Month: July 2014

Lincoln National Forest officials say the risk for fires is very high. The warning is for Alamogordo, Ruidoso, Cloudcroft, and Carlsbad. It’s all because of drought conditions, wind, and warm weather. The “very high” warning indicates fires can start easily and grow quickly. Officials say if you plan to visit Lincoln National Forest you need

Days after angry protesters took over a city council meeting, Albuquerque leaders are adding extra security and warning that rules of decorum will be strictly enforced at Thursday night’s session, called to discuss the troubled police department. The agenda includes whether the city should change the way the police chief is selected. Council members were

Two kidnappers who took a man outside El Paso’s Don Haskins Center after a basketball game and drove him more than 200 miles to Albuquerque have been sentenced. Brandon Lawrence Jones and Jesus Manuel Gallegos were sentenced in a federal court in Albuquerque Monday. Jones received 35 years in prison, Gallegos received 30. According to

Primary Election – June 3, 2014 Click here to get a copy of the Candidate Primary Election Guide Clickherefor alist of all officeson the ballot Click here for a list of Candidate Contact Information . Click here for information on 2014 Primary Election Community Meetings Click here here for a Super Sample Ballot of all

Doa Ana County Sheriff’s investigators have obtained an warrant for the arrest of a 19-year-old man who allegedly stabbed and killed 21-year-old Gilberto Wences on April 19, 2014. Wences was on his way home after working a shift at a fast-food restaurant in Anthony, Texas. Investigators are looking for Mario Soto, who they say was

After nearly 79 years in business, the family-owned Silver City Daily Press says it is publishing its final edition on Monday. Publisher Tina Ely made the announcement with a posting on the newspaper’s website. In a telephone interview, the tearful Ely says it was a decision many years in the making as ad revenues fell

New Mexico State University has launched a program aimed at helping educators be more effective at teaching reading and at identifying children who may have dyslexia. The program includes five graduate courses for students pursuing a master’s degree in special education. Community teachers wanting to increase their skills are also welcome to participate. Marlene Salas-Provance

The New Mexico Department of Corrections has announced that it is ending overnight family visits for inmates. The agency said Wednesday inmates will no longer be allowed conjugal visits beginning May 1. Officials say the policy change comes after two years of “careful consideration.” The policy recently drew scrutiny after it was revealed last year

Doa Ana County Sheriff’s investigators are looking for people who may be victims of a man who sheriff’s officials say fraudulently acted as an attorney and took retainers for services he never provided. According to court documents, Rafael Herrera, 38, worked for a local law firm from October 2011 to September 2012 and misrepresented himself

New Mexico State Police are recommending a Dona Ana County Sheriff’s deputy be charged with vehicular homicide. On April 1, 2014, Sheriff’s Deputy Eden Terrazas ran over and killed a woman while responding to a call in the town of Mesquite. Terrazas had been with the department for less than six months. Investigators say she

Nearly 120 firefighters are trying to maintain lines around a wildfire burning in southern New Mexico. Lincoln National Forest officials say the Bensen Fire is 10 percent contained and crews are focused on making sure the fire doesn’t grow beyond its current 96-acre size. Spokeswoman Loretta Benavidez says firefighters are hoping winds won’t cause any

A forest fire reported about 2 p.m. Thursday in the Lincoln National Forest. Forest officials tell ABC-7 the fire is currently about 10-15 acres in size and is called the Bensen fire, located 3 1/2 miles west of the Sunspot Observatory. This is near High Rolls and Oliver Lee State Park. The cause of the

New Mexico State University has posted the following alert on its home page regarding a person allegedly threatening to shoot a person on campus. 4:20pm, April 2, 2014 Update: The name of the alleged suspect is 53-year-old Giuseppe Chiappara. NMSU police are asking our campus community to continue normal activity and to report anything unusual

The New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) with law enforcement have lifted the closure for I-10 traffic in the Lordsburg area. High winds closed the interstate earlier today due to low visibility from the blowing dust and sand. Roadway notifications will be posted on the department’s web site www.NMroads.com, and can be retrieved by calling

The murder retrial of James Bogart continued Tuesday in Las Cruces. The wife of the man he’s accused of killing took the stand. “I never feared for my life when I was with my husband,” Christina Hernandez, the wife of an Iraq War veteran who was shot and killed by his roommate, said in court

