Author: KVIA

Gabrielle Lopez

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) — Temperatures in Las Cruces could return to the triple digits at least into early next week. The City of Las Cruces said some public buildings will offer space to cool off.

The city noted there won’t be a cooling station open Sunday, Aug. 23.

Below is the list of spaces offering relief from the heat:

Thomas Branigan Memorial Library, 200 E. Picacho Ave.

9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday

9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday

CLOSED SUNDAY

Mesilla Valley Intermodal Transit Terminal, 300 W. Lohman Ave.

6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Friday

8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday

CLOSED SUNDAY

Meerscheidt Recreation Center, 1600 E. Hadley Ave.(This facility is currently undergoing construction; however, designated areas that remain open to the public will continue to operate as a cooling station)

10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday

CLOSED SUNDAY

The following senior centers are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. They’re closed Saturday and Sunday, the city said.

Frank O’Brien Papen Community Center, 304 W. Bell Ave.

Henry R. Benavidez Community Center, 1045 McClure Rd.

Munson Center, 975 S. Mesquite St.

Sage Café, 6121 Reynolds Dr.

Beat the Heat Safely

If you aren’t able to stay in a cooling center, there are other ways to stay safe and healthy amid high heat. The city encouraged residents to drink plenty of fluids and stay out of the sun.

If you have to work or spend time outside, intense activities should be limited to the early morning or evening hours.

High heat puts some groups at higher risk of heat-related illnesses, including infants, older adults and people with disabilities.

Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool, shaded location as quickly as possible.

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Gabrielle Lopez

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (KVIA) — Tuesday, the Juarez Municipal Government said it’s working to strengthen efforts to detect and combat New World screwworm. The parasite, known to harm livestock, is present in the state of Chihuahua and Texas.

NWS larvae “screw” themselves into open wounds with sharp mouth hooks.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said there are 4 active NWS cases in the U.S. along the Texas-Mexico border.

During a meeting Tuesday, officials reviewed preventative actions. The government mentioned a coordinated strategy designed to prevent, detect, report and act on any suspected cases.

Juarez Mayor Héctor Rafael Ortiz Orpinel; Coordinator Enrique Licón Chávez; City Secretary Miguel Mendoza Escamilla; and the heads of the Ecology, Civil Protection, Health, Social Media, Animal Welfare and Care (DABA), and Social Communication departments, as well as councilwomen from the Ecology and Civil Protection committees met.

Through DABA, the municipal government said it will permanently link with the National Service for Agrifood Health, Safety, and Quality (Senasica).

These officials made plans to establish a municipal prevention and response committee, improve coordination with state and federal health authorities, the municipal government said.

Plans also include implementing preventative patrols, training personnel and establishing mechanisms for getting and following up on citizen reports.

Officials also considered a “Municipal Early Warning Network,” which would help with surveillance for detection, the municipal government said. Veterinarians, clinics, producers, livestock associations, shelters, securers, universities, rural communities and municipal staff could participate.

“We will maintain coordinated efforts with authorities at other levels of government, academic institutions, and specialists to protect animal health and reduce the risk of screwworm infestation in Ciudad Juárez,” Mayor Ortiz Orpinel said.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — An El Paso Halloween tradition returns Oct. 1. The KLAQ Haunted House Experience will bring a month of scares and entertainment to the Solana, the shopping center said.

According to a news release, the haunted house will run Thursday through Sunday from Oct.1-31.

The KLAQ Haunted House Experience has been a part of El Paso since 1995.

For this Halloween season, the Solana said KLAQ and 915 Live Productions crafted a new experience to continue the tradition with “something new to discover.”

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Lauren Bly

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Many Americans are struggling to afford groceries. As oil prices rise, grocery prices climb with them.

University of Texas at El Paso economics professor Tom Fullerton said this is most likely to continue. 

One El Pasoan, Ruben, says his family is focused on living within its means as rising prices continue to affect their household budget.

“Less vacation, stuff like that,” Ruben said.

He said he has noticed grocery prices increase since the COVID-19 pandemic, with a sharper rise in recent months, particularly for produce.

“Vegetables, for sure, that’s gone up,” Ruben said.

UTEP economics professor Tom Fullerton said higher oil prices tied to the war in Iran are contributing to higher grocery costs, particularly through increased transportation expenses.

