Month: January 2012

EL PASO, TEXAS — Gabriel McCulley scored a career-high 22 points, and UTEP outscored Houston 37-19 in the second half on its way to a 70-50 victory over the Cougars on Saturday at the Haskins Center. The Miners (8-8, 1-1 C-USA) won for the 18th time in their last 19 Conference USA home games, while

We remain under an ABC-7 First Alert for rain/snow showers, colder temperatures and breezy to windy conditions through late tomorrow morning. Expect continued rain showers for the lowlands and snow showers for the higher elevations for the rest of the evening. The cold front will move in overnight and lows will be at or right

The El Paso Fire Department responded to a house fire late Friday night in northeast El Paso. According to EPFD, a neighbor called 911 to alert them of a fire at 4380 Loma De Brisas just after 9:30 p.m. Crews said they saw heavy smoke coming from the two-story home, and found the fire had

Crowds of people gathered at Providence Children’s Hospital in West El Paso early Saturday morning to donate their blood to 7-year-old Noel Hauke. Hauke is battling acute myeloid leukemia, and between the cancer and his chemotheraphy treatments, his father says it’s destroying his platelets. “When your own child is that sick and could die from

The ABC-7 StormTRACK Weather Team continues to track the next winter storm system that will bring wind, colder temperatures and chances for showers to the Borderland. Sunday will start off mild with highs in the upper 50’s and breezy winds. Conditions will get windier as we head into the afternoon as a cold front will

Angela Kocherga covers the Southwest border and interior of Mexico on air and online for KVIA and Belo Television?s 20 stations and three regional cable networks. Angela has reported extensively on the drug war and its impact on families on both sides of the border. She is the only U.S. reporter to regularly report from

Mara Garca is a native of the borderland, who grew up watching ABC-7. She’s worked in broadcast news since she was 19 years old, doing everything from producing newscasts to managing the newsroom on weekends and reporting. Since graduating from the University of Texas at El Paso in May 2008, Mara has immersed herself more

Former County Judge Dolores Briones pleaded guilty in connection with El Paso’s long running public corruption investigation. Records show Briones pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and embezzle federal program fund. The ABC-7 I-Team learned within the past hour that Briones appeared before Judge Frank Montalvo the afternoon of Dec. 9 and entered a guilty

DALLAS, TEXAS ? Gloria Brown posted her third consecutive double-double (17 points, 11 rebounds), Kelli Willingham added 16 points and UTEP crushed SMU on the boards in a 64-53 win inside Moody Coliseum in the Conference USA opener for both squads Thursday evening. The Miners (12-2, 1-0 Conference USA) out-rebounded the Mustangs (7-7, 0-1 C-USA),

Former El Paso County Judge Anthony Cobos found himself back in a federal courthouse Friday morning. Cobos, accused in a massive public corruption case that reaches as far back as May of 2007 when federal officials served a search warrant on his office, was ordered to be present for a Friday morning docket hearing in

A teenager convicted in the beating of a man outside the Old Plantation club in May was sentenced to 10 years in juvenile detention, with the possibility of being moved to an adult jail once he turns 19. Esteban Alfaro, 17, on Thursday was found guilty of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon — a

We’re shaping up to have a beautiful day and a nice start to the weekend. Light winds from the west along with sunny skies will allow temperatures to warm up into the mid 60s today and tomorrow with overnight lows above freezing. Some changes return to the area by Sunday as a cold front moves

A man accused of killing a man during a robbery was spotted with the knife and cash in hand, police said. Royce Jackman knew that Clifton L. Baker had money in his pocket, and according to the complaint affidavit, Jackman wanted it to buy drugs. The two got into an argument when Jackman demanded the

A boy is being treated at a hospital for what are described as “severe” injuries after a tragic accident involving a household appliance. Emergency crews were called out to the 3600 block of Olympic Avenue in Northeast El Paso around 9:20 p.m. Wednesday. When crews arrived, they found the 8-year-old boy with his arm stuck

This Week The New Mexico State men’s basketball team begins 2012 WAC play at Louisiana Tech, Saturday, Jan. 7 at 6 p.m. in Ruston, La. The game is available on KGRT 104 FM with the ‘Voice of the Aggies’ Jack Nixon, and the pregame show starts 30 minutes prior to tip. New Mexico State Aggies

