Latest news with #DoñaAnaCounty
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
State hearings on Southern New Mexico water utility fines postponed
A photo of the drying bed at the Santa Teresa Community Arsenic Treatment Facility included in a recent inspection of the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority. (Courtesy of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency / David Esparza) Attorneys for state regulators and a Southern New Mexico water utility facing $250,000 in fines for arsenic level violations have agreed to push back hearings about the penalties. The hearings scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday will now be held sometime in the fall, according to a joint motion filed last week by attorneys for Camino Real Regional Utility Authority and the New Mexico Environment Department. The utility supplies water for more than 19,000 people in Sunland Park, Santa Teresa and southern Doña Ana County, an area with high levels of naturally-occurring arsenic in the groundwater. State regulators first issued fines of more than $251,000 in March 2024, after findings that the utility's arsenic treatment plants were 'offline and bypassed' for more than a year, sending drinking water with 'high levels of arsenic' to residents. Drinking water with high levels of arsenic is associated with diseases such as diabetes, increased risk of cancers, and can contribute to heart and lung diseases and skin problems, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Utility leadership has said in statements that they take the concerns seriously and have worked to lower arsenic levels, achieving compliance with federal standards. However, after a series of failed tests in May public officials and the state's top environment officials said they've lost confidence in the utility's leadership to address the chronic issues. In late May, the New Mexico Environment Department filed an amended complaint, claiming that the utility delayed reporting elevated arsenic levels for multiple days and failed to specifically report them to the state. 'The continuing cycle of non-compliance by Respondent which compromises the public's access to safe and reliable drinking water requires the application of a bad faith enhancement for each of the violations which are the subject of this enforcement action,' the amended complaint stated Regulators raised the total fine to $252,000. Attorneys for the utility objected to the addition of new allegations for the upcoming June hearing, and requested more time to address them. Both the utility and the environment department agreed to a calendar extending witness and discovery deadlines into August, with a final date for the new hearing to follow. The utility faces additional court dates beyond the administrative hearing later this year. A 3rd Judicial District Judge ordered parties to submit a further schedule in the civil lawsuit the state brought earlier this month against the utility, requesting the judge appoint a third party to take over the utility's operations. A hearing is scheduled for July in the civil lawsuit brought last year, which alleges the utility violated residents' civil rights. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Heat map: Extreme heat forecast for New Mexico through the weekend
The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for Doña Ana County through Monday, June 17. Southern New Mexico and portions of West Texas will experience highs of 104 to 108 over the weekend, with the hottest temperatures expected Sunday and Monday. Read the NWS Heat Advisory: Hazardous weather conditions expected In its forecast, NWS El Paso station said those living in Luna and Doña Ana County and portions of West Texas should drink plenty of fluids and stay indoors and out of the sun. The New Mexico Department of Health issued its own advice: 'Heat illness is preventable, but it takes planning, awareness and very quick action,' said Chelsea Eastman Langer, PhD, MPH, bureau chief of Environmental Health Epidemiology Bureau at NMDOH. 'Protect yourself and others when it's hot outside by staying cool, staying hydrated and knowing the symptoms.' Those symptoms can include nausea or vomiting, muscle cramps, tiredness or weakness, headache and dizziness. It also warned of the danger of leaving pets and children outside or in vehicles during the hottest part of the day. Where is your nearest cooling station? We mapped it out for you. More: Heat dome parked over the Pacific Northwest has it primed for record temps Beat the heat: Pools are open in Las Cruces This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Extreme heat forecast for New Mexico
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
FAA Issues Warning With 'Clear Message' Before Drone Test
On Friday, June 13, the Federal Aviation Administration revealed it will conduct drone-detection testing near Santa Teresa, NM from June 16-27. According to a statement from the FAA, the administration's Center of Excellence for UAS Research, in coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection will conduct the testing at Doña Ana County International Jetport. State a local first responders will be on hand for the tests. This will be the third major drone-detection test planned by the FAA following the first two tests in Alaska and Cape May, NJ. The FAA selected the New Mexico location for its hot and arid climate, which the administration revealed supports its testing objectives. "The FAA will operate several large drones and about 100 commercial off-the-shelf drones during the two-week period. Testing will take place over the desert and near the old Rio Grande Speedway during the daytime on weekdays only," the FAA announced. Additional tests are scheduled in Mississippi and North Dakota later this year. The tests are run to help determine the effectiveness of the FAA's technologies and whether they might interfere with administration or aircraft navigation systems. Before the test runs in New Mexico later this month, the FAA issued a stern message to the public. "The public should not fly recreational drones near this area during the testing period," the administration said before offering a "clear message." "The FAA receives more than 100 drone-sighting reports near airports each month, and we want to send a clear message that operating drones around airplanes, helicopters, and airports is dangerous and illegal," it said. The FAA initially chartered the UAS Detection and Mitigation Systems Aviation Rulemaking Committee on March 16, 2023, to advise the agency on safely integrating drone detection and mitigation systems. After the ARC made 46 recommendations on ensuring systems do not interfere with the safe and efficient operation of the National Airspace System the FAA announced it incorporated many of the recommendations into the administrations work to ensure Issues Warning With 'Clear Message' Before Drone Test first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 14, 2025
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
Las Cruces Police: 1 arrested after standoff; shooting, killing man
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – A 35-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday, June 10 after allegedly shooting and killing a 29-year-old man and barricading himself in a Las Cruces motel, the Las Cruces Police Department (LCPD) said in a news release. Suspected shooter arrested after barricading at Las Cruces motel LCPD said Pancho Garcia, 35, was arrested and charged with an open count of murder for the shooting death of 29-year-old Juan Javier Lujan Garces. Garcia was then booked into the Doña Ana County Detention Center and is initially being held without a bond, LCPD said. LCPD said that shortly after 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Las Cruces police and fire were dispatched to reports of shots fired at the intersection of Picacho Avenue and 17th Street. Las Cruces Police responding to suspected shooter barricaded at motel First responders arrived to find a Lujan Garces in his vehicle with at least one gunshot wound. They attempted life-saving measures, but Lujan Garces was pronounced dead at the scene, LCPD said. LCPD said that after the shooting, Garcia barricaded himself in a first-floor room of a motel on the 1700 block of West Picacho Avenue. LCPD set up a perimeter and activated its SWAT and Hostage Negotiation Teams (HNT), who made multiple attempts to contact Garcia, according to the news release. At about 11:30 p.m., SWAT members breached a window of the suspect's room. Shortly after, Garcia exited the room and was taken into custody. No shots were fired by police, and no other injuries were reported, LCPD said. LCPD said residents who live within proximity to the suspect's room were asked to evacuate, and others, who resided further away, were encouraged to shelter in place. In addition, a portion of West Picacho Avenue was temporarily closed to traffic during the investigation. Picacho Avenue has since been cleared and is open to traffic, LCPD said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
1 person hurt in crash in Doña Ana County
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — One person was injured and transported to the hospital with possible head injuries after a single-vehicle crash on Sunday morning, June 8 in Doña Ana County , the County's Public Safety Facebook page said. The crash happened just before 11 a.m. Sunday along Valley Drive near East Picacho Elementary School. Doña Ana County Fire Rescue responded to the crash. The crash also caused a power outage in the area, the County said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
