Regional

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Two national laboratories, the state of New Mexico and a Japanese agency are teaming up to develop smart grid technology that would allow homeowners and businesses to take advantage of more renewable energy sources by better controlling the supply and demand of electric power.

Officials with Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, or NEDO, were in New Mexico on Friday to sign a memorandum of understanding that spells out the four-year demonstration project.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Attorney General Gary King says the secretary of state's office should release a resignation letter by a former elections director alleging ethical violations by Secretary of State Mary Herrera.

King said Friday the letter isn't exempt from the Inspection of Public Records Act.

The Associated Press has requested the letter by A. J. Salazar, who resigned last week as bureau of elections director.

By KRWG News

El Paso – U. S. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped more than 100 pounds of soft Mexican cheese from making a run across the order.

The federal agency announced Friday that officials seized 107 pounds of "queso fresco," which is soft Mexican cheese. The illegal cheese was hidden in false compartments of a vehicle trying to enter the United States across the Bridge of the Americas on Wednesday.

Federal officials permit travelers to import personal quantities of cheese about 11 pounds per person.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Las Cruces Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest of those responsible for vandalizing an elementary school in Mesquite, N.M.

On Jan. 5, 2010, Dona Ana County Sheriff's Office deputies were called to Mesquite Elementary School where four large windows were broken causing more than $1,700 in damages. Sheriff's investigators believe the vandalism was done on either Sunday, Jan. 3, or Monday, Jan. 4.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Las Cruces Police arrested a woman Friday morning after learning that she stabbed her ex-husband several times causing him to be transported to a local hospital.

Gabriela M. Shaw, 27, of the 400 block of McFie Avenue, is charged with three counts of aggravated battery against a household member and one count of battery.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Friday marks another furlough day for state workers in New Mexico meaning most state offices will be closed and New Mexicans won't be able to do business with them.

It's the third of five furlough days ordered by Gov. Bill Richardson to try to save the state $8.1 million.

Furloughs apply to about 17,000 state employees in agencies controlled by the governor.

Some 4,100 employees in various departments are exempt, including state police officers and corrections and hospital officials.

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – This week New Mexico U.S Senator Tom Udall questioned Toyota Motor Company and government officials during a commerce committee probe of the company's safety recall. KRWG's Vanessa Dabovich reports

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – This week the Unites States Department of Agriculture announced funding for new broadband service in New Mexico. KRWG's Vanessa Dabovich reports

By KRWG News

New Mexico – New Mexico was rejected and Texas did not even apply. The U.S. Department of Education named 16 finalists Thursday in the first round of its "Race to the Top" competition, which will deliver $4.35 billion in school reform grants.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – A 2007 graduate of the NMSU criminal justice program, Elise Larsen, was elected Grants Municipal Judge in the March 2 city election.

Larsen is the first Distance Education graduate from Cibola County to earn her bachelor's degree in criminal justice.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Police in Hawaii have suspended a search for a former Las Cruces soccer coach who hasn't been heard from since Feb. 21 after camping on Maui.

Former Las Cruces Mayfield High School girls soccer coach Laura Vogel had moved to Hawaii to work as a tutor.

A friend in Las Cruces says Vogel sent text messages about camping on Maui and meeting the locals, then did not show up for work the next day.

The friend says Vogel's van was found with the keys in the ignition and a door open.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – New Mexico State University has warned some 300 people who were in a spring 2006 course that some personal information appeared on an unauthorized computer not affiliated with the school.

A company that checks for such problems notified NMSU it found the data on a computer with peer-to-peer sharing software.

NMSU chief information officer Shaun Cooper says a faculty member transferred student data to a teaching assistant's laptop in 2006.

By Melissa Aguilera

Las Cruces, NM – Residents in Las Cruces are not too sure about the United States Postal service considering reducing delivery to five days a week. KRWG's Melissa Aguilera reports.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Las Cruces, N.M. - Staff members for U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-N.M., will be holding Udall Serving YoU' Office Hours for Truth or Consequences, Alamogordo, Ruidoso, Deming, Silver City, Lordsburg, Anthony, Chaparral, Las Cruces and Socorro area residents who need help with the federal government.

By KRWG News

Silver City – Enrollment has dropped in the Silver Consolidated School District, meaning less state money for the southwestern New Mexico district.

The latest count shows the Silver City-based district with 58 fewer students than last year.

The state uses average enrollment on two set days to determine funding for the next school year.

Superintendent Dick Pool says the enrollment drop will cost the district about $493,000 in 2011-2012.