Regional

The number of people in New Mexico receiving disability payments through the Social Security system has exceeded even the increasing national trend.

The Albuquerque Journal reports that a review of data from the Social Security Administration showed that the number of former workers in New Mexico getting Social Security Disability Insurance grew by nearly 66 percent from 2002 to 2011.

During the same period, the growth nationally was nearly 55 percent.

Three state biologists are being honored for their work rescuing threatened and endangered species.

Department of Game and Fish herpetologist Charlie Painter, fisheries manager Kirk Patten and recently retired Gila Trout Recovery Coordinator David Propst received the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Recovery Champions awards for their work rescuing threatened and endangered species.

Water users within the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority should immediately begin conserving water. A well within the City of Sunland Park has gone out of service, which could mean system-wide water outages. 

The well could be repaired as early as Tuesday.  However, utility users are advised to immediately implement and maintain a strict conservation schedule until the well repairs have been confirmed and the system is once again fully pressurized.

     Fire investigators with the Doña Ana County Fire and Emergency Services Department have determined a fire last week that destroyed a mobile home and displaced the owner and several dogs on the property was caused by an electrical accident.

   According to Deputy Fire Marshal Eric Crespin, the homeowner left for a doctor’s appointment Thursday, June 13, and plugged in a fan using an extension cord to keep her pets cool inside the home on the 9100 block of Berry Patch Lane in Butterfield. The extension cord malfunctioned and caught fire, said Crespin.

There are 16 fertilizer plants in Texas like the one that exploded in West, but authorities say they aren't clear if any are near schools or residential centers.

Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw told lawmakers Monday that he wasn't aware if the state had looked at other fertilizer plants for proximity to things like schools.

The April 17 explosion killed 15 people in West, a rural farming community. A school, nursing home and apartment complex nearby were all damaged.

The Texas House of Representatives is back in Austin, and Democrats are angry about Gov. Rick Perry vetoing key ethics legislation.

Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner of Houston took to the House floor on Monday and questioned what will happen to 400 ethics investigations the Public Integrity Unit is currently working on.

The governor used his line item veto to cut $7.5 million for the unit on Friday. He said no taxpayer money should go to it because Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg refused to resign following a drunk driving conviction.