April 1, 2008
Albuquerque Media Monitoring
News clips from Monday, March 31 include stories about:* UNM Men's Basketball Coach Steve Alford Signs Contract Extension
* J.R. Giddens Goes to Final Four for Slam Dunk Contest
* Peter Lynch Trial Begins Today
* UNM Grad Students Teach Chemistry to Wilson Middle School Students
* Students Give UNM Police Tips about Guns and Drugs2 KASA 9:00 PM
IT'S OFFICIAL... UNM'S MENS BASKETBALL COACH IS STAYING. THE UNIVERSITY GAVE HIM A CONTRACT EXTENSION JUST AFTER HIS FIRST SEASON. ALFORD AND THE UNIVERSITY HAVE AGREED IN PRINCIPLE TO A THREE-YEAR EXTENSION, WHICH WILL KEEP HIM THROUGH THE 2015- 2016 SEASON. HE WRAPPED UP HIS FIRST SEASON AT U- N-M WITH A 24 AND NINE RECORD AND A TRIP TO THE N-I-T TOURNAMENT. HIS NEW CONTRACT DOESN'T CARRY A PAY RAISE... HE'LL CONTINUE AT HIS CURRENT SALARY OF 975 THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR. VAN TATE WILL HAVE MUCH MORE ON COACH ALFORD'S CONTRACT EXTENSION IN SPORTS...AND WE'LL HEAR FROM THE LOBOS COACH.
21:45:21 02:
AS WE TOLD YOU EARLIER IN THIS NEWSCAST UNM BASKETBALL COACH STEVE ALFORD AND THE UNIVERSITY HAVE AGREED TO A THREE YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION THAT WILL KEEP THE COACH THROUGHOUT THE 2015-2016 SEASON. THE NEW DEAL DOES NOT HAVE A BUYOUT BUT THERE IS A 100 THOUSAND DOLLAR ANNUITY PENALTY SHOULD ALFORD LEAVE EARLY. A SUCCESSFUL FIRST YEAR MADE UNM VICE PRESIDENT FOR ATHLETICS, PAUL KREBS, ACT QUICKLY ON A NEW DEAL THAT WILL CONTINUE TO PAY ALFORD 975 THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR. NOW MAYBE ALL OF THE ALFORD GOING TO INDIANA RUMORS CAN END.
MORE LOBO NEWS TODAY.....GUARD J.R. GIDDENS WAS GIVEN AN HONORABLE MENTION NOD TO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS COLLEGE BASKETBALL ALL AMERICA TEAM. GIDDENS LED THE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE IN SCORING AND REBOUNDING THIS YEAR.
4 KOB 10:00 PM
THE JURY TRIAL OF THE MAN ACCUSED OF RIPPING DOWN A MEXICAN FLAG AT UNM IS EXPECTED TO START TOMORROW. PETER LYNCH TOLD UNM POLICE LAST FALL HE WAS UPSET THAT AN AMERICAN FLAG HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY PLACED ABOVE THE MEXICAN FLAG. THE FLAG ENDED UP FLYING BY ITSELF -- A FOREIGN FLAG IS NEVER SUPPOSED TO FLY ALONE. A HISPANIC STUDENT GROUP CALLED IT A HATE CRIME, BUT LYNCH'S ATTORNEY SAYS IT WAS AN ACT OF PATRIOTISM. LYNCH REQUESTED A JURY TRIAL. HE'S FACING A MISDEMEANOR - AND IF CONVICTED HE COULD SPEND UP TO SIX MONTHS IN JAIL.
4 KOB 10:00 PM
BASKETBALL COACH STEVE ALFORD IS A WANTED MAN .. UNM WOULD LIKE TO KEEP HIM FOR A LONG TIME.. SO THEY OFFERED HIM A THREE YEAR EXTENSION.. THE TWO SIDES ANNOUNCED THE AGREEMENT TODAY.. THE EXTENSION WOULD KEEP HIM AT UNM THROUGH THE 2015-2016 SEASON.. THE EXTENSION DOES NOT INCLUDE A PAY RAISE.. ALFORD HOPES THE EXTENSION WILL END SPECULATION HE WOULD LEAVE ANYTIME SOON..
IN OTHER UNM CONTRACT NEWS.. VICE PRESIDENT FOR ATHLETICS PAUL KREBS SAYS HE IS DAYS AWAY FROM ANNOUNCING A CONTRACT EXTENSION FOR UNM FOOTBALL COACH ROCKY LONG.. GETTING BACK TO BASKETBALL. J-R GIDDENS IS IN SOME GOOD COMPANY.. THE UNM SENIOR WAS ALL-AMERICA HONORABLE MENTION.. GIDDENS LED THE MOUNTAIN WEST IN SCORING AND REBOUNDING . HE AVERAGED OVER 16 POINTS A GAME.. THE LOBOS DIDN'T MAKE THE FINAL FOUR.. BUT GIDDENS WILL MAKE IT TO SAN ANTONIO..GIDDENS WILL ALSO TAKE PART IN THE FINAL FOUR SLAM DUNK CONTEST ON THURSDAY NIGHT.. THE UNM BASEBALL TEAM WILL BE SWINGING WOOD BATS TOMORROW NIGHT AT ISOTOPES PARK.. THE LOBOS TAKE ON THE TOPES IN AN EXHIBITION GAME.. PROCEEDS GO TO THE UNM BASEBALL PROGRAM.. UNM'S BRIAN CAVAZOS GALVEZ IS THE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK.. THE JUNIOR TRANSFER WENT 15- FOR-26 AT THE PLATE IN FIVE GAMES LAST WEEK..
