Month: February 2015

State Rep. Joe Moody is introducing a bill to reduce the penalties for marijuana possession. The new bill, House Bill 507, would make the possession of up to 1 oz. punishable with a $100 civil fine. Currently, marijuana possession in Texas – even a minor amount – can end in jail time and a fine

Canutillo’s defense came up big with a blocked punt two forced fumbles to keep the game close for a portion of the game. But it wasn’t enough. Ennis defeated Canutillo 41-13 to move on in the state playoffs to the championship game. The Canutillo Eagles did what no other area 11-man team has done. And

A local shelter for women looking to get into the Christmas spirit is getting help from the El Paso community. Dame La Mano, spanish for ‘give me your hand’, is a place for homeless women who need help getting back on their feet. Many of the women with children or expecting who have left abusive

Members of the University Medical Center board heard from dozens of people during public comment Friday morning, every one of them praising hospital CEO Jim Valenti. The hospital’s leader has been under scrutiny after he disclosed details of negotiations between UMC and the Children’s Hospital without authorization from the board and without sharing the plan

El Paso Police are investigating concerns from Kern Place residents who fear one of their neighbors is killing and torturing puppies. ABC-7 is not revealing the suspected neighbor’s name because he has not been charged. Police on Thursday said they are investigating the individual. A group of residents spoke to ABC-7 but did not want

The packages and gifts are piling up at a west El Paso UPS store. The busy season is no surprise to owner Enrique Esteves and his wife as they prepare for Monday, December 15. “We just deal with so many customers on Black Monday that we need the extra help,” said Esteves. UPS expects to

Veterans Entertainment has found a new charity to donate to after El Paso Children’s Hospital asked not to be the recipient for Veterans Entertainment’s charity event. Veterans Entertainment announced Thursday that money raised at their “Dance4Charity” event Dec. 19 at Plum City Lounge will go to the Ysleta Lions Club. A toy drive also will

For weeks now, ABC-7 viewers have been giving us feedback on the $120,000 bonus given to University Medical Center CEO Jim Valenti based on his performance evaluation. Valenti took that money despite laying off more than 50 employees this year. Then, ABC-7 learned he’ll get about $3 million on top of regular pay and bonuses

From one end of Doniphan Street to the other, Canutillo residents are beaming with pride this week over the Eagles’ football playoff run, leaving many talking about a time when things were different. In Texas, it’s not rare for a small town to live and die with its high school football team. And it’s no

About a week after being reassigned to Andress High School, Laron Sharp is back as principal at Irvin High School. El Paso Independent School District administrators made the decision on Tuesday and announced it on Wednesday. Sharp was back on campus Wednesday morning. District officials say Sharp and administrators met over the past week to

Doa Ana County commissioners decided to up the pay for some county officials, in hopes of drawing better qualified candidates down the road. The five elected officials beginning new or re-elected terms get to ring in the new year with a 15 percent raise. They are the sheriff, county assessor, county clerk, county treasurer and

The number of fans watching Friday’s State Class 5A semifinal game between Canutillo and Ennis went from a few thousand to possibly hundreds of thousands with news that ABC-7 is carrying the game. It’s one thing to carry the hopes of a small town like Canutillo, but now the Eagles know they are carrying the

ABC-7 traffic alerts for this week: Paisano east and west between Park and Coles will be closed 9 a.m.-4 p.m. until Friday Dyer north and southbound right lane between Ellerthorpe and Kemp will be closed this week from from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. I-10 from the Paisano exit and the Raynolds entrance ramp will be closed

The three other families featured in the second episode of The Great Christmas Light Fight had impressive Christmas displays. But they were welterweights trying to battle the heavyweight light and musical show of the Loya family. Once the host/judge, Michael, joined the Loyas and assembled crowd in shouting “Maestro! Turn on the lights!” the contest

An El Pasoan was killed in Andrews County, Texas Saturday morning. The Texas Department of Public Safety confirms that Steven Michael Bolton, 32, died. Bolton was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. Texas DPS reports that road conditions were dry and there were clear weather conditions.

