Author: KVIA

Nichole Gomez

El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV)—The Texas Department of Transportation is working with law enforcement to remind Texas drivers to wear seat belts every ride and drive sober this Memorial Day weekend. TX Dot’s Jennifer Wright shares a few reminders to help you stay safe this holiday weekend.

Helpful Information Courtesy of TX Dot El Paso:

AAA projects 45.1 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home over the Memorial Day holiday from Thursday, May 22 to Monday, May 26. Most of those people will travel by vehicle. Make sure your vehicle is ready for the road trip and remember these TxDOT Resources:

Road Conditions: https://drivetexas.org/

Rest Areas, Travel Information Centers:

https://www.txdot.gov/…/rest-areas-travel-information…

Live Traffic Cameras: https://www.txdot.gov/discover/live-traffic-cameras.html

For updates follow us on X:  @txdotelp and like us on Facebook: @txdotep

Plus get email alerts on closures straight to your inbox by registering at www.drivetexas.org.

I-10 Widening West

Monday, May 26 through Saturday, May 31

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (as needed)

North Desert and South Desert between Anthony and Redd alternate lane closures

Redd east and westbound at North-and South Desert intersections alternate lane closures

Crews will be working on electrical and miscellaneous construction work.

I-10 west and eastbound between Redd and Resler alternate lane closures

Crews will be paving.

Monday, May 26

9 p.m. to 5 a.m. (Night)

I-10 East closed at Transmountain to Artcraft

Detour: Traffic to exit at Transmountain Exit (ramp 05), proceed through Transmountain and Artcraft intersections and enter I-10 eastbound using the Artcraft Entrance (ramp 09)

I-10 eastbound at Los Mochis Entrance (ramp 06) closed

I-10 eastbound at Transmountain Entrance (ramp 07) closed

Transmountain Flyover to I-10 eastbound to be closed

Tuesday, May 27

9 p.m. to 5 a.m. (Night)

I-10 West closed at Artcraft

Detour: Traffic to exit at Artcraft Exit (ramp 09), proceed through Artcraft and Transmountain intersections and enter I-10 West using the Transmountain Entrance (ramp 05)

Crews will be working on portable concrete barrier removal.

4 a.m. Saturday, May 31, through 5 a.m. Monday, June 2 (49HR closure)

I-10 East at Redd to North Mesa

Detour: Traffic to exit at Redd Exit (ramp 08), proceed through Redd, Thorn and Mesa intersections, continue CD Lanes and enter I-10 East after Sunland Park

I-10 East Transmountain Entrance (ramp 07) closed

I-10 East Artcraft Entrance (ramp 09) closed

Crews will be placing bridge deck.

Advance warning

4 a.m. Saturday, June 7 through 4 p.m. Sunday, June 8 (36HR closure)

I-10 East closed at Redd Exit

Detour: Traffic to exit at Redd exit ramp (08), proceed through Redd, Thorn and Mesa intersections, continue on CD Lanes and enter I-10 East after Sunland Park

I-10 East Transmountain Entrance ramp closed (07)

I-10 East Artcraft Entrance Ramp closed (09)

Advance warning

4 a.m. Saturday, June 14 through 4 p.m. Sunday, June 15  (36HR closure)

I-10 West between Sunland Park and Resler closed

Detour: Traffic to exit at Sunland Park/Resler Exit (ramp 13), proceed to CD Lanes using the Resler Exit (ramp 12), continue on CD Lanes through Mesa, Thorn, and Redd intersections and enter I-10 WB using the Redd Entrance ramp

I-10 West Sunland Park entrance ramp closed

I-10 Widening West 2

Tuesday, May 27 through Saturday, May 31

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (as needed)

I-10 East and West between Anthony and Nashua alternate lane closure

North and South Desert between Anthony and Nashua alternate lane closure

Crews will be working on dirt work and miscellaneous removals.