7 KOAT 6:00 PM
STUDENTS AT WILSON MIDDLE SCHOOL RECEIVED SOME SPECIAL CHEMISTRY INTSRUCTION TODAY. A GROUP OF UNM GRAD STUDENTS TAUGHT EIGHTH GRADERS ABOUT NANOTECHNOLOGY. IT'S ALL PART OF NATIONAL NANOTECHNOLOGY DAYS. NANOTECHNOLOGY IS THE SCIENCE OF CHANGING MATTER- OFTEN TO BUILD MICROSCOPIC DEVICES. THE EIGHTH GRADERS AND GRAD STUDENTS PERFORMED CHEMISTRY EXPERIMENTS AIMED AT SHOWING THE KIDS THAT A CAREER IN CHEMISTRY CAN BE EXCITING. A STUDENT WE SPOKE TO FOUND ONE OF THE EXPERIMENTS WITH HYDRO-PHOBIC SAND, THE MOST INTRIGUING… "JUST THE FACT THAT THEY DISCOVERED IT AND IT'LL BE USED FOR GOOD IN THE FUTURE. "BUT "TO MAKE BOATS FASTER TO HELP CLEAN CLOTHES, AND MAKE THEM STAY CLEAN LONGER." SOME MORE FOOD FOR THOUGHT – ONE NANOMETER IS ONE BILLIONTH OF A METER.
13 KRQE 10:00 PM
HORRIFIC SHOOTING SPREES AT COLLEGES... HAVE MORE PEOPLE OPENING THEIR EYES TO SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY ON CAMPUS. AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO... THE SUDDEN AWARENESS IS PAYING OFF BIG-TIME WITH A COLLECTION OF GUNS AND DRUGS. NEWS 13'S KIM HOLLAND IS LIVE AT UNM. AFTER THE SCHOOL SCHOOTINGS AROUND THE COUNTRY-- STUDENTS HERE ON UNM'S CAMPUS STARTED PAYING CLOSER ATTENTION TO THEIR SURROUNDINGS. THEY'VE CALLED IN ABOUT 30 ANONYMOUS TIPS TO POLICE. IN JUST OVER A MONTH, STUDENTS' TIPS HAVE LED POLICE TO THIS: DOZENS OF WEAPONS, AMMUNITION AND A POT LOVERS PARADISE. POLICE HAVE SEIZED MARAJUANA IN ALL STAGES ... FROM THE TINY POT PLANT TO THE STASH READY TO SELL. "THIS IS PRETTY BIG FOR UNM, IT'S PRETTY BIG FOR ANY UNIVERSITY." UNM DIDN'T WANT TO SEE A SCHOOL SHOOTING LIKE SO MANY CAMPUSES AROUND THE COUNTRY. SO OFFICERS HERE ARE TRACKING DOWN THE THREATS AND GOING AFTER GUNS USED ILLEGALLY. "EACH ONE OF THESE CAME FROM A TIP FROM A STUDENT OR SOMEBODY HERE AT SCHOOL WHO SAID I'M WORRIED ABOUT THIS PERSON WHO HAS THIS GUN." ACTING ON APPROXIMATLEY 30 STUDENT TIPS-- POLICE HAVE SEIZED AN SKS ASSAULT RIFLE, A HUNTING RIFLE, GLOCK HAND GUNS AND A B-B GUN THAT LOOKS LIKE THE REAL DEAL. SOME OF THE TIPS NETTED THE DRUGS-- LIKE THE CALL TO THIS HOUSE ON GIRARD SOUTHEAST WHERE POLICE SAY THEY FOUND TEN POT PLANTS WORTH TEN-THOUSAND DOLLARS. SEVERAL TIPS LED POLICE TO INVESTIGATE OTHER SUSPEICIOUS ACTIVITIES. BUT POLICE HAVE GOTTEN WHAT THEY'VE GONE AFTER—FEWER ILLEGAL GUNS IN THE HANDS OF PEOPLE WHO MAY COMMIT A CRIME-- POSSIBLY ANOTHER SCHOOL SHOOTING. "IF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO COME AND DO THEIR DIRTY WORK HERE AT UNM, WE'RE GOING TO GO AFTER THEM." POLICE HAVE ARRESTED A FEW PEOPLE-- BUT THE MAJORITY OF ARRESTS ARE YET TO COME. OFFICERS ARE STILL INVESTIGATING WHILE THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE CONSIDERS CHARGES. TIM, BACK TO YOU. THANKS, KIM. DOZENS OF ANONYMOUS TIPS GOT POLICE TO INVESTIGATE SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITIES THAT EVENTUALLY LED TO THE SEIZURES OF THE GUNS YOU JUST SAW. OFFICERS SAY THEY'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR MORE CALLS.