Regional

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The Department of Veterans Affairs says more female veterans in New Mexico are taking advantage of a program designed to provide primary health care for women within the VA's system.

The VA says it offers a full range of services through the Women's Comprehensive Care Clinic at the VA hospital in Albuquerque and care at 11 clinics across the state.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – A developer has put plans for a 60-unit affordable housing project in Las Cruces on hold.

The developers, Supportive Housing Coalition of New Mexico, notified officials in the southern New Mexico city that they were unable to secure money needed to build the $6.5 million project.

City neighborhood development coordinator David Dollahon says the partnership did not receive federal low income housing tax credits this year for the proposed project.

He says the partnership intends to pursue the funding next year.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – New Mexico counties will share in more than $32 million in payment-in-lieu of taxes funds, which compensate them for federal lands such as national parks and military bases that local governments cannot tax.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman who announced the funding says it's an extremely important revenue source, especially in these difficult economic times.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – State agencies are inspecting boats at major New Mexico lakes over the Fourth of July holiday, looking for invasive mussels.

State Department of Game and Fish and State Parks Division officials are conducting mandatory inspections, while the Army Corps of Engineers is doing courtesy boat inspections.

Members of the public are advised to arrive at the boat ramp with a clean, dry boat and be ready to answer questions about where they were boating most recently.

By KRWG News

Texas – The Texas Supreme Court will let the Green Party put its candidates on the November statewide ballot for now.

In a ruling issued Friday, the court still wants to consider arguments by state Democrats that the Green Party took improper corporate contributions to fund their petition drive, but the Green Party lawyer says the ruling lets the party file its four statewide candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, comptroller and railroad commission with the secretary of state.

Friday was the deadline for the filing.

By KRWG News

Texas – A federal appeals court has refused to reinstate a lawsuit against the Texas Education Agency by a former state science curriculum director who said she was illegally fired and that the agency's neutral position on the teaching of creationism was unconstitutional.

The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday upheld a lower court's decision to dismiss the lawsuit by Christina Comer.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Efforts to keep people from driving drunk during the holiday weekend are already under way in New Mexico.

The state Department of Transportation says the effort began Friday with law enforcement agencies conducting checkpoints and saturation patrols.

Drivers can expect to see the checkpoints and an increased presence by officers on the roadways throughout the weekend.

Transportation officials also are encouraging drivers to remain vigilant and to call the Drunk Buster hot line to report suspected drunk drivers.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Four of New Mexico's state parks will celebrate Independence Day with fireworks displays for the public.

The state Parks Division says Elephant Butte Lake State Park in southern New Mexico will have its fireworks on Saturday at 9 p.m.

On Sunday, July Fourth, there will be fireworks at Ute Lake State Park and Sumner Lake State Park in eastern New Mexico and at Eagle Nest Lake State Park in northern New Mexico. They are scheduled to start at 9 p.m.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The latest campaign finance reports show that Republican gubernatorial candidate Susana Martinez has raised more than $600,000 since late May, but Democratic Lt. Gov. Diane Denish has far more money in her campaign account.

Denish reported a cash balance of nearly $2.2 million as of last week and Martinez had about $300,000.

Martinez collected about $611,000 in contributions, most of that since the June 1 primary election. Included was $250,000 from the Republican Governors' Association. Her campaign spent $453,000.

By KRWG News

Juarez, Mexico – Gunmen have killed an assistant attorney general for northern Chihuahua state and one of her bodyguards in the violent border city of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

Authorities reported today that the sport utility vehicle carrying Sandra Salas Garcia and two bodyguards was chased by armed assailants through the darkened Juarez streets and riddled with bullets Wednesday night.

Attorney General's Office spokesman Arturo Sandoval says the second bodyguard was seriously wounded.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The state Department of Health will begin collecting body mass index information on New Mexico kindergarten students and third graders this fall to determine the extent of obesity that could mean health problems later on.

Body mass index is calculated from a person's weight and height, and is considered a reliable indicator of body fatness.

The information will be collected from 50 elementary schools around the state.

The Health Department says the system won't identify individual students.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish wants the public to comment on agreements that would open some private lands to public hunting and trapping in exchange for closing some state trust land to those activities.

State officials say the agreements among the department, the state Land Office and several landowners in southeastern New Mexico are designed to benefit sportsmen and landowners.

By KRWG News

Silver City – A southern New Mexico man has been sentenced to a year of probation for illegally removing archaeological resources from the Gila National Forest.

The U.S. Attorney's Office says James Hamm of Silver City also faces six months of home detention. He was sentenced Wednesday in Las Cruces.

The charge stems from a 2008 investigation by the Forest Service. The agency had received a tip from a local rancher that Hamm was excavating and removing artifacts from a site in the Gila Forest.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – Gov. Bill Richardson says uninsured New Mexicans with pre-existing medical conditions can enroll in a new insurance program made available through a federal health care overhaul.

The governor said Thursday the health insurance will be offered through a high-risk pool operated by the federal government.

People without insurance for at least six months and who have a pre-existing medical condition can qualify.

Enrollment opened on Thursday and insurance coverage will start in August.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – President Barack Obama says America's borders are "just too vast" for the immigration problem to be solved with fences and border patrols alone.

He said that a comprehensive solution is needed, instead, urging one that holds everyone accountable, from illegal immigrants to the businesses that hire them.

Obama said the reality is, Republican support is needed to arrive at such a solution. Right now, GOP support is not forthcoming in an election year.