“Whenever diesel prices go up, that raises the costs of transportation,” Fullerton said. “And the grocery stores and convenience stores have no choice other than to pay those higher costs because they need to restock their shelves.”

Fullerton said consumers are likely to see some of the biggest price increases in products that must be replenished frequently, including fish, chicken and produce.

“Those things, you know, have to be replenished on a weekly, if not a daily, basis,” Fullerton said.

Fullerton said prices are likely to remain elevated for some time.

“Prices will go up more quickly, then they’ll come down,” he said.

The higher costs also could affect the local economy, Fullerton said, as businesses face increased expenses.

“That could translate into smaller payroll increases and slower hiring,” he said. “Workers already on payroll could see smaller wage increases, while fewer workers could be recruited during the second half of 2026 than otherwise would have been.”

For El Paso residents like Ruben, that means finding ways to stretch their grocery budgets.

“We tend to stock up a little bit when we can,” he said. “If we find something on sale rice, beans, things like that we can store.”

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Hillary Floren

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) –When it comes to kids, mental health and social participation are deeply connected. Some local young people are getting help with socialization and making friends, thanks to UTEP Occupational Therapy doctoral student Desirae Gomez. She partnered with La Mente Behavioral Health as part of her OT Capstone project.

Every week, kids currently being treated at La Mente can gather in a special room to paint, journal, or take part in activities like cupcake wars. They think it’s fun – but it’s actually much more. In this environment, without diagnoses or labels, they begin opening up to others while they create. She provides the art supplies and the safe space.

“I’ll leave less glitter on the table so they have to interact and say, ‘can i borrow the glitter?’ Just get that interaction together,” Gomez says. In the past few weeks, she’s noticed the children are opening up and conversing more. There are more smiles. And more kids! What started as a group of four has already grown to 36. That’s more glitter, glue and art supplies for Gomez to buy, but she doesn’t mind at all.

La Mente employee Alexandra Zuniga agrees. She says this program compliments the work they do every day. She calls it a success, and something their clients can count on.

“Having a support system is super important and can help you in life, no matter the struggles you’re facing. A lot of times the kids who come in have low self esteem so connecting with others increases their joy and happiness.” For more information on La Mente, and how to get your child involved, click here: https://lamentehealth.com/

Desirae Gomez says after she completes the program, she will stay in the mental health field. She says emotions effect people’s everyday life and seeing that children struggle with that, she wants to continue to find ways to help and improve their lives.

For more information on UTEP’s Occupational Therapy doctoral program, click here: https://www.utep.edu/chs/ot/

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Carpio Griego

SOCORRO, Texas (KVIA) — The City of Socorro agreed to rejoin the El Paso Transit Authority (ETA). Starting Oct. 1, Socorro will operate and maintain its ¡ávanzando! microtransit services, El Paso County said.

On July 29, the ETA Board of Directors authorized the proposal to operate and maintain the ¡ávanzando! services. The Socorro City Council accepted and agreed to join the ETA Aug. 6.

The transit service will expand to connect Socorro, San Elizario and Clint, the county said. Passengers can ride for free and use ETA amenities such as bike racks, Wi-Fi, and the ETA app.

Through the subcontractor Transdev, ETA will operate ¡ávanzando! seven days a week. From Monday-Friday, the service will run from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Saturday-Sunday, it will run between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., the county said.

The county said Socorro will contribute $5,165 for regional transit access and $253,000 for the operation and maintenance of ¡ávanzando!

A program City of Socorro Mayor Rudy Cruz Jr said was made out of necessity to serve the people of his community.

“I represent a very underserved population, the transportation services from the past were not going to pick up the elderly woman at her front door that needed to go pick up her prescriptions,” Cruz said. “They weren’t going to pick her up to take her to her doctor’s appointments. We’ve created that, the City of Socorro created a system that’s going to cater to the needs of our residents, especially with a large elderly population.”

Something one Socorro resident, Ivette Jurado, said she has not used herself but said it is still something that is good for the community.

“That is very good for here for the community,” Jurado said. “Because I have gone through that way before I got my vehicle. We only had busses that were run down around Socorro and up Horizon and down, which that was a shuttle some time back and I know personally that a lot of people had a hard time with that personally for transportation. Even people that have disabilities as myself.”

