Regional

By KRWG News

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

By KRWG News

Silver City – From WNMU: It was a true homecoming for Marcos Mendez. The 95 year-old recently visited Western New Mexico University for the first time since his graduation in 1938. WNMU was then New Mexico State Teacher's College and Mendez was one of only 25 graduates.

"I had a brown suit when I showed up at the college, I thought I looked really neat," said Mendez.

By Marco Grajeda

Las Cruces, NM – New Mexico health officials reported the state's first confirmed swine flu death on Monday, as they prepare for mass vaccinations to protect against the virus. KRWG's Marco Grajeda reports.

By KRWG News

Texas – A recent lawsuit filed to get food stamps to more Texans during the recession comes as additional workers are hired to process applications.

The class-action lawsuit seeks to force Texas to comply with federal regulations requiring that most eligible applicants be certified within 30 days.

Texas Legal Services attorney Bruce Bower told the Houston Chronicle that the food stamp benefit is 100 percent federally funded. Texas must provide half of the administration cost.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Magistrate court in Las Cruces has shortened its hours on Wednesdays, and blames a statewide budget shortage.

Court manager Bernice Ramos calls the situation "pretty dire."

The court now is open to the public on Wednesdays only until noon.

Ramos says court dates that already have been set will not be affected.

She says that to save money last year, the state told courts to delay 120 days before posting any job opening.

By KRWG News

Texas – Corruption along the U.S.-Mexican border takes many forms.

It can start as simply as a smuggler's $50 gift to the child of a reluctant federal agent, quickly escalating to out-and-out bribes.

An Associated Press investigation has found U.S. law officers who work the border are being charged with criminal corruption in numbers not seen before.

That's as drug and immigrant smugglers use money and sometimes sex to buy protection, and internal investigators crack down.

By KRWG News

Texas – Federal officials have begin an overhaul of the widely criticized system used to incarcerate immigrants awaiting hearings and deportation.

Their challenge includes a deep inconsistency in the amount paid to private prisons and jails that hold thousands of such detainees.

Contracts obtained by The Associated Press illustrate the problem in paper-heavy detail.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The Cibola National Forest plans trail work on the Sandia, Magdalena and Mountainair ranger districts with federal stimulus funds.

Some $260,000 will go to maintain and build trails, including motorcycle and mountain bike trails in the Cedro area in Bernalillo County, and hiking and horseback riding trails in the Sandia Mountain, Manzano Mountain, Apache Kid and Withington wilderness areas.

By Marco Grajeda

Las Cruces, NM – A Park and Ride Service connecting Las Cruces and El Paso should be up and running by the end of the month, according to state officials. The project, which has been in the works for quite some time, recently gained momentum, and as KRWG's Marco Grajeda reports, beginning this month several busses should be making up to 19 trips a day between the two cities.

By Melissa Aguilera

Las Cruces, NM – The recent shooting death of a U-S Customs and Border Protection Agent in California highlighted the dangers faced by agents along the border. In southern New Mexico and west Texas agents are often the focus of attacks, but as KRWG's Melissa Aguilera reports, the federal agency is taking steps to reduce the risk for officers.

By Melissa Aguilera

Las Cruces, NM – New Mexico Secretary of State Mary Herrera was in Las Cruces Thursday announcing a new plan to encourage early voter registration. KRWG's Melissa Aguilera reports.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories are being funded for three projects under a new initiative called Energy Frontier Research Centers.

Sandia will receive $18 million as the lead agency in a project to study improvements in solid state lighting, while Los Alamos is receiving $38 million, equally divided between projects to design better materials for converting sunlight into electricity and to study materials under extreme stress.

Money for the research centers will be spread over five years.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Gov. Bill Richardson has proclaimed Friday as "Purple Heart Day."

Richardson said he joins New Mexicans as they pause to give thanks to the men and women who have been hurt or killed while defending the nation.

The Purple Heart, the oldest military decoration in the world, is awarded to any member of the Armed Forces who is wounded, killed or who died as a result of a combat injury.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – New Mexicans can save money on hundreds of items this weekend as the state's fifth annual tax-free weekend kicks off Friday.

But shoppers should be prepared for crowds.

Retailers say the tax-free event is one of their busiest weekends of the year.

Jeff Black, manager of a Target store in Albuquerque, says his stores' sales will be double what he sees on a normal weekend.

Consumers will save on gross receipts taxes on certain items.

By KRWG News

Clovis – A Cannon Air Force Base commander says he would like to see Clovis and Portales build at least 440 new homes in the next five years to house military families.

Colonel Stephen Clark, commander of the 27th Special Operations Command Wing, says the base is quickly reaching capacity on housing it has for the base's transition.

Clark says Cannon is expected to undergo major changes over the next two years. The base projects its manpower will be 4,900 people.

Clark expects two-thirds of Cannon personnel to live off-base.