Regional

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – The City of Las Cruces was informed of a decision by the New Mexico Transportation Commission to allow the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) to restrict or prohibit the use of traffic enforcement cameras, or red light cameras, on any state roadway, highway or federal interstate under its jurisdiction in New Mexico.

The City implemented its traffic enforcement camera program in February, 2009 at four of Las Cruces' busiest intersections:

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – An El Paso man was arrested Wednesday evening after his 48-year-old ex-girlfriend walked into a Las Cruces Wal-Mart store battered, bruised and asking for help.

Miguel Antonio Hoffman, 49, of the 14,500 block of Eckelberger in El Paso, Texas, is charged with one count each of battery against a family member and false imprisonment.

The woman, who had been reported missing earlier this week from El Paso, was transported to Memorial Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.

By KRWG News

El Paso – More than 200 law officers swept through El Paso today -- picking up suspected members of the Barrio Azteca gang.

"Operation Knock Down" is meant to find new leads into Saturday's shooting deaths of three people with ties to the U.S. Consulate in Ciudad Juarez.

FBI Special Agent Andrea Simmons says law enforcement came together to locate members of Barrio Azteca, which started as a Texas prison gang.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – David and Michelle Gordon, owners and operators of Desert Sage Building and Development incorporated, were indicted by a Grand Jury Thursday.

The indictments include six (6) counts of Embezzlement over $20,000.00 a second degree felony, two (2) counts of Embezzlement over $2500.00 a fourth degree felony and sixty-two (62) counts of Non Payment of Labor and Suppliers, a fourth degree felony, for a total of seventy (70) felony counts.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – NMSU Police are investigating a report of an early morning sexual assault that took place in Family Housing on the Las Cruces campus.

By KRWG News

El Paso – A Saturday funeral is scheduled in El Paso for an employee of the U.S. consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and her husband.

Consulate employee Lesley A. Enriquez and her husband, Arthur H. Redelfs, were killed Saturday in Juarez when gunmen opened fire on their sport utility vehicle. Funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in El Paso.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – More than 541,000 New Mexicans are enrolled in taxpayer financed programs providing medical assistance.

The state Human Services Department says there's been a 10 percent enrollment increase in the past year.

Of those receiving publicly funded health coverage, more than 300,000 are children. Medicaid covers the largest number of low-income New Mexicans and children. Nearly a fourth of the state's population lacks health insurance.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Las Cruces Police arrested a man who, shortly after noon Wednesday, fired a handgun from his car toward a vehicle occupied by three people.

Christopher Michael Sanchez, 18, of the 5000 block of Answer Drive, is charged with three fourth-degree felony counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and one count of shooting at or from a motor vehicle.

By Melissa Aguilera

Las Cruces, NM – New Mexico State University Men's Basketball team has reached the National Collegiate Athletic Association or NCAA finals by being the Western Athletic Conference Champions. KRWG's Melissa Aguilera reports.

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – New Mexico U.S Senator Jeff Bingaman says a federal program designed to help keep people in their homes, has not worked as intended. KRWG's Vanessa Dabovich reports

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – Dona Ana County is seeking applications from residents interested in serving on the Planning and Zoning Commission. KRWG's Vanessa Dabovich has more

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – CBP/Border Patrol Agents throughout the El Paso Sector continued their border-wide crusade to rid communities in New Mexico and west Texas of illicit narcotics.

Agents in Lordsburg interrupted the latest attempts to smuggle drugs into the country by seizing more than 525 pounds of marijuana in three separate incidents.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – The Mesilla Valley DWI Resource Center will present a town hall meeting on underage drinking prevention Thursday at 6:00 p.m. at Mayfield High School.

Young people who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence and two and a half times more likely to become abusers of alcohol than those who begin drinking at age 21.

2007 statistics from the Centers for Disease Control show underage drinking is widespread in New Mexico.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The New Mexico Environment Department says it plans to petition a state regulatory board for a cap and trade program aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The department is seeking public comments on a draft document that outlines options for a cap and trade program. The proposal will then be put before the state Environmental Improvement Board later this year.

Environment Secretary Ron Curry says it's important that the board adopt a cap and trade program that will best suit the needs of New Mexico.

By KRWG News

Albuquerque – An 18-year-old Albuquerque Academy senior has won the top award of $100,000 in the Intel Science Talent Search.

Erika DeBenedictis won the prize Tuesday night from the Intel Foundation for developing a software navigation system to help improve travel of spacecraft through the solar system.

Her research found the gravity and movement of planets create routes that ultimately will help spacecraft move faster and with less fuel.

Intel says it's the first time a New Mexican has won the competition.