ICYMI: These were the top stories this past week in the Journal

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ICYMI: These were the top stories this past week in the Journal

APS Chief of Schools Channell Segura, left, congratulates Superintendent-select Gabriella Dur谩n Blakey on Monday at the district鈥檚 headquarters. Segura was a semifinalist for the job before being eliminated in mid-January.

Jon Austria / Journal

Elizabeth Tucker Elizabeth Tucker Journal Staff Writer

Published February 9, 2024 - 12:12 p.m. Modified February 9, 2024 - 12:12 p.m.

Feds charge Jal police officers with deprivation of civil rights

Two Jal police officers and a former officer are awaiting trial after a federal indictment charged them with deprivation of civil rights in 2021.

APS stays in-house, chooses Blakey as new superintendent

The district's current chief operations officer will have an annual salary of $295,000 as superintendent.

Bernalillo District Attorney has now dismissed 195 DWI cases related to APD corruption probe

The 2nd Judicial District Attorney鈥檚 Office has dismissed another 43 DWI cases related to a 鈥�

For the second time, a bill to update New Mexico's graduation requirements is headed to the governor's desk.

HB 171 is the first major bill to clear both chambers of the Roundhouse.

The lifeline that is NEWSLINE: Volunteers headline efforts to read daily paper to those who are blind

Growing up, Jim Salas loved reading newspapers. It is a love that he inherited from his pare鈥�

From police corruption probes to the selection of a new superintendent for the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Public Schools, here are five top stories from this week.

1. Two Jal police officers, Corey Patrick Saffell, 34, and Ceasar Enrique Mendoza, 28, along with former officer Robert Edward Embly, aka 鈥淓ddie,鈥� were charged with violating the civil rights of an unidentified man in 2021. If convicted, all three could face up to 10 years in prison.

2. Gabriella Blakey was named the new superintendent for sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Public Schools. Blakey, who has been with APS on and off for two decades, will succeed current Superintendent Scott Elder when he leaves the position June 30. Blakey's annual salary will be $295,000.

3. Forty-three additional DWI cases related to a federal investigation into corruption at the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Police Department have been dismissed by the 2nd Judicial District Attorney's Office. There have been 195 cases dismissed, most of them were DWI.

4. A second bill on New Mexico's graduation requirements is on its way to the governor's desk. House Bill 171 passed the Senate on a 40-0 vote Wednesday. The bill aims to bring more flexibility and choice to students in high school by incorporating more career-technical education options.

5. Good News: The New Mexico Commission for the Blind has a free, statewide, telephone-based system operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, allowing the blind to access voice recordings of news articles from a variety of newspapers and publications.