Thieves Caught Taking Sign Batteries 
(Deming) -- Two Deming men were  caught taking batteries from lighted traffic signs off the Silver City Highway,  and one of the men was still recovering from a gunshot wound he sustained in a  residential break-in.
Thirty-year-old Abelardo Contreras and 32-year-old Justin Hull were stopped by Luna County Sheriff's  Department deputies Tuesday after they were seen by witnesses taking four batteries and cable from traffic signs off Highway 180 near milemarker 162. Contreras was arrested on charges of larceny and causing criminal damage to property.  Hull is facing a charge of  conspiracy to commit larceny, but was not immediately arrested because he is still recovering from gunshot wounds to his stomach and right leg he received in  February after breaking into an unoccupied home off Amapola Road Southeast.
Hull was shot by the property  owner, a 62-year-old man who was staying in the home after discovering that the  home had been broken into previously, and property had been piled in rooms ready  to be loaded.
Sheriff's officials said the  sign batteries were recovered after deputies followed tire tracks which led them  to the stolen items.
(Deming) -- Here's the area crime report: Bradley Brown, age 34, was  arrested on two Magistrate warrants... Carlos Munoz, age 34, was arrested on a  Magistrate warrant for failure to appear and on a Municipal warrant for failure  to pay fines... and three rolls of five-foot cattle fencing and fence posts with  a combined value of nearly 500-dollars were taken from a location off Leghorn   Road.

(Deming) -- A 72-year-old  Columbus man was ripped off by a woman who befriended him, and that woman is now facing charges.  54-year-old Patricia Garcia of Las Cruces has been arrested on charges of fraud over 20-thousand dollars... computer access with intent to defraud... and fraudulent use of a credit card over 20-thousand dollars. Luna County Sheriff's  Investigator Bobby Brookhouser said Garcia was arrested last week at the Santa Teresa school where she is employed. She is accused of taking over  80-thousand dollars from the Columbus man over an 18-month period by transferring funds from his account to hers... making Automated Teller Machine  withdrawals at a casino... and using the man's debit card. Brookhouser said Garcia's  arrest was the result of a three-month investigation, which began after the man's family members discovered money missing from his accounts.

(Deming) -- Here's the area crime report:
Randy Morales, age 21, was arrested for larceny over 250-dollars... and Juan Quezada, age 20, was arrested on a Magistrate warrant for failure to pay fines.
Also... a 60-year-old Deming  man reported being the victim of fraud after purchasing a vehicle on eBay for  over 12-hundred dollars and never receiving the vehicle... a bicycle valued at  250-dollars was taken from a location off East Pine... a tractor battery and  cables valued at over 200-dollars were taken from a location off Highway 418  Southwest... a loss-prevention employee at a business off East Pine reported a  cash embezzlement of nearly 200-dollars... and a window valued at 150-dollars  was broken on a business off West Pine.

(Deming) -- The Deming  Education Association and Deming Public Schools held their combined annual 
awards program Monday afternoon in the Deming Public Schools auditorium. This year's D-E-A Friend of Education is the Deming Rotary Club... Business Friend of Education is the La  Fonda Restaurant... and Advocates of the Year are retiring teachers Peggy Bishop and Jouette Smith.
For Deming Public School  awards... Administrator of the Year is Torres Elementary Principal Vicki 
Chavez... District Support Staff Person the Year is Central Office Receptionist  Janie Quinones... Professional Support Staff Person of the Year is Torres Elementary Counselor Debbie Vigil... Elementary Support Staff Person of the Year is Columbus Custodian David Garcia... and Secondary Support Staff Person of the Year is Deming Intermediate School Secretary Blanca Holguin.
A number of teachers, administrators and staff members were recognized for their years of service...  including 40 years for Irene Riley... 35 years for Delia Turner... 30 years for Theresa Green... and 25 years for Estella Casas... Sylvia Galindo... Guillermina 
Macias... Kakee McInturff... Linda Montano... Maria Del Carmen Porras... Debbie  Robertson... Jerome Sandoval... Claudia Smith... Jouett Smith... Sylvia  Verdugo... and Lucy Villegas.
Also, 25 people who will be retiring at the end of this school year were recognized for their contributions.

