Regional

  Officials from The University of Texas at El Paso discussed the initial phase of what could be “the most ambitious and most exciting” student housing community in the almost 100-year history of the University during a media event June 13.

Greg McNicol, associate vice president for business affairs - facilities management, described the three-building complex as the first phase of what could become a 3,000-bed community with food service, recreation components and other resources.

  Las Cruces, NM – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Las Cruces District Office will prepare an amendment and associated Environmental Assessment (EA) of the 1993 Mimbres Resource Management Plan for possible disposal of public land in Doña Ana County, New Mexico.

  SILVER CITY, NM. – Fire behavior decreased overnight as a result of higher humidity and cooler temperatures from thunderstorms passing to the south of the fire.  The Silver Fire has grown to 18,800 acres and is zero percent contained.  Storms remain in the area today bringing gusty, erratic winds with the possibility of dry lightning further challenging firefighting efforts.  As a result, expect the fire to remain active. 

  SILVER CITY, NM. – The Silver Fire has grown to 17,000 acres and remains zero percent contained.  The steep and difficult terrain makes it extremely difficult for ground forces to access the area and find appropriate locations for line construction.  Public meetings have been scheduled to further explain the containment and suppression strategy.

The Silver fire contains to grow in southern New Mexico, now having burned 29 square miles in the Gila National Forest west of Hillsboro.

The number of firefighters and support personnel assigned to the lightning-caused fire has grown 478.

Firefighters are trying to protect structures such as the small village of Kingston. The fire has gotten as close as a quarter-mile to the old mining town whose 45 or so residents already have evacuated..

A legislative report shows New Mexico's endowment and pension funds grew by nearly $1.9 billion during the first quarter of the year.

The Legislative Finance Committee reports that the Public Employees Retirement Association had investment returns of 5.4 percent during the first three months of the year, with pension fund assets of $13 billion.

The Educational Retirement Board had quarterly returns of nearly 4 percent, with assets of $10 billion at the end of March.

Authorities say the Thompson Ridge fire in northern New Mexico now is 60 percent contained.

That's 10 percent higher than earlier Wednesday and officials say the fire grew by only about 90 acres. It now is at 22,900 acres.

The fire has burned nearly 36 square miles in the western portion of the Santa Fe National Forest and in the Valles Caldera National Preserve.

It began May 31 because of a downed power line.

Fire officials say cloud cover allowed nearly 900 firefighters and support personnel to get a lot of work done.

Authorities in Roswell say they've found a 5-year-old autistic girl living in filth and confined in a small room similar to a cage.

But the girl's mother tells KRQE-TV she was just trying to keep her disabled daughter safe.

Chaves County Sheriff's deputies say they were called for a domestic disturbance and saw a couple outside arguing.

One deputy said he heard banging coming from inside the home. He went in and found the young girl covered in feces and trapped inside a small room.