Author: KVIA

Armando Ramirez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — CandleLighters held a fundraising walk at Ascarate Park on Saturday to support children fighting cancer in the Borderland.

According to organizers, proceeds raised from the walk will help fund all 30 CandleLighter Programs.

CandleLighters said there were games, food, and entertainment for attendees, and the walk had participants go around Ascarate Lake, which was lit by thousands of luminarias.

To learn more about CandleLighters and their mission to support cancer patients and families, click their link here.

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Armando Ramirez

UPDATE (2:53 PM) — Greg Cunningham released the following statement regarding the rally held by Democratic nominee for New Mexico Governor Deb Haaland and Congressman and Democratic nominee Gabe Vasquez:

“Gabe Vasquez has spent four years telling southern New Mexico he is a moderate. Today he is on a stage with a woman who ran the Interior Department while Washington froze new oil and gas leasing, and a man who wanted to decriminalize illegal border crossing.

That is not an accident. It is where he has always been. He voted against the Laken Riley Act, against the Secure the Border Act, and against the tax cuts working families are counting on.

The moderate act ends the second he thinks nobody from New Mexico is watching.”

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA)– Saturday, Democratic nominee for New Mexico Governor Deb Haaland and Congressman and Democratic nominee Gabe Vasquez hosted a political rally in Las Cruces.

Haaland and Vasquez spoke about issues and topics such as lowering costs, better opportunities, and safer communities for New Mexicans.

Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was also in attendance at the rally.

ABC-7 reached out to Vasquez’s opponent, Greg Cunningham, and Haaland’s opponent, Gregg Hull, for a comment on the rally and the items discussed at the rally.

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Armando Ramirez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The City of El Paso Parks and Recreation Department is reminding residents of upcoming seasonal closures and schedule changes taking effect throughout the remainder of 2026.

The department has announced the following seasonal closures and schedule changes for popular locations around the City of El Paso:

Spray Parks and Pavo Real Aquatic Center

All City spray parks and the Pavo Real Aquatic Center will close for the season on Sunday, September 13. The Pavo Real Aquatic Center, the City’s only outdoor pool, has closed for the fall and winter season. Officials in the department say residents can continue to enjoy the City’s indoor pools, which remain open for public use.

The Parks and Recreation Department operates 14 aquatic centers throughout El Paso, including indoor and outdoor facilities.

Scenic Sundays Return to Fall Hours

Starting in October, Scenic Sundays on Scenic Drive will transition to its fall operational schedule, which will remain in effect through March. During this time, Scenic Drive between Wheeling and Robinson will close to vehicle traffic form 7 a.m. to noon. Officials say this allows residents a experience one of El Paso’s most scenic destinations by walking, biking or simply enjoying the views.

El Paso Municipal Rose Garden

The El Paso Municipal Rose Garden will close for the season on Monday, November 30.

The seasonal closure allows Parks and Recreation staff to complete necessary maintenance and prepare the garden for the next season. Until then, the four-acre garden is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is free to the public. The garden features more than 1,400 rose bushes representing more than 430 varieties.

Residents are encouraged to plan their visits accordingly and make the most of the City’s parks, recreation facilities and outdoor amenities while they remain open. For more information about the City of El Paso Parks and Recreation Department, visit ElPasoTexas.gov/parks.

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Gabrielle Lopez

UPDATE (4:26 p.m.): According to the El Paso Police Department, a Peterbilt 18-wheeler truck hit a man trying to climb its ladder.

EPPD said it happened at the 1200 block of Myrtle Avenue, which is near the Opportunity Center for the Homeless.

While the truck drove west, 43-year-old Samuel Guzman tried to climb the truck’s ladder for “unknown reasons,” police said. Guzman fell, and the truck’s rear tires hit him.

EPPD said Guzman died to his injuries. The incident marked the 43rd traffic death this year compared to 42 at this time last year.

Police said the investigation into the incident is ongoing.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — One person died after a crash involving a person and a semi, according to the El Paso Police Department. It happened Monday around 7:31 a.m. at Noble Street and Myrtle Avenue.

EPPD’s Special Traffic Investigations unit is now investigating the crash.

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Olivia Vara

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) – Ashley Corona helps young people navigate life through their toughest emotions and express themselves through creativity.

When she started her charcuterie business over a year ago, she had no idea it would help her do the same.

“I love being able to transform something so normal, like cheese and meats, into art,” Ashley told ABC-7’s Olivia Vara during the interview.

Ashley is the owner of Charcuterie Art, a business serving up mouthwatering meat and cheese designs like these, for every occasion.

“Had you told me maybe like a year ago, when my friends were, like, egging me on to start something, I would tell them no. Like why? Like, who’s going to buy that?” Ashley said.

As it turns out, her day-job as a counselor had a lot to do with it.

“As an educator, of course you’re prone to creativity, but being able to de-stress and be able to express myself with charcuterie is kind of the balance that I really need. So i’m very, very happy with it.”

