Here’s a look at today’s headlines:
The Juniper and Pinon Campgrounds in the Quemado Lake Recreation Area will close for the 2016 season on September 30th and will reopen May 1st, 2017. The water system in the Recreation Area will be turned off to prevent freezing and damage to the lines during the fall and winter. The El Caso campgrounds will remain open year-round, as weather and access permits, to accommodate forest visitors. Services in the El Caso campgrounds will be limited, so the Quemado Ranger District asks that visitors do their part to pack in/pack out trash and help keep the campgrounds clean in order to preserve this opportunity for the future.
New information has become available regarding the Tuesday, September 20th crash involving a motor vehicle and a pedestrian near the intersection of Broadway and Hudson. The investigation is ongoing, but the investigating officer was informed by another officer that the pedestrian had been highly intoxicated earlier in the day and declined treatment at that time. The officer confirmed the driver of the 2004 Chevrolet was not intoxicated, had been wearing her glasses, and had not been using her cell phone. The driver had a green light, and the pedestrian was not in the crosswalk.
In sports action, the WNMU Mustang football team picked up a 68-17 win over UT Permian Basin on Saturday. WNMU will return home this coming Saturday against Midwestern State for Homecoming beginning at 1:30 pm.
The WNMU cross country teams ran in the Coyote Classic hosted by CSU-San Bernadino on Saturday. The women placed sixth, while the men ran as individuals. The cross country team will run again this Saturday at Santa Clarita, California in the Mustang Challenge hosted by Master’s College.
The Western New Mexico University volleyball team earned a 3-0 sweep over Lone Star Conference opponent Midwestern State on Saturday afternoon. The Lady Mustangs are 10-4 for the season and 2-1 in the Lone Star Conference. They return to the road beginning Wednesday night against Eastern New Mexico at 6 pm.
Today, Governor Susana Martinez announced that law enforcement arrested 135 parents who failed to pay child support during an annual sting. In addition, through the amnesty period allowing parents to come forward and pay child support debt – and the subsequent roundup – the Human Services Department collected $64,310.
New FBI crime statistics released on Monday show the estimated number of murders in New Mexico was 117 in 2015, or a 15.8 percent jump from the 2014 estimate. The national average was a 10.8 percent increase.
