Month: December 2014

The recent cold temperatures are going to stick with the Borderland as people ring in the new year. Frigid temps have lingered in El Paso longer than most would like. “It’s a nice change for a couple of days. I want it to go away so I can go back on the golf course,” one

The approval of Proposition 1 last month was expected to bring the Texas Department of Transportation as much as $1.7 billion a year in funding. But falling gas prices and the plummeting value of oil could mean a lot less money for roads in the state. No one is complaining about lower gas prices, but

The new year means more money for many minimum wage workers in Las Cruces. On January 1st, the rate increased from $7.50 to $8.40 per hour. Employees who work off tips will see their pay go from $2.13 to $3.36 per hour. Some local business owners are anticipating the increase, while others say they may

The carcasses of nearly 40 coyotes were discovered in the desert just west of the Las Cruces airport. An ABC-7 viewer says one of his friends ran across the remains, some with wooden blocks in their mouths displaying numbers, presumably the date when they were shot. “These coyotes were undoubtedly the result of a wildlife

Three Borderland hospitals will have their Medicare payments reduced because of the number of patients who got hospital-acquired conditions while being treated. University Medical Center, El Paso Specialty Hospital and Memorial Medical Center in Las Cruces will all be receiving 1 percent less in Medicare reimbursement payments this year. That’s the penalty imposed by the

A collision on I-10 West at the Travel Information Center near Exit 0 has closed all lanes. The backup is to Vinton with an expected clearing time of two hours. Use alternate route.

Suspected drunk-driver Joel Garcia refused to give a blood sample to police, but a blood sample was still taken despite police not having a warrant to take the sample. Garcia was charged with three counts of intoxication manslaughter after allegedly being involved in a collision that killed three people on Christmas Eve. Last month the

El Paso Police arrested 27 people for various alcohol-driving related offenses between Christmas Eve and ending at midnight Dec. 28. The breakdown of offenses over the five day period is listed below. Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) 12 DWI 2nd 3 DWI 3rd 2 DWI =>.15 7 DWI Open Container 1 Minor Detectable 1 Intoxicated Manslaughter

Weather looks good for the next several days with a nice warm up. Temps likely to reach around 70 degrees. Expect the winds to crank up for the weekend with some colder air for Sunday and Monday.

The commander of Fort Bliss says the suicide rate at the West Texas base has dropped at a time it has risen dramatically throughout the Army. Maj. Gen. Dana Pittard says the number of suicides dropped from seven in 2011 to five last year. The national rate rose by 13 percent over the same period.

Ridley Scott’s “The Counselor,” one of the most highly anticipated films of the year, has a confirmed release date of Nov. 13. According to IMDB, it is a thriller that stars “Michael Fassbender as a struggling lawyer who becomes embroiled in the drug trade … Fassbender’s character, known only as The Counselor, is brought into

Popular indie band Beach House have released the short film “Forever Still” today, featuring four songs from their critically acclaimed album, “Bloom.” “Bloom” was recorded in 2011 at Sonic Ranch Studios in Tornillo, Texas. “Before releasing ‘Bloom,’ we decided that we would only participate in ‘promotional’ activities that we could control artistically and give substantial

An emotional sentencing in district court this morning as Eric Barajas was sentenced for killing Angela Gonzalez and Orlando Figeroa as they crosseda street on October 30th of 2009. On Saturday a jury found Barajas guilty on two counts of Intoxication Manslaughter. This morning he learned his fate, 12 years in prison. Barajas’s family broke

A community meeting regarding the former ASARCO smelter site is scheduled for 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Feb. 26, 2013. The meeting will focus on the scheduled stack demolition, estimated to occur in April 2013. The purpose of this meeting is to inform the public of the logistics of the stack demolition, health and safety

The latest craze to sweep the Internet is bringing college students the wrong kind of attention – from the Federal Aviation Administration. During a flight from Colorado Springs to San Diego, a group of students started the Harlem Shake, a dance to a song of the same name. In the suddenly popular YouTube videos, one

