Blog Archives

Local Crime Report for Thursday June 27, 2013

6/27/2013

(Deming) – Here’s the area crime report:

Emmanuel Maynes, 42, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and attempted burglary… Aaron Salinas, 27, was charged with battery on a household member and battery…. Jimmy Chavez, 62, was arrested on a magistrate warrant for Failure to appear.

A citation was given to Travis Rickmond, 31, for shoplifting and trespassing at Walmart. $104 dollars in food items were taken.

In Juvenile reports…   A 17 year old boy was charged with resisting evading officers and minor in possession of alcohol… a 16 year old boy was cited for 2 counts of resisting evading an officer… and a 16 year old girl was cited for battery.

In other reports… Larceny was reported at Sam Baca Aquatic Center in the 800 block of West Buckeye Street after patrons reported two cell phones stolen. Each phone had about a 250 dollar value.    Burglary was reported in the 400 block of East Florida… about $4,100 dollars in house hold appliances were taken. A Stolen property report was taken after the owner of property located on Sunshine Way reported items totaling around $2,700 dollars missing property.

Luna County Officials reported a burglary to a county owned vehicle parked at the County Annex 300 Block of West Spruce… a County refueling card was taken.

Local 4-H Rodeo Season off to a Good Start

6/27/2013

Left Photo: Tel Pickett, Starlyn Treadwell, Tee Pickett, Shandi Treadwell, Raul Perea, Taylor Scepka
Right Photo: Tee Pickett Jr. Champion Calf Roper and Starlyn Treadwell Sr. Champion Barrel Racer

(Deming) - The 2013 4-H rodeo season is under way and off to a good start for Deming 4-H members.

The Luna County team began the season at the Grant County 4-H rodeo in Silver City June 15th and 16th where Tee Pickett won the Jr. Champion Heeling buckle in team roping. Then the team went to the Sierra County rodeo June 22 and 23rd.

Starlyn Treadwell won the Sr. Barrel racing buckle and Tee Pickett won the Jr. Champion Calf Roping buckle.

The next 4-H rodeo is in Socorro (Socorro County 4-H) on July 6th and 7th.

Local Crime Report for Tuesday June 25, 2013

6/25/2013

(Deming) – Here’s the area crime report:

Joseph Quintero, age 24, was arrested on a District Court warrant for a probation violation… James Young, age 21, was arrested on an Eddy County warrant for failure to appear and on a Municipal warrant for failure to appear… Priscilla Torres, age 23, was arrested on a Dona Ana County warrant for failure to appear… Maria Lucero, age 32, was cited for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana… and Gerald Hefley, Jr., age 19, was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia.

Also, a 2001 Chevrolet S-10 pickup was reported stolen from a parking lot off Florida Street and found abandoned off Camilla Road SW less than two hours later… and a DVD player was reported stolen from a residence off E. Sixth Street.

Spivey to Hold Forum

6/25/2013

Spivey to Hold Forum    6/25/13    10:47a

(Deming) – Luna County District Two Commissioner Jay Spivey will hold a community forum Wednesday.

     Also appearing at the forum will be County Manager Kelly Kuenstler and selected other staff members.

     The forum will take place Wednesday beginning at 6 p.m. at the Luna County Historic Train Depot, 217 N. Country Club Rd.

     Constituents of all districts are welcome.

Local 4-H Members Shine at District

6/25/2013

4-H Members Shine at District    6/25/13    10:36a

(Deming) – Luna County 4-H members had a strong showing at this year’s district contests held in Las Cruces last week.

     Luna County won the Junior Insect Identification contest, with Reid Swinney as the high-point individual, and teammates Kylan Swinney placing 4th and David Velez placing 5th individually.

     Luna County also won the Junior Crops contest, with Kylan Swinney winning the high-point individual honors, and teammates Keri Dominguez placing 2nd, Reid Swinney placing 3rd and Dylan Smyer placing 5th.

     Calleigh Sweetser was the high-point individual in the Novice Sewing I tote bag competition.

     Spencer McFaul was the high-point individual in Junior Wildlife, and Truett Shafer placed 3rd in the competition.  Those two, with teammates Jaden Ruttle and Kylan Swinney, placed 2nd in the team competition.

     The Junior Archery Team of Justin Maes, Spencer McFaul, Megan Phillips and Jaden Ruttle placed 2nd in the Open Free-Style Unlimited competition.

     And the Junior Archery Team of Juan Nevarez, Dylan Smyer, Elaine Williams and J.J. Willis placed 3rd in Open Free-Style.

     Luna County’s Novice Insect Identification team placed 3rd, with Poppy Shultz placing 2nd and Truett Shafer placing 3rd individually.  Zane Stockton also was on the team.

     Truett Shafer was the 2nd-high individual in the Novice Rifle competition, while David Velez was the 2nd-high individual in the Junior Rifle contest, with Spencer McFaul placing 5th in Junior Rifle.  The Junior Rifle team of Velez, McFaul, Kylan Swinney and Reid Swinney placed 3rd, and the Junior Rifle team of Darby Harrington, Jaden Ruttle, Tristan Nunn, and Megan Phillips placed 5th.

     And Kenzie McWright placed 2nd in Novice Horse Judging, while Keri Dominguez placed 4th in Novice Livestock Judging.

     4-H is a youth organization open to participants from ages 5-19.  Novice competitors are 9-11, while junior competitors are 12-13.

     District contests include 4-H members from seven counties:  Luna as well as Catron, Dona Ana, Grant, Hidalgo, Sierra and Socorro.

Deming School Board Approves New High School

6/25/2013

(Deming) – The Deming School Board has approved a district-wide facilities master plan that includes building a new high school.

