Author: KVIA

Gabrielle Lopez

CANUTILLO, Texas (KVIA) — The Canutillo Independent School District on Thursday announced its teachers have the opportunity to earn thousands of dollars in compensation for the 2026-27 school year. CISD said the district’s Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) program made the salary boost possible.

The district has had the program in place before. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) approved CISD’s application to renew and expand the program this week.

CISD’s incentive program started with core subjects like math, reading, science in history.

This year, the TEA approved Canutillo’s TIA program to include teachers in fine arts, world languages and career and technical education, the district said. Now, more than 90% of the district’s teachers are now eligible for the program, CISD said.

TIA gives teachers state-funded compensation based on instructional excellence and student growth tied to the teacher, the district said.

Within the district, teachers can get extra compensation ranging from $4,500 to more than $18,000 annually. The district said the compensation amount depends on teachers’ designation level and campus assignment.

“This is a win for our teachers and a win for our students,” CISD Superintendent Josue Borrego said. “The Teacher Incentive Allotment recognizes excellence where it matters most: in the classroom.”

More than 150 teachers at CISD earned TIA designations, the district said.

“Great teachers change lives,” Borrego said.

Gustavo Reveles, executive director of communications for CISD, said while the district has a balanced budget, it doesn’t hurt to have extra funds.

“It’s no secret that most school districts in the state are struggling financially because of limited state funding, so we take any opportunity to supplement teacher salary,” Reveles said.

Reveles said the district has had the program for three years.

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Nichole Gomez

El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV)-United Way of El Paso County is now accepting applications from eligible nonprofit organizations for the 2026 City Employee Combined Charities campaign and the county employee charitable campaign.

This annual workplace giving campaign helps City of El Paso and El Paso County employees support trusted nonprofits in the Borderland through payroll deductions or one-time gifts.

Employees can choose causes they care about and make a real difference in their community. By joining the Combined Charities Campaign, nonprofits can reach thousands of local government employees and gain steady support.

Participating organizations receive charitable contributions and are featured in campaign materials.

All applicants must meet eligibility requirements to maintain accountability and build donor trust.Applicants need to complete the application process. Those selected will become part of a vetted network.Registration opens on August 3 and closes on August 28. Eligible organizations are advised to apply early:

https://www.unitedwayelpaso.org/combined-campaigns

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Rosemary Garcia

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Twenty years ago this summer, the Borderland experienced one of the worst natural disasters in its history. Storm 2006 was characterized by a persistent torrential downpour over several days, resulting in severe flooding.

The series of thunderstorms brought a record amount of rainfall during the monsoon season during the week of July 27 to August 4. According to the National Weather Service, from July to September 2006, 15 inches of rain were measured in El Paso.

Residents had to evacuate while hundreds of homes were destroyed.

According to El Paso Water, Storm 2006 caused a combined $315 million in damage across the city. In 2008, the city would establish a stormwater utility, giving El Paso Water broad authority over the city’s stormwater system. The master plan also included planning and capital improvements, maintenance and operations.

El Paso Water said invested more than $400 million in stormwater infrastructure since 2008.

‘Doppler’ Dave Speelman was already ABC-7’s chief meteorologist at the time. He remembered how the newscasts were filled with continuous weather reports. Speelman recalled back-to-back coverage and informing the community about the moving storm.

“I think we might have went 10, 12 hours straight covering that. And it was just one of those that you probably never, ever do again,” he said.

Speelman said Storm 2006 taught people about the dangers of weather events. He remembered coming into work that week already knowing what lay ahead after tracking the storms days beforehand.

“I remember going in and thinking, ‘This is a huge story, and everybody’s going to be watching it.’ And so we better perform. I mean, we better give them the details. What they need and also try to kind of calm them down a little bit. We didn’t want to scare them,” he said.

As images poured in, Speelman caught a glimpse of the devastation.

“I just remember the water rushing down Shadow Mountain, and then those dumpsters just floating down, and then people in their boats,” he said. “Just looking at all the devastation, all the the damage in people’s homes. They didn’t have insurance. It was just heartbreaking to see the hurt.”

Speelman remembered water kept hitting a West El Paso Blockbuster store and destroyed it.

“The people that live in this community, they described the water just rushing down like a rapids. And that’s just what stuck out in my mind in the big commercial containers,” Speelman said. “I mean, here’s El Paso. We typically don’t see it. You know, we’re one of the driest in the country.”

That summer, former ABC-7 reporter Darren Hunt witnessed the wrath of Mother Nature during his first year of news reporting. He went to various areas across El Paso to report on the devastation.

“Unbelievable how fast it was coming in; it was just filling things up,” Hunt said. “The city just couldn’t take any more water. It looked like the Colorado River. The water was three to four feet high, rushing into rapids right into this neighborhood.”

Hunt remembered the water being waist-deep as residents near the once-Saipan neighborhood tried to salvage their belongings while evacuating. As a native El Pasoan, Hunt said it was difficult seeing what many were going through.

