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Local Crime Report for Tuesday March 31, 2015

3/31/2015

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

Erika Chavez, age 32, was arrested for driving while license was suspended or revoked and no proof of insurance… Bernadette Esparza, age 42, was arrested on a District Court warrant for a probation violation… Jessica Hassman, age 25, was arrested on a Magistrate warrant for failure to appear… and Jose Calderon, age 22, of Fullerton, California, was cited for shoplifting at Petro Truck Stop.

Deming FFA Students Dominate District

3/31/2015

(Deming) – Three Deming FFA teams placed first in district contests this past weekend, and six local students were high-point individuals.

     Deming FFA teams competing in Agronomy, Entomology and Landscape Design placed first in their respective district contests.

     And highpoint individuals from Deming were Michael Morris in Ag Mechanics… Tee Pickett in Agronomy… Reid Swinney in Entomology… Annie Kuenstler in Homesite… Darbi Harrington in Landscape Design… and Spencer McFaul in Pasture and Range.

     Other Deming teams placing in the top three at District Contests were Ag Mechanics… Floriculture… Food Science… Homesite… Horticultural Produce… Livestock Evaluation… Pasture and Range… and Wildlife.

     The Deming teams competed against 13 schools from Gadsden to Tularosa in the District 6 competition which was hosted by Deming.

     Ten local teams will now advance to state contests to be held April 8th-10th in Las Cruces on the campus of New Mexico State University.

     The Deming FFA Advisors are Larry Von Tress and Susie Swope.

Luna Selected for Growing Food Connections

3/31/2015

(Deming) – Luna County is one of two New Mexico counties – and eight counties across the nation – selected to begin a new grant-funded program intended to link family farmers with members of the community who lack access to healthy food.

     The Growing Food Connections program will join the county’s existing multi-pronged approach, through Luna County Healthy Kids Healthy Communities, to help combat food insecurity and encourage healthy food consumption.

     The other New Mexico county selected for the program was neighboring Dona Ana.

     The partnerships assembled through the program will bring national expertise in food policy and planning to Luna County to assist with the creation of locally controlled plans and policies to support family farmers and enhance food security.

     At the county level, the process will be facilitated by a committee of local residents.

     If you are interested in serving on the committee, contact Jessica Etcheverry at 546-0494.

     To learn more about Growing Food Connections, visit www.growingfoodconnections.org.

NM Supreme Court Rejects Fort Sill Petition

3/31/2015

(Deming) – New Mexico's highest court has turned down a request by an Oklahoma-based American Indian tribe that sought to force Gov. Susana Martinez to sign a gambling compact with them.

     The state Supreme Court Monday issued its denial of the Fort Sill Apache's petition. The justices offered no explanation for their decision.

     The tribe filed its request earlier this year, saying Martinez ignored requests by its chairman to sign on to existing compacts.

     The tribe wants to operate a casino on land at Akela in Luna County that was put into trust in 2002.

     Tribal officials have said it doesn't matter that the tribe's land hasn't yet been federally approved for gambling.

     Martinez argued that the tribe first has to have eligible land before her office can negotiate a compact.

     The Fort Sill Apache tribe is the successor to the Chiricahua and Warm Springs Apache tribes, with homelands in southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona. The tribe purchased property at Akela Flats in Luna County in 1998.

     That property was made tribal trust land in 2002 and designated a reservation in 2011.

Local Crime Report for Monday March 30, 2015

3/30/2015

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

     Alonzo Dominguez, age 25, was arrested for aggravated battery… Claudia Parra, age 21, was arrested for battery against a household member… a criminal summons was filed on Maria Molinar, age 19, for battery against a household member… Justin Tovar, age 22, was arrested for driving while license was suspended or revoked and was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia… Damian Lowell, age 39, was arrested for driving while license was suspended or revoked…

     Jamie Gomez, age 19, was cited for careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident… Shannon Relyea, age 43, was cited for injuring or defacing property and shoplifting at K-mart… and a 16-year-old boy was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia.

     Also… two computer tablets and earphones with a combined value of $2,800 were taken from a residence off Country Club Road… and $300 in criminal damage occurred to a residence and motorhome off South Diamond after a ceiling fan and sheetrock were damaged and a window broken.

Ortiz Wins Rotary Essay Contest

3/30/2015

(Deming) – An essay written by a Red Mountain Middle School 8th grader has won a local competition and advanced to the next level of competition.

     Sarah Ortiz’s essay on Rotary International’s Four-Way Test won first place in the 8th grade competition sponsored by the Deming Rotary Club.

