Month: December 2016

Chicago police say more than 40 people were shot over the holiday weekend and more than three dozen guns were seized. CNN reports 12 people were killed in the Windy City over the weekend. The shooting tally includes violence at a family Christmas party on the city’s South Side at which two brothers were killed

The year saw the deaths of pop-culture music giants: David Bowie, who broke musical boundaries through his musicianship and striking visuals; Prince, considered one of the most inventive and influential musicians of modern times; and George Michael, first a teenybopper heartthrob and then a mature solo artist. David Bowie, 69. Other-worldly musician who broke pop

As New Mexico continues to struggle with a budget shortfall, officials say the state is running out of funds to pay jurors. The Santa Fe New Mexican reports officials say the state could run out of money to pay jurors by March, meaning jurors who serve after that may have to wait to be paid

The first team to arrive in El Paso for Friday’s Sun Bowl game was greeted in true Borderland style. A crowd surrounded the North Carolina football team as it landed at El Paso International airport this Sunday afternoon. As the Tar Heels walked through the airport, they were greeted with Mariachi musicians and folklorica dancers.

El Paso Police say a robbery spree that began on Christmas night ended with a chase and a crash early Monday morning. The crash happened in Central El Paso by the intersection of Gateway South and La Luz just after 12:30 am. Police tell ABC-7 that 4 men were taken into custody. At this point

George Michael, who rocketed to stardom with WHAM! and went on to enjoy a long and celebrated solo career lined with controversies, has died, his publicist said Sunday. He was 53. Michael died at his home in Goring, England. His publicist, Cindi Berger, said he had not been ill. No other details were released. He

Two El Paso police officers were taken to a local hospital early Christmas morning after a crash in Northeast El Paso. The officers were in a patrol car when they crashed into an overpass pillar on the 2600 block of Chaffee Road, near Ft. Bliss Cemetery and the Humane Society at 12:42 a.m. Special Traffic

1. Supreme Court Justice Scalia dies during hunting trip in Marfa: An El Paso source close to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia told ABC-7 that the 79-year-old died in his sleep on Feb. 13, after a day of quail hunting at Cibolo Creek Ranch outside of Marfa, Texas. The Justice did not report feeling

A man was taken to a local hospital after a El Paso Fire Department pickup truck was struck by a car Sunday morning on southbound Mesa at Executive. The crash happened around 10:00 a.m. The man, presumed to be the driver of the car which hit the truck, was taken by ambulance. It does not

The first night of Hanukkah began at sundown on December 24. The Jewish holiday commemorates the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrians and the rededication of the second temple of Jerusalem around 165 B.C. President Obama released a statement Friday wishing all a happy Hanukkah. He says the story of Hanukkah reminds the world

Operation H.O.P.E brought joy to hundreds of kids on Christmas Eve. The organization had volunteers dress up as superheroes to visit kids in the hospital this holiday season. The super heroes had one objective: bring joy and happiness to the sick kids. The generous act not only surprised the kids, but it also was a

For many in the borderland Saturday became a day to spend with family and friends outside. It was no ordinary Saturday in El Paso it was not only Christmas Eve but also the first night of Hanukkah. While some ice skated during the comfortable day outside, others frantically bought last minute Christmas gifts for family

In 1939 a small boy went to the only fire station in Juarez at the time and asked for a Christmas gift; the chief told him to come back on the 24th. On Christmas Eve the fire chief dressed up as Santa and started giving out 300 gifts. More than 70 years later the tradition

The fire that ravaged a mobile home in El Paso’s Lower Valley caused an estimated $20,000 in damage, fire officials said. Firefighters said an electrical short originating in the kitchen area is to blame. The blaze erupted at about 2:40 a.m. on the 8400 block of Alameda. Officials say firefighters arrived within five minutes and

