Month: August 2017

The Republican Party chairman of southern New Mexico’s Dona Ana County has resigned after making comments on social media that referenced “violent, leftist protesters” following deadly protests in Charlottesville, Virginia. Roman Jimenez wrote in the Facebook post on the party’s page Sunday that the protesters were responsible for creating a divide between races and genders

Authorities say a prisoner who escaped from a New Mexico county jail has been recaptured in El Paso. The New Mexico State Police says Joshua Mirka was apprehended Tuesday morning by Texas Rangers and local police. Details on the recapture weren’t immediately released. Mirka escaped Monday evening from the Luna County Detention Center in Deming,

Border Patrol agents found 20 undocumented immigrants inside a tractor trailer at the Sierra Blanca I-10 checkpoint Monday morning, a spokesperson for the federal agency’s Big Bend sector said. The immigrants, reportedly from Mexico, El Salvador and Guatemala, were found to be in good condition, health-wise, and did not require medical attention, the spokesperson said.

The Third Judicial District Attorney’s Office concluded the actions of the Las Cruces Police officer who shot and killed an armed suspect were justified. “After an extensive review of this case we have concluded that the shooting by Officer Kenneth Davis was justified under New Mexico law,” said District Attorney Mark D’Antonio. The July 17,

President Donald Trump’s condemnation of hate groups – two days after his initially equivocal response to a deadly attack at a rally in Virginia – disappointed and even angered some of the white nationalists, white supremacists and neo-Nazis who supported and felt emboldened by his presidential campaign. Trump initially blamed “many sides” after violent clashes

MTV says the uber-popular video for “Despacito” didn’t earn a nomination at its Video Music Awards because it wasn’t submitted for consideration, but Universal Music Latin Entertainment says MTV didn’t ask the label to submit the video until last week – two weeks after the network announced its VMA nominees. “Despacito” has not aired on

Herbie Mays is 3M proud, and it shows – in the 3M shirt he wears; in the 3M ring he earned after three decades at the company’s plant in suburban Cincinnati; in the way he shows off a card from a 3M supervisor, praising Mays as “a GREAT employee.” But it’s all nostalgia. Mays’ last

Private lawyers seeking to represent Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman in his U.S. drug-trafficking case failed to get assurances Monday that they’ll get paid, leaving the Mexican drug lord’s defense in limbo. During a hearing in federal court in Brooklyn, U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan told the lawyers that if they took the case, there was

In Gainesville, Florida, workers hired by the Daughters of the Confederacy chipped away at a Confederate soldier’s statue, loaded it quietly on a truck and drove away with little fanfare. In Baltimore, Mayor Catherine Pugh said she’s ready to tear down all of her city’s Confederate statues, and the city council voted to have them

The National Weather Service in El Paso has upgraded a flood advisory to a flood emergency. Socorro, Sparks, Clint, San Elizario and far southeast El Paso were listed as areas with the highest potential for weather-related damage. The NWS advised residents to move to higher ground, and exercise extreme caution. Socorro police spokesman Victor Reta

Immunize El Paso is encouraging parents to get their child vaccinated before the start of school. It reported that Texas had the highest case of the mumps last year in more than 20 years, in part because of the increasing number of unvaccinated children. The state requires children who will be enrolled in school to

As the special session in the Texas Legislature nears its end, supporters and opponents of the so-called bathroom bill continue to flood the state capitol building. Monday, civil rights groups gathered in Austin to deliver a list of 50,000 signatures from Texans against the bill to the governor, lieutenant governor and the House speaker. The

I-10 East closed at Sunland Park I-10 West closed at Sunland Park I-10 West closed at Viscount Paisano closed from Supr 1966 to San Antonio Day Time Closures: 9am-3pm I-10 right lane closed from Sunland Park to Buena vista El Paso Street car closures: Long term closures Paisano Drive closed to traffic between Chihuahua street

After days of staring each other down over whether and how to improve the way the state funds its public schools, the Texas House and Senate both blinked Monday, with each passing the other’s priority school finance bill. With two days left in the 30-day special legislative session that began July 18, the House passed

Cotton Valley Scholars is holding its annual school supply drive this month through Aug. 25 for several school districts. They are asking for crayons, markers, #2 pencils, composition books, erasers, rulers, scissors, glue, backpacks, folders, black and red pens, and wide-ruled loose leaf paper. The supplies will be delivered to Fabens, Fort Hancock, San Elizario

