Author: KVIA

Carpio Griego

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) — A Las Cruces food pantry plans to take a stand against hunger starting Thursday with a hunger strike. The Casa De Peregrinos said it wll go 24 hours without eating.

During its hunger strike, Casa De Peregrinos will accept donations, according to its website. All proceeds go toward efforts to feed children, families and seniors across Southern New Mexico.

The food pantry said the strike is an act of solidarity amid changes to federal nutrition assistance programs. It said 18,000 people in New Mexico lost SNAP benefits.

“Our Hunger Strike is about more than going without food for a day,” said Marco Olvera, director of development at Casa de Peregrinos. “It’s about standing with our neighbors who face difficult choices every day and raising awareness about the reality of hunger in our community.”

Officials said community members, Casa de Peregrinos employees and Director Lorenzo Alba Jr. will participate in Doña Ana County.

This is the eighth year the pantry does the strike.

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Hillary Floren

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) — New Mexico is the third state to legalize the use of psychedelic-assisted therapy for mental health, trauma and end-of-life care. A new documentary on the subject is being screened in Las Cruces this Friday. The film puts the conversation of psilocybin treatment in the spotlight.

Psilocybin therapy, also known as magic mushrooms, are powerful. Some say it’s a game changer for treating things like addiction and PTSD.

Film Director Christopher Cramer tells me he decided to make the documentary after a life-changing conversation with a friend’s mother. She explained to him how the therapy had helped her heal and be able to talk about terrible things that happened to her as a young girl. She had been holding on to the pain for all these years, and is finally finding a way to acknowledge and move past it.

The film, called “Journeys,” shares deeply personal stories and beliefs about healing, consciousness, and transformation. It explores the use of psychedelics to treat mental health, trauma, end-of-life care, and emerging therapeutic approaches, as well as the possibility and complexity of these experiences.

Cramer says the idea is not to sway anyone, but to inform people of what treatments are available, and working for many.

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the Medical Psilocybin Act into law in April of 2025. In June of that same year, the Medical Psilocybin Act officially took legal effect. The New Mexico Department of Health will launch the program in December 2026, a year ahead of the deadline set by state lawmakers.

A screening of Journeys is taking place Friday, September 18th in Las Cruces at the Rio Grande Theater. Doors open at 5pm, and a panel discussion with the filmmakers and New Mexico State Senator Jeff Steinborn will follow.www.journeysfilm.com

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Lauren Bly

SANTA TERESA, N.M. (KVIA) — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins on Thursday said the Santa Teresa livestock port will reopen Sept. 24.

The opening is part of a phased reopening of ports as officials work to restore operations with protocols to prevent the spread of New World screwworm. NWS is a parasite that can infect livestock through open wounds.

The New World screwworm lays eggs that hatch into maggots, which feed on the living flesh of animals, prompting the widespread halt of cattle imports and exports.

Last year, U.S. and Mexican authorities closed the livestock crossings to prevent the spread.

The Santa Teresa POE, the largest in North America, typically handles more than 500,000 head of cattle annually. This cattle trade through the Santa Teresa port represents an economic value of between $1.2 and $1.4 billion per year.

“Livestock ports of entry on our southern border have played a very historic and critical role in the American cattle trade for more than 120 years. Imports from Mexico make their way to US feedlots. In fact, most of the cattle who cross at this port make their way to Texas feedlots, eventually ending up on dinner tables across America,” said Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced some cattle reports would start Aug. 24. The first port scheduled to open was in Douglas, Arizona. Which has been successful according to officials.

“Douglas port reopening has exceeded all expectations,” said Rollins.When the USDA made the announcement, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said allowing a limited resumption of cattle importation is not the finish line, and said there needs to be a “sustained commitment to aggressive use of every proven eradication tool.”

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Nicole Ardila

New Mexico State University is hosting the “Americans and the Holocaust” traveling exhibit, and this week’s programming showcases “Refuge in the Land of Enchantment: Holocaust Survivors Who Made New Mexico Home.”

On Thursday, Camelia Caton-Garcia, an archivist at New Mexico Holocaust & Intolerance Museum will share the personal stories of survivors who migrated to the U.S. during the Holocaust.

The programming event is part of Americans and the Holocaust, a traveling exhibition from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and American Library Association.

It discusses the motives, pressures and fears that shaped Americans’ responses to Nazism, war and genocide in Europe during the 1930s and 1940s.

The NMSU Zuhl Library was selected as one of 50 U.S. libraries to present the touring version of the special exhibition between 2024 to 2026.

“Americans and the Holocaust” will be on display at Zuhl Library until Friday, September 25, 2026.  

Next Thursday, Sept. 24, there will be a film screening of “Nazi Town, USA” with Director Peter Yost.

Admission is free and all ages are welcome.

The events are from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. every week.

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Carpio Griego

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The final living member of the 1949 Bowie High School baseball team died. Alfonzo Lopez was part of the first team to be declared Texas state champions.

Lopez’ nephew confirmed with ABC-7 about his death. He was 94.

Lopez was part of a team that made history. 1949 Bowie Bears baseball team’s 3-2 victory led them to life the first state championship trophy.

ESPN reporter and El Paso native Roberto Franco interviewed Lopez about the team’s journey in 2024.

“That meant a lot to the community at the time,” Franco said. “You have this team of Mexican Americans accomplishing this.”

