Regional

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Police arrested a Las Cruces man Thursday evening after he stabbed his 90-year-old roommate multiple times.

Howard A. DeSavino, 51, of the 4600 block of Nogal Canyon Road, is charged with one count of aggravated battery causing death or great bodily harm.

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – New Mexico U.S. Senator Tom Udall spent a week in Afghanistan and says U.S. troops should follow in the footsteps of British military. KRWG's Vanessa Dabovich reports

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today announced that six New Mexico counties, including Dona Ana, been declared eligible for disaster assistance due to their proximity to Texas counties, which were declared disaster areas due to continuing drought.

As a result of the declaration, farmers and ranchers in Dona Ana, Eddy, Lea, Otero, Quay, and Roosevelt counties are now eligible to be considered for low-interest emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency, which is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Earlier this morning at approximately 10:00 a.m. Sheriff's Deputies were dispatched to 2617 Mesilla Hills Drive, after an attorney became concerned when his clients failed to show for a civil hearing.

The attorney requested that a "welfare check" be conducted for the residents at the residence.

When Sheriff's Deputies arrived and no one answered their knocks, Sheriff's Deputies gained entry into the residence and discovered the three bodies.

By KRWG News

Hatch – Earlier this morning Sheriff's Deputies responded to the 700 block of Truman, Salem, north of Hatch, in reference to a domestic incident, after a woman had reported that she had locked her husband out of the house, for fear that he was going to batter her.

WILLIAM ESTRADA-IGUADO, age 18, allegedly broke out a window to the entry door and entered the residence, grabbed his wife and shook her.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Mexican drug suspects arrested at the border can now be prosecuted in the U.S. or Mexico.

That's the word from John Morton, assistant secretary of Homeland Security for U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement. He told a congressional subcommittee in Washington on Wednesday that a new program allows drug cases involving Mexican nationals arrested at U.S. border crossings to be prosecuted in Mexico if federal prosecutors here opt not to take the case.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – A group of House Republicans say Border Patrol agents should be granted direct control over U.S. borders, even on federal lands managed by other agencies.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – A district judge has denied a petition filed by a Republican gubernatorial hopeful who wants to stop the state from asking regulators to adopt a cap and trade program for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Candidate Doug Turner says Judge Barbara Vigil denied his petition for a temporary restraining order but scheduled a hearing next Tuesday to address the allegations in his court filing.

Turner says the plan by Gov. Bill Richardson's administration to seek a cap and trade program is "an abuse of executive authority."

By KRWG News

El Paso – A 25-year-old woman is the latest El Paso resident arrested for an alleged murder-for-hit plot.

El Paso police Detective Mike Baranyay said Wednesday that Casandra Rodriguez was arrested Tuesday on a charge of conspiracy to commit capital murder.

Rodriguez is the sixth person arrested in the alleged plot to kill a woman and her mother. Baranyay said Jose Sandoval, who was arrested Friday with three other men, hired several people to carry out the alleged plot.

By KRWG News

El Paso – A federal jury says a suspended El Paso FBI agent is guilty of selling guns without a permit and lying to federal agents about it.

John Thomas Shipley has been suspended from his job since last year. On Wednesday, jurors found him guilty of six counts, including importing or manufacturing firearms and dealing firearms without a license. He also was convicted of four counts of causing a firearm dealer to maintain false records and one count of making a false statement.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Gov. Bill Richardson, state officials and tribal leaders gathered Wednesday at Isleta Pueblo for the annual state-tribal leaders summit.

Education, economic development and collaboration on anti-drunken driving initiatives were among the topics.

Richardson says the summit promotes open communication and cooperation with the tribes.

The summit is a requirement of the state Tribal Collaboration Act, which was signed by the governor last year.

By KRWG News

Texas – Some history teachers at the college level are calling on the State Board of Education to delay a planned spring vote on public school social study standards.

The board on March 12 gave preliminary approval to the new standards for grades K-12. A final vote is expected in May.

Critics say the proposed changes minimize the struggles of minorities.

An open letter to the board, announced Thursday, lists seven historians from the University of Texas at Austin and UT-El Paso.

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – New Mexico U.S Senator Jeff Bingaman says recent violence along the U.S.-Mexico border could mean change for the future of immigration reform. KRWG's Vanessa Dabovich reports

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – New Mexico U.S Senator Tom Udall spent last week in Afghanistan visiting our troops and assessing the situation on the ground. KRWG's Vanessa Dabovich reports

By KRWG News

Alamogordo – New Mexico's Job Training Incentive Program board has approved $692,995 in funds that it says will help create 65 jobs in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Alamogordo.

The incentive funds will go to five New Mexico companies that are expanding operations.

The companies are Array Technologies Inc., Mechtronic Solutions Inc. and Mind Research Network, all of Albuquerque, Simtable LLC of Santa Fe and PreCheck Inc. of Alamogordo.