2ND ELECTION. THE CURRENT COUNCIL FREQUENTLY CLASHES WITH MAYOR MARTIN CHAVEZ - POLITICAL INSIDERS DON'T EXPECT THAT TO CHANGE MUCH - AND THEY DON'T THINK THE PAYCHECKS WILL EITHER. OUT Q VOTERS WILL SAY YES OR NO TO PAYING COUNCILORS THE SAME AS BERNALILLO COUNTY COMMISSIONERS - THEY WOULD GO FROM TEN GRAND TO NEARLY THIRTY THOUSAND A YEAR. 'Well this is kind of a silly one and I suspect the voters are gonna do with it what it probably deserves - there will probably be maybe nine votes for it - they'll all be councilors - I don't know!' THE STATE'S PREMIER POLITICAL BLOGGER AGREES WITH THE MAYOR ON THIS ONE. ' No chance at all! It hasn't passed in - what - has it been a dozen times we've put it up in the last thirty years or so - the voters of Albuquerque are clear - they don't want to pay these guys any more than they're paying 'em - so forget about that one!' MEANWHILE IN THE NORTH VALLEY'S DISTRICT TWO - COUNCIL PRESIDENT AND CHAVEZ FOE DEBBIE O'MALLEY FACES CONSERVATIVE KATHERINE MARTINEZ - WHO HAS THE MAYOR'S ENDORSEMENT. A BITTER STRUGGLE IN THE HEIGHTS DISTRICT FOUR - WHERE BRAD WINTER - A CHAVEZ OPPONENT - FACES PAULETTE DE PASCAL - WHO HAS SUPPORT FROM FRIENDS OF MARTY BUT NO MAYORAL ENDORSEMENT. THEN A FOUR WAY FIGHT IN LIBERAL LEANING SOUTHEAST DISTRICT SIX. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL BLAIR KAUFMAN WANTS THE OPEN SEAT - SO DO PUBLIC RELATIONS GAL JOANIE GRIFFIN - TOY STORE OWNER KEVIN WILSON - AND REY GARDUNO - A UNM RETIREE WITH A SHOPLIFTING CONVICTION. THERE'S ONLY ONE PERSON RUNNING FOR THE SEAT IN DISTRICT EIGHT - SO REAL ESTATE GAL TRUDY JONES WILL WIN. DISTRICT NINE COUNCILOR DON HARRIS IS NOT UP FOR RE-ELECTION - BUT A RECALL - IF VOTERS KICK HIM OUT THE MAYOR PICKS HIS REPLACEMENT. AT CITY HALL SD EWN4 A SHOWDOWN IS DEVELOPING BETWEEN THE MAYOR AND ONE OF HIS STRONGER ALLIES ON THE CITY COUNCIL. CITY COUNCILOR SALLY MAYER--- THE FOUNDER OF THE CITY'S HEART ORDINANCE--- USUALLY SEES EYE TO EYE WITH THE MAYOR ON ANIMALS. BUT MAYER WANTS TO FREEZE ONE- POINT-THREE MILLION DOLLARS THAT'S SET ASIDE FOR THE MAYOR'S NEWLY CREATED ANIMAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT. MAYER SAYS SHE WANTS TO KNOW EXACTLY HOW THE DEPARTMENT WILL SPEND THE CASH. MAYER SAYS THE NEW DEPARTMENT WILL JUST RAISE COSTS WITHOUT ACTUALLY IMPROVING THE CITY'S ANIMAL SHELTERS. IT APPEARS GOVERNOR BILL RICHARDSON IS THE ONLY DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL MAKING STRIDES IN THE NEW HAMPSHIRE POLLS. POLITICAL ANALYSTS SAY THE OTHER CANDIDATES'NUMBERS ARE RELATIVELY STAGNANT... WITH HILLARY CLINTON IN THE LEAD, FOLLOWED BY BARACK OBAMA, AND JOHN EDWARDS. BUT OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS, RICHARDSON HAS MORE THAN TRIPLED HIS PERCENTAGE POINTS TO TEN. ALBUQUERQUE POLICE SAY THE SMELL OF POT LED THEM TO A DRUG HOUSE. OFFICERS SAY SOMEONE INSIDE THIS HOME NEAR LEAD AND SPRUCE ADMITTED SOMEONE WAS SMOKING POT INSIDE... THEN OFFICERS SPOTTED BAGGIES OF MARIJUANA.. THEY SEARCHED THE HOUSE AND FOUND FIVE BRICKS OF MARIJUANA, GLASS PIPES, A MONEY COUNTING MACHINE, AND A SCALE. THREE PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED. TWO DAYS OF DELIBERATION AND STILL NO VERDICT IN THE CASE OF THE HOBBS JEWELRY STORE KILLINGS. PROSECUTORS SAY 42-YEAR-OLD MANUEL MARTINEZ OF HOBBS STABBED 82-YEAR-OLD ERVIN TAFOYA AND HIS 80- YEAR-OLD WIFE, JULIA, IN THEIR HOME BACK IN JULY OF 2002. POLICE SAY MARTINEZ WAS TRYING TO ROB THE TAFOYA'S JEWELRY STORE... WHICH WAS CONNECTED TO THEIR HOUSE. PROSECUTORS SAY THEY ARE NOT SEEKING THE DEATH PENALTY AGAINST MARTINEZ. THE GAS STATION THAT BECAME INFAMOUS FOR SELLING BEER TO A DRUNK DANA PABST BEFORE HE KILLED HIMSELF