TheHyundai Sun Bowl Football Committee is expected to announce the two teams for this year’s Sun Bowl game. The public is invited to join the Sun Bowl Association and its volunteers as they select teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Pac-12. The announcement will be Sunday atFrankie’s Sports Bar and Grill at 3:30

County Judge Veronica Escobar has called for the resignation of the University Medical Center board of managers chairman and vice chairman. In a letter addressed to Board Chairman William Hanson, she said she is dissatisfied with the way hospital leaders have communicated regarding executive bonuses and other issues. On Saturday, ABC-7 got the response from

The Canutillo Eagles defeated Everman High School 17-14 in the Class 5A Division II State Quarterfinal. The Eagles are now the first High School football team in El Paso to ever make it to the Texas Class 5A semifinals. The Eagles sealed the game with a game winning field goal with 27 seconds left in

A heated, standing-room only University Medical Center board meeting Friday ended with a reprimand coming to CEO Jim Valenti and the creation of a task force to work on a communications plan. UMC board chair William Hanson refused to say why Valenti is being reprimanded – whether for his part in the poor relationship with

The El Paso District Attorney’s Office has filed a motion to revoke the probation of boxer Antonio Escalante in light of his arrest for allegedly Driving While Intoxicated on Dec. 3. Escalante’s arrest for DWI Dec. 3 was his fourth this year. He was charged with DWI 3 or more in his latest arrest. According

A collision on I-10 East at Piedras that closed the left two lanes and caused traffic to back up to at Schuster has been cleared.

University Medical Center’s CEO Jim Valenti’s compensation has been under the microscope since news surfaced he received a $120,000 bonus just months after UMC laid off more than 50 employees. But the Texas Hospital Association says the criticism may not be deserved. “I am between the lowest 10th percent percent and the 25th percent of

Dec. 5, 2014 Update: Law enforcement have arrested a 22-year-old man in the death of a 20-year-old woman in Central El Paso Thursday. Geomel Shaffa, 22, of El Paso, was arrested in Eloy, Arizona. Eloy Police arrested Shaffa and he is being held on a murder warrant in El Paso. El Paso Police say that

The head of El Paso’s County hospital is not in good standing with the County Commissioners Court for a variety of reasons, like taking a big bonus while laying off employees and speaking about hospital issues when the board told him not to. Is Jim Valenti’s job in jeopardy? ABC-7 spoke with the county judge

El Paso boxer Antonio Escalante’s arrest for allegedly Driving While Intoxicated Wednesday – his fourth this year – appears to be a violation of his plea agreement in two DWI cases. He was charged with DWI 3 or more in the Wednesday incident. According to the police affidavit, police received several calls about a possible

El Paso Children’s Hospital could brought into the El Paso County Hospital District. It’s an option on the table, said University Medical Center CEO Jim Valenti, at the breakfast meeting of County Commissioner Carlos Leon Wednesday. “The Children’s board has to make that decision,” Valenti said. “They have to evaluate all of their options and

El Paso Police have arrested one man and are looking for another in a Nov. 22 drive-by shooting death. Alejandro Leal, 31, of the 100 block of Whittier, has been charged with Engaging In Organized Criminal Activity (E.I.O.C.A.) – Murder (Bond – $500,000.00) in the shooting death of 38-year old David Gomez at about 1:18

City Manager Tommy Gonzalez has restructured the City. “I have been studying the organization and getting to know the staff. We have a strong workforce that is dedicated to the community,” Gonzalez said in a statement. “The changes I have made align staff and resources to better serve the public as we work toward meeting

A 68-year-old man shot and killed a 46-year-old man during an argument about money, according to the police affidavit. Gabriel Chavez, 68, has been charged with murder in the Nov. 21 shooting death of Carlos Marquez. Victim’s name has been released and it is 46-year-old Carlos Marquez. A police officer arrived to the 400 block

The Republican-led House may vote this week to undo President Barack Obama’s executive actions on immigration, House Speaker John Boehner told lawmakers Tuesday as he sought to give outraged conservatives an outlet to vent over Obama’s move without shutting down the government. The move would be mostly symbolic, since Obama would certainly veto such legislation