Month: August 2026

El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV)-The Paso del Norte Health Foundation is inviting organizations to apply for funding as part of its Healthy Kids initiative by means of two new opportunities: one relating to out-of-school program for children and teenagers.

The Healthy Kids programme of the PdNHF is aimed at young people who are disconnected and range in age from 5 to 17, and it supports various programmes which help to establish trusted relationships with adult figures, provide positive activities, offer outdoor experiences, and give young people the opportunity to engage in self-directed play.

A new strategic plan focusing on funding programmes which allow children and teenagers to play outside, move their bodies, and spend less time scrolling indoors has recently been approved by the PdNHF Board of Directors.

Jana Renner, senior program officer with the PdNHF, said that since young people now have nearly universal access to smartphones and social media they are spending less time outdoors, engaging in physical activity and meeting up face to face with their peers. She added that widening access to high-quality outdoor, out-of-school programs could help meet these challenges by promoting physical activity, positive relationships, and overall well-being.

In order to be eligible for funding, organizations that meet the criteria must submit a Letter of Intent which sets out the purpose of their research into programs or policies. For information on the eligibility requirements, the details of the application, and contact information, please go to pdnhf.org.

By Hannah Keyser, CNN

(CNN) — A player development staff member for the San Diego Padres was detained in Texas last week while traveling and is being held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.

Oswaldo Pirela, 34, works as a catching coordinator for the Padres organization and was in El Paso, Texas, to work with the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate this past week. His cousin, Jorge Pirela, told CNN on Tuesday that Pirela was detained by ICE at the airport on Monday morning at approximately 4:00 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. MT while attempting to travel home to Arizona, where he lives with his wife and two young daughters.

His family confirmed the reports to CNN and arrest records show Pirela is currently being held at the El Paso Processing Center.

According to his cousin Jorge Pirela, Oswaldo Pirela arrived in the United States from Venezuela in 2014 and filed for asylum. According to his family, Pirela is currently going through the EB-2 visa process.

“Since the time he applied for asylum, he has continuously renewed his work authorization whenever it was approaching expiration. Everything has always been done through the proper legal process,” Jorge Pirela said in a text message to CNN.

“He is truly an exemplary person. He lives for his family, is a hardworking man, a devoted father and husband, and a man of faith.”

In a statement, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Pirela entered the country illegally in 2014 and was granted permission by the US government to stay in the country until February 2018.

“In violation of our nation’s laws, he overstayed his welcome. When approached by law enforcement officers, he was not in possession of legal documentation granting him status in the country. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings and will receive due process,” the spokesperson said.

“To be clear, work authorization or a pending application do NOT confer legal status in the United States.”

Pirela’s detainment is the latest collision between Major League Baseball and the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation policy. Last summer, the Los Angeles Dodgers said they denied ICE entry to their vast parking lots outside Dodger Stadium as the Trump administration was making large sweeps for undocumented immigrants in the Los Angeles area.

Protesters flocked to Dodger Stadium to chant against ICE’s presence and the incident raised alarms in Southern California about the Trump administration’s deportation operations.

The Trump administration is looking to increase the speed of its deportations and is casting a wider net about who can be arrested. Asylum seekers such as Pirela have been frequently caught up in immigration operations and sent back to their home countries despite attempting to follow the proper legal processes.

Pirela has been with the Padres since 2024. The team has been in touch with his family regarding the situation, Major League Baseball confirmed.

“We recently became aware of the detainment of minor league catching coordinator Oswaldo Pirela in El Paso, Texas,” the Padres said in a statement to CNN. “We are working to gather additional information and will not have any further comment at this time.”

This story has been updated with comment from the Department of Homeland Security.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — One person is in the hospital after a crash involving a Sun Metro bus in Northeast El Paso Tuesday, according to police.

Police said the crash happened near Marshall Road and Railroad Drive just after 7:30 a.m.

At the crash site, ABC-7 saw a grey truck with its airbags activated.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Montana West near Justice Drive and Tierra Este has reopened after flooding temporarily closed the road overnight last week.

