Here's the latest news from the KOTS/KDEM newsdesk...

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Candie G. Sweetser
Managing Partner
KDEM-FM/KOTS-AM



Electricity Rates to Rise 7/1/09 10:53a

(Deming) -- Deming residents are among those Public Service Company of New Mexico customers who will see an increase in their electric rates beginning today (Wed).
Customers in Deming, Clayton and Las Vegas will be affected by the new rates, as well as customers in Bernalillo, Santa Fe, Valencia and Sandoval counties.
PNM officials say the new rate will, among other things, reflect higher interest costs and the addition of new power sources to serve
customers.
The utility says the average residential customer will pay about $2.33 more a month. Some business and commercial customers also may see a rate increase depending on their customer class.
PNM says even with the increase, its rates are significantly
below regional and national averages.
And be prepared for the next rate increase planned for April 2010. Rates for Deming customers -- as well as the other municipalities and counties affected by today's (Wed) increase -- will go up another $2.66 a month for the average residential customer then.


No County Attorney Yet 7/1/09 11:01a

(Deming) -- Luna County has not yet hired a county attorney.
Luna County Commission Chairman Javier Diaz said that the commissioners decided to readvertise the position following an executive session yesterday (Tues) afternoon.
Diaz said the position was initially advertised as a part-time position, and now they were going to advertise it as a contract position.
Former county attorney Kent Cooper said at a public meeting in April that there were pros and cons to having a contract attorney as compared to a staff attorney.
Cooper began working for the county in the late 1970s as a contract attorney... and began working as a 30-hour-a-week employee of the county in February of 2006.
Cooper said an advantage to having a staff attorney is the quick response time of an attorney focused only on county business instead of other clients.
He said an advantage of a contract attorney is cost. As an employee he made 95-thousand dollars a year plus benefits including retirement and insurance. As a contractor he was only entitled to his contract fee -- with no benefits.
Diaz said four attorneys applied for the part-time job, and all were interviewed by a county interview board.


Felon Arrested in Columbus Tuesday 7/1/09 4:30p

(Deming) -- A Mexican national caught running across the U-S/Mexico border near Columbus turned out to have a felony criminal record.
U-S Border Patrol officials said that yesterday (Tues) morning at about 10, agents who were conducting line watch operations saw three people running across the international boundary.
Agents were able to respond and apprehend the subjects within minutes.
A records check conducted while the three were being processed at the Deming Border Patrol Station revealed that one of the men -- 33-year-old Francisco Romero Chavez -- had a felony criminal record which included sexual assault, sexual abuse on a minor, domestic assault and D-W-I.
Romero Chavez was transported to the Luna County Detention Center pending prosecution and removal.


Columbus Drug Seizures Up 7/1/09 11:10a

(Deming) -- U-S Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Columbus port of entry have seized 541 pounds of marijuana in three seizures in four days recently.
The largest of the three seizures occurred June 23rd when officers seized nearly 279 pounds of marijuana which was hidden in the tires and gas tank of a 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe driven by Bryant Reyes Olivas of Denver, Colorado.
Two days later officers at the Columbus port seized nearly 158 pounds of marijuana concealed in the bumper and floor of a 2003 Chevrolet Impala being driven by 43-year-old Reyes Vega de Polanco of Las Cruces.
And then on June 26th, officers at the Columbus port seized 104 pounds of marijuana which was hidden in the bed of a 1999 Ford F-150 pickup being driven by 23-year-old Elisa Chafino of Deming.
Columbus Port Director Charles Wright said three drug seizures in a four-day period was unusual and an indication that the Customs and Border Protection officers stationed in Columbus were diligent and committed to their mission.


Holiday Closings 7/1/09 10:57a

(Deming) -- Remember to take care of business tomorrow (Thurs) -- many offices and businesses will be closed Friday in observance of the Independence Day holiday.
All city and county offices will be closed Friday. Some state and federal offices will be closed as well. And many independent offices and businesses will be closed Friday.
The Deming Motor Vehicle Department office will be closed Friday.
Western New Mexico University-Deming and the Dona Ana Community College at M-V-L-C will be closed Friday also.
The post office and most financial institutions will be open for regular hours Friday, but will be closed on Saturday, the 4th of July.


Crime Report 7/1/09 11:05a

(Deming) -- Here's the area crime report:
Ashley Vasquez, age 18, was arrested for battery on a household member... Yvan Vallejo, age 35, was arrested for battery on a household member... Francisca Gallosa, age 26, was arrested for aggravated burglary, resisting or evading officers, causing criminal damage to property and criminal trespassing... a criminal complaint was filed on Christopher Gavigan, age 29, of Whittier, California, for improper use of a credit card, fraudulent use of a credit card and theft of identity...
Joseph Contreras, age 22, was arrested on a Municipal warrant for failure to pay fines... Claudia Arroyo, age 22, was arrested on a Municipal warrant for failure to pay fines... and a 14-year-old boy was cited for shoplifting at Family Dollar.
Also... a windshield valued at 500-dollars was damaged on a vehicle parked off West Cedar.



(c) KOTS Radio, Deming, NM USA
07/02/2009