Regional

By KRWG News

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

By KRWG News

Alamorgordo – New Mexico state police say a 20-year-old Ruidoso man has died in a rollover accident on U.S. Highway 54 near Tularosa.

Authorities say Keith Garrison, a former resident of Alamogordo, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident early Saturday.

Police say the vehicle Garrison was driving veered off the road, clipped a guard rail and rolled a couple times.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The New Mexico Livestock Board says it will investigate alleged animal cruelty at the National High School Finals Rodeo following the release of an Internet video depicting horses and bulls being electrically shocked with handheld cattle prods.

The four-minute clip filmed by an animal rights group shows more than 10 bucking horses and nine bulls being prodded with the pronged devices as the rodeo chutes open at an arena that appears to be McGee Park.

By Marco Grajeda

Las Cruces, NM – It's official. Lawrence Rael, head of the Mid-Region Council of Governments, is tossing his hat in the ring for Lieutenant Governor. With his announcement, Rael joins a long list of democratic candidates hoping to fill the position; but as KRWG's Marco Grajeda reports, the northern New Mexico native, in an exclusive announcement interview, says his experience and understanding of state government puts him ahead of the pack.

By KRWG News

Texas – With most public schools opening Monday, many teachers will receive bonuses this fall from Texas' merit pay program.

The District Awards for Teacher Excellence, or DATE, is the largest merit pay plan in the nation.

Texas lawmakers set aside $397 million for DATE during the next two years.

The program is sending millions of dollars to Dallas and several other North Texas school districts that decided to participate.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – State government's largest health care program faces a serious budget shortfall that could balloon to $300 million next year, forcing Gov. Bill Richardson's administration to start planning for cutbacks in Medicaid.

New Mexico Human Services Secretary Pam Hyde says options range from reducing or eliminating benefits, such as dental care for poor adults to lowering the reimbursement rates for doctors and other providers.

By KRWG News

El Paso – The U.S. military says the investigation into the death of an Ohio soldier in Iraq has revealed cruelty and maltreatment by other soldiers.

Lt. Col. Kevin Olson, a spokesman for Multi-National Division-South, says the evidence of maltreatment became clear during the investigation of the Aug. 4 death of Pvt. Keiffer Wilhelm.

The Department of Defense says the 19-year-old Wilhelm, of Plymouth in northern Ohio, died in Maysan province in Iraq of injuries sustained from a noncombat-related incident.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Attorney General Gary King said Saturday that he is preparing an appeal of a ruling that says New Mexico cannot apply its campaign reporting law to two Albuquerque-based community action and education groups.

A U.S. district judge ruled on Aug. 3 that the state's threat to prosecute New Mexico Youth Organized, known as NMYO, and SouthWest Organizing Project, or SWOP, violated their constitutional rights.

By KRWG News

By KRWG News

By KRWG News

By KRWG News

By KRWG News

By KRWG News

Las Cruces, NM – Dona Ana County Sheriff's Investigators are looking for a man who allegedly raped a woman after slipping something into her drink.

A woman, 20, told investigators that Robert Rountree, 33, of Mesilla Park, gave her some sort of medication causing her to pass out.

She allegedly woke up to find Rountree having sexual intercourse with her and had to struggle to get away from him.

After searching Rountree's residence, investigators obtained an arrest warrant for the man, believed to be hiding in the area.

By Marco Grajeda

Las Cruces, NM – New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson is not budging when it comes to raising taxes. The state is facing a deficit for this fiscal year of more than 430 million dollars, and as KRWG's Marco Grajeda reports, Richardson said he expects further belt tightening.