Regional

  BRIDGEWATER, N.J. (AP) — President Donald Trump said Sunday that he would consider shutting down the government if Democrats refuse to vote for his immigration proposals, including a U.S.-Mexico border wall.

Republicans, trying to protect their majority in Congress, are playing down the chance of a shutdown as the November election nears. Trump, however, isn't backing away from the idea.

  For most kids in Las Cruces, water is found simply by turning on the tap. But even though they live in the desert and know that water from the sky is rare, having kids wrap their minds around water conservation is a tough task. Although water is clearly essential to all of us, how do you make it funny, friendly, and unforgettable?

In 2015 at the Las Cruces Utilities (LCU) Children’s Water Festival, fourth grade students from all over town created their own champion for water conversation and named him “Papa Drop.”

  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Former Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson is considering jumping into the race for the U.S. Senate in New Mexico, raising the profile of a race that Democrats seeking to capture the majority in Congress had seen as a safe seat.

Johnson consultant Ron Nielson told The Associated Press on Friday that the former governor is "strongly considering" running if Libertarian candidate Aubrey Dunn quits the race as expected.

"He is weighing it over right now," Nielson said. "He doesn't want to get into a race he can't win."

Albuquerque, NM – Today, Attorney General Hector Balderas obtained a guilty verdict after a week-long jury trial for the brutal 2017 murder of Aaron Sieben. A jury found Ameer Muhammad guilty of first-degree felony murder and armed robbery.

“The Office of the Attorney General is committed to putting dangerous, violent criminals behind bars,” said Attorney General Hector Balderas. “We have worked tirelessly to provide justice for Mr. Sieben’s family. Today, they can finally know that the man who has caused them so much pain will be punished for his senseless actions.”

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wants a federal court to toss a lawsuit filed by Utah, New Mexico and the Navajo Nation seeking the repayment of cleanup costs for a mine spill in Colorado that polluted rivers in three states.

The EPA said in a motion Wednesday that the court doesn't need to intervene because crews are already working on the cleanup of water contaminated with heavy metals that was accidentally released from an EPA-monitored mine.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Latest on the reunification of families separated at the border (all times local):

12:30 p.m.

A federal judge in Los Angeles will appoint an independent monitor to evaluate conditions for immigrant children in U.S border facilities.

The decision comes after a spate of reports in Texas of spoiled food, insufficient water and frigid conditions by the youngsters and their parents.

  Exercise helps people at any age become healthier. But people who have just completed cancer treatment may not always feel well enough to exercise regularly. So Cindy Blair, PhD, wondered if increasing their physical activity throughout the day might improve their health.

Families facing Alzheimer’s disease will have access to a free class in Las Cruces, NM offered by the Alzheimer’s Association, New Mexico Chapter.

“Safety in the Home” is a FREE presentation by the Alzheimer’s Association, New Mexico Chapter and will be held on Wednesday, August 15th from 2pm-3pm. The event will be hosted at Crossroads In-Home, 189 Howard Place, Las Cruces, NM, 88011.  The class is free and open to all citizens of Las Cruces and surrounding communities.

To register, or for more information, contact Alexis Ramirez, 800-272-3900 or alramirez@alz.org. For directions call, (575) 647-3868.  The event is free of charge. 

The Las Cruces Police Department has become the first law enforcement agency in New Mexico to successfully meet FBI requirements for certification in NIBRS – the National Incident-Based Reporting System.

On July 20, 2018, LCPD received notification from the FBI that the department has met final requirements for NIBRS certification. LCPD is awaiting the official letter of certification from the FBI which should arrive within the next week.

Emilio Gutierrez Soto and his adult son, Oscar were released from the El Paso, Texas, facility without bond, said their attorney, Eduardo Beckett.  The agreement by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to release the two came six days before a hearing in El Paso before U.S. District Judge David Guaderrama, at which federal attorneys were to argue for continuing to keep Gutierrez under lock and key. Gutierrez's representatives had argued the continued detention was partly the result of his criticism of U.S. immigration policies.

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — A former Las Cruces police officer who pleaded no contest to extorting a woman by offering to delete explicit photos in exchange for sex has been sentenced.

