Four Deming High School F-F-A teams won first place in district competitions... and five members were high-point competitors in their respective contests held Friday and Saturday in Deming and Silver City.

The Deming Land team won first place... and Emily Hays was the high-point individual.

The local Homesite team won first place... and Brandon Brabson was the high-point individual.

The Deming Meats team won first place... and Courtney Hurt was the high-point individual.

The local Floriculture team won first place... and Stacy Swope was the high-point individual.

And the Deming Farm Business Management team placed second in the competition... and Brannick Sweetser was the high point individual.

Also placing second were the local Landscape Design, Pasture and Range and Entomology teams.

Other Deming F-F-A members placing in the top five individually in their respective contests were: Graham Borden... Aubree Brabson... Keri Hays... Jason Lewis... Skylar Miller... Michael Morris... Mikaela Morris... Shelbie Peterson... Tel Pickett... Billy Shannon... and Lauren Tharpe.

Deming F-F-A teams will compete at state contests on the campus of New Mexico State University April 11th through the 14th.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month... and the city of Deming is participating in a donation drive for victims.

Organizers said that since a sexual assault victim's clothing is kept for evidence after an attack, it is important to have clothing and care kits available.

Three city of Deming employees are participating in the four-month Southwest Leadership Training program... and the program is partnering with Silver Regional Sexual Assault Support Services to collect donations of clothing and travel-sized toiletries for victims.

A drop box has been set up at Marshall Memorial Library to collect sweatshirts, t-shirts, underwear, sweatpants, socks, sandals and travel-size toiletries. Clothing sizes needed range from small to extra-large.

Deming's drop box will be merged with other community donations next Wednesday, April 11th, to make care kits which will be distributed as needed.

Anyone with questions on the project can contact Nancy White at the John Strand Municipal Building at 546-8848.

Nazario Renteria, age 28, was arrested for aggravated D-W-I, reckless driving with liquor, having an open container and driving while license was suspended or revoked... Bennywayne Peacock, age 63, was arrested for D-W-I, having an open container and on a driving violation... Stephen Soto, age 41, was arrested for D-W-I... Arturo Garcia, age 26, was arrested for battery against a household member... Josue Pedregon, age 21, was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and was cited for driving while license was suspended or revoked...

Shealeigh Zunich, age 18, was arrested on an Adult Probation and Parole Office warrant for a probation violation... Valerie Apodaca, age 23, of Albuquerque, was arrested on an Adult Probation and Parole Office warrant for a probation violation... Rudy Uzueta, age 19, was arrested on two Magistrate warrants and was cited for driving while license was suspended or revoked and on a driving violation... Cesar Valdez, age 20, was arrested on two Magistrate warrants -- one for failure to appear and one for failure to pay fines... Rosalva Grajeda, age 45, was arrested on a Magistrate warrant for failure to appear... Timothy Deloso, age 43, was arrested on a Municipal warrant for failure to appear... Kathy Chavez, age 32, was arrested on a Municipal warrant for failure to pay fines...

Steve Wisdom, age 58, was cited for improper registration, no insurance, no driver's license, improper equipment and no seatbelts... George Mendoza, age 19, was cited for minor in possession of alcohol... Antonio Perez, age 52, was cited for shoplifting at Walmart... and Christine Davis, age 19, was cited for shoplifting at Walmart.

Also... 400-dollars cash and some prescription medications were taken from a residence off East Birch... 400-dollars in criminal damage occurred to a gas meter off South Sandburg... an air conditioning unit valued at nearly 400-dollars was taken from a shed off West Second... and an antique bed, torch and moving dolly, with a combined value of nearly 300-dollars, were taken from a residence off East Poplar.

It was a case of cattle rustling - Honda style.

Or you could say that three Deming men were caught "calf-napping."

Either way... Luna County Sheriff's officials have arrested three men on larceny-of-livestock and other charges after they were caught speeding -- with a calf in the back seat.

Sheriff's Deputy Mike Waldrop stopped a 1998 black Honda Civic on the Columbus Highway at about 3:15 Friday morning after clocking the vehicle travelling 67 miles an hour in a 55 zone.

Waldrop approached the vehicle, shined his light in, and found two men in the front seats and a man and a Holstein heifer calf in the back seat.

The cattle rustlers have been identified as 20-year-old Gerardo Gonzales-Balderas... 23-year-old Salvador Balderas-Gonzales... and 26-year-old Jose Coronado.

The three reportedly work for the Caballo Dairy in Arrey... and admitted to taking the calf from their employer without permission.

The three were booked on charges including larceny of livestock, conspiracy, required bill-of-sale violation and exportation of livestock violation.

The calf was taken into state custody and will be returned to the dairy by New Mexico Livestock Board officials.

Luna County's four volunteer fire departments are looking for individuals interested in becoming volunteer fire fighters.

County officials said volunteers do not receive financial gain, but are rewarded with skill development and satisfaction gained through giving back to the community.

Skills learned include fire fighter training, fire prevention, fire truck operations, emergency recognition, emergency response techniques on fire fighting and vehicle crashes, team work, leadership and more.

Anyone interested is invited to stop by one of the four volunteer fire departments: Cooks Peak... Florida Mountain... Savoy... or Sunshine... or inquire at the Luna County Courthouse Human Resource Department.

A federal judge has denied a Deming man's request to be released from pre-trial detention while he faces charges of allegedly selling guns and ammunition to Mexican cartel members.

The Las Cruces Sun-News reports U.S. District Court Judge Robert C. Brack Wednesday cited the seriousness of the charges and the weight of the prosecution's evidence in denying a motion to allow 24-year-old Ryin Reese to be released to the Las Cruces home of his girlfriend's mother who serves on the New Mexico Parole Board.

Brack wrote the evidence shows Reese is a flight risk and that he is undoubtedly able to obtain firearms given his involvement in the gun trade.

Reese, his brother, and parents are accused of selling 34 weapons and thousands of dollars in ammunition to undercover agents and a Mexican cartel member turned informant between 2010 and July 2011.

The family operated the New Deal Gun Store south of Deming.

Between 70 and 80 federal inmates were pulled from the Luna County Detention Center and transported to other facilities following an inspection by the United States Marshall for the New Mexico territory, Conrad Candelaria, Tuesday.

Candelaria said he and Chief Deputy Michael Ferstl toured the local jail and found some infrastructure problems which resulted in the relocations.

Candelaria said they moved up to 80 male and female inmates, while County Manager Kelly Kuenstler said only 48 federal prisoners were being taken out of the facility.

Candelaria said the relocation was Step One.

Step Two, he said, would take place Friday, when a detention management inspector and three or four other deputy U-S Marshalls who have been trained in specific areas complete a thorough inspection of compliance with nine federal performance-based standards for detention facilities.

Then, Candelaria, said, Step Three would be an overall corrective action process which may prompt weekly inspections for some period.

Kuenstler took issue with describing Tuesday's inspection by Candelaria as a "surprise," saying Candelaria and Ferstl were invited to tour the facility Thursday but they came on Tuesday instead.

Kuenstler said the relocation of the federal inmates would not cause layoffs at the facility.

Luna County is paid 51-dollars a day per federal prisoner.

Kuenstler blamed the problem on infrastructure -- specifically the modular jail cells constructed between 2007 and 2008 -- saying the cells will require upgrades before they can be used to capacity.

Kuenstler stressed that officials from the U-S Marshall's and the county were attempting to address some of the overcrowding issues so the infrastructure can be upgraded in an expeditious manner.