Regional

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – The City of Las Cruces Utilities Board is seeking qualified city residents to serve on the community advisory group for its Water Conservation Program.

It has been widely accepted that the most cost-effective way to extend water resources is through conservation. Conservation programs are only successful if they have a long-term focus and continual stakeholder involvement and it is the City's goal to form a stakeholder group that will assist the Water Conservation Program in this manner.

By KRWG News

Juarez, Mexico – Mexican authorities say a mob has beaten two alleged kidnappers to death in the northern border state of Chihuahua.

Chihuahua state prosecutors' spokesman Arturo Sandoval says dozens of angry people in the town of Asencion beat the two men Tuesday until federal police intervened.

Sandoval says officers put the men in their patrol car but the crowd blocked them from leaving and the men died of their wounds inside the car.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The chance for hundreds of thousands of young people to remain in the U.S. legally evaporated when Republicans blocked a defense bill in the Senate.

Democrats failed to get a single Republican to vote with them so they would have the 60 votes needed to move forward on the defense bill and attach the DREAM Act to it as an amendment. The vote Tuesday was 56-43.

The DREAM Act allows young people to become legal U.S. residents after two spending years in college or the military.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Gov. Bill Richardson says it's appropriate to use nearly $3 million in federal economic stimulus money to buy more than 12,000 acres near Santa Fe to expand a state park and establish a wild horse sanctuary.

Richardson said Tuesday that New Mexico will become the first state to have a preserve for wild horses.

The land will expand Cerrillos Hills State Park.

By KRWG News

Alamogordo – The federal government says it plans to move chimpanzees from New Mexico to a Texas research center by the end of next year, even as Gov. Bill Richardson pushes for them to remain in his state.

The animals have been left undisturbed by medical researchers for a decade at a federal facility. During a tour of the site Tuesday, Richardson suggested the Holloman Air Force Base facility could be converted into a behavioral research laboratory jointly operated by the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University.

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – The Amador Hotel recently acquired by the City of Las Cruces will soon be used for community events. KRWG's Vanessa Dabovich reports

By KRWG News

Silver City – The School of Applied Technology at Western New Mexico University has announced a second set of solar workshops in Silver City and Deming.

The two workshops, taught by Mark Walker of the School of Applied Technology, will include a three-week course in Photovoltaic Principles (Introduction to Solar) and a three-week course in Solar Hydronics (Solar Water Systems).

By KRWG News

New Mexico – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall today introduced bipartisan legislation to create the first-ever national renewable electricity standard (RES).

Under the proposal, electric utilities would be required to produce at least 11 percent of their power from wind, solar, biomass and other renewable sources of energy; the remaining 4 percent could be achieved through energy efficiency improvements.

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – The City of Las Cruces plans reduce use of bottled water. AS KRWG's Vanessa Dabovich reports, the Council approved a resolution encouraging water supply use.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall have introduced Senate legislation aimed at expanding efforts to collect DNA from serious criminal offenders.

The measure is called Katie's Law, named for a New Mexico State University student from Carlsbad, Katie Sepich, who was raped and murdered in 2003. Her killer was caught after submitting a DNA sample when he was convicted of a later burglary.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – A 73-year-old state senator from southern New Mexico is recovering from a broken leg suffered in a purse-snatching.

Democratic state Sen. Mary Jane Garcia of Dona Ana suffered a broken tibia and bruising on her legs and arms during the incident Thursday night in Albuquerque.

She says doctors told her she won't require surgery, but she will be out of commission for about a month.

Garcia says it was frightening to become the victim of a crime.

By KRWG News

Texas – State-paid security officers who protect Gov. Rick Perry on out-of-state trips generated more than $129,000 in expenses for his weeklong trip to Asia in June.

The governor's office has been fighting in court to keep details of security costs secret for his travel. But The Associated Press obtained totals for the trip to China, Taiwan and Korea on Monday following requests under the state's open records laws.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Immigration activists say they have generated 50,000 calls and 70,000 faxes to members of Congress in support of legislation allowing some young people in the country illegally to become U.S. legal residents.

The activists have racheted up their protests and calls to members of Congress as a vote nears on a defense bill that could later include the so-called DREAM Act. The defense bill vote is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon and Democrats need 60 votes to move forward on the bill.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Animal-rights groups are praising a decision by the City of Las Cruces to spend up to $120,000 overhauling an air circulation system that exposed animals to disease-filled air.

Three staff members from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals visited the Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley shelter in early July.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board is considering a proposal by the state Environment Department for a new regulation to cap and trade greenhouse gas emissions.

A hearing began Monday in Santa Fe and will continue into next week.

Under the proposal, the state would be able to participate in a regional cap-and-trade program. However, the state would not implement the program unless there were sufficient greenhouse gas allowances to make trading efficient and cost-effective.