In addition to basic information such as natural gas and water usage, the Las Cruces Utilities (LCU) June monthly bill will also contain a line item labeled “emergency commodity recovery surcharge.” The surcharge reflects the recovery cost related to the extraordinary spikes in the market price for natural gas caused by Winter Storm Uri in February.

“We believe the emergency commodity recovery surcharge is the most transparent way to recoup the natural gas costs from the storm,” said Jose Provencio, LCU deputy director Business Services. “When we learned the cost of natural gas skyrocketed from the historic cold snap, a decision was made to recover the amount over a 30-month period to moderate the billing impact to our customers.

Three additional COVID-19 deaths – Saturday, May 15, Sunday, May 16, and Monday, May 17

SANTA FE – New Mexico state health officials on Monday announced 543 additional COVID-19 cases. Per the state Department of Health, the most recent cases are:

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation on Monday reported seven new confirmed COVID-19 cases, but no deaths. Tribal health officials say the latest figures pushed the total number of cases since the pandemic began more than a year ago to 30,722 on the  reservation.

LAS CRUCES - Las Cruces Public Schools has received approval from the New Mexico Department of Health to coordinate COVID-19 vaccinations for children between 12 and 15 years of age.  

The specific vaccine approved for that age group is the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concur that the vaccine may prevent serious or life-threatening disease and that the known and potential benefits of the product outweigh the known and potential risks of the product.  

Through a partnership with the New Mexico Department of Health and the Office of Emergency Management, district officials will host a vaccination clinic in the auxiliary gym at Las Cruces High School from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 19. The auxiliary gym can be accessed through the north parking lot off Boutz Road. The clinic is open to all qualified students, staff and their families on a first come, first served basis. Anyone who received a first dose of vaccine on April 28 is eligible to receive their second dose on Wednesday and should have received a text notification with additional instructions. 

LAS CRUCES - Access to I-25 southbound (at Lohman Avenue) will be closed between the hours of 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. for three consecutive evenings beginning this evening, Monday, May 17.

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico has created a database of uranium mines around the state, including those that are inactive and have been abandoned.

The database was put together by the state Mining and Minerals Division. Officials said Monday it's intended to give people quick access to information from a variety of sources. Division Director Jerry Schoeppner called it a “monumental task” to bring together the full scope of legacy mining in New Mexico.

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The district attorney for Albuquerque is seeking the Democratic nomination for state attorney general in the 2022 election.

Bernalillo County District Attorney Raúl Torrez on Tuesday announced his candidacy to become New Mexico's top public prosecutor. Torrez says he's been an aggressive and innovative prosecutor in the midst of a crime crisis in the Albuquerque area, where homicides are being reported this year at a record pace.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Authorities in New Mexico have released the names of two men who died in a triple homicide case.

Albuquerque police say 44-year-old Brandon Torres and 41-year-old James Fisher were identified as two of the victims found Wednesday in a bullet-riddled car outside a city hospital. The name of the third man is being withheld until his relatives can be notified.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas is joining the growing number of states that will stop paying the federally funded $300 in pandemic-related extra weekly unemployment payments.

Gov. Greg Abbott says the extra benefits will end on June 25. He joins at least a dozen other governors, all Republicans, who are opting out of the additional federal unemployment benefits starting this summer.

The federal money was set to expire in September, but business groups had urged Abbott to opt out now, arguing that it was hampering the Texas economy's rebound.

LAS CRUCES - The Las Cruces Fire Department’s Technical Rescue Team – along with representatives from Mesilla Valley Search and Rescue, the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office and New Mexico State Police – helped rescue a group of 24 hikers who became separated, disoriented and stranded in the Organ Mountains on Sunday evening.