     Certified Facilities Master Planner Marilyn Stroup, who has been working with the district for nearly a year, said the board is leaning toward building a new two-story high school on the site of the current Deming High School.

     The construction would occur in phases, utilizing present facilities and possibly bringing in additional portable buildings as portions of the existing school are demolished.

     The working plan includes repurposing the Hofacket building and keeping the school facilities currently located off Florida Street, including the maintenance department, in their current locations.

     The plan also includes building a new intermediate school on a different site, and utilizing the current site to support the new high school – possibly as parking for sports facilities.  The site for the new sixth-grade school has not been decided.

     Stroup said the state Public School Capital Outlay Council is prepared to pay $56.2 million of the over-$83 million combined project, providing voters approve a general obligation bond for the remainder of the funds.

     Officials said a bond of $26 million would not raise taxes for Luna County residents.

     A bond election is tentatively set for February 2014.

     The last general obligation bond election, held in January 2008, was for a new high school to be built on a site west of Deming.  That bond failed by a 7% margin.

Local Crime Report for Monday June 24 2013

6/24/2013

(Deming) – Here’s the area crime report:

     Gudberto Dominguez, age 56, was arrested for DUI and on an improper lane driving violation… Sandra Gallegos, age 38, was arrested for driving while license was suspended or revoked, having an open container, no insurance and having an expired registration… Oliviana Baeza, age 52, was arrested for driving while license was suspended or revoked, having an open container and no insurance… Jose Loya-Marrufo, age 21, of Albuquerque, was arrested for driving while license was suspended or revoked… Abel Ordonez-Montellano, age 42, of Las Cruces, was arrested for driving while license was suspended or revoked.

     David Grado, age 32, was arrested on a Magistrate warrant for failure to pay fines… Ramon Miranda, age 34, was arrested on a Magistrate warrant for failure to pay fines… Roberto Montoya, age 19, of Columbus, was arrested on a Magistrate warrant for failure to pay fines… Juliana Patrick, age 53, was arrested on a Municipal warrant for failure to appear… Emmett Shockley, age 86, was cited for careless driving, failure to yield to an oncoming vehicle and no insurance… and Maria Lucero, age 22, was cited for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana.

     Also… a motor home was dragged to the river bed area off the Silver City Highway and stripped of its part… $800 cash was taken from a residence off Encanto Circle… and a brush fire that appeared to have been started by fireworks was reported off the interstate frontage road early Saturday morning.

Luna County Unemployment Drops

6/24/2013

Luna Unemployment Drops Again    6/24/13    10:39a

(Deming) -- Luna County's unemployment rate dropped in May.

     Preliminary figures from the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions show Luna County with a May unemployment rate of 17.5%, down from the revised April unemployment rate of 19.7%, and down from the May 2012 rate of 19.3%.

     Following Luna County in the list of New Mexico counties with the worst unemployment was Mora County with 12.3%.  Luna and Mora continue to be the only two New Mexico counties with double-digit unemployment.

     Rounding out the top five counties with the highest unemployment rates in the state in May were Taos at 9.5%, McKinley with 8.6% and Guadalupe at 8.3% unemployment.

     In our area, Grant County had 6.4% unemployment in May, Hidalgo County had 6.6% and the Las Cruces area had 7.3%.

     The county with the least unemployment remained Los Alamos with 3.6%.

     The state unemployment rate for May – at 6.7% – was the same as the April revised rate and down from the May 2012 rate of 7%.

     The New Mexico labor force estimates show Luna County with a labor force of 12,092 – with 9,972 employed and 2,120 unemployed.

Luna County Tops New Mexico in Worst Categories

6/24/2013

(Deming) – Luna is among the state’s worst counties in many categories of the just-released annual Kids Count survey by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

     Luna County tops the state in children under age 18 living in poverty at 51%, and in the percentage of adults over age 16 lacking basic prose literacy at 33%.

     The survey shows Luna County’s median family income, which includes income of all household members age 15 or older, at $36,199 – which is $2,072 above last year’s median family income. We are second-from-the-bottom in the state to Guadalupe County, which has a median family income of $35,341.

     And the percentage of Luna County’s population living in poverty is 29% -- third in the state behind Guadalupe County at 32% and McKinley County at 31%.

     The survey shows the rate of children living in poverty across the nation increased to 23% in 2011.  The Southwest has been hit particularly hard.

     New Mexico, for the first time, has slipped to worst in the nation when it comes to child well-being. New Mexico is followed in the rankings by Mississippi, Nevada and Arizona.

     Overall, the report shows there have been gains in education and health nationally, but since 2005, there have been serious setbacks when it comes to the economic well-being of children.

Local Crime Report for Friday June 21, 2013

6/22/2013

(Deming) – Here’s the area crime report:

Joe Chavarria, age 36, of Las Cruces, was arrested for driving while license was suspended or revoked and on a District Court warrant for contempt of court… Cassandra Carrasco, age 23, was arrested on a District Court arrest warrant… Mario Padilla, age 25, was arrested on a District Court warrant for contempt of court… Luis Rivera, age 39, was arrested on two Magistrate warrants for failure to pay fines… Shana Chavez, age 26, was arrested on a Magistrate and a Municipal warrant – both for failure to pay fines… Clemente Lobato, age 40, was arrested on a Municipal warrant for failure to pay fines… Jeffrey Arrington, age 18, was cited for careless driving following a roll-over accident near Eighth Street and Sunshine Road… and a juvenile complaint was filed on a 17-year-old girl for battery against a household member.

And in other news… an ATV and tools with a combined value of over $8,600 were taken from a location in Columbus… nearly $300 cash was taken from a residence off Clark Street… and a television was taken from a motel off East Pine.