Regional

By KRWG News

Albuquerque – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will require the operators of a coal-fired power plant in northwestern New Mexico to install stringent pollution-control technology to protect public health and improve visibility in the Four Corners area.

The EPA said Tuesday the controls on the San Juan Generating Station's coal-fired units are expected to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides by about 83 percent.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The U.S. Census Bureau says New Mexico's population increased 13.2 percent from 2000, giving the state more than 2 million residents.

While the growth wasn't enough to help New Mexico secure a fourth seat in the U.S. House, the state won't lose any seats, either.

Albuquerque pollster Brian Sanderoff attributes the slower population growth in New Mexico and nationwide to a slower economy.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Gov.-elect Susana Martinez has made her pick for New Mexico's next public education secretary a woman who led school reforms in Florida.

A Martinez aide, speaking on condition of anonymity because the governor-elect plans to make the announcement later Tuesday, says the nominee is Hanna Skandera of Dallas.

Skandera was Florida's deputy commissioner of education from 2005 to 2007.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Las Cruces Crime Stoppers and the Delisle Estate are offering a total reward of $10,000 for information that leads to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for the April murders of three people at a home on Mesilla Hills Drive.

On the morning of Thursday, April 15, 2010, the bodies of Gilles L. and Helga Harries Delisle, and Peter J. Weith, were discovered inside a home at 2617 Mesilla Hills Dr. Investigators learned that the three victims had been shot to death.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission and computer chip manufacturer Intel Corp. have abandoned plans for an exchange of water rights and millions of dollars.

Commission director Estevan Lopez says he believes the proposal would have benefited the community and protected senior water users. However, he says it's not prudent to pursue the agreement because of continued opposition.

Some state lawmakers, farmers and an irrigation group along the Rio Grande had voiced concerns.

By KRWG News

El Paso – A jury has awarded $5.8 million to a white former employee of El Paso Electric in a discrimination lawsuit after a dispute with a supervisor who is Hispanic.

Company attorney Mary Kipp on Monday denied any discrimination and says El Paso Electric will appeal.

Jurors in El Paso on Friday ruled in favor of Mark Duncan.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Dona Ana County pecan farmers are receiving the highest-ever price for the crop, with the in-shell, per-pound price pushing $3 in New Mexico.

The director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's statistical service in New Mexico, Jim Brueggen, says the previous record was an average price of $2.28 per in-shell pound, set in 2004.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – State investment officials say New Mexico's educational retirement funds are up more than 13 percent over the past year.

The chief investment officer for the New Mexico Educational Retirement Board, Bob Jackshaw, calls it very good news. He says the results through Sept. 30 are the product of smart investing and improving markets.

Over the last year, the fund showed a net gain of $1.1 billion, which includes a net investment gain of $688 million during the quarter that ended in September.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Democratic State Auditor Hector Balderas says he's concerned the State Land Office's lack of internal controls for land sales, exchanges and other transactions has cost New Mexico millions of dollars worth of state trust land.

Balderas released the results of a two-year review of the State Land Office on Monday.

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – NMSU will soon be home to the Bobby Lee Lawrence Academy of Wine. A gift of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars was given to the university by Lawrence's wife, Marion.

Lawrence was known as the "Southwest Wine Guy" who trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and the Culinary Institute of America. He also wrote about wine for Sabroso magazine and had his own wine blog.

By KRWG News

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

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – A lunar eclipse is scheduled to occur on the Winter Solstice and the 72-minute show should be visible to about half of the Earth's population.

The eclipse of the moon will begin late in the evening, Dec. 20, and will become a total eclipse early in the morning of Dec. 21. This will be the only total lunar eclipse for 2010; a partial eclipse was visible on June 26.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – New Mexico State University's School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management will soon be home to the Bobby Lee Lawrence Academy of Wine. The beverage management laboratory will be named for Lawrence, known throughout the area as the "Southwest Wine Guy," who passed away earlier this year. The $250,000 gift was made by Lawrence's wife, Marion.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Las Cruces Police are warning area residents of a telephone scam where the caller claims to be a relative living in Mexico and in need of money.

In the past few days police have received a handful of reports of Las Cruces residents receiving such calls. One victim actually transferred $500 via Western Union to someone they believed to be a relative in desperate need of cash. The caller, it turned out, was not a relative and not known at all by the victim.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – A former employee of a Family Dollar was arrested Sunday for committing an armed robbery at the store where he used to work.

Victor O. Flores, 21, of the 3800 block of south Main Street, is charged with armed robbery and tampering with evidence.