Hello downtown mercado! Vendors at a nearly 40-year-old flea market were evicted from a downtown parking lot located at Oregon and Paisano Streets this week, clearing the way for a new indoor mercado. It’s all part of a plan to establish a mercado district in Downtown El Paso. But first, the Tiradero Flea Market, that

Former City Representative Rachel Quintana’s forgery conviction is no more. A judge has ordered the verdict and conviction deleted from the record. Quintana was arrested shortly after she was elected in 2007, accused of forging her former boss’s signature to get an airline discount. She served her four-year term on city council with the misdemeanor

The weak cold front that passed through yesterday brought cooler temperatures this morning. Many parts of the Borderland dropped below freezing, including El Paso. Sunny skies should prevail today with highs in the upper 50s. Tomorrow and the weekend look great as sunny skies and southwesterly winds should warm us up into the mid and

Border officers searching the tire well of a station wagon found several wheels, but they weren’t spares. Instead of a Michelin tire, officers found 10 wheels of prohibited cheese weighing in at 116.5 pounds — a dairy discovery worth nearly $700, officials said. Officers were performing inspections at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry

An El Dorado High School teacher and assistant football coach who police said was carrying two boxes filled with pot was pulled over for several lane-change violations Tuesday afternoon in East El Paso. Police said 34-year-old Darius Enrique Ellison, of the 14000 block of Pacific Point Drive, was driving a 2006 maroon Lexus when he

The rest of the country is looking at El Paso for something it’s “doing right.” That’s what a federal government official said when he toured the Kay Bailey Hutchison Desalination Plant in East El Paso on Wednesday afternoon. The plant produces about 27.5 million gallons of fresh water every day. The impressive part, said Secretary

Drives on Interstate 10 are about to get a lot nicer. At least that’s what the city of El Paso is hoping once a big art project along the freeway’s now-faded murals is finished. The project to beautify I-10 is still in the early stages. The Texas Department of Transportation is funding part of the

Mount Cristo Rey in Sunland Park, N.M., is one of the Borderland’s natural treasures and a favorite hiking spot for many. But some hikers say the American land leading up to the mountain could be better guarded by authorities against potential illegal intruders. “I think (Border Patrol) should be able to do more for safety’s

El Paso city officials have used the word “crisis” to describe the sometimes hours-long wait times at the local ports of entry. During Tuesday’s city council meeting, District 2 City Rep. Susie Byrd mentioned the possibility of legal action on the part of the city against U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Byrd said it’s time

The regularly scheduled El Paso City Council meeting was anything but by-the-book Tuesday morning. Those in attendance saw a process server pass the barrier and serve a lawsuit to Mayor John Cook, City Manager Joyce Wilson, and four members of Council: Emma Acosta, Morgan Lilly, Susie Byrd and Steve Ortega. The lawsuit is the latest

Three years ago, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office started its own animal control unit to address the county’s pet population problem. Overwhelmed, they hope a new plan for 2012 that will soon require county pets to be registered will help curb the issue. ABC-7 spent the Tuesday afternoon riding along with an animal control

The rest of the country is looking at El Paso for something we’re doing right. That’s what a federal government official said when he toured the Kay Bailey Hutchison Desalination Plant in East El Paso on Wednesday afternoon. The plant produces about 27.5 million gallons of fresh water every day. The impressive part, said Secretary

THE OPENING ACT UTEP To Ring In New Year & Start C-USA Play At SMU UTEP will play for the first time of 2012 when it opens Conference USA play at SMU at 6 p.m. MST Thursday. The Miners (11-2) capped non-league play at a high note by routing Texas State, 81-58, on Dec. 31

KANSAS CITY (Jan. 4) – New Mexico State women’s basketball senior Kelsie Rozendaal poured in a career high 15 points and classmate Tabytha Wampler posted her sixth double-double of the season but it was not enough as UMKC defeated the visiting Aggies 68-57 inside the Swinney Recreation Center Wednesday evening. NM State led Missouri-Kansas City

HUNTINGTON, W. Va. ? Dennis Tinnon had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Marshall whipped UTEP on the boards in a 76-60 win on Wednesday at the Cam Henderson Center. The Herd (10-4, 1-0 C-USA) posted its first victory over the Miners (7-8, 0-1 C-USA) in eight games since joining Conference USA.