Month: July 2014

A man convicted of causing the death of his 4-month-old baby could be released from prison soon. In February, Robert Flores, 28, was convicted of negligent child abuse resulting in death. The victim’s family told ABC-7 they’re frustrated and disappointed. Desiree Mondragon thought after Flores was convicted and sentenced, she could move on from this

A part-time Dona Ana Community College professor told ABC-7 he’s been fired for speaking up. Earl Nissen said it all goes back to the school’s accreditation scandal last year. Nissen taught at DACC for 14 years. He said he’s being punished for doing what he loved: helping the students. “They did not appreciate the honesty

The Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley has a chance to win $100,000. The animal shelter is ranked 10th in a nationwide challenge to get animals into homes. The 2013 ASPCA Rachael Ray $100,000 Challenge looks at how shelters across the country improve from last year. So far, the Dona Ana County shelter has

When many people think of Highway 70, they remember the crashes that have taken lives. Most of those deadly crashes involved a car crossing the median and heading into oncoming traffic. New Mexico Department of Transportation officials said steel cable barriers should help prevent those kinds of crashes. The nearly $3 million project is nearly

Enjoy the Rio Grande while you can. In the next few days, it will be empty again. Wednesday marked the end of the irrigation season — the state’s shortest in history. Farmers throughout the borderland will have to rely on groundwater to irrigate their crops. “It’s a record-breaker. We’ve never had to deal with that

An audit of mental health providers in New Mexico revealed evidence of Medicaid fraud and abuse, according to the state Human Services Department. Officials said $36 million in taxpayer money may have been wasted. The state is investigating 15 mental health providers throughout the state. During the investigation, the state has cut its funding to

Police are investigating two reports since Monday evening of gunshots that were fired in the area of Mesquite Street and Juniper Avenue. At around 9:30 p.m. yesterday and again at about 2 p.m. Tuesday Las Cruces police received calls of shots being fired near the area of Mesquite and Juniper. No one reported gunshot injuries,

The grades are in for New Mexico public schools for the 2012-2013 school year. Overall, Las Cruces Public Schools Superintendent Stan Rounds called the results “good news.” Last year, 62 percent of schools in the district had D and F grades. That number improved to 17 percent. “We did bring in a lot of attention

Dona Ana County is paying out another hefty settlement after losing a civil trial. A jury found the county guilty of retaliation against employees who speak up about discrimination and creating a hostile work environment. The county has hired a team to look into the way things are run in county departments. A team from

A man living in Organ, N.M., is without a home tonight. A fire burned down Darroll Homer’s trailer home on the 1500 block of Furnace last night. He believes firefighters could have saved his home. All that remains of his home is burnt rubble and ashes. “When you work your whole life and watch it

Keanna ‘Kiki’ Pepi, who played her freshman year of softball at Oregon State, will transfer to UTEP head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk announced. Pepi will have three years of eligibly for the Miners. “She’s going to come in and help us right away,” Echo-Hawk said. “She brings a ton of power, offensively, so we’re looking for

Acting Veterans Affairs Secretary Sloan Gibson has met with VA medical center officials in El Paso and vowed to improve veterans’ access to health care. Gibson met Friday with the VA center’s leadership, employees and U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke to hear about lingering problems in providing care. Gibson says the facility will receive an additional

Some Las Crucens are protesting a proposed road that would go through a piece of Apodaca Park. They say it will be dangerous, inconvenient and could be illegal. Developers say it would be an improvement. They are proposing a road that would go through a dirt parking lot at the park. Some residents are concerned

July 9, 2013 update: Joey Estrada Official Family Statement:Joey’s family wishes to thank everyone who has offered their condolences, support, and prayers during this very difficult period. At this time, we would like to encourage you to please think of Joey as a son, father, brother, grandson, uncle, nephew, cousin, or friend and not as

Investigators are still working to learn the identity of two bodies recovered from Quemado Lake in the Northeastern part of the Gila National Forest in New Mexico. According to police the two bodies are badly decomposed and are being taken to Albuquerque for identification. Two teens have been missing from the Apache Creek Deaf and

Residents of Kingston, N.M., are relieved to return home after being evacuated because of the Silver Fire. Less than 30 people call the small town home. Life is normally calm and quiet. Laundry hangs on clothing lines. Neighbors know each other by first name. When the Silver Fire threatened the town, residents feared that kind

It’s only a matter of time before a virtual tour of hundreds of points along the main corridor at Carlsbad Caverns National Park will be available. Park officials say Carlsbad Cavern is one of the first caves in the U.S. to be part of a Google Maps Street View special collection. Google Maps plans to

Months ago, the parents of a Las Cruces student got the news no parent wants to hear: their daughter could be a victim of sexual abuse by a teacher. “At that point I was just blown away. I immediately wanted to know where he was and where she was. I knew he was still at

Las Cruces Police are searching for a man who allegedly used a weed whacker to rob a Check ‘N Go. Police say that the robbery occurred at 9:15 a.m. Saturday, June 29 at 400 N. Telshor. Detectives say the man posed as a landscaper and walked into the business, demanded money from an employee and

National cuts in the U.S. Army will have a significant impact on military positions at White Sands Missile Range. A spokeswoman for WSMR told ABC-7 they will lose 535 military positions. “One thing we want to make sure we never lose sight of is the important and vital mission these soldiers do for our army

Despite the scorching-hot temperatures on Wednesday, thousands of fans turned out for the Vans Warped Tour in Las Cruces. It was the 11th year for the concert held at New Mexico State University. Fans crowded the 10 stages where 80 bands played music throughout the day. “Every single year it’s a totally different experience. Every

After hours of discussion, Tuesday, the Las Cruces Planning and Zoning Commission approved a zoning change for the Las Cruce Country Club property. Developers want to build a medical plaza on the property called Park Ridge. They are also proposing shopping, apartments and offices. There was a large turnout at the 6 p.m. meeting as

The Silver Fire near Kingston, N.M., has grown more than 6,000 acres in the last 24 hours. It’s still the largest burning wildfire in New Mexico. Crews from all over the United States are stationed in New Mexico to help fight the Silver Fire. “The fire activity is extreme today. We’re in red flag conditions.

Standing water is the breeding ground for mosquitoes. Now that summer is here, farmers across the borderland are irrigating their fields. With all the standing water on acres of land, you may think it’s a major potential for mosquito breeding. One local farmer told ABC-7 that’s not the case. “We want the water gone in

Some Las Cruces drivers say they’re tired of the stop-and-go driving in the city. It’s not because of traffic jams. It’s because most of the traffic lights are not synchronized. “To say can you go from Highway 70 or Main Street all the way down to Main Street or University? Probably not,” said Las Cruces