Month: May 2015

An assistant principal in a Central Texas school district has resigned after seeing a bus driver allegedly touch a 6-year-old girl but not reporting it for months. The Austin Independent School District has not released the administrator’s name in the case that led to molestation charges against the driver. District officials and police Friday night

Armed guards are posted outside the hospital room where the former police chief of this border city is recovering after he was shot Friday morning. Police said two suspected gunmen are in custody and more arrests are expected. Julian Leyzaola is now in stable condition, according to police officials. Gunmen shot the former police chief

Carter Center officials say former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has cut short an election observation visit in Guyana due to health reasons. Sunday’s statement from the Center says the 90-year-old ex-president is returning to Atlanta. It did not disclose specifics, only saying Carter was “not feeling well.” The Guyana observer mission marks the Carter Center’s

With only about 20 days left in the 84th session of the Texas legislature, ABC-7 is getting an insider perspective on what’s going on in the Capitol. Border security has been an increasing concern over the last year. But a lack of specific measurements of the success Texas Department of Public Safety efforts has El

Al Velarde and Dori Fenenbock coasted to big victories in their respective races to become trustees of the El Paso Independent School District. Trent Hatch had a closer race, but still finished above the 50% mark, which was enough to avoid a runoff. Their election marks a return to local oversight of El Paso’s largest

With all precincts reporting, these are the results so for three seats on the Ysleta ISD school board. In the Ysleta ISD District 2 board member race, incumbent Connie Woodruff defeated Mary First Perales by 58 votes. YSLETA ISD BOARD MEMBER, DISTRICT 4 MIKE ROSALES 1,617 votes or 58% DEBY LEWIS 1,175 votes or 42%

With all precicnts reporting, El Pasoans voted “yes” for propositions 1, 2 and 3. Proposition 1 19,289 people or 56 percent voted yes to give firefighters a second chance if they fail a drug test, while 15,039 people or 44 percent voted no. Proposition 2 23,437 people or 68 percent voted yes and 11,202 people

With 53 of 53 precincts reporting, the $451 million bond proposal by Ysleta Independent School District did not pass, with 51 percent of voters voting no and 49 percent voting yes. 5,832 voted for the bond and 6,164 voted against it. A preliminary analysis of the early voting numbers show more voters in precincts in

The Town of Anthony, Texas had its own election Saturday. Martin Lerma was elected mayor, defeating Benjamin Romero 258-216. For Place 1, Joe Garcia ran unopposed. And Shawn Weeks won Place 2.

With all precincts reporting, Clint residents approved an $80 million bond proposal by the Clint Independent School District. 510 voted for the proposal and 182 voted against it. The money would be used by the school district for the construction, renovation, acquisition and equipment of school buildings in the district. It also would be used

Results with all precincts reporting. SOCORRO ISD BOARD AT LARGE MICHAEL NAJERA 2,938 votes or 40% FRANK DEL TORO 1,460 votes or 20% KENNETH KEN GEZELIUS 729 votes or 10% TONY AYUB 2,196 votes or 30% SOCORRO ISD BOARD MEMBER, DISTRICT 1 HECTOR GONZALEZ 1,090 votes or 100% SAN ELIZARIO ISD BOARD #7 ARMANDO MARTINEZ

Four seats on the El Paso City Council were up for election Saturday. Two of the three incumbents won comfortably. City Reps Michiel “Mike” Noe won with 66 percent of the vote and Claudia Ordaz won with 73 percent of the vote in their respective races. In District 8, incumbent Cortney Niland defeated challenger Josh

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Five people were injured in a fight at a Northeast El Paso apartment complex early Saturday morning. According to police all five people injured were taken to University Medical Center. One of the people stabbed is in serious but stable condition and the rest are in stable condition. Police were also investigating two different locations.

Families and children are invited to celebrate the El Paso Zoo’s newest animal mommy with their mommies on Mother’s Day. The El Paso Zoo will shower orangutan mom Ibu and dad Butch with love from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 10, 2015. The shower will include games, interactive booths, special animal enrichment,

The Texas House has approved a potentially landmark measure to stop charging students who skip school with a criminal offense. Houston Democratic Rep. Harold Dutton’s bill passed on a voice vote Friday and now needs only a final procedural vote to clear the House. A similar measure already passed the Senate, but the bills are

It was a piece of art that was supposed to inspire but after the sculpture placed in a roundabout on Country Club Road was removed it has created a rift between the artist and the city. The artist also claims the city is just trying to appease some influential El Pasoans who wanted the sculpture

that was supposed to inspire. but after the sculpture placed in a round- about on country club road was removed it has created a rift between the artist and the city. the artist also claims the city is just trying to appease some influential el pasoans who wanted the sculpture removed. ABC-7’s jerry najera is

Big campaign contributions are flowing to school board races. The ABC-7 I-team found campaign finance reports showing the top two fundraisers, Dori Fenenbock and Al Velarde, raised just about $18,000 each for the race. If they are unpaid volunteers, why are others so eager to donate big bucks to get these candidates elected? “Here like

The mission of the STEM Fiesta is to inspire our youth to pursue education and careers in STEM,” said Mike Acosta, STEM Initiatives Lead with Workforce Solutions Borderplex. “We want students in our region to be excited about STEM, and know the opportunities and options for STEM education leading to high paying careers in STEM

Images are being circulated on social media that state the propositions relating to El Paso firefighters are now known by articles on the ballot, possibly confusing voters. On the hard copy mailers sent to voters’ homes and forwarded on social media Proposition 2 is now Article 9 and Proposition 3 is now Article 14. Proposition

The ABC-7 I-Team has obtained a copy of the complaint Dona Ana County Sheriff, Kiki Vigil, filed with the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office. In the complaint, Vigil accuses county commissioners of violating New Mexico’s Open Meetings Act. Sheriff Vigil alleges commissioners illegally went behind closed doors for a budget discussion that affects his department.

Click on the links below for coverage on the referendums related to the El Paso firefighters that are on the May 9 ballot. Links are from newest to oldest. Have the firefighter propositions on ballot changed names? May 07, 2015 Firefighters union tallying up member votes to see if they will accept City offer May

Click links below to read ABC-7’s coverage of the Ysleta ISD bond proposal. Articles are from most recent to oldest. Ysleta ISD Share the Vision facilities report Ysleta ISD property tax calculator If approved by voters YISD’s $452 million bond will raise tax rates but how much? April 30, 2015 Taxpayers concerned Ysleta ISD Trustee

Even with early voting underway, the city is still pursuing a last-minute deal with its firefighter’s union. The city and firefighters say they’re working as hard as possible to reach a deal before the May 9 general election. “(We want) something that acknowledges the good work (firefighters) do,” said Fire Chief Samuel Pea. “But also

Early voting starts Monday on a contract between El Paso and its firefighters. City Manager Tommy Gonzalez reminded El Pasoans Tuesday “it’s going to cost you.” The question is how much. Gonzalez made the city’s latest proposal public on Tuesday. The fire union’s ballot proposal would cost the owner of the City’s average $124,000 home

The Ysleta Independent School District is moving forward with a plan to create an all-girls school. The Young Women’s Leadership Academy would be in what is currently Hillcrest Middle School at 8040 Yermoland Drive in the Lower Valley. YISD Superintendent Dr. Xavier de la Torre said the proposal will move forward whether or not a