A woman suspected of embezzling millions of dollars from a small Northern New Mexico school district offered to repay the money when confronted this summer, reports the Albuquerque Journal.

Also from the Journal, a decrease in medical services for the poor could be one of the negative effects from the state’s recent decision to cut what it pays medical providers like physicians to care for the state’s low-income population through Medicaid, the government’s health insurance program.

A struggling Salvation Army in Clovis has suddenly found itself in possession of more silver and gold coins than it knows what to do with. In recent days generous donors have given silver and gold coins to Army volunteers, the largest donation being worth between $8,000 to $10,000, reports the Clovis News Journal.

White Sands Missile Range, the High Energy Laser System Test Facility and NMSU will receive federal funding through defense legislation President Obama signed this weekend, according to the Las Cruces Sun News.

New Mexico Natural Resources Trustee Jim Baca will retire at the end of the month, according to the Associated Press. Environment Secretary Ron Curry will take over Baca’s responsibilities in addition to his own in order to avoid the costs of hiring a new person for the position.

A $400,000 federal grant will go to the Wellness Coalition to help beef up community and faith-based organizations’ resources in Catron, Grant, Hidalgo, and Luna counties, reports the Silver City Sun-News reports.

Santa Fe’s minimum wage “almost certainly going to remain unchanged in 2010″ because of little growth in inflation, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican. The city indexes its minimum wage to the consumer price index, meaning if the cost of goods rises, the minimum wage does as well.

The Eddy County Commission reversed its decision to share legal fees with the city of Carlsbad to address liability issues pertaining to a possible collapse of a brine well inside the city limits, the Carlsbad Current-Argus reports.