Regional

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has selected New Mexico State University (NMSU), Las Cruces, NM, to lead a new Air Transportation Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation. The center is a partnership of academia, industry, and government, developed for the purpose of creating a world-class consortium that will address current and future challenges for commercial space transportation.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – New Mexico State University's Arrowhead Center wants to hook up technology entrepreneurs and venture capitalists during their event, VC Speed Dating: Networking at the Speed of Technology, Oct. 20, at The Game Bar and Grill in Las Cruces.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Dona Ana County Sheriff's Investigators are continuing to interview those involved in the alleged stabbing of a 21 year old male (at first reported to be 19) by a 15 year old male, in the 6800 block of Via Emma in the Picacho Hills area.

Sheriff's Deputies were first called out to a residence in the 1400 block of Vista Del Cerro at approximately 9:00 p.m. Saturday.

The weapon, a knife, used in the assault, was recovered by Sheriff's Investigators.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – The City of Las Cruces says it's working to help ensure that the community has ample water supplies for future growth.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – For the second year in a row, Las Cruces has been named a Playful City USA by KaBOOM!, a national non-profit organization. Las Cruces is only one of 118 communities nationwide to earn the designation.

Playful City USA communities are chosen for creating initiatives designed to increase the quantity and quality of play and playgrounds, while improving access to existing play opportunities. Communities large and small, urban and rural are part of the 2010 list.

By KRWG News

Alamogordo – Gov. Bill Richardson is asking to tour a former medical research lab in southern New Mexico that houses more than 200 chimpanzees.

Richardson made the comment Tuesday after meeting in Bethesda, Md. with officials of the National Institutes of Health, which contracts with a private company to care for the chimps.

The contract expires next year and Richardson opposes a plan by the agency to transfer the chimps from the Alamogordo Primate Facility, where they are no longer used for medical testing.

By KRWG News

Texas – Two former Texas National Guard command generals are being sued by the state in a dispute over more than $150,000 in alleged excess pay.

The lawsuit was filed in Austin by Attorney General Greg Abbott. The suit alleges the generals did not comply with written demands, from July and from June 2009, to return state money they received while they also collected paychecks from the federal government.

By KRWG News

El Paso – The El Paso City Council has approved zoning changes clearing the way for construction of the $80 million Trans Mountain Road freeway.

The 3-mile highway will link Interstate 10 and the Franklin Mountains.

The council Tuesday approved updates to the city's development code to give the Texas Department of Transportation the green light for the project. Council members learned last week that the zoning to allow for commercial development of the mountainside land was already in effect.

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – THE COUNTY'S THREE FOGGER TRUCKS ARE MAKING ROUNDS THROUGHTTHE COUNTY PARTICULARLY IN AREAS NEAR SCHOOLS.
COUNTY OFFICIALS SAY THE VECTOR CONTROL DIVISION IS RESPONDING TO ABOUT FIVE HUNDRED CALLS EACH WEEK.

THE COUNTY IS ALSO INVOLVED IN A COMPREHENSIVE TESTING PROGRAM THAT TRAPS MOSQUITOES WEEKLY FROM DIFFERENT SITES AROUND THE COUNTY AND SENDS THEM TO A LAB FOR EVALUATION. THE TESTING ALLOWS VECTOR CONTROL TO IDENTIFY PROBLEM AREAS AND PRIORITIZE ABATEMENT PROCEDURES.

By KRWG News

Deming – A wind farm planned for Luna County in southern New Mexico could break ground in December.

Project manager John Knight says construction of the Macho Springs Wind Energy Project could take six to seven months.

Knight is with Element Power, the parent company of the wind project.

The company plans to build 28 wind turbines on the Nutt grasslands in northeastern Luna County off N.M. 26.

It plans 28 more turbines for Sierra County in a later phase of the project.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The state Court of Appeals has ruled that citizen complaints against police are public records and subject to disclosure under New Mexico law.

The Department of Public Safety contended that citizen complaints against law enforcement are confidential and protected from disclosure by an exception in the state's Inspection of Public Record Act for "matters of opinion in personnel files."

The Court of Appeals disagreed in a ruling issued Monday.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Las Cruces residents and businesses are advised that there will be a water outage Wednesday, Aug. 18th, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Anita Drive, from Darlene Drive to Peri Ann Drive, and all of Peri Ann Drive from Mulberry Avenue to Anita Drive. Also included will be Patricia Court and Anita Court. City of Las Cruces water line maintenance crews will be replacing a fire hydrant in the impacted area, and will also provide hanging door signs as notification.

By KRWG News

Juarez, Mexico – At least nine people were killed in attacks by gunmen on two parties in the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez.

Prosecutors say the attacks happened Sunday. Five men were slain when gunmen burst into a house in a low-income neighborhood where a birthday party was being held and opened fire. Dozens of shells from the type of assault rifle favored by drug gangs were found at the scene.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Dr. Barbara Couture is inaugurated Tuesday as New Mexico State University's 25th president.

Board of Regents member Laura Conniff says the ceremony in Las Cruces offers an opportunity for the new president to express goals for the school. Couture says she wants the community to feel the university is moving forward and to provide a sense of community.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – A New Mexico regulatory agency is getting a $1 million federal grant to strengthen oversight of proposed health insurance rate increases.

The U.S. Health and Human Services Department on Monday announced that New Mexico was among 45 states sharing in $46 million in federal grants under a new health care overhaul law.