Month: April 2010

Confusion ringing in El Paso, and clarification in Las Cruces. Turns out hands-free-cel- phone use while driving is only part of the way to avoid a hefty fine. “Obviously if you have a Bluetooth or hands free device and you’re looking down to dial or to read text message or e-mail, that’s not going to

EL PASO, Texas – It began at a recent candidate’s forum with a question about a bill from a man in a leather jacket. State Representative District 76 Democratic challenger Naomi Gonzalez told the group gathered she wasn’t familiar with the legislation. After some jeers, she told the man she assumed the bill he mentioned

Longtime UTEP track and field head coach Bob Kitchens will retire following the 2010 outdoor season after 22 successful years at the helm of the Miners program, UTEP officials announced Tuesday afternoon. Kitchens has coached at UTEP since 1988. The Plainview, Texas, native, Kitchens began his coaching career at West Texas A&M in 1968 where

El Paso Electric customers can now qualify for up to a $315 rebate toward replacing older refrigerators and freezers with newer, Energy Star certified units, as long as they have the older ones picked up for free and recycled to receive an additional $30 reward, accoding to an El Paso Electric news release. The rebate

El Paso Police are investigating an early morning crash that killed one person and left another with serious injuries. Police identified the dead woman as 26-year-old Erica Rivera of the 10700 block of Gemstone. Kevin Dorman, 35, of the 5700 block of Will Ruth was driving the motorcycle with Rivera as the passenger around 3:30

El Paso is among 27 cities that are finalists for the 2010 All-America City Awards, the National Civic League announced today. To become a finalist, each participant completed an application documenting three community projects that address the most pressing challenges in their respective communities. Each community will send a delegation to Kansas City to tell

Three children were hospitalized with serious injuries after strong winds lifted the jumping balloon they were playing in, according to officials with the fire department. The incident happened at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday in the 7300 block of Alpine in the Lower Valley. Fire officials said the children, who were between the ages of 2

Three children were hospitalized with serious injuries after strong winds lifted the jumping balloon they were playing in, according to officials with the fire department. The incident happened at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday in the 7300 block of Alpine in the Lower Valley. Fire officials said the children, who were between the ages of 2

The Texas Rangers are investigating the fatal shooting of a 14-year-old boy who allegedly shot at law enforcement officers at the Gunsight Ranch in Hudspeth County on Sunday night. A preliminary investigation by the Texas Rangers found that the boy had allegeldy broken into a deer camp on the ranch, where Hudspeth County Sheriff’s deputies

El Paso Police officers detained a 14-year old boy in an aggravated robbery that occurred around 4 p.m. on Easter Sunday The investigation revealed that the teen entered the Sears store inside Cielo Vista Mall and took more than 15 items, including cologne, mp3 players and clothes. The investigation further revealed that the juvenile was

The El Paso chapter of the American Red Cross is monitoring developments following the earthquake that struck the California-Mexico border Easter Sunday afternoon. While the local chapter has not been asked for help by the Red Cross in California, El Paso chapter officials say they are ready if that changes. Meanwhile, the El Paso Red

Space Shuttle Discovery is due to launch this coming Monday, April 5 and when it does, an El Paso native will be on the ground in Houston helping to lead the mission. Richard Jones is the lead space shuttle flight director for STS-131 and has been a NASA flight director since 2005. A native of

EL PASO, Tx – It was a jarring start to Easter Sunday for one woman in East El Paso. Three teenagers crashed into her rock wall at Robert Wynn and Lee Street around 3:15am before running away. An ABC-7 photojournalist, who was arriving on the scene as the suspects ran away, reported all three teens

After a weekend break, the windy weather returns to the Borderland Monday. Winds will pick up by the afternoon hours and will continue into Monday evening, resulting in periods of blowing dust. ABC-7’s Exclusive Dust Cast calls for winds from the west to southwest at 20 to 30 mph, but peak wind gusts could top

EL PASO, Tx – Outgoing State Senator Eliot Shapleigh and former State Representative Paul Moreno endorsed Naomi Gonzalez for the District 76 Representative seat this weekend. According to Shapleigh and Moreno, 14-year incumbent Norma Chavez has a personality that isn’t conducive to getting things done in Austin. “Session after session we witnessed profanity on the

EL PASO, Tx – A police standoff Saturday night in East El Paso ended with the suspect getting away. Residents were evacuated from the Valley Ridge Apartments near the intersection of George Dieter and Vista Del Sol around 8pm, and were not able to go back inside until around 1am Sunday. Police arrived at the

El Paso Police are trying to figure out who opened fire in an East El Paso parking lot early Saturday morning. The shooting happened around 1:15am outside a club in the 1400 block of Zaragoza, between George Dieter and Pellicano. No one was injured, but the bullets riddled a black car and a white truck.

