Regional

  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico health officials have confirmed the first human case of West Nile virus in the state.

The Health Department said Monday a 42-year-old woman from Dona Ana County contracted the mosquito-borne virus and is recovering after being hospitalized.

New Mexico has had cases of West Nile every year since the virus migrated to the state in 2003.

There were seven confirmed cases in New Mexico in 2018, including one fatal case. In 2017, there were 33 cases, with one reported death.

Las Cruces Public Schools (LCPS) filed a lawsuit today against Trinity Properties, LLC under the Fraud Against Taxpayers Act.  Here is a statement from LCPS:

The lawsuit was prompted by an overpayment of rent to Trinity of at least $772,042.80 over a period of 10 years. Upon discovery of this information, the District notified the Office of the New Mexico Attorney General, which gave District officials the authority to investigate and file this lawsuit against Trinity Properties. The lawsuit names Trinity Properties, LLC, Trinity president William H. Cupit, Jr., and the owners of Trinity Properties (“Does 1-10”) as defendants.

New Mexico State University’s newest residence center, Juniper Hall, may not open in time for the beginning of the fall 2019 semester. Over the weekend, the university began notifying students who had wanted to move into the facility of the possible delay. All other NMSU residence halls will be ready for move-in day on Aug. 16 and students who had planned to live in Juniper Hall will be accommodated in other facilities until it is ready.

Dona Ana County, NM - On August 11, 2019 at about 9:30 p.m. the New Mexico State Police investigated a fatal rollover crash on I-10 around mile post 155 south of Las Cruces, NM.

  SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Monday tapped a Philadelphia-based executive at a nonprofit devoted to improving opportunities for poor, minority students to lead the state's Public Education Department.

Ryan Stewart, a regional executive director at Partners in School Innovation, took control of the state agency as it redraws its student testing, teacher-evaluation and school ratings systems and rolls out investments to extend classroom learning time for a heavily Latino and Native American population.

El Paso, TX — Today, KCOS PBS in El Paso and Texas Tech Public Media (KTTZ) in Lubbock announced their plans for a formalized partnership. Here is a statement from KCOS:

“Texas Tech Public Media and KCOS share similar missions of informing and educating their local communities, as well as bringing innovative programming that challenges younger and older viewers alike,” said Texas Tech University President Dr. Lawrence Schovanec. “It is this mission alignment that will allow our partnership to thrive and allow each station to have an even bigger impact in their communities."

Dona Ana, NM - On August 11, 2019 at about 3:30 a.m. New Mexico State Police investigated a crash where a pedestrian walking across I-10 was fatally struck by a semi-truck.  The incident occurred on I-10 around mile post 150 south of Las Cruces, NM. 

  MCALLEN, Texas (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she sees comprehensive immigration reform not only as Congress' official work but also as its moral responsibility as she finishes up a tour of Central America.

Pelosi traveled with a congressional delegation to explore the causes of immigration and possible solutions. The group visited Guatemala and El Salvador, along with migrant detention facilities in McAllen, Texas.

  ALBQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A federal agency has awarded grants totaling $6 million for New Mexico programs to combat the state's opioid crisis.

A statement Friday by the state's congressional delegation said the grants provided by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services will support treatment, prevention, recovery and research efforts.

The awards include $2.5 million to support 15 health centers around the state and $2 million for Rio Arriba County and El Centro Family Health in Española.

  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The second season of an AMC-TV drama series follows the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II and a number of bizarre deaths haunting a community.

"The Terror: Infamy" is set to premiere Monday and stars Derek Mio and original "Star Trek" cast member George Takei as they navigate the forced internment and supernatural spirits that surround them.

  EL PASO, Texas (AP) — Beto O'Rourke is joining a number of his Democratic presidential rivals in support of a national gun licensing program.

The former Texas congressman said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union" that states that require gun licensing, mandate universal background checks or stop the sales of assault-style weapons are saving lives. He says it makes sense to "adopt these solutions nationally."

