Regional

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – A man in his late fifties was rescued this morning in satisfactory condition from a mineshaft at Aden Crater near Las Cruces by members of the U.S. Border Patrol's Search, Rescue and Trauma (BORSTAR) team.

BORSTAR Team members say the male victim has been identified as William Snyder, of El Paso, Texas.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Lt. Gov. Diane Denish and 3rd Judicial District Attorney Susana Martinez will speak during the 2010 Domenici Public Policy Conference Sept. 1-2 at New Mexico State University's Corbett Center.

The two, both candidates for New Mexico governor, will separately present the major policy initiatives they would advance in office during the second morning of the conference. Following their presentations, Denish and Martinez will take questions from university student panelists.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – A convicted murderer who escaped from prison in Arizona on Friday has ties to Las Cruces and police believe there is a remote possibility that he may headed to the Mesilla Valley.

Tracy Province, 42, and two other inmates escaped Friday evening from the privately-run, medium-security Arizona State Prison in Kingman, Ariz. One of the escapees, 36-year-old Daniel Renwick, was captured Sunday in Colorado but Province and 45-year-old John McCluskey are still on the run.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – The New Mexico Human Services Department is organizing a food drive that runs through Friday to benefit the border area near Columbus.

The Luna County community sits on the U.S. border with Mexico.

State officials say 350 children who are United States citizens live across the border in Palomas, Mexico, and attend school on the U.S. side in Columbus. When classes ended for the summer, many lost out on their only regular meal of the day.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – President Barack Obama says he agrees that more control must be exerted over illegal immigration, but he won't accept "a patchwork of 50 different states" acting on their own.

Obama tells CBS he believes immigration control advocates "are absolutely correct." But he also says "what we can't do is demagogue the issue." The president tells anchor Harry Smith he wants to "work with Arizona," while insisting that national immigration policy cannot be left to "anybody who wants to make a name for themselves."

By KRWG News

Silver City – State officials have reduced the bond required for reclamation work at the Tyrone mine in southwestern New Mexico.

The state departments of Environment and of Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources approved the $2 million bond reduction, the fifth in five years for reclamation work at the mine owned by Freeport-McMoRan.

The company's financial assurance for the closure of the Tyrone mine is now $185 million, down from the original amount, which was more than $270 million.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – A former assistant football coach at the University of New Mexico has filed a civil rights lawsuit stemming from an altercation involving coach Mike Locksley.

J.B. Gerald filed the lawsuit Friday in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque against Locksley and the University of New Mexico Board of Regents.

The lawsuit says Locksley attacked Gerald on Sept. 20 by choking him, punching him in the face, and cursing at him in front of peers and athletes, and should have to pay damages to Gerald.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – President Barack Obama has signed a bill he says will address the unique public safety challenges facing American Indian tribes.

Obama signed the Tribal Law and Order Act on Thursday.

By KRWG News

Texas – Gov. Rick Perry is seeking a presidential disaster proclamation for 21 Texas counties hard-hit by flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Alex and Tropical Depression 2.

A statement issued Thursday by Perry's office says he's written to President Barack Obama to request federal disaster aid for the counties in west and south Texas.

The presidential disaster declaration would send federal resources to help with recovery.

By KRWG News

New Mexico – New Mexico now has a million registered organ and tissue donors.

Gov. Bill Richardson announced this week that the state hit the million mark for people registered as donors through the Motor Vehicle Division or through an online registry at www.nmdonor.org.

The state has added nearly 230,000 new people on the registry since it was unveiled last August.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – The Department of Higher Education will hold town hall meetings across the state in August to help in developing a master plan for New Mexico's network of colleges and universities.

The first meeting is Monday in Roswell. Other will be in Santa Fe, Farmington, Silver City, Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Hobbs, Las Cruces, Clovis, Portales and Gallup.

The department expects to present a draft of its master plan to state leaders by the end of the year.

By KRWG News

Silver City – A local Swift Boat veteran will speak at the opening of the new Western New Mexico University Museum exhibition, "Vietnam: Remembering Those Who Served" on August 21, 2010.

John Paul (J.P.) Jones served during the Vietnam War as a Swift Boat veteran and later was elected as Mayor of Silver City. He, along with the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 358 Color Guard, will participate in the opening reception of the exhibition at the WNMU Museum.

By KRWG News

Alamogordo – The Pentagon today announced that Holloman Air Force Base will be the home of two new squadrons of F-16s, a mission that will bring an increase of trainees and contractors to the base.

Holloman will become a training base for the jet-fighter aircraft, which is one of the Air Force's most valuable assets. The F-16s will be in use for at least the next two decades.

By KRWG News

Alamogordo – Alamogordo city commissioners have asked the staff of the southern New Mexico community to put together an incentive package to lure Ruidoso Downs horse racing to Alamogordo if the track's owner decides to relocate.

Clovis is competing for the track, and Ruidoso Downs officials have discussed the possibility of moving to Las Cruces.

Clovis Industrial Development Corporation executive director Chase Gentry says Clovis submitted a business proposal for the track in April.

By KRWG News

Las Cruces – Daniel Estrada wants to keep people on the move. And, he hopes funding from a fellowship program will help him do just that.

The graduate student, working toward a master's degree in applied geography, was recently awarded $5,000 from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program to help him research commuter railways and how they can affect driving patterns, especially along Interstate 10, between El Paso, Texas, and Las Cruces.