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

     Justin Beltran, age 36, was arrested for battery against a household member… Juan Donovan, age 35, of Prewitt, New Mexico, was arrested on a Municipal warrant for failure to appear… and a 15-year-old was cited for battery.

     Also… two televisions, an iPad, two cameras, a laptop and a DVD player, with a combined value of nearly $3,200, were taken from the Deming airport… a handgun and clothing with a combined value of nearly $400 were taken from a vehicle parked off North Country Club Road… a cell lock at the Luna County Detention Center sustained $300 in damage… a handgun and a hunting knife, with a combined value of $250, were taken from a vehicle parked off East Pine… a vehicle parked off South Ruby sustained $200 in criminal damage… $150 in criminal damage occurred to the door of a residence off Laurel Road Southeast; a vacuum cleaner and chest-of-drawers was taken in the break-in… and a CD player valued at nearly $100 was taken from a vehicle parked off North Country Club Road.

(Deming) – Luna County’s average weekly wage for the fourth quarter of 2013 was down slightly from the same period in 2012 – continuing a downward trend of recent years.

     The Southwest Information Office of the U-S Bureau of Labor Statistics Monday released the County Employment and Wages information for New Mexico.

     The local average weekly wage for October through December of last year was $631 with 7,241 people employed.

     The same period in 2012 showed $634 for an average weekly wage with 7,052 people employed, and that wage was down $2 from the fourth quarter of 2011. 

     The state average weekly wage was $814 for the fourth quarter of 2013, and the national average weekly wage was $1,000 for the same period.

     Statewide, employment in New Mexico fell .1% but average weekly wages rose 1.4% compared to the fourth quarter of 2012.

     Luna County was among 12 counties in the state with average weekly wages from $600 to $699.

     Ten of the state’s counties had wages averaging $599 per week or less, five reported wages from $700 to $799 per week, two from $800 to $899, and four had wages exceeding $900 per week.  Those four counties were Los Alamos at $1,539, Lea at $1,023, Eddy at $1,001 and Santa Fe at $947.

     The county with the lowest weekly wage in the state was Catron at $512.

     Again, Luna County’s average weekly wage for the fourth quarter of 2013 was $631 – down $3 from the previous year.

 (Deming) – Two 18-year-olds are facing criminal damage charges after being accused of at least 10 separate incidents of graffiti over the weekend.
     Christopher Richards was charged with aggravated assault and causing criminal damage to property, and Victor Montano was charged with causing criminal damage to property.
     Deming Police Chief Brandon Gigante said at least ten businesses, a New Mexico State Police unit and a semi-trailer were hit with black spray paint over the weekend.
     Gigante said officers were called about 11 p.m. Saturday by a witness who saw three people hanging around a semi-trailer near a motel off West Pine and thought they looked suspicious.
     The witness approached the three and was threatened by Richards who pulled what initially looked like a handgun from a backpack, but what turned out to be a knife with a pistol grip.
     The three then ran, but were apprehended in the 300 block of South Slate.
     Gigante said the third suspect was a juvenile female who has not been charged.
     The spray-painted graffiti included the words “Deming,” “Bobo,” “Shorty,” “Blackherd” and the numbers “575.”

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Mexican law enforcement on Thursday crossed into Arizona by helicopter and fired two shots at U.S. border agents, a border patrol union leader says.

A Mexican law enforcement chopper crossed about 100 yards north into the Arizona desert, the U.S. Border Patrol said in a statement. The helicopter then fired two shots on the Tohono O’Odham Indian Nation, which sits on the border. Border patrol union leaders say the Mexicans fired at agents but that none of them were hurt.

However, Mexican authorities have denied shooting at agents and say they were under attack during a mission to find smugglers on the border.

Tomás Zerón, the director of the Mexican attorney general’s office investigative office, said that Mexican military and federal police who were conducting an operation on a ranch in Altar, Sonora, were shot at by criminals. Mexican authorities never fired any weapons and in fact never crossed into the U.S. side of the border, he said.

Art del Cueto, president of the local border patrol union, said four agents were in a marked patrol vehicle when they were shot at.

“They could say they didn’t fire at the agents intentionally. But for them to say that they were no shots fired within the United States, toward the United States Border Patrol, is a lie. They got in contact with our managers and apologized for the incident,” del Cueto said.

The Mexican helicopter was 15 yards from the border agents when they were came under fire, Del Cueto said. He’s also concerned that Tucson sector officials didn’t notify the next shift of border agents that there had been a shooting, he said.

(Deming) – City of Deming officials have announced that paving Chaparral Road on the north side of Deming will begin in mid-July.

     Chaparral is the road that runs in front of Ben Archer Health Center.

     City Community Services Director Wesley Hooper said the paving project is something the public and the city have wanted accomplished for a long time.

     Chaparral will be paved from Tin Street east to Hwy 180 or the Silver City Highway.

