Regional

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Police are asking for the public's assistance in locating a man who has not been seen by family members for the past two weeks.

Eric G. Hale, 80, resides at the Montana Senior Village on 355 Montana Ave. Hale owns two vehicles but both of those cars are accounted for.

Hale's daughter, who lives in Las Cruces, reported to police Wednesday evening that she has not seen or heard from her father for a couple of weeks and it is uncharacteristic for him to leave without informing someone of his intentions.

By KRWG News

El Paso – Police suspect alcohol as a factor in a three-vehicle crash at a far eastern El Paso intersection that killed four people and injured five others.

No identities have been released.

An El Paso police spokesman says a pickup truck slammed into the rear of a compact car carrying five people about 12:45 a.m. Thursday. The compact veered into an oncoming lane and slammed into another car.

By KRWG News

Alamogordo – Shuttle Astronaut Mike Mullane will give two special presentations at the Alamogordo Family Recreation Center gym on Saturday, Nov. 14.

A number of events will also be held at the New Mexico Museum of Space History.

NM MUSEUM OF SPACE HISTORY EVENT SCHEDULE:

9:00 - 9:20 Historic Rockets of White Sands Demonstration

9:20-9:35 Historic NASA Manned Space Vehicles Launch Demonstration

9:35-9:45 Apollo 12 Launch Reenactment

9:45-10:00 Guest Speaker Astronaut Mike Mullane

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The Insurance Division of the state Public Regulation Commission has created a Web site that allows New Mexico consumers to compare premiums for automobile and homeowners insurance.

Consumers shopping for homeowners insurance can select the amount of coverage they need and the deductible they want for the type of residence they own. The site also provides premium quotes for renters and owners of condominiums.

By KRWG News

Texas – Elected officials and business leaders from along the Texas-Mexico border are calling for $6 billion in new funding for infrastructure and technology.

The Texas Border Coalition also wants 5,000 more customs officers at entry points on U.S. southern and northern land borders.

By KRWG News

Texas – Texas cotton producers overcame dry conditions and are expected to harvest 10 percent more of the fluffy fiber than last year.

Estimates released earlier this week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture show that the nation's leading cotton-growing state will produce 4.9 million bales, up from the 4.4 million bales in 2008.

Nationwide, producers forecast production of 12.5 million bales, the smallest crop in 20 years.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez wants to use $2 billion from a state endowment fund to help solve New Mexico's budget problems.

Sanchez said Wednesday the money can minimize the need for tax increases and protect against cuts in education and health care for the needy in the next few years. The Belen Democrat says he will introduce the proposal when the Legislature meets in January.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Gov. Bill Richardson proposes to stop public employees from double-dipping by retiring and later returning to a government job while receiving a pension.

The governor said Wednesday he'll ask lawmakers to approve the measure during next year's legislative session.

A government worker can retire, wait 90 days and go back to work for the state, city or county without the loss of public pension benefits.

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – This week the Dona Ana County Commission approved the last step in the process for the community of Anthony, New Mexico to hold an incorporation election. KRWG's Vanessa Dabovich reports

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – New Mexico U.S. Senator Tom Udall is scheduled to be in Las Cruces thursday to host a women's health care roundtable. As KRWG's Vanessa Dabovich reports the stop is one of many the senator will be making in the state this week.

By KRWG News

Texas – A new report says Texas has the largest number of deficient bridges in the country.

And on a percentage basis, New Mexico doesn't score much better.

The Better Roads Bridge Inventory is an annual survey that has been conducted since 1979. Bridge engineers from every state and Washington, D.C., respond to the survey.

The Federal Highway Administration, in consultation with the states, has assigned a sufficiency rating to each bridge that is inventoried.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Richard Herman, Ph.D., has withdrawn his name from the New Mexico State University presidential selection process. The search will continue with the four remaining candidates.

Herman is Special Assistant to the President, Professor, and recently Chancellor, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He resigned as Chancellor after reports surfaced that the University gave special attention to politically connected applicants.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – It took less than 10 seconds for quick-fingered hunters with fast Internet connections to snap up 350 cow elk hunting licenses offered online by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

The department's Web site, which usually gets 200,000 hits a day, registered 250,000 hits between 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The sale began at 10 a.m., but department spokesman Dan Williams says hunters began hitting the site heavily beforehand to get questions answered about the sale.

By KRWG News

El Paso – Some legislators concerned about how to pay for new highways in Texas suggested looking at increasing the 20 cents a gallon state fuel tax.

Members of the Texas Senate Transportation Committee, who convened in El Paso, said money is lacking to build new roads.

The chairman, Sen. John Carona of Dallas, said Tuesday that Texas is growing but having no money to build more roads and "no more debt that we can issue."

Carona said the state fuel tax has been the same since 1991.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – A 36-year-old Las Cruces man standing in the middle of Interstate 25 near Hatch on Monday night was killed when he was hit by a truck.

Authorities say Brian J. Hasslinger was killed instantly about 8:30 p.m. when he was hit by a northbound semi truck without a trailer.

State police Capt. Rich Libicer says it was dark and by the time the truck driver could tell a person was standing on the roadway, there was little he could do.