Anthony Moreno

On a recent taping of KRWG-TV’s In Focus, Viki Harrison, Executive Director of Common Cause New Mexico says that her organization has called for an independent state redistricting commission. Harrison says with high profile court cases; the redistricting issue is heating up across the country.

“The legislators are drawing districts to suit themselves and their parties. It’s basically legislators choosing their voters instead of the other way around,” says Harrison.

Young Rembrandts, an art enrichment group is celebrating its 30th year anniversary by throwing an event called “It’s in the Bag,” which offers a free art class today at Reyes elementary in El Paso from 3-4. This event is free for all local kids, families are encouraged to bring art supplies to donate.

Also, on Tuesday February 6, Young Rembrandts will be collecting art supplies from 2:30- 3:45PM at Desert Hills elementary in Las Cruces.

In 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart on reentry killing all seven onboard.  Shuttle debris was recovered in West Texas, and now research is underway in El Paso using pieces of Columbia that may help make future space travel safer.

El Paso native and former astronaut John "Danny" Olivas is Director of Space Initiatives at UTEP, and he’s also leading a research endeavor at the university doing what he calls “forensic engineering” at the Center for the Advancement of Space Safety and Mission Assurance Research or CASSMAR.

Former astronaut and El Paso native John "Danny" Olivas took part in space flights on the Space Shuttle Discovery and Atlantis.  And now, he’s sharing his expertise in a mission with the University of Texas at El Paso.  But his career dates back to childhood…seven years old to be exact.

Virgin Galactic says that more jobs are heading to New Mexico. The Santa Fe New Mexican reported the company was planning to move 85 more employees to the Las Cruces area, signaling the company may be closer to launching from Spaceport America.

This past summer the facility hosted local business and government officials to gather feedback for a major event for Virgin’s first launch.

With the recent drought in the West, ranchers may be forced to find more sustainable options.  And some researchers are looking to a breed of cattle from the past to find the answers.

Jon and Susie Eickoff are used to working together and going home together. Jon says over three decades; they have only been apart a couple of times.

“Except for a business trip to Houston, Texas and a stint that I spent in the hospital for ten days, I can say that in thirty years those are the only times we have not been together,” says Jon Eickoff

Dr. Peter DeBenedittis has announced that he is running in the Democratic Primary for Governor of New Mexico. He recently stopped by the KRWG-FM studios to share more about why he is running as a candidate. He also, shared his thoughts on issus the state faces, and he also discusses challenges that he says exist within the Democratic party.

The personal finance website WalletHub recently ranked New Mexico 4th in the country when it comes to having the most underprivileged children. WalletHub analyst, Jill Gonzalez says New Mexico did poorly when it comes to children’s education.  

“We’re seeing that there’s very low public high school graduation rate that gets even lower among economically disadvantaged students,” says Gonzalez.

Across the country, thousands of people facing behavioral health issues end up in prisons and jails. But they often encounter law enforcement officials before that happens.

During his many years on patrol, Lt. Shane Briscoe with the Las Cruces Police Dept. has been dealing with behavioral health issues. He says there are four common groups.

“The ones that we deal with are depression, bipolar disorders, schizophrenic disorder, a combination of schizophrenia and bipolar, those are the categories that we really deal with,” says Briscoe.

President Trump’s executive actions aiming to enhance border security along with constructing a border wall has drawn criticism from environmental groups who say they are concerned about the impact a wall would have on ecosystems along the border.

The Trump Administration has officially made it clear that it wants to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement. On the campaign trail, and into his first months in office, President Donald Trump has made it no secret that he was not a fan of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

On a recent taping of “In Focus” on KRWG-TV, Jerry Pacheco, President of the Border Industrial Association shared his thoughts on the Trump Administrations efforts to renegotiate the trade deal. He says he hopes the efforts are to improve NAFTA.

Senate Republicans pushed back a vote on their proposed healthcare bill aimed at repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act until after the Fourth of July congressional recess.

This past weekend marked the third anniversary of the Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument. It comes after President Donald Trump issued an executive order reviewing national monuments of 100,000 acres or more that were designated as far back as 1996.