Thursday, May 29

9 p.m. to 6 a.m. (night)

South Desert between Anthony and Valley Chile full closure

Detour: All traffic will enter I-10 East at the Travel Information Center and exit at the Valley Chile On-Ramp if desired.

I-10 East Travel Information Center Exit closed

Crews will be setting bridge beams.

Thursday, May 29

9 p.m. to 6 a.m. (night)

I-10 East and West between Nashua and Vinton left lane closed

Crews will be placing bridge deck.

Friday, May 30

2 a.m. to 6 a.m.

(This will only a backup date in case deck placement doesn’t happen on Thursday morning)

I-10 East and West between Vinton and Nashua left lane closed

Crews will be placing bridge deck.

Artcraft

Monday, May 26 through Friday, May 30

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Artcraft east- and westbound between state line and Doniphan alternating lanes closed

Crews will be performing electrical work and delivering construction materials.

Traffic Signal Improvements

Tuesday, May 27 through Friday, May 30

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Intersections of Edgemere & John Hayes, Lee Trevino & Ivanhoe, North Loop & Burgandy right lanes closed and shoulder work

Crews will be installing traffic signals.

Saturday, May 30

7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Intersections of Edgemere & John Hayes, Lee Trevino & Ivanhoe, North Loop & Burgandy left lanes closed and shoulder work

Crews will be installing traffic signals.

Districtwide Signing

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tuesday, May 27

Spur 601 eastbound between Gateway North Blvd and Chaffee Exit (ramp 21) alternate lanes closed

Wednesday, May 28

Spur 601 westbound between Chaffee on ramp and Gateway north alternate lanes closed

Thursday, May 29

Spur 601 turnaround between Fred Wilson and Chaffee signage installation

Spur 601 turnaround between Global Reach and Liberty Expressway signage installation

Friday, May 30

Spur 601 Westbound at Exit 26 lane closed

Spur 601 between Constitution and Liberty Expressway turnaround closed

Spur 601 between Global Reach and Liberty Expressway turnaround closed

Spur 601 between Fred Wilson and Chaffee turnaround closed

Safety Lighting

Monday, May 26 through Friday, May 30

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Delta eastbound between Cypress and Customs right lane closed

Loop 375 east- and westbound between Fonseca and Paisano alternate lane closed

Delta east- and westbound at Customs shoulder work

Crews will be working on lighting improvements.

Guardrail Repair

9:00 am to 4:00 p.m.

Wednesday, May 28

U-54 northbound between Pershing and Fred Wilson right lane closed

Thursday, May 29

I-10 eastbound between Resler to Sunland Park left lane closed

Friday, May 30

Loop 375 (Transmountain) eastbound between Main Gap to Plexxar shoulder closed

Crews will be working on guardrail repair.

Miscellaneous Concrete Repair

Tuesday, May 1 through Friday, May 23

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Gateway South between Transmountain and Hercules alternating lane closed

Crews will be working on curb.

Maintenance

Tuesday, May 27 through Friday, May 30

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

McCombs north- and southbound at Loop-375 alternate lanes closed

Bomarc north- and southbound at loop-375 alternate lanes closed

Crews will be cleaning.

Executive Exit at Mesa Park eastbound alternate lanes closed

Sunland Park entrance ramp to I-10 eastbound closed

Crews will be working on bridge joints.

Wednesday, May 28

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

US-54 northbound at Diana Exit closed

Purple Heart 375 Widening Project

Saturday, April 26 to Friday, May 30

Daily, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Purple Heart Highway (Loop 375) north- and southbound alternate lane closures between Montana Avenue and Iron Medics Drive

Purple Heart Highway (Loop 375) southbound Iron Medics Exit Ramp closure

Crews will be paving and boring in median.

Loop 375 Widening Project

Wednesday, May 28

Nightly, 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Loop 375 northbound Alameda Exit Ramp and North Loop Exit Ramp closures

Crews will be working on painting concrete barrier.

