Regional

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.

By KRWG News

Texas – State Farm Insurance is heading to court in a disclosure battle with regulators over the state publicizing its rates.

A court hearing is scheduled Thursday in Austin over the lawsuit, filed in late March by the state's largest property insurer.

State Farm, after filing twice in eight months for higher rates, seeks to block the Texas Department of Insurance from publicizing documents related to the increases.

By KRWG News

Anthony, NM – The southern New Mexico community of Anthony has elected its first officials, including its first mayor, 59-year-old Ramon S. Gonzales.

About 24 percent of the community's more than 2,600 registered voters went to the polls Tuesday in the inaugural municipal election for the Dona Ana County community, which was incorporated in January.

Gonzales is a retired teacher who was born and raised in Anthony.

Voters also chose four trustees and a municipal judge.

By KRWG News

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – (AP) A state district judge has issued a decision that temporarily puts the brakes on an environmental group's effort to petition New Mexico regulators for a greenhouse gas emissions cap.

New Mexico's largest utility, three state lawmakers and other industry groups sued in January to stop a state regulatory panel from considering a petition by New Energy Economy for an emissions cap in New Mexico.

The group countered with a motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

By Vanessa Dabovich

Las Cruces, NM – The Global Wind Energy Council reports China is moving up in the ranks when it comes to wind power production. As KRWG's Vanessa Dabovich reports, New Mexico U.S Senator Jeff Bingaman says the United States needs to create more incentives to stay competitive.

By Melissa Aguilera

Las Cruces, NM – A new study says teen births are down. And as KRWG's Melissa Aguilera reports experts say communication is the key to maintaining the improvement.

By KRWG News

FORT STANTON, N.M. – (AP) Lincoln County volunteer firefighters have contained a blaze that burned 30 acres of public land near Fort Stanton in southern New Mexico.

Officials with the Bureau of Land Management say the fire was sparked Monday by a vehicle that appeared to be having brake problems. The fire was near the intersection of state highways 380 and 220.

Firefighters responded quickly and were able to contain the flames despite windy conditions.

By KRWG News

SANTA FE, N.M. – (AP) New Mexico has designated the artifacts left behind at Tranquility Base on the moon in its official registry of historic properties.

The Cultural Properties Review Committee made the designation official last week when it approved a nomination prepared by the committee's vice chairwoman, Beth O'Leary; students at New Mexico State University; and the Apollo 11 Preservation Task Force.

By KRWG News

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – (AP) Tuesday marks the first election for municipal offices in the newly incorporated southern New Mexico community of Anthony.

Voters were electing a mayor, trustees and a municipal judge.

The Dona Ana County clerk's office says more than 2,600 people are eligible to vote.

Residents overwhelmingly approved incorporating Anthony in January.

The new municipality will become official on July 1.

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Information from: Las Cruces Sun-News, http://www.lcsun-news.com