Regional

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Angry hunters and skeptical public officials grilled state Land Commissioner Pat Lyons over a package of state trust-land trades around Whites Peak in northern New Mexico.

The confrontation Thursday at the state Land Office in Santa Fe came after the first such deal closed, involving the Stanley Ranch.

Lyons held the meeting to offer state legislators more information about the trade. But the session often turned into heated exchanges, with Lyons and hunting guide Albert H. Goke shaking fingers at each other.

By KRWG News

Texas – Texas sales tax revenue continued to decline in December, falling 11.6 percent from December 2008 levels.

Comptroller Susan Combs released the numbers Friday. She says the state collected $1.65 billion in sales tax revenue in December, continuing a declining trend dating to February. She says collections are down across most major sectors, including oil and natural gas, construction, manufacturing and retail.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – The Sunland Park Police Department's lone investigator is getting help from the Dona Ana County Sheriff's Office.

Last month's firing of the police chief brought the number of vacancies in the Sunland Park department to six positions out of 25 overall including two sergeants, two officers and another detective.

Police Chief Luis Monarez, who is under investigation by New Mexico State Police for allegations he served alcohol to minors, was dismissed Dec. 15 by the city council.

By KRWG News

Deming – Despite weather-related delays for this year's pecan harvest, southern New Mexico producers are anticipating average to above average yields.

Recent rainfalls and snow have left fields muddy and sticky, posing a problem for machinery used by Luna County producers. Mimbres Valley farmer Rick Holdridge says his harvesting efforts have been delayed by at least three weeks.

But Holdridge says his crews should be finished with the harvest as early as this week, and his farm will be processing pecans through late January.

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – The City of Las Cruces is holding meetings for public input on a sustainability action plan for the community. KRWG's Vanessa Dabovich reports

By KRWG News

New Mexico – New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and sportsmen from across the state say they are encouraged that the federal government will be making changes to how oil and natural gas leases are awarded on public lands.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Wednesday the changes should ensure stricter environmental standards while bringing more clarity to the process for energy companies hoping to drill.

Richardson says that will bring a sense of balance to managing development and protecting landscapes.

By KRWG News

Silver City – A female wolf is to be released Sunday in southwestern New Mexico's Gila Wilderness.

The state Department of Game and Fish says the year-and-a-half-old wolf was born in the wild but was trapped in Arizona and put into captivity because she left the boundaries of the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area.

The agency says the wolf has no history of killing livestock.

Agency officials say the wolf is considered a good candidate for release because she exhibits a fear of people.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The Health Department plans cuts to a program that provides services to more than 4,000 people with developmentally disabled.

The agency said Wednesday it needs to slow the rising costs of the program because of the state's budget problems. Cutbacks will be in place by the end of June.

Among the changes is a reduction in payments to providers of services, such as therapy for the developmentally disabled.

Health Secretary Alfredo Vigil said the state should save $9 million a year.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – A Democratic New Mexico congressman wants Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to consider expanding scanning technology at airports throughout the United States after a botched Christmas Day terrorist attack.

Rep. Ben Ray Lujan told Napolitano the nation must institute systems that would prevent the security breaches uncovered in the Christmas plot but still screen the traveling public rapidly.

He urged expansion of a machine called the MagViz, which was developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – New Mexico, including Las Cruces, will receive stimulus funds to develop green jobs in the state.

New Mexico's two U.S. senators, Democrats Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall, say the state will share approximately $10 million to support job training programs that will help dislocated workers find jobs in expanding green industries.

The grant comes through the U.S. Department of Labor's Energy Training Partnership Grant Program in two categories.

By KRWG News

El Paso – An appeals court has rejected an effort to remove a federal judge in El Paso as he presides over a public corruption case.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans denied the petition filed on behalf of former El Paso County Judge Luther Jones and District Clerk Gilbert Sanchez. Both are accused of conspiracy.

They challenged the impartiality of U.S. District Judge Frank Montalvo. The judge denies the allegations.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – For the second time a Do a Ana County Magistrate Judge has given jail time for a conviction of cock fighting.

Pedro A. Rubio-Ochoa of Mesquite, New Mexico was convicted today in Magistrate Court on one count of cock fighting.

Assistant District Attorney Scot Key who successfully prosecuted the case asked the courts for a stiff sentence.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Las Cruces Police arrested a woman responsible for a hit-and-run crash and another who called 911 and falsely claimed the vehicle was stolen.

Angelita B. Trillo, 19, of the 700 block of Baca Road, is charged with leaving the scene of an accident, driving without a license, driving without insurance, driving with expired registration or plates, and three other traffic violations.

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By KRWG News

Anthony, NM – Anthony residents have overwhelmingly approved a measure that will turn the New Mexico community on the state's border with Texas into an official city.

Some 410 voters, or 73 percent, favored incorporation, while 151 opposed it.

That's according to unofficial results from Dona Ana County Clerk Lynn Ellins.

The totals include results from early voting and from ballots cast on election day Tuesday.

Ellins says about 22 percent of the eligible voters turned out.

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