Campus
Master's degree offered to study optical science
Beginning in the fall semester, a new master's degree program in optical science and engineering will be available to students. Students will have a choice of three areas of emphasis: thesis, course and internship-based studies.
The degree program is a cross-disciplinary area of study administered by the Physics and Astronomy Department as well as the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department.
The degree program is designed to educate students who intend to enter the optics industry or work in a government research lab.
Local
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Armed assailants rob Bank of the West branch
At around 12:45 Wednesday the Bank of the West, 3733 Isleta Blvd., was robbed by a pair of assailants.
This was the 24th bank robbery in the Albuquerque area this year. Last year 103 bank robberies occurred in Albuquerque.
The suspects entered the bank and told bank employees and customers to lie down on the ground. One assailant brandished a short-barrel shotgun while the other carried a bag for the cash. No one was injured in the robbery and an undetermined amount of cash was taken.
The two individuals are suspects in the May 25 robbery of the Bank of Albuquerque at 1301 Juan Tabo.
Up to a $2,000 reward is being offered to anyone with information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators. Those who have information about the robbery or the suspects in question are asked to contact the local FBI field office at 224-2000 or to call Crimestoppers at 843-7867.
New task force to track domestic violence cases
Albuquerque Police Chief Gilbert Gallegos announced the creation of a new domestic violence and stalking unit. The unit will implement a new investigative case tracking system for stalking and domestic violence cases in an attempt to reduce the number of domestic violence calls the Albuquerque Police Department receives.
"No doubt a lot of these offenders are repeat offenders," Detective Michelle Garcia said.
Garcia said the new unit will help track domestic violence offenders more efficiently and better train APD officers in handling domestic violence cases.
The unit also will strive to educate the community about the predicators of domestic violence.
Last year, APD responded to 16,004 domestic violence dispatch calls.
State
Gov. commutes sentence for nonviolent offender
Gov. Gary Johnson commuted the remaining sentence of Belinda Dillon, an inmate at the New Mexico Women's Correctional Facility in Grants.
Dillon was serving a six-year sentence for violating her probation. While serving her sentence in 1998 at Dona Ana County Detention Center, corrections officers sexually assaulted Dillion over a two-month period. Of the six officers who were implicated in attacking Dillion, two received 18 months in prison and one was sentenced to a year in prison.
National
Student loan interest rates drop to 4.06 percent
U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige announced federal loan interest rates will drop to 4.06 percent by July 1, the lowest rate in years.
Borrowers with $10,000 in student loan debt and a 10-year standard repayment plan can save approximately $1,133 in interest over the life of the loan. The new rate for borrowers repaying Stafford loans issued beginning July 1998 will be 4.06 percent, down from 5.99 percent last year. Students who are in school within a six-month grace period, or who are in deferment, will have a 3.46 percent rate.
Borrowers should contact their lender, loan officer or financial service provider for more information on their financial options.
