Protest against closing of La Tuna prison

KVIA on August 13, 2026

Lauren Bly

ANTHONY, Texas (KVIA) — Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) announced it will close several facilities, including the La Tuna Prison in Anthony, Texas.

The DOJ said La Tuna had a backlog of pending maintenance jobs worth more than $4 billion. The prison is set to close in March 2027.

Thursday at noon, a group of protesters were expected to gather outside of the facility to protest the closure. While not many showed up, their message was clear that the prison shouldn’t close.

Juan Fernandez, who worked at La Tuna for almost 25 years, said the building may be old, but it’s well maintained. He said closing it while citing maintenance issues doesn’t make sense.

“It’s like an old car. You get an old car, you’re going to put some money into it and make it work,” Fernandez said. “They just got to maintain it and invest the money and save this.”

Congresswoman Veronica Escobar also visited the prison Thursday. In a video statement sent to ABC-7, she said she didn’t see any evidence of why the prison needed to shut down.

“It’s going to require $80 million of investment. Just for context, Camp east, Montana, across town is a $1.2 billion facility. Budgets are about our values,” Rep. Escobar said. “My focus is keeping these jobs and making sure we have a safe facility here at La Tuna.”

ABC-7 reached out for the BOP about the closure date, but it didn’t respond.

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Texas has held off a major screwworm outbreak, but ranchers urged to stay alert

CNN Newsource on August 13, 2026

By Alexa Conroyonroy

Click here for updates on this story

    WACO, Texas (KXXV) — Texas has so far avoided a major New World screwworm outbreak, more than two months after the state confirmed its first case in decades.

Texas’ first case was confirmed June 3 in a three-week-old calf in Zavala County. Since then, state and federal officials have set up infested zones, restricted the movement of some animals, increased fly traps and wildlife surveillance, and released sterile flies to break the screwworm’s reproductive cycle.

That response has helped Texas avoid the rapid spread seen across Mexico, where nearly 28,000 cases have been detected since November 2024. As of early Tuesday morning, Texas had fewer than six active cases across South Texas.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension entomology specialist Dr. Sonja Swiger taught a screwworm lecture to local ranchers in West this summer. She said preventing the movement of infested animals was the most critical tool in containing the pest.

“Well, very important, uh, the most important thing we could do was prevent it, and that was to prevent the movement of animals that were infested. That was the easiest way to spread it,” Swiger said.

Cattle can move from ranches through auction barns and eventually to other parts of the state, making early detection important. Screwworm larvae feed on living tissue inside open wounds and can kill an animal quickly if left untreated.

West Livestock Auction owner Brian Uptmore said this is not Texas’ first experience dealing with the screwworm.

“It’s not an airborne virus or anything like that. You know, we controlled it back in the ’60s and ’70s, you know, wiped it out then. We could wipe it out again now. It was just gonna take maybe a little more hands-on management,” Uptmore said.

Ranchers are asked to continue monitoring their cattle carefully and to report any wounds or questions to the Texas AgriLife Extension in their county.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

El Paso Chamber to Host State of Education and Workforce Event

KVIA on August 13, 2026

Nichole Gomez

El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV)-Claudia Rosales is joining ABC-7 at 4 o’clock to announce that The El Paso Chamber will be giving its State of Education and Workforce speech on August 19, 2026, at the Hotel Paso Del Norte.

The event will include Leila Melendez, CEO of Workforce Solutions Borderplex, as well as the superintendents Dr. Josue Borrego, Dr. Brian Lusk from El Paso ISD, James Vasquez from Socorro ISD, and people from Canutillo ISD. This signature event brings together new superintendents from our region, local employers, and students to discuss how our region is preparing the next generation forcareer success.

The State of Education and Workforce event gives attendees a firsthand look at how ourregion’s schools and employers are working together to prepare talent for jobs. There will be some work on workforce preparation, and Leila Melendez will also give a keynote speech containing useful insights. She will discuss the initiatives, partnerships, and investments that are driving education and workforce development across the Borderplex.

The event also gives the business community a chance to better understandhow education policy and workforce development directly impact economiccompetitiveness in the Borderplex.

EVENT DETAILS:

Date: Wednesday, August 19, 2026From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.Location: Hotel Paso Del Norte, Pershing BallroomRegistration is currently open and will end on August 14; sponsorship options are also offered.Participation is open to any organization that wishes to support this major event.