KDBC-TV in El Paso, Texas, reports William D. Gonzalez was sentenced Thursday to 3 1/2 years of probation after authorities say he sent more than 100 text messages to the woman and called her 30 times over a three-day period.

“The S² Challenge toolkit is a 30-day program - funded through a New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) grant - to promote, encourage and engage students in sustainability,” explains Tarkeysha Burton, South Central Solid Waste Authority (SCSWA) Recycling Coordinator. Burton designed the Sustainable Schools (S²) Challenge Toolkit which is geared for the classroom and free to all public, private and charter schools.

MOJAVE, Calif. (AP) — Virgin Galactic's space tourism rocket plane VSS Unity soared over the Mojave Desert on its third powered test flight.

The company says the craft ascended Thursday at more than twice the speed of sound and reached an altitude of 32.3 miles (52 kilometers).

The spacecraft was taken aloft by the carrier aircraft VMS Eve and released at high altitude before the two test pilots ignited the rocket motor and pulled Unity into a near-vertical climb.

The craft then glided to a landing at Mojave Air and Space Port.

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The Latest on New Mexico governor's online schedule (all times local):

1:30 p.m.

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez's office says a maintenance issue is to blame for her online calendar going months without any public updates.

The schedule on her website was updated Thursday after the Santa Fe New Mexican reported that her staff had not published any new entries since March.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly 6 in 10 Hispanic adults have had a difficult time communicating with a health care provider because of a language or cultural barrier, and when they do they often turn to outside sources for help, according to a new study conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A unanimous New Mexico Supreme Court ruling upholds a man's convictions for the killings of two people and the wounding of a third person in Valencia County in 2013.

The justices' ruling Thursday upholds Jordan Hurd's convictions for first-degree murder for the deaths of Wesley Hobbs and his daughter, Amanda, and for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in the wounding of Patricia Hobbs, Wesley Hobbs' wife.

They were shot at their home in Jarales (hah-RAL'-ace).

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — The Latest on the deadline to reunify families separated at the border (all times local):

2 p.m.

The number of families reunited in El Paso has dropped sharply this week as the deadline for the government to reunify parents forcibly separated at the border is hours away.

Annunciation House director Ruben Garcia said his organization that of one of four the government tasked with helping reunited families has received about 25 families each day this week.

Commentary: WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 26, 2018) – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) led a bipartisan group of Senators from states spanning the country in urging Amtrak to uphold its side of a longstanding public-private partnership to continue operating the Southwest Chief passenger train and long-distance passenger service, particularly through rural communities. The Southwest Chief runs daily between Chicago and Los Angeles and connects towns and cities in Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.

Las Cruces – Betsy Baquera, a recently graduated Creative Media Technology (CMT) student from Doña Ana Community College (DACC) has produced a video tour of the community college’s East Mesa campus that will be used for advertising, in social media and on other media platforms.

The video features drone footage of the campus filmed by New Mexico State University (NMSU) Police Department drone pilot Commander Jeffrey Harvey.

Silver City, NM – Laurie Ware, a graduate of Western New Mexico University’s Elementary Education program, was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and traveled to Central Asia with three professors and 11 other secondary teachers from New Mexico and Arizona this summer. 

Ware wrote an extended curriculum unit for an English Language Arts workshop that she brought back to the States and will implement in her New Mexico classroom.

“I will also be creating a module to expose my students to the Kazakh language,” she said.

  Today, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Michelle Lujan Grisham released a plan the campaign describes as a way to lift New Mexicans out of poverty. Here is a statement issued by the campaign:

“Nearly one out of every five New Mexicans lives in poverty and that's absolutely unacceptable. To build a strong economy in New Mexico, it’s crucial that we spur real job creation and economic development and invest in a new direction for public education so no families are left behind,” said Michelle Lujan Grisham. “My plan will raise the minimum wage, protect families from predatory lenders, and renew the fight against hunger because our state is only strong if our families are succeeding instead of living paycheck-to-paycheck.”

Las Cruces first ever GUNS TO GARDENS GUN BUYBACK 

Saturday, July 28th from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Las Cruces Police Department, 550 North Sonoma Ranch Blvd, East Mesa Public Safety Complex, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88011.

Las Cruces NM: Join the City of Las Cruces, the Las Cruces Police Department and New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence (NMPGV).