Northern New Mexico agency facing probe over spending abuse

LOS ALAMOS, N.M. (AP) — An agency of New Mexico municipalities surrounding Los Alamos National Laboratory is the focus of an investigation while the group's executive director faces an uncertain future. The Los Alamos Monitor reports Los Alamos County will hire outside counsel to investigate alleged ethics abuses of the Regional Coalition of LANL Communities. The move comes after the Santa Fe New Mexican reported that an audit recently found that executive director Andrea Romero spent public money on expensive dinners with alcohol in Washington, D.C., and on baseball tickets. Romero apologized for the alleged abuses at a meeting this week. Her contract with the agency expired last week and the group is debating whether to renew it. ___ Information from: Los Alamos Monitor, http://www.lamonitor.com