After nearly 30 years of planning and one year of construction, the new Las Cruces Utilities (LCU) Water Quality Laboratory is ready to take the community’s water safety to the next level. On August 2nd, the ribbon-cutting and grand opening was not only attended by dignitaries, but also by extremely excited City associates who will no longer be working “elbow to elbow” in the current lab, which has been serving the community for three decades.

It’s been a long, hard year living through the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) road reconstruction of Valley Drive. But the road is now open in front of Western Mercantile at 848 N. Valley Drive and traffic is starting to flow past again. Manager Jason Yarbrough says he still misses the tourist traffic - folks who want a taste of the classic wild west offered by the name “Western Mercantile”. But he knows they will be back, and thank goodness for local, loyal, repeat customers who value the selection of hats, boots, and rodeo gear offered by the store.

  Customers of RoadRUNNER Transit Dial-a-Ride service will receive a break in fare rates following the approval of Mayor Ken Miyagishima’s resolution by City Council at the Monday, August 5 City Council Meeting. The Dial-A-Ride fee will be temporarily reduced to $1 effective immediately for ADA qualifying riders as well as senior citizen riders for the duration of the City’s 2020 fiscal year per the resolution. Council also approved $100,000 transfer from the Gas Tax Fund to help offset the impact to the Transit budget. Fare exemption for single trips to and from a City-operated senior center will remain at no cost to qualified riders.

When Aggie baseball players start the 2020 season, they will have a new facility to help them hone their skills thanks to long-time donors and loyal Aggie fans, Mike and Judy Johnson, who have pledged $900,000 to build a new training facility for the NMSU baseball program. 

  U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representative Xochitl Torres Small announced that New Mexico State University’s (NMSU) Department of Astronomy was awarded a $1.5 million grant by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to hire a space scientist to work on physics of sun and space weather. This funding was awarded through a program called “Faculty Development in the Space Sciences” from the NSF Directorate for Geosciences, Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences.  

  WASHINGTON (AP) — It was a week of exaggeration and outright fiction for President Donald Trump as he confronted the aftermath of two mass shootings in Texas and Ohio.

  EL PASO, Texas (AP) — The man accused of carrying out last weekend's deadly mass shooting at a Walmart in the Texas border city of El Paso confessed to officers while he was surrendering and later explained that he had been targeting Mexicans, authorities say.

Patrick Crusius, 21, emerged with his hands up from a vehicle that was stopped at an intersection shortly after last Saturday's attack and told officers, "I'm the shooter," Detective Adrian Garcia said in an arrest warrant affidavit.

  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A judge has ruled that a New Mexico man who shot and killed his parents and three young siblings when he was a teenager will be sentenced as an adult.

The ruling in Nehemiah Griego's case was handed down Friday — nearly four years after he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death in the January 2013 shootings at his family's home south of Albuquerque.

Judge Alisa Hart recently took Griego's case after a judge who had been overseeing it and monitoring his rehabilitation for years recused himself.

A fourth candidate has announced his intention to run for Las Cruces Mayor in November.  Former city councilor Dolores Lucero, former La Fiesta Bakery co-owner Gina Ortega and current city counciilor Greg Smith had already announced.  On Thursday, Las Cruces resident Mike Tellez announced that he will run to replace incumbent Mayor Ken Miyagishima who is rounding out his twelfth year of service to the city of Las Cruces.  Miyagishima is scheduled to announce his deciison on whether he will seek a fourth term on Tuesday.

Congressman Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), the U.S. House Assistant Speaker, has joined a letter signed by 33 Members of Congress demanding the resignation of U.S. Border Patrol Chief Carla Prov following her involvement in a secret Facebook group that promoted violence against immigrants and Members of Congress.  Here is a statement from his office:

The lawmakers wrote to Homeland Security Acting Secretary Kevin McAleenan outlining serious concerns about the chief’s conduct and ability to continue as the leading border patrol official.

  SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico has denied repeated requests by federal immigration authorities for direct access to an employment-records database, the state's top labor official said Thursday.

State Workforce Solutions Department Secretary Bill McCamley said he twice notified officials at Immigration and Customs Enforcement this month that the state won't provide direct access to an unemployment database with extensive records about employees and employers throughout the state.