Jurado also said even if taxes did have to be raised to pay for it, she thinks it would be an expense worth paying for.

“Yes, it is and I talk from personal experience,” Jurado said. “We all don’t have jobs, especially right now how everything’s happening with the government and everything. We have struggles so yes it would be great for a lot of people to have that help.”

Cruz feels after one year of the City of Socorro running the service independently it’s been a success, keeping it under budget which City Manager Adriana Rodarte told ABC-7 was $220,000.

“Yeah, it is successful. It is, however, very, very new and it’s premature because we’ve never operated a transportation service here for our residents,” Cruz said. “Especially for a city of our size, we do pack a punch and we do have just sophisticated people working in our offices that are continuously monitoring the trends, to allow us to make better decisions as a council as a whole, make better money decisions for our residents.”

Decisions Cruz said will make sure the expansion like this will not cause any increase in taxes for Socorro residents to pay and said he’s willing to look for ‘any untapped resource’ to avoid any raising of taxes.

“This is at no cost to our our residents, we’re not raising taxes for this,” Cruz said. “This is a service that we wanted to create and provide for our residents and any untapped resource that we haven’t found. We’re going to continue looking for them.”

Socorro will assign two vehicles to ETA for operation and maintenance. The county said ETA will provide administrative support and assist with planning for future bus shelters and anchor stations.

“In the past year, Socorro ¡ávanzando! carried 6,896 passenger trips which shows that transit iscatching on in Socorro and we look forward to ETA taking our microtransit service to the next level,”stated Alejandra Valadez, the City’s Development Director and ETA Board Member.

In 2025, El Paso County commissioners voted to end transit service within Socorro on ETA’s recommendation. The City of Socorro completed its ¡ávanzando! replacement plan July 2025.

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Yvonne Suarez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) – iFLY El Paso bid farewell to El Paso on their Facebook page Tuesday afternoon.

The post reads, “iFLY El Paso is now permanently closed. Although this chapter has come to an end, we hope the impact of these seven years continues wherever your next flight takes you”.

The in-door skydiving venue located in West El Paso first opened in 2019. It shut down for eight months after the City of El Paso revoked a 380 agreement which provided economic incentives to the venue. The agreement with FlyZone Inc. was ended after the appraised property value was contested. The economic agreement would have provided the venue over $160,000 in sales tax rebates.

iFLY El Paso, under corporate ownership, reopened in March of 2025 after the facility was refurbished.

iFLY El Paso hosted All Abilities Night for those with special abilities and needs. Something the organizers said was “an empowering night of indoor skydiving designed for individuals of all abilities, with personalized support, world-class instructors, and plenty of fun”.

In their post the company thanked the community.

“Seven years can create a lifetime of memories. Since iFLY El Paso opened in 2019, we’ve had the privilege of watching people experience flight for the very first time, discover a new passion, push themselves to learn something new, and form friendships that stretched far beyond the tunnel. Every flyer left a little piece of their story here. And to our experienced flyers — the indoor and outdoor skydivers who showed up again and again, shared their passion, encouraged the next flyer, and helped build the body flight community in El Paso — thank you. Your dedication to flying, your willingness to teach and learn from one another, and your love for this community are what gave this tunnel its heart.”

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KVIA ABC-7

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — KVIA ABC-7 is proud to announce the return of one of the Borderland’s most familiar faces.

Mauricio Casillas, an El Paso native and former ABC-7 anchor, is returning to KVIA-TV to join Marcel Clarke as co-anchor of ABC-7’s weekday 5, 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts.

Casillas returns to El Paso after four years reporting and anchoring at NBC4 in Washington, D.C., where he covered major breaking news, politics, public safety and stories affecting communities throughout the nation’s capital. He also reported in Spanish for Telemundo Washington.

But for Casillas, the opportunity represents more than a new job. It’s a return home.

“El Paso is home. There is no place like it anywhere else. The opportunity to come back to my community and tell stories was one I couldn’t pass up,” Casillas said.

Casillas began his career at ABC-7 in 2016 as the station’s first-ever morning traffic reporter. He soon moved into reporting and anchoring, including Good Morning El Paso, ABC-7 at 4 and ABC-7 at 10, before becoming anchor and executive producer of Good Morning El Paso. During his six years at KVIA, he earned an Emmy for Best Morning Newscast in the small-market category.