Horizon/Darrington Reconstruction Project

Tuesday, May 27

5 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Horizon Boulevard eastbound right lane and shoulder closure from Darrington Road to Breaux Street

Crews will be moving concrete barriers to open and close driveways.

Tuesday, May 27 to Friday, May 30

Daily, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Horizon Boulevard eastbound right lane and shoulder closure from Horizon Crossing to Breaux Street

Crews will installing light poles.

Continuous closure, beginning 5 a.m. Monday, May 12 to 7 a.m. Monday, May 26

Breaux Street north- and southbound at Horizon Boulevard

Crews will be working on slotted drain system.

I-10 Landscape & Aesthetic Project

Tuesday, May 27 to Friday, May 30

Daily, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Gateway West Boulevard alternating left lane and right lane closures between Zaragoza Road and Henry Brennan Drive

I-10 eastbound right lane closure at Zaragoza Road

I-10 westbound various right lane and shoulder closures between George Dieter Drive and Yarbrough Drive

I-10 westbound Entrance Ramp closure before Lee Trevino Drive and Lomaland Drive

Crews will be painting concrete riprap, landscaping, placing concrete riprap, and placing decorative metalwork.

I-10 Metal Beam Guard Fence Project

Tuesday, May 27 to Friday, May 30

Daily, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

I-10 westbound right lane closure between Eastlake and Zaragoza Exit Ramp

Closure Links:

West Area Project Closures

I-10 Widening West Closures

East Area Project Closures 

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Heriberto Perez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector, along with other law enforcement agencies, commemorated its 101st anniversary at the Border Patrol Museum in El Paso.

“Today’s memorial stands as a solemn tribute, honoring the unwavering dedication and ultimatesacrifice of our fallen Border Patrol Agents. The memories of our agents are forever imprintedin our hearts and are a constant reminder of their heroic service in safeguarding our nation’sborders,” said Border Patrol El Paso Sector Interim Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar.

Border Patrol also commemorated the 27th annual memorial ceremony that served as a tribute to honor the 159 Border Patrol agents who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

Click here to follow the original article.

Rosemary Montañez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — One local author recently celebrated a big accomplishment, as students at Cooley Elementary School brought her children’s book to life.

Last Friday, children performed the play based on the enchanting children’s book “Unicorn Jazz.” The book centers around a shy unicorn who moved to a new land in search of belonging, hoping to find new friends.

The book was written by El Paso native Lisa Caprelli, who was able to witness the performance from the front row. She said she never thought this could be possible.

“I waited for this moment. I didn’t think it would get here. Never would I have thought that, growing up with humble beginnings, that, this could happen at still my young age and that I could bring stories, music and life, to so many children and really inspire them to do the things that they love to do,” she said.

On-stage students transformed into characters from the El Paso Zoo as they sang all about friendship. One student told ABC-7 she enjoyed participating in this play. She said the book has a positive message for kids of all ages.

“So I like the book because it teaches, like, a good lesson about friendship and, like, you know, be kind and everything,” Salette Terrazas said.

One special education teacher at Cooley Elementary said these students had been working on this performance since August.

“They were excited to do this. And like I said, when I first started this, I didn’t think there was going to be that much interest. But oh my goodness, they are talking to me about next year.”

Caprelli’s family was also in the audience. They said they also eagerly waited for the day to come.

“Oh! I think it’s amazing. I think it’s, it’s great that she’s bringing El Paso into her book and then taking it out into other cities,” said Caprelli’s sister, Suzanne Funk.

“It’s nice to see children engaged and actually wanting to, to read the next book and find out more. And I still can’t believe they’re doing a play. Yeah. The book, it’s, it’s really cool,” said Caprelli’s brother-in-law, Richard Funk.

After the play, Caprelli was still in disbelief. She told ABC-7, the students made the story magical.

“Never in my wildest dreams do I. As I’m sitting here, I’m telling my sister with me, ‘I don’t feel like I’m here.’ It’s just, I’m still in shock.”

After the performance, illustrator Davey Villalobos was posthumously honored. His family said it was great to know his legacy continues to live on.

