Regional

By KRWG News

Alamogordo – Gov. Bill Richardson is meeting with officials of the National Institutes of Health next week to object to a planed move of chimpanzees from a former medical research lab in southern New Mexico.

The governor wants the NIH to permanently retire the chimps and make the Alamogordo Primate Facility a sanctuary for the animals.

The NIH plans to move the chimps to the Southwest National Primate Research Center in San Antonio, Texas, where they can be used for medical experiments.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Navajo gaming officials are hoping to break ground this fall on a major casino to be built in the Upper Fruitland Chapter in northwest New Mexico. The tribe hopes the project leads to the creation of 400 jobs.

The chief executive officer of the Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise says the tribe is facing 56 percent unemployment.

Gaming facilities are a high priority for the Navajo Nation, which joined the gaming industry decades after Indian gaming became legal.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – A New Mexico attorney says Native American gambling casinos have become big business, such a large enterprise that he believes they should be exempted from a cornerstone of Indian legal authority tribal sovereignty.

Sam Bregman has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a case where a client, retired Albuquerque city worker Gary Hoffman, sued Sandia Resort and Casino over what the tribe characterized as a malfunctioning slot machine that displayed a $1.6 million jackpot.

By KRWG News

Santa Fe – An effort by a state agency to change the way arbitration is handled when state workers are fired or disciplined has been rejected by a judge.

District Judge Barbara Vigil ruled on Friday against a Regulation and Licensing Department effort to have an appeal of a compliance officer's firing heard under state personnel board rules.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees argued that its agreement calls for binding arbitration, which gives fired workers more rights.

By KRWG News

Washington, D.C. – President Barack Obama has signed into law a $600 million border security that will put more agents and equipment along the Mexican border.

Obama signed the bill in the Oval Office Friday alongside Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. The measure will fund the hiring of 1,000 new Border Patrol agents to be deployed at critical areas along the border, as well as more Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. It also provides for new communications equipment and greater use of unmanned surveillance drones.

By KRWG News

Washington, D.C. – The Obama administration says it's wrong to try to change the constitutional amendment that grants automatic citizenship to babies born in the United States.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says she's surprised that Republican congressional leaders are joining a push to reconsider the 14th Amendment instead of working with Democrats on comprehensive immigration reform. Napolitano says that's "just wrong."

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says President Barack Obama agrees with Napolitano.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Las Cruces Police arrested a man who was smoking marijuana with two young relatives, ages 10 and 13.

Charles B. Jackson III, 33, is charged with three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The charges are fourth-degree felonies.

Las Cruces Police detectives learned that, on at least two occasions since July, Jackson smoked marijuana with the 13-year-old boy and has done so at least once with the 10-year-old boy.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – On Thursday, August 12, 2010 at approximately 9:25 pm, an unknown individual(s) in a white pickup truck approached a young girl on Williams Street in South Campus Housing and shouted to her to "get into the truck". The girl fled from the area, whereupon the truck turned and left the scene.

Police officers have searched the area, and thus far have not been able to locate the truck. The description of the truck is as follows:

Newer model (2005-2010) Chevrolet pickup, white in color, 4-door (crew cab) model

By KRWG News

Juarez, Mexico – An anonymous, twentysomething blogger is giving Mexicans what they can't get elsewhere an inside view of their country's raging drug war.

In less than six months of operating from behind a thick curtain of computer security, Blog del Narco has become Mexico's go-to Internet site at a time when mainstream media are feeling pressure and threats to stay away from the story.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The New Mexico Environment Department says it doesn't object to Public Service Company of New Mexico's request for more time to respond to a proposal that would require more emissions controls at one of its coal-fired power plants.

But the department is questioning claims by PNM that new equipment for controlling nitrogen oxides emissions at the San Juan Generating Station would cost between $750 million and $1 billion.

PNM has said the state's proposal would result in significant costs for its 500,000 customers.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – New Mexico is offering pregnant women and new mothers a new text message service called text4baby.

The state Department of Health says the mobile service presents health information for pregnancy and the first year of their baby's life.

The medical director for the department's Family Health Bureau, Dr. Elizabeth Matthews, says it's an opportunity for women to get free health information that can help them stay healthy during pregnancy and the critical first year for their baby.

By KRWG News

Alamogordo – Members of the 49th Security Forces Squadron had a chance to fine-tune their law enforcement techniques during two days of training with the FBI's Albuquerque division.

Agents from an FBI SWAT team worked with Holloman defenders, practicing close-quarters battle, breaching techniques and ballistic shield work.

Training coordinator Rich Price says to goal was to build partnerships involving the military, local-level law enforcement and the FBI.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – The Las Cruces Police Department conducted a traffic enforcement operation Thursday that netted 26 citations for drivers who violated the city's cell phone ordinance and another 31 tickets for various other traffic offenses.

The operation was conducted between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 12, on north Telshor Boulevard. Traffic officers also arrested two individuals who had misdemeanor warrants issued for their arrest.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Faculty, staff, students and the public are invited to attend a group discussion to learn about the international programs and opportunities available at New Mexico State University and how these programs fit into President Barbara Couture's vision.

The "New Era of Excellence through International Programs & Partnerships" forum is Aug. 18 and coincides with the celebration of the inauguration of Couture as the 25th president of NMSU. The forum is free and open to anyone who wishes to attend.

By KRWG News

Albuquerque – New Mexico's largest electric utility is asking state regulators for more time to respond to a proposal by the state Environment Department that would require more emissions controls at one of its coal-fired power plants.

Public Service Company of New Mexico says in its filing with the Environmental Improvement Board that the state's plan would result in significant costs for its 500,000 customers.