Federal prosecutors are seeking the forfeiture of $2.5 million in cash from a former Carnegie Mellon University trustee accused of conspiring to launder more than half a billion dollars for a drug cartel. An indictment filed Wednesday in Texas alleges that El Paso lawyer and philanthropist Marco Delgado defrauded millions from a firm doing business

The Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces will install its new bishop, Oscar Cantu, on Thursday, Feb. 28 while El Paso’s diocese awaits word on when it will receive its new bishop. El Paso has been without a bishop since Dec. 2011. In the United States, there are 195 archdioceses/dioceses, 1 Apostolic Exarchate, and 1 Personal

A cold front comes through tonight around 6:30 p.m. or so. The winds will pick up and turn to the NW/N (gusts around 40) along with some colder air arriving. Temps tomorrow will be around 54 degrees or so. A warming trend for the weekend with temps around 70 or so by Sunday.

ABCNews Several groups from the entertainment industry have teamed up with five major American Internet service providers to create something called the Copyright Alert System. The system aims to educate and dissuade consumers from participating in illegal methods of sharing copyrighted materials online. It’s a new effort by entertainment companies to keep people buying what

The El Paso Independent School District will see some major changes this spring. Interim Superintendent Vernon Butler revealed his plan to reorganize central office at Tuesday’s school board meeting. EPISD’s Central Office has several vacancies since various administrators have recently resigned or retired in the wake of the cheating scandal. There’s also a lot of

(CNN) – If you have a smartphone, you may have felt the embarrassment of sending a private message to the wrong person or having autocorrect fail you at just the wrong time. But some people experience a different kind of messaging mishap, one they may not even remember doing. And no, they’re not drunk-dialing. They’re

The family of Lupe Ontiveros is mad that the El Pasoan who appeared in dozens of movies and several TV shows over several decades, did not get a mention during the “In Memoriam” tribute during the Oscars telecast on Sunday Ontiveros’ son told TMZ that the family gathered to watch the Oscars and was “disappointed”

El Paso movie buffs are no doubt familar with F. Murray Abraham’s Oscar win in the mid-80’s for best supporting actor for his role in “Amadeus.” The Borderland also had a loose connection to the 85th Academy Awards. Andrew “Andy” Jimenez, of El Paso, worked on Oscar-winning animated film “Brave.” His animated short, “One Man

Morrissey’s twice-postponed El Paso concert will now take place on April 23, according to Ticketmaster.com. The singer was scheduled to perform a sold-out show at El Paso’s Tricky Falls on Feb. 12 before scrapping the concert and other dates because he was recovering from several ailments. Tickets from the Feb. 12 show will be honored

Four former elected officials were sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Court Judge Frank Montalvo for their parts in a widespread public corruption scheme. Their sentences are: Linda Chavez, former Ysleta Independent School District trustee, five years probation, 30 days in a halfway house, and $9,000 restitution. Milton “Mickey” Duntley, former Ysleta Independent School District trustee,

Six of 11 people have been sentenced as part of the federal government’s Operation Poisoned Pawns corruption case. The four sentenced on Tuesday are part of a group of 11 El Pasoans who turned themselves in to the FBI in September 2010 after they were indicted that same week on federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt

Charles Mainor, a New Jersey assemblyman, has gotten in hot water for liking a Big Bootie Freaks page and a violent fighting page on Facebook. Read more about it here.

Fruit flies under the influence of alcohol exhibit similar characteristics to intoxicated humans. As their blood alcohol content rises, they become more and more hyperactive, and even promiscuous. And just like humans, once they’ve had too much, they start to slow down and eventually pass out.Fruit flies are placed in ‘The Fly Pub’ – a

State Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, has filed House Bill 1426, which would require both prosecutors and defense lawyers in criminal cases to open their files to their courtroom opponents. “These are discussions we have to have to start to make a move toward fixing the system in Texas,” said Moody, a former prosecutor. It’s

Ta nia Chozet is running for City Council representative for District 7 in the May 11 election, according to paperwork filed Monday with the Municipal Clerk’s office. The seat is being vacated by Steve Ortega who is running for mayor. Chozet was appointed by County Judge Veronica Escobar to serve on Commissioners Court for Precinct