Regional

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Every cabinet-level agency in New Mexico has signed and adopted a collaboration policy as part of an effort to improve the state's relations with American Indian tribes.

The collaboration policies stem from legislation signed into law by Gov. Bill Richardson earlier this year.

By KRWG News

Santa Fe – The Santa Fe official in charge of determining adjustments in the city's minimum wage says the current $9.85 hourly minimum is likely to hold through 2010.

Santa Fe has an ordinance that requires city officials to determine each year whether the minimum wage should be adjusted based on increases in the Consumer Price Index for certain wage earners.

The head of Santa Fe's constituent services division, Sebastian Gurule, says the Consumer Price Index through October was down 8 percent.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Every Monday on Morning Edition at 7:51am, Fred Martino speaks with Las Cruces Sun News Business Editor Brook Stockberger.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Las Cruces Police have arrested the man responsible for a shooting that occurred at a party early Saturday morning.

Eric Torres, 20, of the 1900 block of Embassy Drive, is charged with two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, six counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, one count of shooting at or from a motor vehicle, one count of shooting at a dwelling or occupied building, and one count of tampering with evidence.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Five New Mexico tribes will get part of $3.68 million in federal money to improve housing and economic opportunities.

The largest slices of the money from the Indian Community Development Block Grant program go to the Mescalero Apache Housing Authority in southern New Mexico, the San Felipe Pueblo Housing Authority in central New Mexico and Taos Pueblo Housing in the northern part of the state. Each will receive $825,000.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – State Education Secretary Veronica Garcia is supporting a proposal by University of New Mexico President David Schmidly to raise admissions requirements.

Garcia says the UNM proposal builds on her department's high school redesign course requirements.

She says 2013 high school seniors will graduate with a diploma of excellence, which aligns with course requirements UNM is proposing for admission.

By KRWG News

Texas – Even though Texas has gotten millions of federal dollars from the economic-stimulus package to help poor Texans cut their energy bills, only seven homes had been weather-treated as of the end of last month.

The Dallas Morning News reports that Texas has spent $1.8 million of $163 million available over the past four months and most of that went to administrative costs like salaries for state workers.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Sandia National Laboratories will receive more than $9 million over three years to develop advanced water power technologies under a Department of Energy competitive request.

Sandia will work in partnership with several national laboratories and academic institutions to lead two of the four topic areas awarded by DOE.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Some $4.2 million in federal stimulus funds is going to help Sandia National Laboratories improve its Battery Abuse Testing Laboratory to develop low-cost batteries for electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

Sandia says its lab is a leader in the field of battery testing, making sure batteries meet real-world performance requirements.

By KRWG News

Texas – In Republican-dominated Texas, where voters opted for John McCain in 2008, the Democratic National Committee is waging one of its biggest organizing efforts in the nation.

Organizing for America, an arm of the Democratic Party established this year and successor to President Barack Obama's campaign, has a staff in Texas as large as any of its other state operations, including California and Ohio. It's seizing on the opportunity presented by the 3.5 million Texans, mostly in urban areas, who voted for Obama over McCain.

By KRWG News

Juarez, Mexico – Mexican law enforcement officials say four police officers have died in a series of attacks on patrol cars in the border city of Ciudad Juarez.

Chihuahua state police and prosecutors say two more officers are recovering from wounds suffered in three attacks by gunmen on Friday.

State police spokesman Fidel Banuelos says the first attack killed two brothers who were patrolling together but worked for different agencies.

By KRWG News

El Paso – El Paso police say the remains of a high school art teacher missing since August after apparently going camping have been identified.

El Paso police said Friday that a human skull found in November near the area where 47-year-old Gustav Erick Djerf was believed to be camping in Hudspeth County was confirmed this week as his.

Police say no other remains have been found and the cause of death is not known.

By KRWG News

Texas – The day after a group sued the state over delays in the processing of food stamp applications, the Health and Human Services Commission finished approving the applications for the seven families named as plaintiffs.

But a lawyer from Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Robert Doggett, says that the approvals Friday don't mean the fight is over because thousands of other applicants are still waiting.

By KRWG News

El Paso – El Paso police say they are investigating the shooting death of a Fort Bliss soldier at a house party after someone grabbed a handgun at the gathering and it went off, striking the 24-year-old.

Police say Jacob Bige Engle died after being shot in the head early Saturday morning.

Police say investigators don't believe the shooting was intentional.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.

By KRWG News

Texas – Texas continues to order the state's full allocation of swine flu doses as more people are urged to get vaccinated. Texas now allows everyone to be vaccinated, while New Mexico is still restricting vaccination to priority groups.

The Texas Department of State Health Services on Friday said about 7.24 million doses have been ordered. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has allocated about 7.6 million doses to Texas.