Author: KVIA

Joseph Montero

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — At least one person is dead after a single vehicle crash in south-central El Paso, according to the El Paso Police department.

Police said the crash happened at 4001 East Paisano Drive, near the El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens.

The call came in at 9:30 p.m. Thursday evening, the Special traffic investigations unit is currently on the scene.

This is a developing story and we will update you as we learn more.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Two Ysleta Independent School District Schools made their way to Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s 2026 Lone Star Ribbon Schools list. The district said the honors are El Paso’s first two.

Established by Gov. Abbott, the program recognizes “outstanding academic performance” in Texas public schools. Eligible campuses have to earn an “A” rating from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and demonstrate consistent student success.

Glen Cove and Presa Elementary Schools are two of 25 Texas schools that made this year’s list.

“Young Texans are the future of our state, and it is critical that they have access to a high-quality education,” said Gov. Abbott in a statement. “We will invest in the students, teachers, staff, and parents who are essential to building a bigger, brighter Texas for generations to come.”

Thursday, YISD shared a statement celebrating its two elementary schools’ recognition. YISD Superintendent Xavier De La Torre said the following:

“This is an incredibly proud moment for us. To win this kind of prestigious recognition from the state of Texas – and to be the first in the El Paso region to achieve this success – is a huge point of pride for our students, families, teachers, and leaders at these exceptional schools.

Without a doubt, both Glen Cove Elementary and Presa Elementary have demonstrated what can happen when a school community believes in every student’s potential.”

YISD said Presa and Glen Cove earned “A” ratings for the past five years.

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Miroslava Lem Quinonez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) – A gift from the Burgess family to Texas Tech Health El Paso will establish a fellowship to train dentist to care for patients with special health needs, according to the university.

The donation will create an endowment supporting the Hunt School of Dental Medicine’s first graduate fellowship in special needs dentistry. A dental school graduate selected for the fellowship will spend on year gaining advanced experience caring for patients.

The gift was inspired by the family’s experience with their sister Karen, who received specialized dental care from faculty and students at the Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic.

According to the university, the fellowship will make the Hunt School of Dental Medicine the 10th dental school nationwide to offer a dedicated postdoctoral fellowship focused on special needs dentistry.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The Hospitals of Providence unveiled the newest emergency room in East El Paso on Thursday.

The new facility is the 10th emergency room location in El Paso, according to THOP. It’s designed to provide 24/7 services.

“Almost a year ago today, we broke ground on this new emergency room that’s goiong to be 11 beds. The latest advanced care for a community we haven’t been in the middle of yet,” said Nicholas Tejeda, the group president of Western Group for Tenet Healthcare.

THOP’s Emergency Room Gateway is located at 11213 Gateway Blvd. West, Suite A near the intersection with Lee Trevino Drive.

“It’s a corner with a lot of history. A year ago, it was dirt. Now it’s a place where people can come and receive care. Whether you’re on this side of I-10 on the other side of I-10, we’re here for you,” Tejeda said.

He said it will open in the coming weeks.

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Gabrielle Lopez

(KVIA) — Thursday, the New Mexico Supreme Court denied the request for a writ of mandamus requested by the New Energy Economy against the state Environment Department regarding an air quality permit application for the Project Jupiter data center.

The data center is under construction in the Santa Teresa area.

Additionally, the court denied a writ of mandamus requested by the Center for Biological Diversity against the New Mexico State Engineer Elizabeth Anderson and Santa Teresa Capital, LLC. The court also lifted a stay imposed on Aug. 23.

That day, the court unanimously paused an air permit proceeding and water use from a new well for the data center.

These rulings are the result of legal challenges by the two entities in hopes of stopping some areas of Project Jupiter.

The main point of contention is how the permitting was processed regarding air quality or pollution that could emanate from this facility, and if any regulations were cut or curbed.

The stay that lifted will allow the drilling of wells supporting the center’s construction to continue.

The state engineer had been mentioned in the lawsuit because the filer felt she had sidestepped due process protections while allowing the drilling of a new well without a public hearing.

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Heriberto Perez Lara

SANTA TERESA, N.M. (KVIA) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Thursday the livestock crossing in Santa Teresa will reopen next week after more than two years. Santa Teresa’s port is part of a series of reopenings amid New World screwworm prevention efforts.

The New Mexico Border Authority shared some of its facilities with USDA so it can bring in and prepare sterile flies before releasing them across the border within the three borderland states: New Mexico, Texas, and Chihuahua, Mexico.

ABC-7 spoke with Gerardo Fierro, executive director of NMBA, who said they have been coordinating with USDA to facilitate its headquarters in Santa Teresa for them to prepare for the reopening.

“We offered them office space and, on our commercial parking lot, a space for them to bring their equipment, a cold storage container, among other things, so they can bring sterile flies for their release,” Fierro said.

The New Mexico Border Authority is an executive branch state agency

“We are a state government agency; we help other departments like the New Mexico Agriculture Department and we help them coordinate on the binational aspect,” Fierro said. “They have their own channels of communication, but we are an office that is headquartered at the border, and we coordinate and collaborate with other state agencies or departments of the state of New Mexico, as well as with Texas and the state of Chihuahua.”

