Regional

By KRWG News

El Paso – Four suspected illegal border crossers are safe after being rescued from a canal at the Mexican border.

El Paso Fire Department spokesman John Concha said the group was spotted in the canal on El Paso's east side, just across the Rio Grande from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, around 5:25 a.m. Wednesday. U.S. Border Patrol agents rescued two men and a woman, while a fourth man was plucked from the water by the El Paso Fire Department, he said.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Las Cruces Police have arrested four members of the same family after it was discovered that the husband conspired to bilk hundreds of thousands of dollars from two general contractors, and then helped his wife and two adult children create falsified documents to illegally obtain home loans.

Judd Moore and his wife Rose Moore, both 45, and their adult children Leanna Moore, 20, and 18-year-old Jeffrey Moore were arrested Tuesday, July 13, on warrants and face multiple charges related to incidents that date back to 2007.

By KRWG News

Santa Teresa – The Santa Teresa port of entry on the Mexican border in southern New Mexico will receive $10 million in federal stimulus funds to build expanded lanes for commercial and private vehicles, along with other improvements.

Passenger vehicle lanes will be expanded from two to five lanes while the number of commercial inspection lanes will increase from two to three. A pedestrian inspection area will be expanded, a pedestrian sidewalk will be installed and landscaping will be improved.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The State Land Office says it collected about $420 million in the just-completed budget year, with most of that coming from oil and natural gas production on trust lands.

Land Commissioner Pat Lyons announced Tuesday that oil and royalties and other revenues totaled $390 million in the fiscal year ending in June. That's down about 20 percent from 2009.

The Land Office also collects money from mining, grazing and business leases and land sales.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Federal authorities are now investigating the deaths of two endangered Mexican gray wolves, one in eastern Arizona and one in southern New Mexico.

Both wolves were alpha males, dominant males in a pack.

The Arizona male was found shot to death on June 18. U.S. Fish and Wildlike officials say he was part of the Hawks Nest Pack that uses the area east of Big Lake on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest as a breeding ground.

By KRWG News

Texas – Gov. Rick Perry is urging Texas employers to help high school dropouts finish school.

He proposed a business tax credit Tuesday that would reward businesses who grant employees two hours a week of paid time off to return to school or study for the GED. Employers would be eligible for a $1,500 credit on their sales taxes for each student who obtains a diploma or GED.

Perry, who is running for re-election to an unprecedented third term, has been sharply criticized for Texas' high dropout rate.

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – Thousands of New Mexicans are losing their unemployment benefits each week and New Mexico U.S Senator Jeff Bingaman says it's important that Congress pass an extension. KRWG's Vanessa Dabovich reports

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – This week the Senate is working on the Small Business Jobs Bill and New Mexico U.S Senator Jeff Bingaman says several parts of the legislation would benefit New Mexico. KRWG's Vanessa Dabovich reports

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – New Mexico State University Communications and Marketing Services units received honors at the Association of Communication Excellence Awards in St. Louis, Mo., in June.

Amy Smith Muise and Frank Sholedice, of the Marketing Services unit, won the Silver Award in the editing division of the Publishing Category for their work on the book "Cruising the Camino Real."

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today announced that Las Cruces has been awarded over $1.5 million through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – The Las Cruces Police Department, a multi-agency task force and the Third Judicial District Attorney's Office are investigating a Tuesday morning shooting involving a police officer that resulted in the death of a 23-year-old man who was wielding a samurai-type sword.

Shortly before 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 13, Las Cruces Police were called to the Mesilla Manor Apartments, at 1101 E. Boutz Road, where a man was seen carrying a long sword and waving it in a hostile manner.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The state Human Services Department says it collected a record-setting amount of child support payments in the most recent budget year.

The department announced Monday that about $115 million was collected in the fiscal year that ended last month. That's nearly 4 percent higher than the previous year.

About 60 percent of child support payments were made through witholdings of wages of parents. The department arranges for the money to go to a child's custodial parent.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – The New Mexico Spaceport Authority is seeking proposals for a contractor to provide regular sightseeing tours of the spaceport facilities and construction site.

Officials hope to start regular weekend tours as early as Sept. 1.

The so-called "Hard Hat Tours" will be conducted every Friday, Saturday and Sunday with clearly defined operational schedules.

Spaceport director Rick Homans says the tours will offer visitors an opportunity to watch as Spaceport America takes shape.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Growers say prolonged cool springtime temperatures followed by a heat wave in June add up to a delayed and likely smaller chili harvest.

Hatch area grower Shayne Franzoy says he won't begin harvesting his 200 acres of chilies until early to mid-August, about three weeks later than normal.

Experts say the cool spring led to very slow growth for chili fields. The heat wave then stressed the plants. But New Mexico State University vegetable specialist Stephanie Walker doesn't expect the quality of the chilies to decline.

By KRWG News

El Paso – A pair of embattled state judges in El Paso have been indicted on new state charges of bribery and abuse of power.

Suspended District Judge Regina Arditti already faced a misdemeanor nepotism charge, and Manuel Barraza had been convicted earlier this year on federal bribery charges. Both were indicted Monday on state charges of bribery and abuse of power.