Regional

By KRWG News

New Mexico – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today introduced a bill that will shield homeowners from paying taxes on renewable electricity that they sell to the electric grid. Representatives Martin Heinrich, Harry Teague and Ben Ray Luj n have introduced a companion bill in the House of Representatives.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Las Cruces Police are continuing to investigate a bizarre Wednesday evening incident that included a verbal altercation, threats, an automobile crash and one man being transported to an El Paso hospital with a gunshot wound to his buttocks.

At around 8:45 p.m. Wednesday, July 21, police were called to reports of a gunshot victim, and a two-vehicle collision at the corner of Missouri Avenue and Triviz Drive.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Las Cruces motorists are advised that Las Cruces Avenue from Church Street to Water Street will be closed beginning Monday July 26th starting at 7:00 am. The road closure will be in effect for approximately three months.

Traffic will be experiencing the road closure for through traffic in the east-west direction traffic on Las Cruces Avenue and north-south direction on Main Street from Griggs Avenue to Las Cruces.

By KRWG News

Mesilla – Mesilla plans to return its employees to a 40-hour week later this year.

Mesilla trustees cut the work week to 32 hours for most employees more than a year ago because of dwindling gross receipts taxes. There also have been some layoffs.

On Wednesday, trustees voted to return the village's 26 full-time employees to a 40-hour work week on Oct. 3.

Trustee Carlos Arzabal says Mesilla has had a furlough on Fridays for a year and a half.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Gov. Bill Richardson's administration says nearly all parts of New Mexico's government, including public schools, will be affected by proposed cuts to help with a more than $200 million budget shortfall.

Medicaid and some services to the developmentally disabled would be spared the administration's proposed round of about 3 percent cuts that will start in September.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today reported that the Energy and Natural Resources Committee unanimously approved a bill that protects the Organ Mountains of Dona Ana County. Bingaman and Senator Tom Udall are sponsors of the bill.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – The New Mexico State University Board of Regents approved the NMSU-Dona Ana Community College Hatch Center project design, as well as a memorandum of understanding between NMSU-DACC and Las Cruces Public Schools for the operation of the Early College High School.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – President Barack Obama's administration pledges better accounting of its billion-dollar program to help Mexico and Central America fight the drug war.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The attorney general's Consumer Protection Division is alerting consumers about scams currently circulating in New Mexico.

They involve a phone call telling a supposed "winner" about second prize in a contest for a Mercedes Benz and $850,000 or a "Two Million Dollar Mega Lottery."

But the consumer has to send cash and personal information to get the prize.

The Consumer Protection Division says people can recognize a scam when they're notified about a lottery or sweepstakes they didn't enter.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Former presidential adviser Karl Rove and U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, a Texas Republican, are among the scheduled speakers at a September conference at New Mexico State University's Domenici Public Policy Institute.

The conference is Sept. 1-2 at NMSU's Corbett Center and will focus on financial reform, national security and the 2010 elections.

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – This week, Las Cruces officials outlined a two-year strategic plan and as KRWG's Vanessa Dabovich reports, the Mayor says it addresses resident concerns.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Las Cruces residents are invited to join City staff at several businesses along El Paseo Road and share their vision for El Paseo Road. This is part of the Picturing el Paseo: Share your vision of the corridor project.

Staff will occasionally be joined by elected officials. The public is encouraged to participate in the planning process to envision the future of El Paseo Road and the area around it. Two hour sessions will be held on the following dates at the following locations and times:

By KRWG News

Texas – Texas Republicans are launching a new effort to woo Hispanics to the GOP.

Led by George P. Bush, the nephew of former President George W. Bush, the group said Tuesday it plans to recruit and support Hispanic candidates in the party that has been struggling for years to win them over.

Hispanics represent 37 percent of the Texas population and 40 percent of students in public schools, but none of the 96 Republicans in the Legislature is Hispanic.

By KRWG News

El Paso – A U.S. Army soldier has died after shooting himself in the chest during a standoff with local police.

Twenty-four-year-old Robert Nichols shot himself Monday night, El Paso Police spokesman Mike Baranyay said. He was taken to William Beaumont Army Medical Center at Fort Bliss where he later died.

By KRWG News

El Paso – More than 150,000 homeless veterans exist in the U.S., many whose remains are unclaimed at their death and risk burial in pauper's graves. Now, after more than two years, the unclaimed cremated remains of two such veterans will finally be laid to rest in a national veterans cemetery through the Dignity Memorial Homeless Veterans Burial Program.