(Deming) -- The Deming High School Graduating Class of 2012 has been awarded the potential of over three-point-three million dollars in scholarships and awards.
That was the announcement made  by Principal Janean Garney following Monday night's Deming High School Awards  and Scholarship Recognition Program in the Deming Public Schools auditorium.
Garney said she phrases the announcement that way because some students are offered opportunities at more than one college or university, and so will have to decline some of the scholarships.
She said local scholarships totaled over 66-thousand dollars... national scholarships totaled over  half-a-million dollars... offers from in-state schools totaled over two-million dollars... and offers from out-of-state schools totaled over 750-thousand dollars. 
The Deming High Class of 2012 will graduate Friday evening at Memorial Stadium.
Listen to KOTS and KDEM for Senior Salutes! 

(Deming) -- Plans are in place  for the Seamless Summer Lunch Program through the Deming Public Schools. D-P-S Student Nutrition  Director Ginger Jones said the lunches, funded by the U-S Department of Agriculture, are free of charge to all youth between one and 18 years of age.
Lunches will be served at area parks and schools from May 29th through July 31st, with the exception of the 4th  of July in observance of the Independence Day holiday. Anyone with questions on the  Deming Public Schools Seamless Summer Lunch Program may contact Jones at 546-2522 or by mail at 1001 South Diamond, Deming, 88030.  You also may call the New  Mexico Student Nutrition Programs at 1-505-827-1821.
For the daily lunch menus listen to KOTS and KDEM weekday mornings at 6:30 for your daily DPS Lunch menu.

(Deming) -- Human skeletal remains were discovered Saturday evening at a location near the 17-thousand 
block of Coyote Road in the county.
Luna County Sheriff's Captain  Arturo Baeza said the bones were scattered over 100 yards... and a
Mexican  voting card was found in the vicinity.
Baeza said the bones were bleached and were believed to have been there for at least a year.
Officials from the Office of the Medical Investigator and Homeland Security were immediately notified.
Also... the Mexican consulate  will be notified to see if further identification can be made -- and
next-of-kin  notified -- from information obtained off the voting card.

(Deming) -- A Stars-N-Parks  astronomy program will take place this Saturday at Rockhound State  Park.
Rockhound State Park is located  east of Deming in Luna County.
Attendees will view highlights  of the spring sky, such as Venus in the west... Mars on the meridian at program  start... and Saturn high in the east by program start.
The event begins with a night  sky tour... followed by views of deep sky objects though a high-powered  telescope. Sally Allen will be the presenter.
The program is viewed in a dark  sky setting beginning at 9:05 p-m... and attendees should arrive at the park at  sunset, which is at about 7:55 p-m, so they can become familiar with their  surroundings before nightfall. 
The program will end at about  10:35.

(Deming) -- As part of New  Mexico Heritage Preservation Month, Pancho Villa State Park in Columbus is  having an event this Saturday called "Remembering the Past." Heritage Educator John Read  said the event will be held in the Pancho Villa State Park exhibit hall from 10 a-m to 2:30 p-m. 
The presentations will begin at  10 Saturday morning with Kirtland Air Force Base Archivist Stephen  Watson  talking about the role of aviation before, during and after the punitive expedition in pursuit of Pancho Villa into Mexico in 1916. At 11... young Columbus  students will perform with Ballet Folklorico Korimi in traditional  costumes.  And at 11:30... interim Park  Manager Alex Mares will talk about General John "Black Jack" Pershing's  forgotten Apache scouts.  Also... the Desert Nursery will  have cactus plants for sale. 
Everyone is invited to  attend  the "Remembering the Past" event this Saturday at Pancho Villa State Park in  Columbus.

(Deming) -- The Deming Post  Office letter carriers will gather donated food on Saturday as part of the 20th annual National Association of Letter Carriers National Food Drive, the largest one-day food drive in the nation.
Diane Jackson, president of the  Deming chapter of the National Association of Letter Carriers, said the donation  drive will work the same as years' past.
All food collected in Deming  and Luna County will be delivered to Luna County shelters and soup kitchens.
Anyone interested in donating  should place a box or can of non-perishable food next to the mailbox before  their letter carrier delivers mail this Saturday.
The letter carrier will collect  the food and take it back to the post office, where it will be given to Helping  Hand for disbursement to families in need.
Again, the letter carrier food  drive is this Saturday, May 12th. Please place your can goods or other  non-perishable donations next to the mailbox before your letter carrier delivers the mail Saturday.