     The cost of the project is $70,000 and the money is coming from the city’s general fund.

     Hooper said the survey is complete and the Department of Transportation permits have been submitted.

     GM Emulsion, out of Santa Fe, will be overseeing the project.

     Also, city officials are working with Deming school administrators to see if the new paved road could be a possible bus route to Torres Elementary.

     Hooper said their goal is to have the Chaparral paving project complete before school begins in August.

 (Deming) – Deming Public School Superintendent Harvielee Moore was surrounded Thursday afternoon by a crowd of family, friends and co-workers at a retirement reception held at Smith School to celebrate her career.
     Moore retires Monday after 46 years of service to the Deming Public School system.
     Moore taught for 23 years, then became director of instruction and curriculum for 13 years, and served the last 10 years as superintendent.
     She spoke to the crowd at her reception in English and Spanish, occasionally fighting back tears. And she did not miss a beat recognizing each person in the room by name.
     Attendees said Moore will be remembered for her dedication to education and for her drive to push for a consistent increase in DHS graduates.
     Associate Superintendent Mary Lou Cameron described Moore’s dedication of 46 years to the students in Deming and Luna County as “an amazing and successful journey.”

(Deming) – Deming High School athletic training officials are implementing a new online athletic physical paperwork procedure.

     Head Athletic Trainer Jessica Leupold said most of the physical forms will now be completed online, and the only form that will be turned in as a hard copy is the form the doctor fills out.

     Leupold said the doctor form is available to be picked up from the DHS activities office.
     Athletes will need to go to http://www.swol123.net and click on “Join Sportsware”.  Enter DHSWildcats as the school ID, then click “enter.”

     Each athlete will need their own email address, and will need to retain their username and password since they will need it every year.

     There will be two open-computer-lab days in July in the Hofacket Building for parents and athletes who do not have computers or who need help accessing and completing the forms.  Staff will be on-site to assist with any questions or concerns.

     Those days are July 22nd and 23rd, and the labs will be open from 9 a.m.-4 p.m each day.

     Also, DHS is hosting $10 physicals on July 31st from 2-6 p.m. and August 1st from 8 a.m.-noon and 2-6 p.m.

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

     Irene Cardoza-Carbajal, age 44, was arrested for trafficking in a controlled substance… Carlos Magallanes, age 34, was arrested on a Magistrate warrant for trafficking in methamphetamine… Anthony Lucero-Torres, age 28, was arrested on a Graham County, Arizona, warrant for aggravated assault and endangerment… Ruth Rice, age 34, was arrested on a Municipal warrant for failure to appear… and David Black, age 54, of Auburn, California, was cited for failure to maintain traffic lane.

(Deming) – If you drink and drive in Deming this weekend, beware:  the Deming Police Department will be conducting saturation patrols.

     The patrols, funded with Operation DWI monies, are designed to let officers aggressively look for impaired drivers.

     Deming Police Chief Brandon Gigante said the saturation patrols will be conducted this Friday and Saturday, June 27th and 28th, and will be city-wide.

     Operation DWI funds are administered through the Traffic Safety Division of the New Mexico Department of Transportation and are to be used for activities – like saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints – aimed at reducing alcohol-related crashes, injuries and deaths.

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

     Luna County won the Novice and Junior Entomology competitions, as well as the Junior Livestock Judging, Junior Wildlife Judging, Junior Crops Judging, Novice Home Economics Presentation and Sewing II contests.

     In Novice Entomology, Poppy Schultz was the high-point individual, Kameron Zachek - second-high, Ivan Schulz – third-high, and Carter Williams – fourth-high.

     In Junior Entomology, Reid Swinney was the high-point, Truett Shafer - second-high, Elena Williams - third-high, and Kylan Swinney - fifth-high.  Kari Dominguez also was on the winning team.

     In Junior Wildlife, Truett Shafer was the high-point individual, Jaden Ruttle - second-high, and Kamryn Zachek - third-high.

     In Junior Crops, Reid Swinney was second-high individual, Kylan Swinney - third-high, and Kari Dominguez - fourth-high.

     Also, Poppy Schultz was high-point in the Novice Crops contest, and Marc Dominguez was fourth-high.

     In Junior Livestock Judging, - Kylan Swinney was second-high individual, and Kari Dominguez was third-high.  Reid Swinney also was on the winning team.

     Calleigh Sweetser was the high-point individual in the Novice Home Economics Presentation competition, as well as the high-point in the Novice Sewing II shirt competition.

     Ivan Shultz was second-high in Novice Public Speaking, and Kamryn Zachek was third-high.

     Reid Swinney placed second-high in the Junior Light-Rifle Shooting Sports competition, and Kylan Swinney was third-high.  Silas Turner was fifth-high in the Novice Light-Rifle Competition.

     Carter Williams was fourth-high in Novice Archery, and Jaden Ruttle was fourth-high in Junior Archery, while Dylan Smyer was fifth-high.

     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.