Regional

By KRWG News

SANTA FE, N.M. –
Duran spent about $130,500 during the past three weeks and Herrera had expenditures of $78,800. Advertising accounted for most of the spending.

Campaign finance reports filed Thursday show Duran raised $77,600 and Herrera collected about $41,200.

The state Republican Party gave $25,000 to Duran and Foster Friess, an investor from Jackson, Wyo., contributed $5,000. Friess has been a large donor to GOP gubernatorial candidate Susana Martinez.

By kRWG News

New Mexico – It's not even Halloween yet, but the Lincoln National Forest is getting ready for the Christmas season.

Beginning Nov. 1, forest officials will have Christmas tree permits available at a cost of $5 each, one per household.

The permits can be purchased through Dec. 24 or by mail until Dec. 11.

If you're holding a permit, any live evergreen tree up to 10 feet high can be cut down or dug up in the Smokey Bear, Sacramento, or Guadalupe Ranger Districts.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – A former youth pastor in Las Cruces has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for raping and molesting three young girls he met through his family's church between 2005 and 2007.

The Las Cruces Sun-News reports 31-year-old Rico Dominic Escudero entered a no contest plea in May to two counts of kidnapping, three counts of rape, four counts of attempted rape of a child younger than 13 and two counts of molesting a child younger than 13.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – County elections officials say problems with New Mexico's voter registration computer system have disrupted early voting in some locations.

Elections officials in Dona Ana, San Juan and Santa Fe counties say early voting was delayed at some locations Tuesday evening because poll workers weren't able to access the statewide voter registration system.

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – Two former colleagues are on the election ballot for Dona Ana County Sheriff and as KRWG's Vanessa Dabovich reports, incumbent Todd Garrison says he would like to finish what he started.

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – Las Cruces Police Department Investigator, Democrat Juan "J.R" Stewart is running against Incumbent Sheriff Republican Todd Garrison.

Stewart, who leads the city police officer's union, says if he is elected he has plans to find and utilize state and federal grants for new programs.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Police have arrested a Las Cruces woman who is believed to have committed multiple counts of credit card fraud, forgery and identity theft against her former employer.

Cynthia M. Barela, 31, of the 2600 block of El Camino Real, was arrested on a warrant Monday evening and is charged with three counts of fraudulently using a credit card, 14 counts of forgery and five counts of identity theft.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – The NMSU Police Department is investigating the death of a person in student family housing on the Las Cruces campus. At this time, there are no obvious indications of foul play, but the case is being handled as a possible crime until proven otherwise.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – "One Nation, One Dream " is the theme for this year's Annual Conference of The New Mexico State Conference NAACP, in which 11 statewide chapters will meet and conduct activities together in Las Cruces, Oct. 29.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Students, faculty and staff of Onate High School were briefly evacuated today after smoke was seen in the corridors of the building.

The evacuation began shortly before noon today and lasted only around half an hour as Las Cruces Firefighters and school maintenance personnel attempted to locate the source of the smoke.

Officials believe the smoke originated in a boiler room near the school's Performing Arts Center. No injuries were reported and there did not appear to be any structural damage as a result of the smoke.

By KRWG News

Albuquerque – Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry is recommending the City Council make changes in the city's red light camera program, including not using cameras to ticket motorists for speeding.

Berry also wants to eliminate cameras at six intersections where safety did not increase.

He made the announcement Monday after receiving a study he commissioned from the University of New Mexico's Institute for Social Research.

By KRWG News

Texas – A memorial service is set for tomorrow in Dallas for the slain son of former Texas Gov. Bill Clements.

The body of 69-year-old B. Gill Clements was discovered, in a shallow grave, at the Athens-area ranch of neighbor Howard Granger.

Officers returned fire and killed Granger last Friday as he confronted them as they tried to search his property for Clements, who was reported missing the day before.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Although the fine for each red-light camera violation is capped by New Mexico law at $100, the city of Las Cruces has released figures showing that more than $3.37 million has been collected since the program began in March 2009.

Of that, the Las Cruces Sun-News reports the city's share is more than $844,000 in the past 19 months and a little more than $365,000 since Jan. 1.

By KRWG News

Alamogordo – A 32-year-old Alamogordo woman has been jailed on $100,000 bond after she was charged with criminal sexual penetration involving a 15-year-old boy.

Investigators say Margaret J. King faces five counts of felony criminal sexual penetration of a minor and five counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

By KRWG News

Juarez, Mexico – A video posted online shows the kidnapped brother of a former Mexican state attorney general claiming at gunpoint that he and his sister worked for a drug gang.

The video posted on YouTube shows Mario Gonzalez sitting in a chair, handcuffed and surrounded by five masked men pointing guns at him.

Gonzalez is the brother of Patricia Gonzalez, who stepped down Oct. 3 as attorney general of the border state of Chihuahua. Mario Gonzalez was kidnapped Thursday.