If you would like further information or wish to register, you can go to www.elpaso.org/events or send an email to epc@elpaso.org.

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Near drowning in Northeast El Paso leaves person with life-threatening injuries

KVIA on August 13, 2026

Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — One person went to a hospital with life-threatening injuries after a near drowning in Northeast El Paso Wednesday.

El Paso police said the near drowning happened at an apartment pool on Edgar Park Avenue, which is near Hercules Avenue and the US 54.

The El Paso Fire Department’s FireSTAR helicopter was dispatched to the scene, which cleared by 8:30 p.m., officials said.

At the scene, ABC-7 saw the apartment pool taped off.

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Canutillo ISD opens school board election for community leaders

KVIA on August 13, 2026

Nichole Gomez

El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV)-Would you like to serve your community as one of the members of the Canutillo ISD Board of Trustees?

According to Gustavo Reveles the deadline for applying for a spot on the ballot is on Monday, August 17th, and Election Day will be on Tuesday, November 3rd.

For more information on candidate eligibility, the filing procedures and the important election dates, please go to the CISD 2026 Board Election portal at www.canutillo-isd.org/school-board/election.

Canutillo ISD 2026 School Board Election

The board of trustees of the Canutillo ISD is made up of seven community members who are elected by the district’s voters. They serve without receiving any payment and have the responsibility of offering leadership and oversight for the benefit of students, staff, and taxpayers.

The board members have four-year terms which are staggered in order to secure continuity in governance and leadership, and trustee elections take place every two years as part of the general election cycle held in November, together with the state and county elections.

ELECTION

Tuesday, November 3, 2026, is Election Day.

The polling stations will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.

The El Paso County Elections Department will post the polling locations.

In-person voting will be available from Monday, October 19th to Friday, October 31st, 2026.

The El Paso County Elections Department will post the early voting times and locations.

Monday, October 5, 2026, is the final day on which one can register to vote in the November 3 election. You can download a postage-paid voter registration application from here.

Current Canutillo ISD Elected Officers

Canutillo ISD Board of Trustees Elected Members:

Sergio Martinez (unexpired term ends November 2026)

Lilia Maldonado (full term ends November 2028)

Cindy Zuñiga (full term ends November 2026)

Breanne Barnes (full term ends November 2026)

Lucia Borrego (full term ends November 2026)

Carolina Ortega (full term ends November 2028)

Armando Rodriguez (full term ends November 2028)

Positions on the November 2026 Ballot

These four positions will appear on the ballot on November 3, 2026:

Three full four-year terms (positions currently held by trustees Cindy Zuñiga, Breanne Barnes and Lucia Borrego)

A single term which has not expired, lasting two years (the position currently occupied by Trustee Sergio Martinez).

INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES

Eligibility Requirements

The criteria for qualification are set out in Canutillo ISD Board Policy BBA (LEGAL). You can view the policy by clicking here.

Filing Period

Note that Canutillo ISD might not be able to offer notary services; therefore, if your documents need to be notarized, please get them notarized prior to coming.

Calendar

The first day on which people can file to get a place on the ballot is Saturday, 18 July 2026. However, since the district is closed at weekends, prospective candidates will be able to start filing on Monday, 20 July 2026.

The deadline for applying for a spot on the ballot is on Monday, August 17, 2026.

The deadline for filing a declaration of write-in candidacy is Friday, August 21, 2026. (Note: A declaration of write-in candidacy must meet the same requirements as an application for a place on the ballot.)

Filing Methods

All the applications have to be handed in person at the Office of the Superintendent of the Canutillo Independent School District, whose address is:

CISD Administration Building7965 Artcraft Rd.El Paso, TX 79932℅ Adrian Cerros, Administrative Assistant to the Superintenent

The following should be noted: the Office of the Texas Secretary of State requires that the person who is filing must have the application in their possession by the deadline.

FORMS

Request for Confidentiality for Candidates Under Texas Government CodeIn accordance with Section 552.1175 of the Texas Government Code, anyone who is eligible can ask that certain information from your candidate application—such as your home address, home telephone number, details of your emergency contact, date of birth, social security number, or whether you have any family members—be kept from public view. When you complete and send this form to the filing authority to whom you submitted your candidate application, you are making the request for the kind of confidentiality mentioned above. You must attach a photocopy of the documentation proving that you are eligible for confidentiality with your written request. If you wish to withdraw this request for confidentiality, you have to do so in writing to the filing authority to whom you originally filed your candidate application.