The Border Patrol says agents rescued 18 migrants abandoned by smugglers in cold and wet weather in the southwestern New Mexico desert near the U.S.-Mexico border. The agency’s El Paso Sector office said the migrants told agents that smugglers who abandoned them Thursday morning said they should find authorities to get help. According to the

The U.S. Energy Department is authorizing its contractor to resume the disposal of radioactive waste at the federal government’s underground repository near Carlsbad in southern New Mexico. Agency officials said Friday the approval confirms that numerous corrective actions identified during a recent review have been completed. They say the first container of waste is expected

Trulia.com has ranked El Paso as the 9th most hungover city in America. According the Trulia website, the ranking was calculated by ranking “150 large American cities based on the number of drinking establishments, firecracker stores, party supply stores and party equipment rental stores per household”. Then the website looked at the share of young

If you take a look at Ticketmaster, you may notice there are thousands of tickets available for the 83rd Annual Hyundai Sun Bowl less than a week out from the big game. As of Friday, the Sun Bowl had sold around 35,000 tickets out of the available 50,426 seats. But Bernie Olivas, Executive Director of

A strengthening disturbance aloft will swing past the region Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, bringing increased wind speeds and another chance for precipitation. This system will be cold enough to deliver some Christmas snow to the higher elevations with a chilly rain expected elsewhere. As this system departs, a rather quiet weather pattern will follow

Thousands of people are expected to be crossing the border this Christmas weekend, with numbers expected to double from normal crossings. Customs and Border Protection officers estimate 60,000 cars and 40,000 pedestrians will cross each day during the holiday season. “This is one of the busiest times of the year at area ports. Being fully

There is a belief that positive thinking has power beyond science and medicine. Jennifer DeGraaf may be proof of that. In June, DeGraaf, 39, was rendered speechless during a meeting, then suffered a seizure. She knew something was wrong. Her previous bout with cancer in 2013 — stage three breast cancer — left her a

Earlier this week, City Council reversed course on the arena project, deciding to move forward with a study to see if the convention center is a better site for the arena than the Duranguito Neighborhood. Not everyone was on board. The vote was 4 to 2 in favor of the study. City representatives Emma Acosta

Former City Rep. Ann Morgan Lilly spoke only with ABC-7 on Friday about an ethics complaint she filed against El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser on Thursday. “I am formally filing a complaint under the city code against Mayor Oscar Leeser for abuse of office and power and misuse of public police resources,” Ann Morgan Lilly

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and Mothers Against Drunk Driving are teaming up for an anti-drunk driving campaign. Sheriff’s deputies and MADD want to keep drunk drivers off the roads during the holidays. The sheriff’s department reports there were 910 people killed in Texas in crashes where the driver had a BAC of .08

A man suspected of killing his wife and infant son in Texas calmly told officers during a traffic stop in Colorado that he was having a “long week” because his wife and children had been murdered and he was being blamed, according to police reports filed in connection with the case. Craig Vandewege, 35, was

Iconic Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher is in critical condition after suffering a “cardiac episode,” the Los Angeles Times reports. Fischer was on a flight from London to Los Angeles, according to emergency officials cited by the newspaper. The Los Angeles Time reports Fisher, 60, was rushed to the hospital by Los Angeles Fire Department

Texas has collected more than $160,000 in back child support since starting a program this year that bars some parents who owe money from renewing vehicle registrations. The Dallas Morning News reported Thursday December was the first month renewal requests can be denied in the Texas Attorney General’s Office program. The rule applies to parents

A man has been arrested after San Antonio police say they went to a home to respond to a shooting and found one person dead and three Mexican nationals. The Mexicans told police officers they’d been abducted from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, and were being held for ransom. The man in custody, 22-year-old Ramiro Lopez, was

ABC-7 has video of what appears to show four El Paso city representatives having an after-work meeting last Thursday. The following day, those same city reps. met with Mayor Oscar Leeser for a meeting at least two El Pasoans say was a violation of the Texas Open Meetings Act. Two ethics complaints both state City