Regional

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Today's successful launch of the UP Aerospace SpaceLoft XL rocket for the New Mexico Second Annual Education Launch was greeted by cheers from students across the state of New Mexico as their payload experiments reached space, and tears of pride for the memory of a Farmington science and technology teacher who dreamed of this day. The launch took place at about 6:45 a.m. MDT.

By KRWG News

Texas – Gov. Rick Perry is praising the results of his immigration enforcement talks with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

That's after a steady drumbeat of criticism from Perry about the federal approach toward those enforcement needs and fears that Mexico's drug-related violence might spill into the United States.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Absentee voting for New Mexico's June 1 primary begins Tuesday.

The primary election is open only to registered Republicns or Democrats, who are allowed to vote only in their own party's primary.

Voters can apply for an absentee ballot by contacting the county clerk in the county in which they live.

The primary election decides the Republican and Democratic nominees for the Nov. 4 general election.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Gov. Bill Richardson has proclaimed Tuesday as "Mining Health and Safety Awareness Day."

With the proclamation, Richardson recognizes the 6,000 men and women working in the 225 mines within New Mexico. He also points out that mining jobs in the state account for more than $300 million in wages.

The governor says the mining occupation requires stringent safety management policies and procedures to prevent injuries and fatalities.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Deceitful rental advertisements that have been reported in other parts of the country - and use the popular online advertisement site Craiglist - have now scammed at least three local families out of several hundred dollars.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – New Mexico State University's Model United Nations team has made a name for itself for the third year in a row at the National Model United Nations Conference held in New York in March.

By KRWG News

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

By KRWG News

New Mexico – One of Gov. Bill Richardson's executive branch agencies will help administer the New Mexico Health Policy Commission, which had its budget sharply reduced for the upcoming year.

The state Health Department announced Friday that it will provide support for the commission, which provides research and data for health policy planning.

The commission was established by law in 1991. The Legislature cut the commission's budget from about $811,000 this year to $156,700 in the 2011 fiscal year, which starts in July.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The New Mexico State Parks campground reservation system is down until May 12.

The division says the online and phone reservation system is unavailable while the agency moves to a new system.

No new reservations will be taken until May 12, but existing reservations will be honored.

Acting State Parks Director Tommy Mutz says that while the system is down, visitors may camp in available state park sites without a reservation.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – New Mexico will receive $405,000 next year to develop plans to implement an electronic medical records system.

The federal grant will be used to study the best way to implement such a system for the Medicaid program in New Mexico to improve the efficiency of delivering health care.

The funding was announced by New Mexico's two U.S. senators, Democrats Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Las Cruces Police have arrested a man responsible for a Friday evening shooting that claimed the life of a Las Cruces man.

Tony Garza, 31, of the 1000 block of Luna, is charged with an Open Count of Murder. He is being held at the Dona Ana County Detention Center with no bond.

The victim is a Las Cruces man. He was airlifted to University Medical Center of El Paso and later died as a result of his injuries.

By KRWG News

Texas – Gov. Rick Perry says Texas won't submit plans to operate a temporary high-risk insurance pool to the federal government.

The high-risk insurance pools are part of the federal health care overhaul. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius had asked states to submit plans by Friday.

But Perry said the state can't commit to the new program due to the "lack of program rules or reliable federal funding."

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has directed a state agency to help New Mexicans worried about traveling to Arizona and dealing with its new immigration enforcement law.

Richardson said Friday he was "deeply concerned" that New Mexico residents could be stopped in Arizona under that state's law. Hispanics account for about 45 percent of New Mexico's population.

The Democratic governor directed the Division of Human Rights in the Workforce Solutions Department to assist New Mexicans with Arizona's law.

By KRWG News

El Paso – More New Mexico National Guard members are returning from overseas.

The National Guard's 920th Engineer Company is to arrive at noon Sunday at Fort Bliss, Texas, after a year in Afghanistan.

In Afghanistan, the 920th conducted engineering operations to improve infrastructure.

The company is made up of about 170 people.

Their return will bring the total number of New Mexico Guard members who have returned this year from Iraq and Afghanistan to about 420.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – D.R. Horton Inc. says it turned a profit in the fiscal second quarter as the homebuilder reported a 19 percent increase in completed sales.

The builder said Friday it had a profit of $11.4 million, or 4 cents a share, for the three months ended March 31. A year earlier, it had a loss of $108.6 million, or 34 cents a share.

Revenue was $896.8 million, up 16 percent from $775.3 million.

Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected a loss of 1 cent per share on revenue of $863 million.