AND FIVE OTHERS IN A WRONG WAY CRASH ... IS ABOUT TO REOPEN... BUT THE BERNALILLO GAS STATION WILL HAVE NEW MANAGEMENT, AND NO LIQUOR LICENSE. THE NEW OWNERS ALSO PLAN TO OPEN A RESTAURANT ON THE PROPERTY IN A MONTH... THE STATE REVOKED THE STORE'S LIQUOR LICENSE AFTER THE FATAL CRASH. THE OWNER SHUT DOWN THE STORE SHORTLY AFTER THAT. A JUDGE GIVES THE GO-AHEAD FOR AN ACCUSED MURDERER TO REPRESENT HIMSELF AT TRIAL... BUT THERE'S ONE CONDITION.... MICHAEL SAMORA'S PUBLIC DEFENDER WILL HELP HIM WITH THE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS. INVESTIGATORS SAY IN 2004, SAMORA BEAT A WOMAN TO DEATH WITH A CLOSET ROD... STABBED A MAN IN A NEARBY ALLEY.. THEN SNATCHED A WOMAN'S PURSE AT A 7-ELEVEN. INVESTIGATORS NEVER SAID WHAT SPARKED THE VIOLENT CRIME SPREE. SAMORA UNDERWENT A MENTAL EVALUATION BEFORE HIS CASE COULD GO TO TRIAL CONSTRUCTION CREWS BREAK A GAS LINE AT RIO RANCHO MID-HIGH. IT HAPPENED AROUND TWO TODAY. A BACKHOE HIT THE GAS LINE OUTSIDE A PORTABLE. THE LINE WAS QUICKLY PATCHED. OFFICIALS SAY SCHOOL WAS JUST ABOUT DONE FOR THE DAY ANYWAY. IN SANTA FE.... THE BOMB SQUAD BLOWS UP A THERMOS AT SANTA FE HIGH. A SECURITY GUARD FOUND WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS A SUSPICIOUS DEVICE IN A STAIRWELL. IT TURNED OUT TO BE A THERMOS FILLED WITH WATER. SCHOOL OFFICIALS SAY THEY WERE ON HIGH ALERT BECAUSE YESTERDAY SOMEONE CALLED IN A BOMB THREAT. A TRUCK HAULING EMPTY OIL TANKS TAKES DOWN A POWER LINE IN FARMINGTON. WITNESSES SAY THEY SAW SPARKS AND SMOKE RISING AFTER THE TRUCK SNAGGED THE LINE. NO WAS HURT AND ONLY ONE BUILDING LOST POWER. CREWS EVACUATED PEOPLE IN THAT BUILDING UNTIL THEY WERE SURE THE POLE WOULDN'T COME CRASHING DOWN. A FAMOUS BEAR LEFT THE FOREST TODAY ... AND MADE IT ALL THE WAY TO THE STATE FAIR. BUT HE WASN'T LOOKING FOR PICNIC BASKETS... SMOKEY BEAR WAS THERE TO REMIND KIDS ABOUT FIRES... AND THE KIDS LOVED IT. SMOKEY TURNED INTO A GIANT TEDDY BEAR THAT EVERY KID WANTED TO SQUEEZE.. THERE WERE BEAR HUGS FOR EVERYONE.. IT SEEMS THE KIDS ARE PAYING ATTENTION WHEN SMOKEY TALKS. he prevents smokey fires .. what? on the tv he says only fires can prevent wildfires. he prevents forest fires! THE RODEO CLOWNS TOOK A FIELD TRIP FROM THE STATE FAIR TODAY -- TO CHEER UP SICK KIDS. THEY PAID A SURPRISE VISIT TO U-N-M'S CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL. THE STATE FAIR ENDS ON SUNDAY. IF YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE FAIRGROUNDS... LOG ONTO KOB DOT COM AND CLICK UNDER 4 LINKS. A WESTSIDE WATER LINE IS FIXED... AND WATER IS FLOWING AGAIN INTO SOME 600 HOMES AND BUSINESSES . WE TOOK A LOOK FOR OURSELVES AND FOUND THE PIPE NEAR 98TH AND CENTRAL ISN'T LEAKING ANYMORE.. HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE LOST WATER OVERNIGHT WHILE CREWS PATCHED THE LINE. THE STATE COURT OF APPEALS SAYS ANYONE WHO HAPPENS TO HAVE DRUGS ON THEM WHEN THEY'RE BOOKED INTO JAIL CAN'T BE CHARGED WITH BRINGING CONTRABAND INTO THE JAIL. A CONTRABAND CHARGE COULD MEAN THREE YEARS IN JAIL. IT STEMS FROM A CASE IN LAS CRUCES.. WHERE A MAN POPPED FOR D-W-I HAD POT ON HIM BUT DID NOT ADMIT IT WHEN HE WAS BEING BOOKED INTO JAIL. THE COURT SAY IT WASN'T THE MAN'S INTENT TO SMUGGLE DRUGS INTO JAIL. SUSPECTS CAN STILL BE CHARGED WITH DRUG POSSESSION. THERE ARE NEW SECURITY MEASURES IN PLACE AT THE SUNPORT TONIGHT. BUT UNLIKE MANY OTHERS, THESE PROBABLY WON'T DELAY YOU AT ALL. WE'LL EXPLAIN TONIGHT AT TEN. BUT FIRST AT SIX ... A SHEEP IS CAUSING A LOT OF CONFUSION... WE CHECK OUT WHERE IT CAME FROM, AND WHY THE CITY OF CORRALES IS SPONSORING IT. AND WE GET OUR HANDS ON THE VIDEO OF A DOWNTOWN ALBUQUERQUE BRAWL... A DOWNTOWN ALBUQUERQUE BRAWL IS POSTED ON