     Rotary’s Four-Way Test encourages members to ask themselves four things of the things they think, say and do: Is it the TRUTH?... Is it FAIR to all concerned?... Will it build GOOD WILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?... and Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

     This year’s essay contest asked students how using the Four-Way Test could make them better leaders in their school and community.

     Other top eighth grade competitors were: Shannah Rudiger, who placed second… Austin Brookhouser, who placed third, and Jessica Medicus and Sammi Homsi, who received honorable mentions.

     Seventh graders also could participate for recognition, but were ineligible to advance in the competition.

     In the seventh grade contest, first place went to Arlan Dawdy and second place to Kellina Madrid.

Luna County Risk Awareness Program Recognized

3/30/2015

PHOTO CAPTION: Mark Jasso, Luna County’s director of Emergency Management,

(Deming) – Luna County’s Risk Awareness Program has been recognized statewide for its success in reducing county claims in 2014.

     During the 2015 Legislative Conference in Santa Fe, the New Mexico Association of Counties presented Luna County with an award in recognition of reducing workers’ compensation claims by 39 percent.

     Director of Emergency Management Mark Jasso said the award was exciting for two reasons: safety and saving taxpayer dollars. He said he was proud of his colleagues for their dedication to the program and reducing costs that would ordinarily be passed on to taxpayers.

     Luna County’s Emergency Services Department is charged with implementing the Risk Awareness Program and all county employees are required to attend the courses.

     The 50-week program is designed to reduce the frequency and severity of claims through risk awareness and safety practices.

     Subjects range from simple, preventative measures like keeping workspaces clean, to more complicated measures, such as avoiding exposure to blood-borne pathogens.

     County employees meet once a week for 30 minutes or less to participate in the classes.

Fundraising Runners to Pass Through Deming

3/30/2015

(Deming) – Two Army veterans and longtime friends who are running across the country to raise money for wounded veterans will be passing through Deming this week.

     Paul Borsuk and Chris Malasig arrived in Lordsburg over the weekend as part of their 2,820-mile run across the country to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project. They plan to be in the Deming area through Tuesday.

     The two men from Pittsburg, California, began their cross-country run on Sunday, February 8th, at Monterey State Beach. The runners plan to cross the finish line at Tybee Island, Georgia, by the end of June.

     Borsuk had initially dreamed of running across the country while enrolled in college nine years ago, but finally had the opportunity to make it happen.

     The men also plan to use the run to make the transition from military life to civilian life. Borsuk was deployed twice to Afghanistan. Malasig, who is a Wounded Warrior, is supporting the logistics of the trip. Malasig served two deployments in Iraq.

     For more information about the Borsuk-Malasig transcontinental run, go to www.coasttocoastrun.wordpress.com.

Local Crime Report for Friday March 27, 2015

3/27/2015

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

     Javier Dominguez Banda, age 22, of Mexico, was arrested for distribution of controlled or counterfeit substances… Steven Almanza, age 32, was arrested for possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, assault on a peace officer, disorderly conduct, interference with officers and on a Municipal warrant for failure to pay fines… Norman Wood, age 49, was arrested for battery against a household member… Sonya Aguilera, age 21, was arrested for no driver’s license…

     Jennifer Long, age 36, was arrested for a probation violation… Isaac Zavala, age 39, was arrested on a Magistrate warrant for failure to appear… Alfredo Chavez, age 57, was arrested on a Municipal warrant for failure to pay fines… and Toni Yadon, age 26, was cited for trespassing and shoplifting at Walmart.

     Also… eight to ten electric motors valued at $2,000 each were taken from a city-owned storage facility near Pear and Hermanas Grade; $300 worth of electric wire was taken from the same location.

Luna Unemployment Remains Over 20%

3/27/2015

(Deming) – Luna County's unemployment rate remained at over 20% in February.

     Preliminary figures from the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions show Luna County with a February unemployment rate of 20.6%, down from the revised January rate of 21.9%, and equal to the February 2014 rate of 20.6%.

     Luna, Mora and Sierra were the only counties in the state with double-digit unemployment in February, with Mora at 11% and Sierra at 10.2%.

   Other counties with high unemployment rates in New Mexico in February were McKinley at 9.6%, Torrance and Catron at 9.2% each, and Taos at 9% even.

     In our area, Grant County had 6.7% unemployment in February, Hidalgo County had 6.6% and the Las Cruces area had 7.2%.

   The county with the least unemployment was Los Alamos with 4%.

     Unemployment statewide was 6% in February – up slightly from January.

   The New Mexico labor force estimates show Luna County with a labor force of 10,161 – with 8,071 employed and 2,090 unemployed.

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