Since the designation of the monument, some Las Cruces-area businesses say they have found opportunities to get creative with new brands and expand.

This summer, a new clinic is scheduled to open that will offer counseling services to Post 9/11 veterans and their loved ones with mental health issues.

Construction is underway at what is scheduled to be the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Family Endeavors on El Paso’s east side. Family Endeavors CEO Travis Pearson explains what the clinic will offer.

“The clinic is going to offer free counseling to veterans and their family members free of charge," says Pearson. 

"The Final Mission: Preserving NASA’s Apollo Sites," is a new book that highlights not just the space race, but book shares much about the research, training, and manufacturing that it took to put human beings on the moon.

Weldon Lamb, retired NMSU adjunct professor in the Department of Anthropology recently sat down with KRWG to discuss his book "The Maya Calendar." Lamb talks about his interest in the culture and what discoveries he made while conducting his research on the calendar. 

Las Cruces Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Gregory Ewing sits down with KRWG to talk about challenges facing the school district.

In the interview, Ewing talks about the state budget crisis and how it is impacting the school district. Ewing also shares how the district would respond to any possible immigration enforcement actions that may impact students. Also, Ewing shares his thoughts on the district's recent interactions with New Mexico Education Secretary Hanna Skandera and the state public education department. 

Next month, The Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument will celebrate its third anniversary, and now some in Las Cruces are worried that their recently designated national monument may be sized down thanks to a new executive order by President Trump.

Friday a crowd of people filled a ballroom at the Ramada Las Cruces Hotel and Conference Center to speak out against President Donald Trump’s executive order that called for a review of national monuments that were designated back to the start of 1996 and covered at least 100,000 acres.

This week, President Donald Trump issued an Antiquities Act executive order that calls for a review of national monuments designated back to the beginning of 1996 with 100, 000 acres or more. The move also opens the monuments up for review for possible modifications. U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich has spoken out against the executive order and he says he will work to protect New Mexico’s newly designated national monuments.

In February, Las Cruces Public Schools had over 2,300 students miss class after a reported immigration raid in the community.

Dr. Gregory Ewing, Superintendent of Las Cruces Public Schools says that the most important thing is that students come to school. He says that parents who may be concerned about any possible immigration enforcement actions have options in the district when it comes to getting their children to school if they notify the district.

“We will ensure that a bus comes to your residence to pick up your child and bring them to school,” says Ewing.

School districts across the state have felt the impact of the budget crisis and has left them planning for the next fiscal year without a finalized budget agreement for the state.

Dr. Gregory Ewing, Superintendent of Las Cruces Public Schools says the New Mexico Public Education Department has taken $2.7 million from the district’s operating funds. Ewing says the PED also took $500,000 from the district's transportation budget which is used to transport students to school. He also says LCPS also had $191,000 from instructional materials and supplies account.

“The Final Mission: Preserving NASA’s Apollo Sites” is a new book that discusses in great detail NASA’s Apollo sites, and the need to preserve them. The book is authored by Lisa Westwood, a professional archeologist and professor at Chico State University, Wayne Donaldson, Chairman of National Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and Beth O’Leary, Professor Emerita of NMSU’s Anthropology Department.

Beth O’Leary recently was a guest on KRWG-TV’s “In Focus.” O’Leary says that the book is about space archeology and heritage.

Bev Courtney is former president and a current member of the Las Cruces Tea Party. Courtney on a recent episode of “In Focus” shares why she got involved with the organization.

“There was so many people there, and there was high energy, I liked the things they said, I agreed with them,” says Courtney.

Courtney says she is a supporter of President Donald Trump. She says Trump was successful in his campaign, because his message resonated with people like her.

The Republican Proposed American Healthcare Act failed to gather enough support last week in Congress, and that had some healthcare consumer groups relieved for older adults who they say could have faced great burden.

In part two of KRWG’s In Focus interview with Roman Jimenez, Chairman of the Doña Ana County Republican Party, Mr. Jimenez shares his thoughts on immigration enforcement, The North American Free Trade Agreement, and shares his perspective on why Republicans lost control of the New Mexico House of Representatives in the 2016 election.