One of the richest men in the state of Texas is helping to finance an El Paso historian’s fight to save the Duranguito neighborhood. Oilman J.P. Bryan has a number of homes in cities across the state, but El Paso is not one of them. So what is his connection to the Sun City? Bryan

El Paso’s own Nolan Richardson spoke highly Monday about the late Frank Broyles – the man who hired him as the head coach of the Arkansas men’s basketball team – despite the rocky history between the two men. “My heart goes out for his family and his friends…your heart always goes out to those people,”

El Paso Electric crews are working to restore power after lightning struck a pole in east El Paso late Monday night, said the utility company. This happened around 9 p.m. in the area near McRae and Trawood. Downed wires were reported. About 2,600 customers were affected. El Paso Electric said crews are trying to restore

The New England Holocaust Memorial in Boston has been vandalized for the second time this summer. Police said a 17-year-old Malden boy smashed a glass panel on the memorial Monday evening. He was detained by two bystanders until officers arrived on the scene. Police said he will be charged with willful and malicious destruction of

All but one of the 40 renters once living in the Downtown arena footprint have agreed to relocate and received assistance finding housing elsewhere, the City of El Paso said Monday. A total of 42 people had resided within the footprint, living in 18 apartment units and two owner-occupied units. The City worked with the

The National Hurricane Center said Gert was centered about 455 miles (735 kilometers) west-southwest of Bermuda Monday evening and had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph). It is moving north at 8 mph (13 kph). Gert is expected to become a hurricane Monday night. A gradual turn toward the northeast with an increase

A Pentagon spokesman says the two U.S. soldiers killed Sunday in Iraq were casualties of a U.S. artillery “mishap.” The soldiers have been identified as 22-year-old Sgt. Allen L. Stigler Jr. of Arlington, Texas, and 30-year-old Sgt. Roshain E. Brooks of Brooklyn, New York. Both were canon crewmembers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field

Commissioners Court Monday announced a proposed salary increase for itself and elected constable precinct officers. The pay will not go into effect until the proposed budget, with the pay increase item, is approved. The approved pay increase proposal includes a pay raise of 3 percent for all county employees. Commissioners are receiving a 1-percent salary

How much is the battle over the Downtown arena costing the City of El Paso and its opponents? ABC-7 learned Houston billionaire oilman J.P. Bryan is at least one of historian Max Grossman’s financial backers in the effort to save Duranguito. With Bryan’s help, Grossman hired the firm of Harriet O’Neill Law, as well as

A New Mexico state senator clarified remarks she made last month that New Mexico educators “don’t know how to teach kids (who come) from poverty.” State Sen. Mimi Stewart (D-17) was speaking at an educators’ conference in Florida last month. Her comments were provided to ABC-7 via cell phone video. “Those two sentences were taken

A 32-year-old former Las Cruces elementary school teacher pled no contest Monday to abuse of a child, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Melanie Marolt-Floyd entered a plea agreement with the state. Marolt-Floyd was arrested in May 2017 after investigators learned from Child Protective Services Marolt’s 7-year-old son tested positive for

El Paso Police charged the high school band director accused of having an improper relationship with a student with Possession of Child Pornography. On July 17, 2017, Albert Licon, 38, was charged with Improper Relationship Between Student and Teacher. Licon allegedly touched the girl inappropriately at a park and the band room, court documents state.

Texas A&M University late Monday abruptly canceled a planned white supremacist rally on its campus next month, amid bipartisan pressure from state lawmakers who said hatred should be rejected in all forms – despite First Amendment protections. An announcement on the House floor by Republican Rep. John Raney said A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp

President Donald Trump says he may grant a pardon to former Sheriff Joe Arpaio following his recent conviction in federal court, prompting outrage among critics who say the move would amount to an endorsement of racism. The report was welcome news for the former Phoenix-area sheriff, who lost a re-election bid in November and who

It’s the most famous crop in our region: Hatch green chiles. The rains the borderland has been enjoying recently haven’t been as great for chile farmers in New Mexico, too much rain could threaten and ruin the crops. The soil has had some chances to dry out, something farmers ABC-7 spoke with say could save