Appointment Of A Campaign Treasurer By A Candidate (Form CTA)According to the Texas Ethics Commission, every candidate is required to file Form CTA even if they have no intention of raising or spending any money on their campaign; the form must be filed before the candidate submits an application for a position on the ballot, before they raise or spend any money as part of their campaign, or before they announce their candidacy. For more information regarding these guidelines and the form, see the Texas Ethics Commission’s Form CTA–Instruction Guide.

Application For A Place On The Ballot For A General Election For A City, School District Or Other Political Subdivision

Campaign Finance Report (Form C/OH)Every candidate must submit semiannual reports on Form C/OH even if they have had no campaign activity or have not been successful in the election. The annual filing deadlines and schedules can be obtained from the Texas Ethics Commission’s website. The forms should be sent to Cindy Anderson, the Elections Coordinator for Leander ISD. In order to terminate your filing responsibilities, you have to stop all campaign activity and file a Final Report using Form C/OH together with Form C/OH-FR (Designation of Final Report). The Designation of Final Report form is on the last page of Form C/OH. For more information regarding Campaign Finance Reports, see the Texas Ethics Commission Campaign Finance Guide for Candidates and Officeholders. Further campaign finance resources, such as how to start and how to end a campaign, are available on the Texas Ethics Commission website.

Even though it is not necessary, a great many of the candidates also submit a Code of Fair Campaign Practices (Form CFCP).

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El Paso Zoo Celebrates International Orangutan Day with Special Event

KVIA on August 13, 2026

Nichole Gomez

El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV)-The El Paso Zoo will be hosting an event for International Orangutan Day to honor one of the world’s most intelligent and endangered primates. You’ll find out about the measures being taken to protect orangutans, the difficulties they experience in their rainforest habitats, and that the term ‘orangutan’ actually means ‘person of the forest’.

Sunday, August 16. 12:30 p.m.

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COD showcases career paths beyond a four-year degree

KESQ on August 13, 2026

Dakota Makinen

COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) – Nearly 60% of jobs projected through 2030 won’t require a bachelor’s degree, according to a CommercialCafe study.

The study found 40% of the Riverside area’s workforce is employed in mid-skill jobs.

Those jobs can include careers that require specialized training, certifications or some college — rather than a four-year degree.

News Channel 3 spoke with a variety of instructors at College of the Desert this morning about the different career paths students can pursue.

Stay with News Channel 3 for the latest updates.

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Bear bites man walking dog in Cedar Crest as sightings spread across New Mexico

CNN Newsource on August 13, 2026

By Vincent Rodriguez

Click here for updates on this story

    Cedar Crest (KOAT) — Five bear sightings have been reported in metro areas across New Mexico and southern Colorado within the past 24 hours, including incidents in Santa Fe, and Albuquerque.

In Cedar Crest, a man was bitten by a bear while walking his dog. Authorities said his injuries were non-life-threatening, and more details on the encounter are pending.

In Albuquerque’s Northeast Heights, officers tranquilized a bear cub found outside a woman’s home. According to protocol, bears found in urban New Mexico areas are released back into the wild, away from people.

Early Wednesday in the foothills, a security camera captured a bear in a backyard. The footage showed the bear jumping on patio furniture and looking into windows before running off.

In Santa Fe, park rangers found a bear at Ashbaugh Park. They tranquilized the animal and relocated it to a wilderness area in northern New Mexico. Video showed a team lifting the bear and loading it into a cage.

In Durango, Colorado, police drone footage captured a bear along Third Avenue. The bear walked across the street, lingered on a patio, and eventually returned to the wilderness. Durango police said the bear was searching for fruit from a tree.

Officials are reminding residents to take precautions, as bears are intelligent and can be dangerous. Residents are advised to secure their trash, remove bird feeders, and lock doors, as bears can open sliding glass doors.

If you encounter a bear, experts recommend backing away slowly without making sudden movements. They advise against approaching the animal and say, if attacked, to fight back.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

11 Schools in Security-Widefield have new pedestrian safety measures for start of school year

KRDO on August 13, 2026

Scott Harrison

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — Nearly a dozen schools in Widefield District 3 are seeing the benefits of a pedestrian safety program funded by county commissioners in February 2024.

