Month: September 2026

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — KVIA-TV received an honorable mention for unearthing a hazing scandal involving the Franklin High School football team at the 2026 Nancy Monson Spirit of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas Awards.

The Nancy Monson Spirit of FOI Awards, presented by the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, go to news organizations that use or highlight open government laws. KVIA-TV Content Manager Lesley Engle, who led the investigation, received the recognition Friday at the FOI Foundation’s state conference in Austin.

“This acknowledgement from the Nancy Monson Spirit of FOI Awards reinforces ABC-7’s commitment to investigative journalism – and seeking the truth for our viewers through public records requests,” said KVIA-TV News Director Sean Flanagan.

(Courtesy: KVIA)

“Congratulations to the Texas journalists who are receiving these awards. They used public records combined with other reporting to seek the truth and shine light on institutions and officials in their communities. This keeps citizens informed so they can watch over their government,” said Kelley Shannon, executive director of the FOI Foundation of Texas.

In April 2025, ABC-7 Sunday Xtra Host Andrew J. Polk and Engle uncovered “inappropriate physical conduct linked to hazing” among teammates on the Franklin High School football team.”

ABC-7 obtained documents that show the investigation looked into players’ behavior inside the team’s locker rooms. The allegations included genitalia placed on a player’s face or mouth.

The school launched an investigation after Principal Amanda Bowser received two anonymous letters alleging hazing within the football program in October 2024, according to records ABC-7 obtained.

Records show Assistant Principal Guillermo Ramirez filled out a Sexual Harassment Report Intake form nearly a month later. Investigation findings triggered changes within the football program after the season ended.

Longtime Franklin High School Football Coach and Athletic Director Daren Walker was reassigned from the program for a “personal matter.” The El Paso Independent School District didn’t answer ABC-7’s questions about his employment status.

Read and watch the full investigative report by clicking this link.

Engle’s most recent investigation revealed El Paso County Commissioners and the County Judge spent nearly a quarter million dollars on travel over the past several years, including more than $126,000 by a single commissioner. Engle and Reporter Andrew J. Polk dug through hundreds of public records to shed light on how elected officials are spending tax dollars and examined the policy that allows unspecified exemptions to expense caps.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The El Paso Police Department is responding to an aggravated assault in Far East El Paso on Friday.

EPPD Detective Judy Oviedo said it happened on the 4600 block of Turf Road near El Dorado High School.

Police didn’t share any other information at this time.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — For many students attending the University of Texas at El Paso, trips to the gas station have challenged their budgeting. Students’ commutes vary as many live in Far East El Paso or across the border in Ciudad Juárez.

Some student drivers admitted to pushing their luck by riding on fumes and letting the gas light stay on until payday, adding unnecessary wear and tear to their vehicles.

National and statewide gas price averages are pointing toward what could be the most expensive September on record. El Paso isn’t quite at it’s all-time high, which was $4.90 in June 2022.

However, El Paso has the highest gas prices out of all major metro areas, according to Daniel Armbruster from the American Automobile Association (AAA).

Armbruster said prices in El Paso sit at an average of $4.41 per gallon. The state average is above $4.

The shock factor extends heavily to commercial and personal diesel drivers. Right now, the average price for diesel in El Paso reached $6.20 per gallon — higher than the national average of $5.96.

The root of the hike in prices lies overseas. West Texas Intermediate crude oil settled above $102 a barrel. It’s driven by ongoing global market volatility and supply concerns surround the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping corridor for global crude oil supplies.

“You know, historically what goes up must come down,” said Armbruster. “But when you have a major development involving the Strait of Hormuz, it makes it really difficult to say if the prices will drop given that the situation is so fluid.”

UTEP student Michelle White said she had to pick up a full-time job to cover her gas expenses.

“When they get too high. I choose to ignore them until they get lower. And then I go get gas,” White said. “I’m running on like two more miles before I go get gas. And that’s when I go get it.”

Armbruster advised against straining vehicles’ gas tank.

“Driver behavior is the number one factor when it comes to maximizing your fuel efficiency,” he said.

White said a “good portion” of her paycheck goes toward filling her tank.

“The job hurts me with how much I time I have for studying,” White added.