“Our main goal now is for the cattle to start crossing again, to be good partners with the state of Chihuahua, to have that Mexican cattle coming across the border and going into the Texas and New Mexico feedlots and ranchers and generate more jobs for the whole region, not just here on the border, but also in Texas in the panhandle area and northern New Mexico,” Fierro added. “I think it’s going to be great; the hopes are to have that crossing open. It’s part of what we do at the border, as Santa Teresa is the biggest and most important cattle crossing in the US, and I think it’s important to have it reactivated, just as Sonora and Arizona did it about a month ago.”

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — LibraryCon returns for its second year at the El Paso Public Library next weekend. The free convention offers a Comic Con-like experience for fans of books, games, artists and more.

This year’s LibraryCon theme is “Borderland Heroes.” Attendees can explore local vendors, workshops, and a cosplay contest on Sept. 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Downtown El Paso library.

El Paso’s Main Library is located on 501 N Oregon St.

El Paso Libraries said it opened an application for vendors and exhibitors for LibraryCon. The deadline to apply is Friday, Sept. 18. Find the application here.

LibraryCon Pre-Activities

If you can’t make it to LibraryCon, the library scheduled other fandom-based activities in the days leading up to the convention.

Thursday, Sept. 17: Villains Take the NightAdults aged 21 and up can enjoy a night on the rooftop at the Mexican American Cultural Center. From 7-9 p.m., the adults-only program will include a cosplay contest, crafts, refreshments and more.

Sunday, Sept. 20: Blue Beetle Movie NightAt 7:30 p.m., superhero fans of all ages can watch Blue Beetle at Cleveland Square Park. The library recommended bringing chairs and blankets. Popcorn and cotton candy will be available while supplies last.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Lawmakers demanded answers from the Department of Veterans Affairs about its support for women veterans. Thursday, U.S. Congresswoman Veronica Escobar and 11 other Democratic members of Congress sent a letter to VA Secretary Doug Collins.

The letter noted the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans (ACWV) hasn’t met since 2024, and a required report wasn’t filed in 2025.

According to the letter, the committee has to meet twice a year and file a report to the VA’s secretary every July.

“The lapse in the ACWV’s required activities raises concerns about whether the Department is fulfilling its statutory obligation to consult with and seek the committee’s advice on matters affecting women veterans,” the letter said.

In the letter, congress members said by law, Secretary Collins must “consult with and seek advice from the ACWV with respect to VA health care, benefits, outreach, and other programs administered by VA.”

The lawmakers asked the VA for information on how they’re supporting women veterans without the committee’s input.

Congress members involved in the letter sought answers about how many times the ACWV met in 2025-26 and whether the meeting frequency affected budgets.

You can read the full letter below.

2026.09.17_letter_to_secva_for_the_inactivity_of_the_advisory_committee_on_women_veteransDownload

Rep. Escobar is running for re-election this November against the Republican candidate, Adam Bauman.

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Gabrielle Lopez

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) — Two Las Cruces women have been charged with felony counts for allegedly hosting a teenage runaway, according to police.

The Las Cruces Police Department said 49-year-old Crystal J. Buster and her mother, 68-year-old Kim Renee Stevenson, are suspected of “contributing to the delinquency” of a 15-year-old boy.

Crystal Buster (left) and Kim Stevenson’s mugshots.(Courtesy: DACDC)

In July 2025, the Las Cruces Police Department received a report that the boy ran away from home. LCPD said they weren’t able to locate him for more than a year.

Investigators said the missing boy may have been associated with Buster’s 15-year-old daughter. Police interviewed the two women, who allegedly claimed they hadn’t seen the boy in several months.

Police learned the boy may have been living with the girl in the women’s home. Investigators learned he was there, police said.

On Sept. 11, 2026, police executed a search warrant at the home and found the boy hiding in a closet, LCPD said. Authorities took him into custody and issued a juvenile citation.

Police also took arrested Buster and Stevenson. Police alleged the women knew the boy ran away.

Buster faces two felony counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and two counts of child abuse. Stevenson was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and two counts of failing to report child abuse or neglect.

Jail records said they booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center without bond on Wednesday.

After further investigation, Buster’s 19-year-old daughter and her 19-year-old boyfriend were charged with two counts of failing to report child abuse or neglect. Police said they also lived in the women’s home.

LCPD said it’s illegal to intentionally harbor a runaway or missing juvenile. You can report a suspected crime to police at (575) 526-0795.

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Mikey Tongko

DONA ANA COUNTY, N.M. (KVIA) — As September monsoon storms bring much-needed rain through the area, the Borderland saw its share of damage. For local farmers, the last few days of storm activity have been both a blessing and an obstacle.

Flash flooding can cause water to stay stagnant in sections of farms, depriving the crops of much-needed oxygen to stay alive.

According to National Weather Service reports, these thunderstorm chances remain in effect for the next few days, bringing more chances of flooding — especially with increased rain chances for Thursday evening.

ABC-7’s StormTrack Weather Team also issued an ABC-7 First Alert through Saturday for the rains.

ABC-7 reached out to local farmers to hear how the storms impacted their land.

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