Caprelli hopes her book will inspire other kids. She said sometimes all it takes for one person to believe in you.

“To remember that we’re all unique and we’re all different, and each one of you has special gifts and talents to share with the world.”

The author said she can’t wait to see more schools perform the play across the United States. Caprelli also explained she is currently working on an upcoming book, which is set to release this fall.

If you have a Good Vibes Only story, email news@kvia.com.

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Nichole Gomez

El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV)—This month is mental health awareness month. ABC-7 has been bringing you mental health stories as part of our “Be Mindful” initiative. Sandra Day, the program officer of the Paso del Norte Health Foundation, and Enrique Mata, the executive director of the Paso del Norte Center, explain how the Paso del Norte Health Foundation supports mental health across the borderland.

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Rosemary Montañez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — This month of May, ABC-7 continues its commitment to raising awareness about mental health with its Be Mindful initiative.

Mental health care continues to be in high demand across the United States and in El Paso. Medical experts largely attribute this rise to the COVID-19 pandemic, as more people started seeking mental health support, but it also exposed the shortage of mental health providers.

An assistant professor at Texas Tech Health El Paso told ABC-7 that medical residents are being trained to handle real-world scenarios.

Dr. Patricia Ortiz said she always wanted to study psychiatry after seeing firsthand how mental health conditions impacted those she loved. Now, she’s part of Texas Tech Health El Paso’s Psychiatry Department, which is responsible for training the next generation of psychiatrists, many of whom remain in the Borderland.

“I think students and people in general are seeing the increased demand, and they’re recognizing mental illness in their communities and their families, and they’re understanding that this is a really important field that that needs to be addressed, and so more people are rising to the challenge,” Ortiz said.

Andrew Serefine is a fourth-year medical student at Texas Tech Health El Paso. Before going to medical school, he was a licensed therapist for 15 years, working with patients dealing with mental health conditions.

He said back then, patients were forced to wait weeks before getting care because of the lack of services. He said much hasn’t changed.

“I do still hear that quite a bit that there needs to be more emphasis on mental health,” Serefine said.

Both Dr. Ortiz and Serefine explained that the stigma surrounding mental health is still very prevalent.

“I think there’s, certainly there’s, some stigma attached to it for people. And sometimes people just simply don’t want to talk about it. It can be uncomfortable,” Serefine said.

Ortiz explained that residents undergo two years of study work and then continue classroom training with standardized patients. Mental health training begins in the second year of medical school, when they learn about mental health disorders and illnesses.

Medical residents at TTHEP go into clinics and train in hospital settings. They learn how to interview patients, diagnose disorders and treat the most common ones.

“They learn what types of challenges these patients may face and the sort of sensitivity that is required when you’re talking to people who are struggling with mental health issues. So, I think it’s hard to prepare for them fully. You never know what’s going to happen, you know, what patient is going to present for you,” Dr. Ortiz.

She also said they undergo simulations with actors who pretend to have mental health disorders, including major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD, etc.

She said this practice helps students gain real-world skills.

“I think throughout their education, cultural competence and empathy, good listening skills are always emphasized and are very important in their education. And so I think that they carry that through with them through all four years of their education. I think that’s very helpful when it comes to any patient, but in particular patients with mental illness,” Dr. Ortiz explained.

Dr. Ortiz said they also emphasize the importance of medical residents taking care of their own mental health during their studies.

“Making sure that they are taking care of themselves in terms of wellness, and I think that that helps them also to impart some sort of help to patients as well, in terms of making sure that they’re getting enough rest and exercising regularly. Eating healthy—these types of basic things are integral to, to our general health and, of course, our mental well-being,” she said.

Serefine said he does many things to take care of his mental well-being.

“Spend time with family, you know? Doing things with them, trying to make sure I always carve out time for downtime, really. So, with family, with, you know? Walks with the dog, making sure I got enough sleep, that type of thing.”

