Regional

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall have introduced legislation designed to protect the scenic landscapes of the Organ Mountains in Dona Ana County.

The bill, called the Organ Mountains -Desert Peaks Wilderness Act, would create wilderness and conservation areas that would provide for continued public use while protecting the area.

Specifically, the legislation would create 259,000 acres of wilderness and 100,000 acres of National Conservation Area.

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – With health care reform taking top priority in Congress, immigration reform has been put on hold for now. KRWG's Vanessa Dabovich has more

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – The federal government has added a southbound strategy to reduce the illegal drug trade with Mexico. As KRWG's Vanessa Dabovich reports it's designed to interrupt the flow of guns and cash that fuel drug trafficking.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – A New Mexico State University-based biomedical research program is expanding thanks to a major federal grant.

The research program is moving into its second phase with the help of a $17.5 million federal grant.

The National Institutes of Health funding will be allocated over five years.

The program's pilot phase which started in 2001 .was created to strengthen biomedical research in New Mexico and to prepare faculty and students to participate in NIH research programs.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says the U.S. and Mexico are making headway in curbing the flow of illegal drugs and cash.

Speaking at a public policy conference at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, Napolitano said "historic" agreements with Mexican President Felipe Calderon's government and increases in enforcement on the U.S. are helping curb the flow of drugs north and guns and weapons south.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The number of uninsured non-elderly adults in New Mexico has increased nearly four percentage points to 31 percent from 2001 to 2008.

That's according to an analysis of U.S. Census numbers released Wednesday by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

The Census figures only include people who have been uninsured for a year, leaving out those who had shorter gaps in their health coverage.

The total number of uninsured New Mexicans has risen from 363,000 in 2001 to 468,000 last year.

By KRWG News

Texas – State Board of Education members have tentatively agreed to increase the number of electives in two of the state's three high school graduation plans.

The move at this week's meeting would eliminate required courses in health, computer technology and physical education.

The requirements were eliminated by the 2009 Legislature for students in the "recommended" plan, the most common course of study for high school students.

Districts would have the option to keep any of the three courses as a local requirement.

By Melissa Aguilera

Las Cruces, NM – Las Cruces City Council discussed at length an evaluation of the city police department conducted by a consulting firm. KRWG's Melissa Aguilera reports.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Las Cruces Police have arrested a man in connection with a stabbing on Tuesday night.

58-year-old Pablo Nuanes of the 300 block of El Molino Boulevard, is charged with one count of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and one count of tampering with evidence.

The 49-year-old victim suffered one stab wound to his neck and a severed toe. He was flown to University Medical Center of El Paso where he was listed in stable condition.

Police say the two men were involved in an altercation before the stabbing.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – A Dona Ana County man is charged with murder.

Sheriffs Investigators arrested 26 year old Oscar Duran of the 95-hundred block of Butterfield Boulevard.

Duran is facing second degree murder charges in connection with the stabbing death of 39 year old Andrew Jobe of the 52-hundred block of Mesa.

Duran told investigators the stabbing allegedly took place during an altercation early Tuesday morning in Las Cruces, at Duran's residence.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – New Mexico graduate students are being offered a chance to do research in Japan for a year through a program backed by the state Economic Development Department.

The department will choose 15 master's, doctoral and postdoctoral students to do research in Japan next year in the fields of renewable energy, environmental energy, environmentally related nanotechnology and nanophotonics.

The program is aimed at promoting research cooperation between Japan and the United States.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Nearly five dozen of the nation's American Indian tribes will share $1 billion in bond authority through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Gov. Bill Richardson and U.S. Treasury Deputy Secretary Neal Wolin announced the bonds Tuesday during a visit to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque. The two also met with local tribal leaders on how tribal bonds will be used to create jobs and complete projects in Indian Country.

By KRWG News

Texas – It's getting a bit harder for students wanting into the University of Texas at Austin.

Texas law guarantees admission for students in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating class at any public university, but the UT system's flagship campus in Austin is tightening that to the top 8 percent.

The change was authorized for UT in the 2009 legislative session and takes effect for 2011. The 10 percent rule remains in place for the other 37 public schools in the state.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Las Cruces police are offering a reward for information that leads to the arrest of three men who stole $50,000 worth of steel rebar.

The suspects are accused of passing fraudulent checks to buy the rebar from Craigentaggert Industrial Supplies in Las Cruces.

The men wrote 14 checks worth $53,089 that turned out to be fraudulent between May 29 and June 4.

The suspects picked up the rebar in El Paso, Texas.

Two suspects are Hispanic and a third is white and possibly named Shawn.

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – A report issued this week shows New Mexico health care premiums rose four times faster than earnings in recent years. KRWG's Vanessa Dabovich has more