An orphaned mountain lion cub rescued by a hunter in Washington has found a home in New Mexico. Zia was discovered last October stumbling through rows of wheat stubble. So dehydrated, she could hardly make a sound and was too weak to stand. Her mother was nowhere to be found. The hunter, Dave Garnetti of

Las Cruces Police have arrested a third City of Las Cruces employee who allegedly falsified public documents. Robert M. Guillen, 40, is charged with 10 counts of forgery and 10 counts of conspiracy. Guillen is the third city employee to be charged in the investigation that began from an anonymous tip in August 2013. Robert

The 25th annual Bataan Death March Marathon took place Sunday morning at White Sands Missile Range. More than 6,200 participants registered. The first event was held 25 years ago with 134 people gathering at New Mexico State University to begin a 22 mile course. Marchers, runners and walkers will aim to complete the rugged course.

Federal officers seized nearly 29 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of $915,000 that was hidden in a pickup truck being driven into the United States from Mexico at a crossing in southern New Mexico. Customs and Border Protection says officers found the cocaine Thursday in a pickup truck at the Santa Teresa

Forecasters with the National Weather Service say the first two months of 2014 marked the driest start to any year on record for New Mexico, and things haven’t improved. Senior meteorologist Chuck Jones says the state received less than one-third of its normal snow and rain over the winter, and the lack of snowpack in

Federal officers seized nearly 29 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of $915,000 that was hidden in a pickup truck being driven into the United States from Mexico at a crossing in southern New Mexico. Customs and Border Protection says officers found the cocaine Thursday in a pickup truck at the Santa Teresa

Nearly a month ago, 17 workers were exposed to radiation at the government’s only permanent nuclear waste dump in Carlsbad New Mexico. Since then, residents and neighbors as far away as El Paso and Las Cruces have been worried about their safety. ABC-7 attended a town hall meeting in Carlsbad Thursday night. During the meeting,

Researchers at New Mexico State University are participating in a national pilot program aimed at addressing substance abuse, mental health and other behavioral health problems. The researchers are focused on getting more accurate local data about the occurrence of behavioral health problems in communities like Dona Ana County. The end goal is to provide resources

It’s been a busy basketball season for New Mexico State Basketball players. The NMSU women’s basketball team lost in the WAC tourney, 75-65 in the Friday’s semifinal match. NM State ended the season 11-20 overall. NMSU was ahead of the Vandals in the first half (41-35), but fell behind in the second period. NMSU’s Men’s

Gov. Susana Martinez will approve proposed 3 percent pay raises for state workers and public school employees. Martinez spokesman Enrique Knell said Friday the governor won’t use her line-item veto powers to cut state budget provisions for the salary increases for classified public employees, teachers and other public school workers. However, other parts of the

Las Cruces Police have released the name of a motorcyclist killed in a fiery crash Wednesday night in Las Cruces. It happened about 6:30 p.m. On Spruce Ave. Just past the Las Cruces Police Department facility. Police say 21-year-old Dominic Phillips of Las Cruces was riding his sports motorcycle when he veered into oncoming traffic.

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez on Thursday morning announced the creation of nearly 150 new jobs in Santa Teresa at six companies. The new jobs at five companies and an additional company are a result of Martinez signing HB14, which eliminates the Gross Receipts Tax on maintenance services and parts on aircraft. “Making New Mexico

A 17-year-old girl who admitted killing her foster mother in her southern New Mexico home now faces about 10 years in prison. A judge on Wednesday sentenced Alexis Shields to 30 years in prison but suspended 17 years of the sentence. According to the Alamogordo Daily News (http://bit.ly/1nhRpDw ), the remaining 13 years of the

A man accused of manufacturing, possessing and distributing child pornography is now behind bars. Bradley Willt, 34, lived close to the New Mexico State University campus on the 1800 block of Wyoming Avenue. He was taken into custody at Country Crest Apartments. Neighbors ABC-7 spoke with Wednesday afternoon are still in complete shock that a

The New Mexico Department of Transportation has issued an alert for the I-10 corridor from the Arizona state line to Deming, NM. Strong wind gust with low visibility is being reported in various areas through this section of the interstate. Motorists are encouraged to reduce speed and to proceed with extreme caution until weather conditions