Dr. Ortiz also said medical residents are frequently broken into groups as they discuss different topics, like how they are taking care of themselves. She said it is important for people to continue having conversations about mental health to help break the stigma.

She hopes one day everyone will be able to talk about their mental health openly.

“Being open and being able to talk about, not being worried to say, ‘I’m going to go see my therapist next week’, you know? Just the way we say, ‘I have a doctor appointment or my annual checkup’, one day I hope we can get to that point where we have enough providers to do that for everyone and where everyone can feel comfortable talking about their physical and mental health.”

To read and find more mental health resources, click here.

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Nicole Ardila

Looking for something fun to do with friends? Or do you need a space to practice sports or host a meeting or podcast? The Destination: Sports and Arts Complex in Las Cruces is offering the community just that.

The Destination has a sports training facility for different sports such as baseball, softball, soccer and more.

They also have a Hitrax system available as well, to measure and help improve your baseball and softball skills.

There’s a separate building called “The Den” that offers private and soundproof roofs perfect for bands to practice, music lessons, or even host a private art show, yoga classes, dance lessons and meetings.

Owners Janette and Joe Castillo say you can even record a podcast there.

An indoor pickleball court is also available to rent.

They’re also offering summer camps for writing, art, music and sports.

More information about their programs are available on their website, here.

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Heriberto Perez

JUÁREZ, Chihuahua (KVIA) — The City of Juárez announced that binational officials from Juárez, El Paso County, and the Guadalupe Municipality will meet to discuss improvements for the Marcelino Serna Port of Entry in Tornillo, Texas.

This will be the fifth binational meeting held by officials in the El Paso – Ciudad Juárez area.

Officials are set to discuss logistics improvements for the bridge, economic development, and trade and commerce opportunities at the border.

The Tornillo Port of Entry, along with the Ysleta-Zaragoza and Jeronimo-Santa Teresa bridges, is expected to be the trade and economic pillars of the region once commercial traffic is removed from BOTA when its modernization project begins.

Binational officials will hold a news conference in Juárez at 11 a.m.

More updates in later newscasts.

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Nicole Ardila

Update (9:15 p.m.) — In a 5 to 2 vote, EPISD school board has voted to keep Lamar Elementary open this upcoming school year.

Board president Leah Hanany, Vice President Dr. Jack Loveridge, District 3 Trustee Alex Cuellar, District 4 Trustee Mindy Sutton, and District 5 Trustee Robert Osterland voted in favor of Lamar.

District 6 Trustee Valerie Beals and District 7 Trustee Daniel Call voted against the motion.

“The bottom line is an A-rated school, two time National Blue Ribbon School, a school that scored in the top 1% for student belonging, should have never been, considered for closure in the first place,” said Hanany.

ABC-7 spoke to a parent of Lamar students who said that she’s excited. They live close to Lamar and don’t want to move schools.

“This is going to take a lot of strain off of them financially, and emotionally knowing they can keep their kids there,” said Erika Morales.

Daniel Call was the most vocal trustee at the meeting. “Financially, we’re on the Titanic and it’s sinking,” he said.

Call said that the district has a projected $31 million deficit for next year and bringing Lamar back would add $3 million more.

“This is like having a $31 million bonfire and throwing another $3.2 million on top of that. It’s insane.”

Hanany emphasized transparency for the community, and that having this conversation is important for the future. She said schools like Lamar are the ones they should be keeping open.

“If we are not looking at academic excellence first and foremost, and we are doing a great disservice to the students in this district. It is my intention and our intention as a board. I think going forward that academic excellence will be the absolute priority for this district.”

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The El Paso Independent School District School Board will be meeting on Tuesday, expected to vote on a possible reverse of a plan to close one elementary school.

Lamar Elementary Schools is one of 8 elementary schools they voted to close.

This plan was proposed by Superintendent Diana Sayavedra and her administration, which approved it back in November on a 4-3 vote.

Only two of the trustees who voted to close the school remain on the board.

