Connecticut

Governor sues to block impeachment testimony

Gov. John G. Rowland asked a court Thursday to block what he called an unprecedented and unconstitutional subpoena ordering him to testify before a legislative committee weighing his impeachment.

Ross Garber, Rowland’s chief legal counsel, said the subpoena “tramples on the mandate of the balance of separation of powers.”

The House Select Committee of Inquiry had ordered Rowland to appear June 8. In the past, Connecticut governors have only appeared before lawmakers voluntarily, Garber said.

Rowland, a three-term Republican, is under federal investigation for accepting gifts from state contractors, friends and subordinates. He has maintained he provided nothing in return to the gift-givers.

New Mexico

Wildfire grows to more than 25,000 acres

A lightning-sparked wildfire in the Capitan Mountains continued to burn out of control early Thursday.

The blaze grew to 25,000 acres and had burned a dozen cabins — mostly summer homes — and several outbuildings in the rural area of south-central New Mexico.

“We lost a lot of family history, a lot of memories,” said Brian Morris, after learning the fire had burned his family’s log cabin, built in the 1920s.

Burnout operations were planned for today, and firefighters on Wednesday built lines along the northern perimeter of the fire in preparation, said fire information officer Jackie Denk.