It was one of our first Road Warrior reports.

Commissioners allocated $11 million to improve safety at crossings near schools after a spike in serious accidents where pedestrians are supposed to be safe.

District 3 began receiving some of the safety upgrades over the summer, with new crosswalks and other features designed to slow traffic down, reduce crossing distances, and make it easier for pedestrians, disabloed citizens and drivers to see each other.

“About two years ago, we had some engineers start reaching out to principals, and we sat down and had some conversations with those engineers about some ideas for making the front of our buildings– or nearby our buildings — safer,” said Dave Gish, the district’s chief operations officer.

Some of the crossing improvements aren’t completely finished but the district deemed them appropriate for use.

Among the variety of designs is a raised center median in front of Pinello Elementary School.

Sunrise Elementary is building two crosswalks.

Webster Elementary removed one of its two crosswalks but upgraded the remaining version.

The county also will upgrade two intersections: Main Street at Norman Drive, near Widefield High School; and Security/Willis Boulevards , near Venetucci Elementary.

District 3 said that crews will improve traffic signals and crosswalks at those intersections.

“It’s different,” said Angela Plambeck, commenting on the Widefield Elementary crosswalk while picking up her third-grade daughter, Cheyenne, on Thursday.”At first, I was kinda confused. I wasn’t really sure what these were, or what the lines meant. So, I mean, it’s all right.”

Yet Angela said she welcomes any safety improvements near schools — especially after being involved in a minor crash outside the old crosswalk last year.

“A lady was backing out, and she backed into us, then just left,” she recalled.

Cheyenne said that she was the first to see the coming impact because her mom was on the phone.

“I yelled in the car, and I said, MOM!” she said.

During morning arrival at the school, there was a two-vehicle crash down the street from the new crosswalk; no injuries but it’s good reminder to drive carefully around schools.

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NAACP calls for independent investigation into Arkansas State Police use-of-force incident

CNN Newsource on August 13, 2026

By Brett Rains, Abner Sos, Adam Roberts

Click here for updates on this story

    JONESBORO, Ark. (KHBS, KHOG) — The NAACP Arkansas Conference is calling for an independent investigation into an incident involving an Arkansas State Police trooper and an 18-year-old woman during a traffic stop east of Jonesboro.

Barry Jefferson, president of the NAACP Arkansas Conference, said the investigation should be conducted by someone outside the state police agency.

“We just believe there should be an independent investigation, and I think that’s what we need to do instead of rushing to judgment. Because I don’t think we’ll see what’s on the video unless we have someone independent, besides the Arkansas State Police, investigate this so people can understand that they can trust their law enforcement or their government and make sure we do things the proper way, in the right way,” Jefferson said.

The woman, Alisa Hackett, is suing Trooper Moisses Arellano in federal court in eastern Arkansas. The lawsuit alleges excessive force, violations of free speech and battery.

Hackett was initially cited for speeding and being a minor in possession of alcohol. The situation escalated after Arellano informed her that her license would be confiscated and she was asked to sign a temporary license.

Dashcam footage obtained by 40/29 News shows Arellano moving to arrest Hackett. While attempting to place her in handcuffs, Arellano throws Hackett to the ground and speaks into his radio, saying she was resisting.

Arellano then hits Hackett.

Later in the footage, Arellano is heard saying, “Turn around. I’ll punch you again if you don’t turn around.” Hackett was on the ground underneath Arellano at that time.

Jefferson said the footage raised additional concerns for the NAACP.

“We saw the way he was talked to her, we saw him throw her on the ground. We saw all those things and those are very concerning to us,” Jefferson said. “And if we have someone independent, besides the Arkansas State Police, to investigate this so people can understand that they do trust their law enforcement or their government and to make sure we do things the proper way and the right way.”

An Arkansas State Police spokesperson told 40/29 News that the agency reviews all use-of-force incidents and that Arellano has not been placed on leave.

Hackett and her attorney have not yet commented on the lawsuit, which does not specify a monetary amount in damages being sought. Members of the Arkansas Black Caucus are scheduled to meet with the Arkansas State Police commander at the end of the month to discuss policies and training for state troopers.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.