“Their homes were being inundated with water at the time,” he said.

Hunt watched as residents tried to salvage their belongings from their homes.

He said in the weeks after the storm, he shared the stories of those who lost their homes, marking a difficult chapter in the lives of many in El Paso.

“You find yourself comforting people and trying to help people,” Hunt said.

Good Morning El Paso’s Hillary Floren was also one of the faces in ABC-7’s Storm 2006 coverage.

“People just being devastated and families without a home anymore. That was, it was really heart-wrenching to see, and seeing people who had to stay in a shelter or somewhere else to stay. The scene, seeing the aftermath, I think it was really heartbreaking,” Floren said.

Floren said residents turned to local television stations for their source of accurate and reliable information.

“We had so much information to keep giving out, and it was just incredible. The teamwork and the effort of the crews out in the field and everyone in the newsroom answering calls. And it was just a huge team effort,” Floren said.

Watch ABC-7’s Rosemary Garcia’s special report, “Storm Legacy” Thursday on ABC-7 at 6.

You can also watch an archived newscast of ABC-7’s coverage during Storm 2006 above.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Young patients at the Hospital of Providence Children’s Hospital have a new area to unwind and decompress. The hospital revealed two new pediatric play areas, which are part of a collaboration with a non-profit program made by Spirit Halloween called the Spirit of Children.

The new play areas will have designated areas for three different age groups: infants, toddlers and teenagers. They’re designed for patients to take their minds off treatment.

Play areas include toys, video games and colorful spaces for young patients to explore.

One of the new play areas at the Hospitals of Providence Children’s Hospital.

Victoria Gonzalez, CEO of Providence Children’s Hospital, said children can use the play areas to ease their anxiety as they recover at the hospital.

Gonzalez said the original plan for the play areas started with just one space. Instead, the non-profit decided to step up development into two play areas.

“Our whole motto for Spirit of Children is to make a hospital stay a little bit less scary,” said Kimberly Scott, the consignment operator for Spirit Halloween stores in El Paso and Las Cruces.

Scott said seven Spirit Halloween stores will open in El Paso and Las Cruces this year, and they all share the goal of raising money for Providence Hospitals.

Since 2007, the Spirit of Children raised more than $145 million for child life departments and more than 160 hospitals in the U.S., THOP said.

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Max Zepeda

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Northeast El Paso has been at the center of the city’s biggest developments, including a planned Meta data center and projects involving El Paso Water and El Paso Electric.

Now, City Representative Cynthia Trejo, who represents much of the area, huddled officials from the city and its utility companies to hold a community town hall Wednesday.

“Whether your questions are about the Meta data center, water service, electric infrastructure, or other related topics, this is your opportunity to hear directly from the experts,” Rep. Trejo said in a social media post promoting the town hall.

The meeting will take place from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at 9600 Dyer St. (the Northeast Regional Command Center).

Those expecting to attend include El Paso City Attorney Karla Nieman, EP Water CEO John Balliew and EPE CEO Kelly Tomblin.

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Nina Gallegos

Update – A Marathon Refinery spokesperson responded to ABC-7’s questions with a statement:

Trained professionals at Marathon Petroleum’s El Paso refinery responded to reports of odors in the surrounding area last night. The source of the odor was identified and teams addressed the situation. Air monitoring was deployed in the community as a precaution, and did not detect any readings that indicate health risks. As an additional precaution, air monitoring will continue over the next 24 hour period.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) – Overnight, District 2 City Representative Josh Acevedo confirmed a strong gas odor came from the Marathon refinery in Central El Paso Tuesday. Rep. Acevedo said the smell is going away.

The refinery told Rep. Acevedo it addressed the problem.

“Trained professionals at Marathon Petroleum’s El Paso refinery are responding to reports of odors in the surrounding area,” Marathon Refinery said. “The source of the odor has been identified and teams are working to address the situation. Air monitoring has been deployed in the community as a precaution, and has not detected any readings that indicate health risks.” 

Rep. Acevedo said air monitoring deployed in the area as a precaution and didn’t detect any readings indicating health risks.

One resident said her main concern was her son.

“My major concern obviously was my kid, you know, my son, he’s two and a half and then me, you know, I have epilepsy. So the concerns of any like, type of changes for me, I don’t want to have a seizure for, you know, because of our air quality. So the concerns of any like, type of changes for me, I don’t want to have a seizure for, you know, because of our air quality,” Katrina Osborn said.

Community organizer Veronica Carbajal sent out a statement on the smell, asking Marathon Refinery to respond to concerns:

Host a meeting for neighbors to attend and discuss our concerns

Create an alert system for neighbors close to the refinery

Provide neighbors a number they can call 24/7 and speak with a human being every time neighbors see, hear or smell something out of the ordinary

Regular reports of the monitoring data within the fenceline

Air quality monitors to be placed in the neighborhood, including those that read the carcinogens released by the refinery

Work with the residents on reducing the refinery’s impact on their health and quiet and peaceful enjoyment of their homes

ABC-7 reached out to Marathon Refinery and have not heard back.