The newest board president, Leah Hanany, told El Paso Matters that Lamar Elementary is an A-rated school that serves a big population of socio-economically disadvantaged students.

ABC-7 requested a comment from EPISD and they responded with a statement saying in part:

“… This decision reflects a collaborative effort to balance the district’s commitment to delivering high-quality education for all students with the need to ensure long-term stability and sustainability…”

The board will be meeting at 5 p.m.

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Paul Cicala

EL PASO (KVIA) -The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office headed up a countywide DWI Task Force over the weekend that led to 48 arrests. ABC-7 anchor Paul Cicala took part in a ride along with El Paso Constable Frank Almada, of Precinct 1, to bring you an in-depth look at what law enforcement deals with during any given weekend:

“Enforcing D-W-I, The message is, if you are driving while intoxicated, you will be arrested,” said Constable Almada to Paul Cicala while he sat in his patrol vehicle after exercising a DWI arrest during the ride along, “People want to be safe.  People want to get home to their loved ones as well.”

The operation, speerheaded by El Paso County Sheriff Oscar Ugarte, is described as bringing together “every local municipality in El Paso County, our State Troopers, and Constables to target and arrest impaired drivers and ensure safer roads for our community.”

“We are incredibly grateful to every agency that participated in this joint effort and to our County and City leaders for recognizing the seriousness of DWIs in our region,” stated Sheriff Ugarte. “We’re proud to lead this initiative and even prouder to see our entire law enforcement community unite around the common goal of protecting lives. I also want to thank the men and women in law enforcement who go out every day to serve and protect, and our dedicated detention officers who play a vital role in supporting these operations.”

Here’s more released from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office:

“This unprecedented partnership included the following agencies:

El Paso County Sheriff’s Office – Sheriff Oscar Ugarte

El Paso Police Department – Chief Peter Pacillas

Socorro Police Department – Chief Robert Rojas

Clint Police Department – Chief Robert Fernandez

San Elizario Police Department – Chief Jose Soliz

Horizon City Police Department – Chief Marco Vargas

Anthony Police Department – Chief Carlos Enriquez

Constable Precinct 1 – Constable Frank Almada

Constable Precinct 2 – Constable Danny Zamora

Constable Precinct 3 – Constable Hector Bernal

Constable Precinct 4 – Constable Luis “Louie” Aguilar

Constable Precinct 6 – Constable Javier Garcia

Texas Department of Public Safety – Regional Director Jose Sanchez

Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission – Major Paul Parent

Offense Breakdown:

Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) – 20

DWI BAC ≥ 0.15 – 6

DWI BAC ≥ 0.15 & Resisting Arrest – 1

DWI with Open Alcohol Container – 2

DWI & Possession of Marijuana – 1

DWI & Possession of Controlled Substance PG 1 – 1

DWI 3rd or More – 2

DWI 2nd Offense – 2

DWI & Unlawful Carry of a Weapon – 1

DUI Minor – 1

Public Intoxication – 3

Assault Causing Bodily Injury – 1

Evading Arrest with Motor Vehicle – 1

Evading Arrest & Assault – 1

Possession of Controlled Substance – 2

Parole Violation – 1

Criminal Mischief – 1

Traffic Warrants – 1

This coordinated enforcement action is part of Sheriff Ugarte’s ongoing commitment to combat impaired driving and reduce preventable deaths on El Paso County roads.”

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Heriberto Perez

Watch the news conference below:

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — With the increasing number of DWIs reported, community leaders are coming together to ensure that during the upcoming Memorial Day holiday El Paso roads remain safe from drunk drivers.

On Monday, May 19 at 10:30 AM, city, county, and even Socorro city officials will speak out against DWIs in El Paso and share safety initiatives that will go into effect Memorial Day weekend.

A partnership between the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, the El Paso, Socorro, Clint, San Elizario, Horizon, and Anthony Police Departments resulted in 48 DWI arrests over the weekend.

More updates in later newscasts.

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