Carlos Vijarro, who lives less than two minutes from Montana West, said, “I’m sure some of the vehicles were not meant to drive through that amount of water, but, they tried it.”

“Some of them failed. Some of them succeeded, but it was just not, not worth the try for us,” Carlos said. “Even with the rains that we had yesterday, it was a ten minute rain drop that happened. All of, Tierra Este, gets completely flooded in a couple of minutes.”

Several vehicles became stranded while trying to drive through the high water.

ABC-7’s Olivia Vara asked the City of El Paso, El Paso Water and TxDOT about the flooding response, cleanup and planned drainage improvements.

TxDOT said the flooding happened in an active construction zone and that drainage installation is in progress.

“It’s just gets to the point where we really don’t see where the taxpayer’s money is being used, especially for drainage systems or anything like that. Like, it’s something that could be fixed. We just don’t see any progress in it, especially in this side of town,” Carlos said.

El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV)-El Paso VIBE is holding its second annual Dining in the Dark on Saturday, 22nd August, from 4:30 PM to 10:00 PM at the Radisson Hotel, located at 1770 Airway Blvd., El Paso, TX 79925.

During the event, the guests will have the opportunity to taste a special multi-course meal entirely in the dark, using their sense of taste, smell, sound, and touch to enjoy the evening.

All the money raised will go to the El Paso Visually Impaired and Blind Experience. Each ticket costs $75 and can be bought at the door or in advance at elpasovibe.org.

UPDATE (Aug. 25, 2026): According to court documents, Doctor Bradley is now allowed to travel and reside outside of the U.S. He’s also been granted a $50,000 appearance bond.

A judge also allowed both the state and Deshawndre Washington to make one public statement to correct any incorrect or misleading information published about his failure to appear in court.

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) — The New Mexico Department of Justice filed a motion Friday requesting motions for depositions for former NMSU men’s basketball players Kim Aiken Jr. and Doctor Bradley after Deshawndre Washington missed court Aug. 3.

A deposition is sworn oral testimony given out of a court. It carries the same legal weight as testifying in a courtroom.

The New Mexico Attorney General’s Office previously charged Washington, Bradley and Aiken with a combined 37 felony sex crimes tied to a hazing scandal.

Washington delayed his trial by failing to appear in court. He was later seen playing in a basketball tournament in Lebanon. His agency told ABC-7 he had issues returning to the U.S. for court due to conflict in the Middle East.

According to documents, Aiken entered a plea agreement in December 2024 and agreed to testify against his former teammates “in exchange for a guilty plea to lesser charges.”

Bradley entered a plea agreement in October 2024 under the same conditions, documents said.

According to documents ABC-7 obtained, the deposition said.

Documents and Aiken and Bradley were ready to testify Aug. 3, but couldn’t due to Washington’s absence.

The deposition requests cited a rule that said depositions may be taken by agreement of the parties or by the order of the court upon showing it’s necessary to take the person’s deposition to prevent injustice.

Instead of asking to admit the content of the deposition at trial, NM DOJ is asking to preserve testimony in case the matter proceeds to trial in the future, and the witnesses aren’t available for trial.

In the final point, the documents said the counsel for the defendants opposes the relief request.

ABC-7 has reached out to the attorney general’s office, the attorneys representing Aiken and Bradley and victims’ families for comment.

Of the former player’s lawyers, Aiken’s lawyer was the only to respond with the following statement:

“Mr. Aiken is ready to testify in whatever way is helpful.”

Another attorney who spoke to ABC-7 was Joleen Youngers, who represents clients related to the scandal still involved in civil cases that have 2027 court dates.

Youngers told ABC-7 the multiple delays for the Washington trial have sometimes meant there have been times she has told people involved in her case traveling to New Mexico they have to turn back.

Another point Youngers discussed was the mental impact, saying she couldn’t discuss specifics of her cases or clients but did say ‘they would love to have it in the rear view mirror.’