The family of a man shot in the neck by an off-duty El Paso police officer said their loved one is fighting for his life at a local hospital. And if he survives, he will likely spend the rest of his life paralyzed from the neck down, they added. Andres Elias Cortes, 20, is currently

The daughter of a young mother killed in a fiery crash on Wednesday had surgery at a Lubbock, Texas burn center on Saturday. Priscilla Cerino, 8, will remain at the Lubbock hospital for at least another two months, according to relatives. Saturday, surgeons removed skin from her leg and transplanted it to her stomach and

One of two candidates for Texas State Representative, District 76 is expected to get a big-name endorsement. Texas State Senator Eliot Shapleigh will hold a news conference Saturday afternoon, where he will endorse Naomi Gonzalez for the seat. Gonzalez is locked in a tight runoff race against incumbent Norma Chavez. Election Day is April 13.

A crash involving six vehicles forced police to block several westbound lanes of I-10 near the downtown exit early Saturday morning. The crash happened around 2:15am, and one of the vehicles involved was a tractor trailer. Traffic slowed in the area but fortunately no one was seriously hurt, according to fire dispatchers. As of late

Every ten years the census bureau tries to count each person living in the United States, and with each count comes some very sensitive information. It’s the census bureau’s job to keep that information safe. Mariachi music greeted dozens of Lower Valley residents at the Rio Vista Community Center in Socorro this week. It was

The family of a young mother killed in a fiery crash on Wednesday is asking the public for help. Before dying in the tragic SUV crash, 24-year-old Karla Cerino used her last breath to hand her 8-year-old daughter Priscilla and 2-year-old son Edgar to strangers who stopped to help. As of Saturday morning, Priscilla was

El Paso’s new cellphone ban went into effect April 1st, though there is a 30-day grace period. However, the new ban turns out to be much tougher than first thought. The reason? A closer review of the ordinance finds any use of a cell phone is against the law and can result in a ticket,

It was a school day like any other for El Paso High student Rodrigo Diaz. After his father picked him up from school, the two got on I-10 West to head home. Near Asarco, their lives would change. Karla Cerino, 24, with her two children, also was driving on I-10 West. Near Asarco, police say

El Paso Police have arrested 19-year-old Randy Soto in connection with a crash on March 30 that seriously injured a 5-year-old boy. Soto, of the 12000 block of Abigail, was arrested and charges with injury to a child, a second degree felony, and aggravated assault, a second degree felony. Soto was the driver of a

Redshirt fresman quarterback Carson Meger completed 10 of 17 passes for 167 yards and was responsible for the only touchdown of the day on Friday in the Sun Bow during the Miners’ first scrimmage of Spring. Meger connected with sophomore wide receiver Lavorick Williams for a 32-yard touchdown in the 80-play scrimmage. Junior Mike Scott

El Paso Police have released the names of two off-duty officers involved in a a shooting in East El Paso Thursday afternoon. At 3:41 p.m. Thursday, two off-duty police officers traveling in a personal vehicle on Gateway East near Yarbrough were involved in a minor traffic accident when a yellow Pontiac struck them from behind.

Improving traffic congestion in the Upper Valley is getting mixed reviews from some El Paso residents. The improvements include widening Country Club Road and placing traffic circles at some intersections. Construction has already begun for some of those improvements. But, it’s a proposed multimillion dollar extension that has hundreds of residents upset. It includes a

The whole UTEP men’s basketball team, with the exception of Derrick Caracter, should be returning according to players who met with the media Wednesday afternoon. Caracter will enter the NBA Draft and has hired an agent. Players who hire an agent cannot return to college and finish out their collegiate basketball career. UTEP guard Randy