“KVIA is a legacy station — one that the Borderland has trusted for nearly seven decades now — and I want to help carry that legacy forward,” he said.

He left El Paso in 2022 to join NBC4 Washington, where his work earned two additional Emmy Awards and an Edward R. Murrow Award.

“His Emmy Award-winning journalistic work will continue to build on the in-depth reporting that viewers have come to expect from ABC-7 on all platforms,” said ABC-7 News Director Sean Flanagan.

“This is a great full-circle moment for Mauricio,” said KVIA-TV General Manager Brenda De Anda-Swann. “KVIA is where he started his career. He then left to work at one of the top stations in the country, and now he comes back home to put all that knowledge to work right in his community. I couldn’t be more excited to have him back in the newsroom. Mauricio and Marcel will make an incredible team.”

Mauricio Casillas, his wife, Diana, and their son, Luca.(Courtesy: Mauricio Casillas)

Casillas and his wife, Diana, are both El Paso natives. The couple welcomed their son, Luca, in March 2025.

“I had an incredible four years in Washington, D.C. I had the chance to work with some of the best journalists in the country,” Casillas said. “The growth I’ve experienced in D.C. will only allow me to better serve El Pasoans when I make my return.”

For Casillas, returning to ABC-7 also means returning to the community that helped shape his career.

“El Paso is where my wife and I met. It’s where our families live. And it’s where we want to raise our son,” Casillas said. “The privilege to report on a community I love, surrounded by people I love, is one that I will be eternally grateful for. I can’t wait to help tell the story of El Paso, Las Cruces and Juárez. ¡Nos vemos pronto!”

Casillas will join Clarke on the ABC-7 anchor desk as the station continues its commitment to providing the Borderland with trusted, local journalism across El Paso, Las Cruces and Ciudad Juárez.

Casillas will begin anchoring ABC-7’s evening newscasts at the end of September 2026.

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Joseph Montero

CANUTILLO, Texas (KVIA) – The Canutillo Independent School District is now looking for a new principal for Canutillo High School after former Principal Casey Rangel submitted his resignation.

Rangel said he is resigning effective Wednesday, Aug. 19 due to ongoing health concerns. His resignation comes just months after beginning his position on May 21 earlier this year.

“We are grateful for Mr. Rangel’s service to Canutillo High School and his commitment to our students, staff and families. We wish him a speedy recovery, continued good health and every success in his future endeavors,” Canutillo ISD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Josue Borrego said.

Executive Director of Secondary Schools Nidia Avila will be overseeing day-to-day operations at Canutillo High School while the district looks for a permanent principal.

Dr. Borrego says identifying the right leader for the school is now a top priority for the district.

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Armando Ramirez

HORIZON, Texas (KVIA) — According to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPCSO) two minors were arrested after allegedly taking deputies on chase in El Paso County.

Officials say that on August 9, 2026, around 10:24 p.m., El Paso County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called out to the area of Buck Street and Mule Deer Drive regarding a reported disturbance involving multiple juveniles.

When deputies arrived, officials say they observed a vehicle leaving the area and subsequently determined it had been reported stolen. When deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop, officials say the driver did not stop, which started a car chase.

Officials say the chase traveled through the Montana Vista and Horizon City areas, including residential neighborhoods and major roadways. During the pursuit, the driver allegedly reached speeds exceeding 100 mph and disregarded multiple traffic signals and traffic control devices. EPCSO says the pursuit continued onto Interstate 10 and surrounding roadways before eventually ending in a desert area near the 13000 block of North Loop Drive.

The Sheriff’s Office says that deputies from the East Montana Patrol Station, Peter J. Herrera Patrol Station, and Special Operations Unit, the Texas Department of Public Safety, Clint Police Department, and Horizon City Police Department were involved in the chase.

Officials say the two minors were caught and the stolen vehicle was recovered. No injuries were reported in connection with the incident.

The juvenile driver was charged with Evading Arrest/Detention with a Motor Vehicle, Evading Arrest/Detention, and Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle. The juvenile passenger was charged with Evading Arrest/Detention.

Both juveniles were referred to the Juvenile Probation Department for further proceedings.

Below is an edited video provided by the Sheriff’s Office showing some of the pursuit and apprehensions.

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