Regional

By KRWG News

Sierra Blanca, TX – A U.S. Border Patrol spokesman says country singer Willie Nelson was held after 6 ounces of marijuana was found aboard his tour bus.

The bus pulled into the Sierra Blanca checkpoint about 9 a.m. Friday. An officer smelled marijuana when a door was opened. Bill Brooks, spokesman for the Marfa sector of the Border Patrol, said a search turned up marijuana.

Brooks said the Hudspeth County sheriff was contacted, and three people, including Nelson, were arrested.

By KRWG News

Albuquerque – A neighbor's swift action has saved a family of eight from a burning house in Bernalillo County's South Valley.

Firefighters call the man a hero, but he says he only did what anybody would do in a similar situation.

The eight people in the family were asleep early Friday and unaware that their house was on fire.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – New Mexico Attorney General Gary King met with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, asking her to support an initiative that provides training to Mexican judicial and law enforcement authorities engaged in fighting illegal drugs.

King traveled to Washington, D.C., last week with attorney generals from five other states. King serves as chairman of the Conference of Western Attorneys General.

The group asked Clinton to keep funding the U.S.-Mexico State Alliance Partnership.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Organizers of the New Mexico State University Aggies Are Tough Enough To Wear Pink campaign have closed the books on this year's fundraising campaign for breast cancer research, and the grand total raised this year stands at more than $530,000.

Organizers say this year's total is slightly more than 10 percent of what it was last year.

Georgia Palacios is a Las Cruces secretary who contributed $25 this year. She says people have really gotten into the spirit of this event.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – New Mexico's largest utility is teaming up with scientists to develop a way to manage solar energy so it can be accessed when it's most needed, rather than only when the sun shines.

Public Service Company of New Mexico has been awarded more than $2 million by the U.S. Department of Energy for the project. It's part of the agency's effort to improve the electrical grid nationwide and make renewable energy sources more reliable.

By KRWG News

Texas – It was a controversial proposal when it was put before the Legislature in 2007 offering fee discounts on marriage licenses if the betrothed take an eight-hour course on married life before exchanging vows.

A little more than two years after implementation of the Twogether in Texas program, few are taking the state up on its offer.

According to information provided by state agencies, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that fewer than 15 percent of all marriage licenses over the past two years were related to the program.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The New Mexico Transportation Department has launched an improved version of its travel website.

Transportation Secretary Gary Giron says the department is continually making improvements to the site to meet the evolving information needs of drivers.

The latest version of the site www.nmroads.com features a simplified, map-based interface with a variety of tools to customize the information drivers are looking for.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Gov.-elect Susana Martinez on Wednesday named state House Minority Whip Keith Gardner of Roswell as her chief of staff.

Gardner, who represents Chaves, Eddy, Lea and Roosevelt counties in the House, is the managing partner of Sprint Sports Rehabilitation Clinic in Roswell.

Martinez also named Ryan Cangiolosi as deputy chief of staff overseeing boards and commissions and constituent services and Brian Moore as deputy chief of staff and legislative director overseeing policy.

By KRWG News

Las Vegas, NM – A 70-year-old cancer patient who uses medical marijuana will keep his federal housing subsidy for a rental home in the northern New Mexico city of Las Vegas.

Robert Jones had been dropped from the subsidy program over his participation in New Mexico's medical marijuana program.

San Miguel County Attorney Jesus Lopez says county commissioners, acting as the county housing board, unanmously reversed the decision Wednesday.

Lopez, as hearing officer, recommended Jones be reinstated to the housing program.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the Las Cruces MSA was 8.4 percent in October 2010, up from September's revised rate of 8.2 percent, mirroring the statewide jobless numbers. A year ago, the Las Cruces area's unemployment rate was 7.8 percent.

Over the month, the continuing return of students to institutions of learning added 700 government jobs to the Las Cruces economy. Employment was unchanged overall in the private sector, with gains in professional & business services offsetting losses in construction.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Gov.-elect Susana Martinez has named a former New Mexico governor to head a task force on government efficiency.

Garrey Carruthers was governor from 1987 to 1990 and now is dean of New Mexico State University's College of Business.

The task force will offer recommendations to make government more efficient and cost effective.

Other members include former state Sen. Ray Kysar; former state Rep. Joe Stell; former state Higher Education Secretary Beverlee McClure; and former finance secretary Willard Lewis.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Gov.-elect Susana Martinez has selected a former state budget director to lead a team in reviewing the state Department of Finance and Administration.

Martinez announced Tuesday that John Gasparich will serve as the team's chairman. He was deputy department secretary during part of former Gov. Gary Johnson's administration and budget director for former Govs. Garrey Carruthers and Toney Anaya.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – A state official says federal prosecutors have asked a court to force Gov. Bill Richardson's office and the State Investment Council to provide documents for a continuing investigation of state investments.

State Investment Officer Steve Moise (MOH'-ees) says the issue is whether certain records are protected by executive or attorney-client privilege, which would shield them from disclosure to federal investigators.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Grants from two southern New Mexico companies will allow New Mexico Junior College students to get hands-on training on wind turbines.

A college vice president, Robert Rhoads, says the school received about $426,000 in grants from DCP Midstream and Marathon Oil Corp. for wind turbines.

The turbines will be installed on the western edge of campus, near other energy technology facilities.

Rhoads says they also will provide about 80 percent of the electricity for the western portion of the campus.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Dona Ana County commissioners want county employees and elected officials to take ethics training.

The commission approved a resolution Tuesday calling for annual training.

The resolution says workers in the southern New Mexico county will be trained in three-hour small group sessions beginning in January.

County officials say the New Mexico Association of Counties will offer the training for free.

Commissioner Scott Krahling says it's a good way to invest in the staff.