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Andrew J. Polk

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — During a campaign visit to the El Paso area Wednesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced two new policy proposals about housing affordability for Texas residents.

Republican Gov. Abbott met with builders, community representatives and families in Socorro. He spoke about increasing the housing supply across the state.

He mentioned delays in approvals for new homes can add thousands of dollars in costs for buyers. He announced a policy proposal to allow third party inspections to speed up the process.

He’s also proposing a requirement for local authorities to make a decision on if a property can be occupied within 10 days. Cities that don’t meet that standard could face a loss in sales tax revenue.

He said he came to the Borderland because similar policies to speed up the permit process are already in place.

“El Paso and Socorro are among the best communities in the state for building permits. They get permits approved faster than so many other large cities across the state of Texas,” Gov. Abbott said. “They’ve already adopted these third party inspectors to ensure that the inspection process will be completed a whole lot faster.”

Gov. Abbott faces Democratic nominee Gina Hinojosa in November’s election.

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Gabrielle Lopez

UPDATE (Aug. 10, 2026): The El Paso Police Department arrested and charged a 35-year-old woman with murder after it found a man’s body in a car behind a PetSmart in Far East El Paso.

Police documents alleged Erica Michelle Yarbrough shot and killed 38-year-old Stephen Matthew Delgado. During the investigation, police learned the two have a child together.

ABC-7 previously reported that police found Delgado’s body in a car behind a PetSmart store on Joe Battle Boulevard in Far East El Paso on Aug. 5. An investigation and autopsy report pointed to foul play, police said.

According to an arrest affidavit ABC-7 obtained, the deputy medical examiner reported gunshot wounds. At the crime scene, police found bullet casings and unfired bullets, documents said.

EPPD’s Crimes Against Persons Unit later met with Delgado’s family, who said he has a child with Yarbrough, according to documents.

Investigators found video from Aug. 2 between 8-9 p.m. It showed a pickup truck arrive behind the PetSmart and Delgado arriving in his car and stopping next to the truck, documents said. He then moved to a parking spot where police later found him dead.

The truck then moved next to Delgado’s car and “suspected gunfire” showed in the video, police said. The truck then leaves the parking lot towards Joe Battle Boulevard.

Investigators learned through a license plate reader camera that the pickup truck was registered to a man that shared Yarbrough’s last name, documents said. The license plate reader also revealed the truck had a history of her driving it.

Police also learned that on June 4, Yarbrough called EPPD to report an ex-friend that wouldn’t leave her apartment, documents said. During the call, she said she had a gun, confirming she owned a firearm.

Police later found Yarbrough’s address and found the pickup truck seen in the video parked nearby, documents said.

Surveillance of Yarbrough’s home resulted in her arrest, police said.

Yarbrough allegedly confessed to meeting with Delgado, doing drugs with him, shooting him and leaving the parking lot to get rid of the gun, documents said.

She booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility Aug. 8, which is three days after police found Delgado’s body.

Erica Michelle Yarbrough’s mugshot.(Courtesy: EPPD)

According to jail records, Michelle was booked on a $350,000 bond.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Police found a man’s body in a vehicle behind a PetSmart in Far East El Paso Wednesday, the El Paso Police Department said.

It happened near 3700 Joe Battle Blvd., which is near the intersection with Montana Avenue. At the scene, ABC-7 saw police cars behind the PetSmart building. That area will be closed for a few hours, according to EPPD.

The person who reported the body to 911 said he passed by the vehicle, noted “something unusual about it,” EPPD Officer Adrian Cisneros said. He called police after seeing the body inside. Officers arrived just before 9 a.m.

Officer Cisneros said the man’s body had been in the vehicle “for a while,” but it’s unclear exactly how long.

Police don’t know the cause of death or the person’s identity. Officer Cisneros said the man may have been in his 30s.

The Crimes Against Persons Unit is investigating to determine whether foul play was involved.

Officer Cisneros said there’s no public threat.

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Gabrielle Lopez

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) — Thursday, Sisbarro Buick-GMC in Las Cruces will host a free car seat fitting station, the New Mexico Department of Transportation said.

At the fitting, certified child passenger safety technicians will teach parents and caregivers how to choose, install and use booster seats.

Inspections will be done on a first-come, first-served basis, NMDOT said. Appointments aren’t required.

Participants should take their own car seats, car seat manual, vehicle manual and the child who will use the seat. NMDOT said a $35 fee may apply for replacement seats, and children must be present to be elegible.

NMDOT said caregivers should expect to spend about 30 minutes at the fitting. They’ll have an opportunity to ask any questions.

If a seat is recalled, expired or unsafe, NMDOT replacement seats are available.

The fitting will take place at 425 W. Boutz Rd. from 3-5 p.m.

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