Regional

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Few Americans have ever seen the effects of polio, or are even aware the disease still exists. A native of India, Rahul Tangirala knows a lot about polio. He's a graduate student studying economics at New Mexico State University. He's also trying to raise awareness about the disease while raising money to help those affected by it in his home country.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has scaled back spending on television advertising for Rep. Harry Teague, choosing to focus in New Mexico on helping another first-term Democrat, Albuquerque-area Rep. Martin Heinrich.

Heinrich, D-N.M., is in a tight race against Republican businessman Jon Barela, while Teague, D-N.M., is facing a close contest for the southern New Mexico seat against former three-term Republican Rep. Steve Pearce.

It means The DCCC will air more ads for Heinrich and fewer for Teague.

By KRWG News

Hatch – First came the huge fiberglass pig.

Now, it's the giant rooster.

The owners of a restaurant in Hatch, Teako and Josie Nunn, have created T-shirts with the slogan "Save the Rooster," similar to what they did 10 months ago when the fate of their huge fiberglass pig was uncertain.

The fiberglass rooster sits about 12 feet up, atop a '64 Chevrolet pickup truck.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – City officials in Las Cruces have approved a land lease near the Las Cruces Airport for SunEdison to build a solar power plant, with the possibility there could be another plant built.

Along with the deal approved Monday by the City Council, there's an agreement between the solar energy company and El Paso Electric for SunEdison to provide 24 megawatts annually. A megawatt is equal to 1,000 kilowatts or 1 million watts.

By KRWG News

Silver City – A Silver City woman who faced evidence that she killed a McDonald's co-worker will spend 13 years at a mental health facility in Las Vegas, N.M.

The question of whether 33-year-old June Maldonado was competent to stand trial in the Dec. 21, 2008, stabbing death of 16-year-old Javier Ramos has been at the center of the case.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The government and American Indian farmers who say they were denied farm loans have agreed on terms for a $680 million settlement of a long-running lawsuit.

The two sides agreed on the deal after more than 10 months of negotiations. The government and the Indian plaintiffs met Tuesday in federal court in Washington to present the settlement to U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Forty years ago, a gallon of gas cost 35 cents, Richard Nixon was in the White House and Professor Clarence Fielder started teaching at New Mexico State University. Fielder, a decorated Korean War veteran who is described as a dedicated heritage preservationist and a cherished educator, will be honored at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29, in the Otero Room of NMSU's Corbett Center Student Union.

By KRWG News

El Paso – The Socorro Independent School District and the Ysleta Independent School District won a collective $500,000 in college scholarships for their students as finalists for the 2010 Broad Prize, The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation announced today.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan joined philanthropist Eli Broad at the Museum of Modern Art to announce that Gwinnett County Public Schools outside Atlanta won the 2010 Broad Prize, the largest education award in the country that carries with it $1 million in college scholarships.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – A 27-year-old man was arrested after threatening to run over his wife late Sunday evening.

Manuel Pando Valdez Jr., 27, is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, battery against a family member and criminal damage to property.

By KRWG News

Juarez, Mexico – Gunmen have stormed two homes and killed nine people in a neighborhood of the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez.

The Chihuahua state Attorney General's Office says gunmen burst into a home where a family was having a party. Three women and two men died at the scene Sunday night, and a man and a woman died at the hospital.

The statement Monday says gunmen attacked a second home in the neighborhood minutes later, killing two men.

Police had no suspects and did not give a possible motive.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says a 17 percent drop in Border Patrol arrests along the U.S. border with Mexico shows heightened enforcement is working.

Napolitano told reporters Monday in San Diego that the Border Patrol made about 463,000 arrests along the border during the federal government's fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. That's down from more than 556,000 the previous 12 months.

It marks the fifth straight year of declines.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Police arrested three men who broke into a central Las Cruces home on Sunday evening, took two rifles and a shotgun, and then leisurely returned to the scene of the crime.

Armando Rodriguez, 25, Alex Hernandez, 24, and Mario Hernandez, 20, were arrested Sunday evening. Each face charges of aggravated burglary, larceny of a firearm and conspiracy.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Las Cruces Police are investigating a pair of drive-by shootings that were reported Sunday evening and may possibly be related.

At around 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 17, several gunshots were reportedly fired at a residence on the 1100 block of Juniper Avenue. Police found two vehicles and a house struck by multiple rounds. Witnesses described a dark-colored sports utility vehicle leaving the area.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – On Saturday, Oct. 23, more than 400 students representing teams from across New Mexico and El Paso, Texas, will compete in a robotics competition using robots they designed and created.

By KRWG News

Ruidoso – Approximately 510 acres of slash piles generated from forest thinning activities on the Smokey Bear Ranger District are scheduled to be burned October 18-22, 2010, weather conditions permitting.

The Munoz Prescribed Burn is part of the Southwestern Region's Central Priority of restoring fire-adapted ecosystems, which includes reducing the risk of crown fires, protection of private resources and restore forest health.