Regional

         Doña Ana County and the City of Las Cruces will host a public meeting on Thursday, June 6, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Butterfield Community Center, 9350 Berry Patch Ln.

   The purpose of the meeting is to provide background to the public regarding the ongoing Joint Land Use Study (JLUS) for Fort Bliss, Holloman Air Force Base, and White Sands Missile Range and surrounding communities, as well as to share findings to date and gather input from residents on local issues, opportunities and priorities.

City Hall and most other City of Las Cruces offices will be closed Monday, May 27 in observance of the Memorial Day holiday. Police and fire services will not be affected.

The following is a list of closures:

Thousands of people in New Mexico are still looking for work or at least better jobs even as the state's unemployment rate is down.

The Department of Workforce Solutions reports that New Mexico's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6.7 percent in April, down from 6.9 percent in March and 7 percent in April 2012.

The department says New Mexico gained about 7,900 jobs during the past 12 months, for a 1 percent growth rate.

However, approximately 6,400 people showed up at a jobs fair at Marriott Pyramid North last week in Albuquerque.

The New Mexico Arts Commission says seven artists and supporters of the arts are recipients of this year's Governor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts.

An awards ceremony is scheduled Sept. 27 in Santa Fe at the New Mexico Museum of Arts and there will be a reception in the state Capitol.

The recipients are Rio Rancho painter and printmaker Edward Gonzales, Santa Fe painter Darren Vigil Gray, Taos musician Jenny Vincent, Taos painter and furniture maker Jim Wagner and Santa Fe potter Frank Willett.

The Dona Ana County Commission is expected to vote Tuesday on whether voters will ultimately decide a sales tax proposal and bond renewal on July 30. 

The Las Cruces Sun-News reports that the sales tax would generate $7.6 million annually and be used to expand staffing at the county's 911 center and pay for county ambulance service.

It also would go toward operating a center that temporarily houses mentally ill people who are in custody yet haven't been accused of a serious crime.

Uranium Resources, Inc. has announced that it will be closing its offices in Albuquerque, Crownpoint and Grants.

The move announced Friday is aimed at reducing corporate overhead, but URI President and CEO Christopher Jones says the company is still committed to the projects is has pending in New Mexico.

The Lewisville, Texas-based company says the changes will likely be complete by the end of June. The company expects to save about $1.5 million annual with the consolidation.

Gila National Forest officials say another portion of the popular Catwalk National Recreation Trail is expected to open soon.

Forest employees are replacing an additional quarter mile of the trail and hope to have the work done by Memorial Day.

Glenwood District Ranger Pat Morrison says the U.S. Forest Service recognizes the importance of the trail to local residents and tourists.

As the Legislature barrels toward its Memorial Day finish, Gov. Rick Perry is getting more powerful by the hour.

That power is tied to Perry's veto pen and his demonstrated willingness to wield it like a sledge hammer over his 12 years as governor. He has vetoed more than 260 bills and used his line-item veto power over the state budget to slash billions in spending.

The University of New Mexico says it has reached an agreement in principal with former men's basketball coach Steve Alford over his buyout.

Alford said in April he was willing to pay a $200,000 buyout for leaving the Albuquerque school to take a job at UCLA, but he wouldn't pay the $1 million payment that New Mexico wanted.

The dispute stemmed from the timing of his announcement and a term sheet he had signed just weeks before agreeing to a new 10-year contract with New Mexico that included a $1 million buyout.