Regional

By KRWG News

New Mexico – New Mexico health officials say five more people have died from swine flu in the past week.

The deaths include a 52-year-old Sandoval County man, a 51-year-old San Juan County woman, a 69-year-old Bernalillo County man, a 73-year-old Socorro County man and a 49-year-old man whose residence wasn't immediately determined.

All five victims had chronic medical conditions that placed them at higher risk.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – A New Mexico court says drug sellers must know they are in drug-free school zones in order to face the more serious penalties for trafficking in those areas.

Bernalillo County District Attorney Kari Brandenburg says the Court of Appeals ruling issued last week effectively guts the law on drug-free school zones. But she says it will affect only a small number of cases.

Her office handled more than 30,000 cases last year and the school zone drug enhancement applied in only about 15.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The Motor Vehicle Division will allow domestic violence and sexual assault victims to obtain a driver's license with a confidential mailing address.

MVD Director Michael Sandoval said Wednesday the agency is implementing a confidential address program authorized in a 2007 law to reduce the risk that abusers will track down their victims.

By KRWG News

El Paso – A federal judge in El Paso has thrown out bribery charges against a lawyer and a district clerk in a public corruption investigation.

Attorney and former El Paso County Judge Luther Jones and District Clerk Gilbert Sanchez are accused in an alleged scheme to award a contract.

U.S. District Court Judge Frank Montalvo, in an opinion released Wednesday, dismissed both bribery charges, as well as one count of mail fraud.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – New Mexico national security initiatives in Los Alamos, Albuquerque and Socorro will receive $43 million in federal funding.

Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall say the money was contained in the 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations bill that was signed into law Wednesday.

The funding includes $23 million for New Mexico Tech's National Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center in Socorro.

By KRWG News

Shiprock, NM – Investigators are looking into the discovery of two bodies found this week on the Navajo Nation in New Mexico, but FBI agents say the deaths are not believed to be related.

One body was recovered from an irrigation ditch near Fruitland and the other at the base of a 150-foot cliff northeast of Shiprock.

Tribal employees found the body of 22-year-old Jeremy Johnson Bee of Lower Fruitland in the ditch. Investigators say Bee's family had been searching for him since Tuesday.

By KRWG News

Truth or Consequences – For the second time, New Mexico Environment Department officials have rejected a discharge permit for a proposed dairy near Truth or Consequences.

Environment Secretary Ron Curry issued the decision after the state Water Quality Control Commission remanded the permit issue back to the department.

The decision affects the Parasol Dairy, located about 5 miles southwest of Caballo.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Las Cruces Police have arrested a couple believed to be responsible for a number of thefts over the past three months from vehicles parked at area home improvement stores.

Guadalupe Atwell, 26, of the 5300 block of Sunny Acres Drive, and Cindie Pauline Carter-Mitchell, 43, of the 2300 block of Saturn Drive, were arrested Wednesday after an intensive investigation by LCPD detectives and officers from patrol, the Targeting Neighborhood Threats unit and the street crimes unit.

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – The senate has voted to move forward with legislation to extend unemployment benefits. As KRWG's Vanessa Dabovich reports thousands of New Mexicans could benefit from an extension.

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – Tuesday a list of finalists for the New Mexico State University presidency were announced. KRWG's Vanessa Dabovich has the details

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Dona Ana County residents can get some free legal advice this Friday.

Judges, lawyers, and legal service programs have scheduled Free Legal Help Day from 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. this Friday.

The event will be held in Las Cruces at the Third District Courthouse, 201 West Picacho Avenue.

Self-help seminars will be presented on a wide range of topics.

And 20-minute consultations with an attorney will be provided on a first come, first served basis.

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – New Mexico U.S Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall recently announced the approval of key defense legislation for New Mexico's military installations and national laboratories. KRWG's Vanessa Dabovich reports

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – New and revised language in the Clean Energy jobs and American Power Act will provide greater benefits for New Mexico. As KRWG's Vanessa Dabovich reports the environment committee is scheduled to hold hearings this week on climate legislation.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has ordered a freeze on capital outlay projects around the state.

Richardson says unless state agencies or local governments had contracts in place as of last Friday with contractors or engineers, for example projects will be put on hold.

The freeze announced Monday will remain in place through the next legislative session, which starts in January.

Richardson said lawmakers did not do enough in last week's special session to cut so-called pork spending.

By KRWG News

Texas – A supercomputer at the University of Texas in Austin is being used to help study swine flu and determine the best use of the limited vaccine.

KXAN-TV reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention used information from the UT research group for the distribution strategy of the vaccine.

Data produced by the supercomputer also shows that there could be a third wave of the H1N1 virus in the spring.