Regional

By KRWG News

New Mexico – President Barack Obama has signed legislation that honors former Interior Secretary Stewart Udall by naming the Interior Department's building in Washington, D.C., for him.

The measure was sent to Obama for his signature last month after passing the House and Senate. The president signed the bill Tuesday.

Udall was secretary under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson.

By KRWG News

Silver City – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will provide $584,400 for an affordable housing project in Silver City.

Officials in the southwestern New Mexico community plan to use the funding toward construction of the Vistas de Plata, a 56-unit affordable housing project.

Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., announced the award Tuesday. He says the investment will help Silver City provide affordable housing options to residents.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The Legislative Finance Committee reports there has been a more than 6 percent drop in state employees since New Mexico imposed a hiring freeze in late 2008.

The number of state workers declined by 1,664 from December 2008 to April of this year, according to a committee newsletter issued Tuesday.

There were 25,808 employees on the state payroll when the freeze was imposed to help the state cut expenses and balance the budget.

By KRWG News

El Paso – U.S. and Mexican officials are trading suggestions of misconduct as the shooting of a 15-year-old Mexican by a U.S. Border Patrol agent on the border with El Paso swells into a full-blown international incident.

Arturo Sandoval, spokesman for the Chihuahua state Attorney General's Office, says a shell casing was found near the body.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – New Mexico State University's Apache Point Observatory has been instrumental in solving a nearly 40-year-old lunar mystery.

On Nov. 10, 1970, the Russian unmanned Luna 17 mission landed on the moon, releasing a robotic rover, called Lunokhod 1, to roam the lunar surface. The rover carried an optical retroreflector, a device that reflects incident light precisely back in the direction from which it comes. The rover and its retroreflector were last heard from on Sept. 14, 1971.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The New Mexico Supreme Court has cleared the way for a state regulatory panel to resume consideration of an environmental group's petition to establish a cap on greenhouse gas emissions in the state.

The justices reached their decision Monday in Santa Fe after hearing nearly two hours of arguments from lawyers for the group New Energy Economy, the state Environmental Improvement Board and critics of the emissions proposal.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The New Mexico Game and Fish Department is putting the results of hunting license drawings online starting Wednesday.

Hunters who applied for 2010-2011 deer, elk, antelope, ibex, javelina, bighorn sheep and Barbary sheep licenses can check drawing results on the department's website, www.wildlife.state.nm.us.

The department will mail licenses and tags to successful hunters and will refund license fees to unsuccessful applicants.

Game officials say the state received 132,761 applications for 62,471 licenses.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The state Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing later this month on whether to remove Public Regulation Commissioner Carol Sloan from office because of her recent felony convictions.

Attorney General Gary King asked the state's high court to oust Sloan after she was convicted last month of battery and burglary.

The court on June 23 will consider the attorney general's request.

Sloan was convicted of attacking another woman, Brenda Yazzie, who she alleged was having an affair with her husband.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – The Las Cruces City Council has awarded a contract to a Washington, D.C., company to audit the police department.

The Police Executive Research Forum will begin its one-year $49,600 contract on July 1.

Councilors, in approving the contract Monday, were following a recommendation made nearly a year ago by a consulting firm that conducted an independent review of the Las Cruces Police Department.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Every Monday, Fred Martino speaks with Las Cruces Sun News Business Editor Brook Stockberger.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – The Las Cruces Police are asking for the public's help in locating a 27-year-old man whose whereabouts have been unknown since May 30.

Sergio D. Robledo was last seen May 27, 2010, at the Gospel Rescue Mission at 999 W. Amador Ave. in Las Cruces. Robledo was said to be in Tucson, Ariz., on May 30 when he called members of his family. He has not been heard from since.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – New Mexico's tax department is promising relief from sleeplessness, panic attacks, high blood pressure and other ills: Just pay your back taxes.

The Taxation and Revenue Department unveiled a tax amnesty program Monday that will allow New Mexico businesses and residents to avoid interest and penalties while catching up on unpaid taxes.

The program began Monday and runs through Sept. 30.

It's for tax years prior to 2010.

State tax officials estimate the amnesty program could bring in $7 million.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The New Mexico Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Monday afternoon in a legal battle that has been brewing over an effort by an environmental group to establish a cap on greenhouse gas emissions in New Mexico.

The state Environmental Improvement Board and the New Mexico Environmental Law Center are asking the justices to order a district court judge in Lovington to reverse an earlier decision that halted the effort.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The State Film Office wants Hispanics and Native Americans to find out about job opportunities in New Mexico's film industry.

The agency plans a tour around the state starting on Tuesday to educate New Mexicans about available training and possible jobs as film crew members or other positions.

A local labor union, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, is helping with the tour.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – It's Monsoon Awareness Week in New Mexico.

Gov. Bill Richardson says the state and the National Weather Service want to decrease the potential for loss of life and weather-related injuries by making people aware of potential dangers during the summer monsoon season in New Mexico.

State Homeland Security and Emergency Management Secretary John Wheeler urges New Mexico residents to make a plan and an emergency kit with supplies for at least three days.