Ex-chief of troubled northern New Mexico agency won't return

LOS ALAMOS, N.M. (AP) — The former executive director of a troubled agency of New Mexico municipalities surrounding Los Alamos National Laboratory says she won't return to lead the coalition. The Los Alamos Monitor reports Andrea Romero, the former paid leader of the Regional Coalition of LANL Communities, said last week she won't seek to renew her contract amid charges that she used public money for fancy dinners and baseball tickets. But Romero says she's still running as a Democrat for a House seat around Santa Fe. For weeks, Romero has faced criticism for recent spending that included expensive gatherings where alcohol was purchased. She has apologized. New Mexico State Auditor Wayne Johnson said this month he has designated the Regional Coalition of LANL Communities for a special audit following the spending reports. ___ Information from: Los Alamos Monitor, http://www.lamonitor.com