Franco’s interview with Lopez discussed the challenges off the field. The team saw signs that read, “No Mexicans allowed” on the road, according to Franco.

The team also had to sleep under the bleachers of a football stadium and eat outside, he said. Lopez told Franco about seeing the signs at the time.

“He was quiet for a long time and just kind of staring at it intently,” Franco said. “Probably thinking back on, on what was happening then at that time.”

Franco said El Paso is proud of the local boys that made history.

The championship trophy bonded the teammates for life. They kept it throughout the Korean War era. Throughout the years, the teammates met up to talk when they were back home.

Franco said the team’s memories were kept alive and won’t fade to time. He described the team’s win as “a story every El Pasoan should know.”

“It’s the stuff movies are made of,” he said.

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Andrew J. Polk

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — How much have El Paso County commissioners traveled — and spent– on the taxpayers’ tab?

An ABC-7 investigation found that the four commissioners and the county judge spent nearly $234,000 on flights and trips over the last several years.

One commissioner spent more than all others combined.

ABC-7 obtained about five years of travel and expense records using open records requests, covering fiscal year 2022 through May of this year. That period includes parts of 2021 as the county’s fiscal year starts in October of each calendar year.

With destinations like Hawaii, Las Vegas, Austin and Taiwan on the list, ABC-7 Xtra host Andrew J. Polk and content manager Lesley Engle dug into the records and asked commissioners, what did county residents get in return?

Watch the full report, “Travel Tab – An ABC-7 Xtra Investigation,” Thursday at 5 and 6 p.m., only on ABC-7. Read the full investigative report here.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Deputies with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 22-year-old man for reckless driving on Tuesday.

EPCSO said it happened near the 14800 block of Edgemere Boulevard near IDEA Edgemere. Deputies found tire marks throughout a shopping center parking lot.

Body cam footage EPCSO shared showed allegedly Anthony Samaniego driving a car and doing “donuts” in a shopping center parking lot.

Watch the bodycam video EPCSO shared below.

EPCSO said it arrested Samaniego and charged him with reckless driving. He was booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility on a $5,000 bond.

Anthony Samaniego’s mugshot.(Courtesy: EPCSO)

“Private property is not a place for reckless driving,” said Sheriff Oscar Ugarte in a statement. “This type of behavior can damage property and put nearby residents at risk.

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Max Zepeda

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) — After a landmark ruling ordering Meta to pay $942 and overhaul protection for children on its platforms, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez is expected to be in Las Cruces Wednesday to discuss the next steps.

Torrez’ “Keeping Kids Safe” town hall is set for 6-7 p.m. at the Doña Ana Community College East Mesa Campus Auditorium Building (2800 Sonoma Ranch Blvd.).

The attorney general is scheduled to meet with the Las Cruces community to discuss his work to keep kids safe online. He will also discuss legislative proposals to support New Mexico working families, according to the NMDOJ.

On Aug. 6, a New Mexico court ordered Meta to fund a $567 million abatement program dedicated to addressing the youth mental health crisis, according to the NMDOJ. The order addressed the state’s public nuisance claim against Meta Platforms.

In addition to a $375 million civil penalty, the abatement program aims to prevent child exploitation, expanding treatment and recovery services and implementing meaningful safety reforms, NMDOJ said.

Torrez sued Meta in 2023 and claimed it created a “breeding ground” for child predators on two of its platforms: Facebook and Instagram. Meta denied the claim.

In March, a jury found Meta liable on all counts in a trial on child safety and engaging in unfair trade practices.

Torrez will be running for re-election this November against Las Cruces private attorney and Republican nominee Samuel Kane.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Whiskey Dicks bar in El Paso is closing, according to a social media post the business posted Wednesday.

“After 20+ years, we will officially be closing our doors. It has been a pleasure to have welcomed so many of you throughout our years of service,” the bar wrote. “Thank you again for one last ride. Until next time.”

The post was made on the bar’s El Paso location profile. There is a Whiskey Dicks location in Las Cruces, which doesn’t have a post about closing.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Whiskey Dicks El Paso (@whiskeydickselpaso)

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Gabrielle Lopez

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) — New Mexico State University Hall of Famer Fredd Young died at the age of 64, NMSU Athletics said Wednesday.

Young played football for the NMSU Aggies from 1980-83. His six-sack performance against LA Tech in 1983 remains the most ever recorded in a single game by any Aggie, according to the university.

After his career with the Aggies, he transitioned to the NFL to play with the Seattle Seahawks.

NMSU Athletics said the Seahawks selected him in the third round of the 1984 NFL Draft. The team recognized him as one of the top 50 players in franchise history as the organization celebrated its 50th season.

In seven seasons with the NFL, Young played in 101 games — starting 79 of them, according to NMSU.

Young’s impact traces back to Las Cruces. As an Aggie, Young entered the U.S. Bank/NM State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1991.

“His impact on Aggie Athletics, the game of football and the Las Cruces community will long be remembered,” NMSU Athletics said.

The university said the defense end from Dallas was a four-year starter who earned First Team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors in 1982. He also earned AP All-American Honorable Mention and The Sporting News All-American Honorable Mention honors in 1983.

During his collegiate and professional career, he excelled as a linebacker and a return specialist, NMSU said.

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