Regional

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – The production of the Vagina Monologues is one of the features of V-Day, a global movement to stop violence against woman and girls by raising awareness of domestic assault and sexual abuse through performances, education, networking and fundraising.

This year the program will feature resource books to be handed out to those in attendance. The material includes information on local domestic violence preventions, sexual assault response and counseling agencies.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Every Monday, Fred Martino speaks with Las Cruces Sun News Business Editor Brook Stockberger.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Las Cruces Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the arrests of the two suspects who committed an armed robbery Saturday at a popular fast food restaurant.

Shortly after 10 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 22, Las Cruces Police were called to the Blake's Lotaburger at 1300 S. Valley Dr. where two men, both armed with handguns, took an undisclosed amount of cash from the restaurant.

By KRWG News

Juarez, Mexico – Authorities say gunmen have killed seven people at a park in the besieged border city of Ciudad Juarez.

Chihuahua state prosecutors' spokesman Carlos Gonzalez says the gunmen arrived at the park in the Francisco I. Madero neighborhood and opened fire Sunday afternoon. He says four people were wounded and hospitalized in critical condition, including a 12-year-old girl. One of the four later died.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – The New Mexico State Senate confirmed the appointment of former State Senator and Las Cruces businessman Leonard Lee Rawson as a member of the New Mexico State Investment Council.

Senate Minority Leader Stuart Ingle sponsored Rawson's confirmation on the Senate Floor for the two-year term and spoke highly of his former colleague today.

By KRWG News

El Paso – Statement from Senator Jos Rodr guez Regarding Senate Bill 14 (Voter ID):

"With an estimated 100,000 teachers expected to lose their jobs, a proposed $17 billion to be cut from vital health and human services programs and community colleges across our state likely having to shutter their doors due to the $27 billion budget shortfall, now is not the time to focus on a non-existent problem. It is time that we roll up our sleeves to work to address the real issues that face the future of our state.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Senate Minority Leader Stuart Ingle asked the New Mexico State Senate for a moment of silence this morning in respect of former Republican Auditor candidate Errol Chavez who passed away last night with his family at his side.

According to the Santa Fe Federated Republican Women (SFFRW), Chavez was diagnosed with mostly inoperable brain cancer in October while he was on the campaign trail in the State Auditor race.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – A Las Cruces man has been arrested for animal cruelty after he killed his 4-month-old puppy by stepping on its throat for several minutes.

Richard Nelson McCord, 41, of 819 Parkview Dr., was arrested Sunday and charged with one count of extreme animal cruelty, a fourth-degree felony.

By KRWG News

El Paso – The University of Texas at El Paso welcomes the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano at 10 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 31, at Magoffin Auditorium. The event is open to the public.

Napolitano will deliver remarks that highlight the Department of Homeland Security's unprecedented efforts to secure the Southwest border. The event is the second in a yearlong series of discussions at colleges and universities.

By KRWG News

Texas – The Texas Senate on Monday begins debate on a bill to require voters to produce an official identification card when they vote.

Gov. Rick Perry declared the legislation an emergency priority last week. That means they can bypass normal procedures and be debated more quickly, in the first 30 days of the session. A few hours later, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst announced that senators would begin considering the bill Monday, making it the first substantive legislation that lawmakers will debate in the nascent session.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – A state legislator wants to give New Mexico residents a better chance of getting a license to hunt elk, deer and other big game.

Sen. George Munoz, a Gallup Democrat, has introduced legislation that would give New Mexicans at least 90 percent of the the big game licenses allocated through a public drawing.

Under the current quota system, 78 percent of licenses are reserved for New Mexico residents and out-of-state hunters get 22 percent. Critics say that split shortchanges New Mexico residents.

By KRWG News

Alamogordo – A teenage driver's mother and girlfriend are dead after he lost control of his car and it rolled over on U.S. 70.

New Mexico State Police say 43-year-old Lucy Roblez of Alamogordo and 19-year-old Mathiah D. Torres of Ruidoso died in Friday's crash on the Mescalero Reservation.

Police say the Honda coupe driven by 18-year-old Jose Granado of Las Cruces slid off the shoulder and rolled twice and the two women were ejected.

Granado had minor injures. Police say citations are pending.

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By KRWG News

Las Cruces – The annual count of Mexican gray wolves on the border of Arizona and New Mexico is under way.

Managers of the program say January's aerial survey will be combined with information gathered by ground monitoring in November and December for a count of wolves in the wild for 2010.

They consider it a minimum number rather than a total because it's possible the survey could miss some uncollared wolves.

The count at the beginning of 2010 was 42.

By KRWG News

Texas – Texas schools, hospitals and jails are worried that cuts lawmakers want to make to the state budget could mean that they'll be left picking up the bill.

Lawmakers released the first draft of the state budget this week, and it included $27 billion in cuts. Like other states, Texas is facing a big shortfall brought on by the recession. Other states are proposing tax increases, but Texas lawmakers vow to block state tax hikes.

That means cities and county officials may consider raising property taxes to pay for services.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Gov. Susana Martinez has tapped a major campaign donor to head New Mexico's vast regulatory agency.

Martinez named J. Dee Dennis Jr. to the $100,000 a year job of superintendent of the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department on Friday.

The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that Dennis contributed $16,000 to the governor's election campaign last year.