Regional

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – The Dona Ana County Detention Center in Las Cruces has not been accepting some nonviolent offenders in the past few weeks because it doesn't have room.

Instead, authorities have been issuing citations for such crimes as littering, being a public nuisance, trespassing, possessing less than an ounce of marijuana, gambling, driving without a license or insurance and low-dollar amounts of fraud or shoplifting.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – New Mexico has kicked off its annual "100 Days and Nights of Summer" operation aimed at reducing drunken driving and increasing seat belt use.

The campaign that began over Memorial Day weekend will run through Labor Day.

It's the fourth year for the operation.

Officials say that before it began in 2006, New Mexico had 136 fatalities during June, July and August.

In 2009, the state reported 79 fatalities in those three months.

Alcohol-involved fatalities dropped from 56 in 2006 to 33 last year.

By KRWG News

Texas – Some officials say a reduction in the number of state prison beds is on the table as a possible measure in the struggle to balance the state budget.

The Austin American-Statesman reports the step is one possibility after state leaders directed agencies, including the prison system, to proposed another 10 percent in spending cuts.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – The Las Cruces Fire Department responded to a single engine plane crash near the Las Cruces International Airport.

Just after 3pm Sunday, 9-1-1 had been called to provide emergency medical services to three persons that were involved in a plane crash. The pilot and two passengers walked several hundred feet to the airport terminal from the crash site, located just southwest of the airport.

By KRWG News

Alamogordo – Hang glider pilots and paragliders from across the country are dropping in on the Alamogordo area.

It's the start of the Rio Grande Soaring Association's annual fly-in event.

Gliders began trekking up the Sacramento Mountains on Friday to a takeoff destination at Dry Canyon. From there, the pilots launched to the skies and later landed in a designated landing zone next to the Griggs Sports Complex in Alamogordo.

More flights are planned through the weekend.

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By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Authorities have arrested a Las Cruces man on 68 counts of manufacturing, distributing and possessing child pornography.

Police say 22-year-old Derek Boberg is accused of receiving pornographic images or videos of children on a home computer in March.

He was arrested Friday and jailed at the Dona Ana County jail on $545,000 cash bond.

Investigators also learned that Boberg was involved in an illicit relationship with a 14-year-old girl from Albuquerque. That relationship remains under investigation.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – It's called ecotourism, described as nature-based specialty travel or wilderness experiences that enrich and educate.

New Mexico wants to join the ecotourism trend, promoting not only the state's natural beauty but also outdoor adventure, cultural heritage preservation and access to wild places.

Tourism is New Mexico's No. 2 industry, behind oil and gas production, and brings in an estimated $5.7 billion annually.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – A Las Cruces teenager could face life in prison for allegedly giving drugs to a 16-year-old girl the night before she was found dead beside him in his car.

Nineteen-year-old Zach Baker was indicted Thursday on a new charge of intentional child abuse resulting in death stemming from the January incident. A conviction on that charge carries a maximum of life in prison.

By KRWG News

Texas – Texas leaders today asked state agencies to trim their upcoming budget requests by 10 percent in anticipation of a shortfall that could reach $18 billion.

The request to lower future state funding proposals comes on top of a May 18 order for agencies to immediately trim 5 percent of their budgets.

Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Joe Straus say they want agencies, with some exceptions for critical programs, such as Medicaid, to lower their requests for the 2012-2013 budget.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Democratic and Republican candidates for lieutenant governor spent more than $650,000 in the past three weeks, with much of that going for television and radio advertising to reach primary election voters.

Former state Democratic Party chairman Brian Colon reported the largest expenditures of five Democrats seeking the party's nomination. He spent $155,000, with more than 80 percent of that going for broadcast advertising, according to the latest state campaign finance report.

By KRWG News

El Paso – About 100 people demonstrated outside courthouses in El Paso to protest President Barack Obama's plan to deploy about 1,200 National Guard troops to the border with Mexico.

Some demonstrators Thursday chanted and held signs saying "No National Guard on the border, no need to bring more disorder." Another sign said "Obama deal with the issues, not the politics."

By KRWG News

New Mexico – New Mexico's unemployment rate dipped slightly in April from the month before, but still remains above the 2009 jobless rate.

The state's unemployment rate was 8.7 percent in April, compared to 8.8 percent in March and 6.6 percent in April 2009.

The federal government says New Mexico's April rate was not measurably different from the previous month.

The state Department of Workforce Solutions says April's rate represents a loss of 15,500 jobs from the previous year.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Former state Republican Party chairman Allen Weh has loaned his gubernatorial campaign an additional $600,000 this month.

Weh reported Thursday that besides the loan he collected about $41,000 in contributions during the past three weeks.

The loan brought to $1.6 million the amount of personal money he has pumped into his bid for the GOP nomination for governor. That's about 70 percent of what he's raised since starting his campaign.

By Melissa Aguilera

Las Cruces, NM – The New Mexico Supercomputer Gateways project held a demonstration Wednesday at New Mexico State University. KRWG's Melissa Aguilera reports.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – As part of the Blue Star Museum Program, New Mexico's 14 state-run museums and historic monuments will offer free admission to active duty military personnel and their families all summer long.