Ashley brings that same attention to detail and creativity to her business. 

For her, every board is designed by request and carries unique meaning.  

“When the client gets that order, it’s like, oh my gosh, it’s beautiful. that’s like the most satisfying feeling in the world,” said Ashley.

If you’re interested in sending me your ideas for your Sunday Funday moment, you can send it here to olivia.vara@kvia.com.

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Heriberto Perez Lara

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — A tragic event that shook not only New York City but the entire country and even the world continues to resonate in the minds of some local residents each anniversary.

Although the El Paso region is far from where the attacks took place, some residents vividly recall the impact that event had on this border community.

The president and CEO of the El Paso Community Foundation, Eric Pearson, used to work in news and remembers the extensive coverage during the 9/11 attacks.

According to him, he worked a 48-hour nonstop shift covering the event, gathering donations and asking the El Paso community for support.

Over the weekend, they collected around $190,000 to support the Red Cross and other organizations.

“We went to the malls and just set up things and were raising money and in $1 bills and $5 bills and change, we raised money over the weekend to support and to help with the rescue and comforting efforts,” said Pearson. “At that point, I remember thinking, all is not lost because we have people and that’s what it’s about and that’s what our country is based on.”

For Pearson, that day, nothing was lost because people across the country came together, and that’s what matters when tragedies like this happen.

“This country has survived far more than this in civil wars and the Vietnam War and other places,” Pearson said. “That attack was the one that I had seen and so it meant a lot to me at the time, but it also came with that sweetness, with the bitterness that we could get through things.”

ABC-7 spoke with the president of Economy Wholesale Grocers, Paul Dipp, who remembers exactly what went through his mind when the 9/11 attacks were happening.

“While everything was unfolding, the first thoughts, I believe, all of us had were about our family and where is our family? What are they doing? Are they safe? I think that’s an instinct among our families,” Dipp said. “The next thought that we had was everybody else and where they were and what they were doing; of course, with great sympathy to everybody where the event was occurring, life which broke everyone’s heart.”

Dipp wanted to keep extending his condolences to this day for all of those still affected and for El Paso’s gratitude to all the first responders, who he said are: “So heroic and continue to be heroic, not only there, but here in El Paso and in Ciudad Juárez.”

For him, being wholesale grocers and being able to serve everyone who goes to their stores means they need to be present at all times to support their team and the community.

“It was a very critical time; it was a very sad time, but at that time, some wonderful moments and moments of unity and moments of concern, and I believe the entire outpouring of our nation was with all of those that were directly impacted with them and indirectly impacted by them,” Dipp added.

Dipp remembers being very sad that day 25 years ago because he thought it was a surreal moment and an absolute tragedy.

“We all reacted quickly; we got down to what needed to be accomplished because everybody was uncertain at that time, everybody was frightened at that time and it was our job to calm those fears and to create a normal shopping atmosphere in our stores and a normal environment for our team members,” Dipp also said. “I am proud of my team for stepping in when it was needed.”

“These events sort of steal your innocence a little bit too. We’ve always been in this society that’s been generally safe and affluent and we’ve never had attacks on our own soil, so to see that takes away a little bit of who you are and your sense of security, so that was really hard,” Pearson said. “It was about all of us coming together in the face of tragedy.”

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Rosemary Garcia

DELL CITY, Texas (KVIA)—Travelers driving near Dell City will now be greeted by a new mural that was unveiled last week. It celebrates the history, agriculture and people of the Dell Valley.

For decades, multiple signs have welcomed residents and visitors to that area. Due to wear and tear, the most recent sign needed a full restoration.

Grant Spence, the general manager of Dell Telephone Cooperative, coordinated a community effort to bring the mural back to life. The New Zealand native lives closer to El Paso, but he commutes to Dell City frequently.

“Every day as I passed by, I noticed something wrong about it and decided, let’s do something to fix that,” he said.

Instead of displaying different images like previous signs, stakeholders decided to go with a hand-painted mural. Spence said he wanted a long-lasting art piece that was not AI-generated.

Cloudcroft mural artist Samantha Odom was selected to design and paint the new artwork.

Odom has worked on several murals, so when she learned about this project, she was excited to assist with the transformation.

Odom designed the artwork and incorporated the area’s most treasured elements. It features the dry desert of Texas, a fierce cougar representing the area’s mascot, the colorful prickly pear, a tractor that represents the farming and ranching community, the Guadalupe Mountains, a cowboy, etc.

“We’re just kind of trying to tell all these different things in one piece,” Odom told ABC-7. “It just emanates love and happiness and vibrancy. That’s what the colors make the human soul feel.”

For eight consecutive nights, Odom worked on the mural for 12-hours at a time.

Spence hopes visitors will notice it and take a moment to stop and reflect.

“’Well, what’s that? Let’s drive down and take a look.’ And hopefully it will encourage people to come and to visit,” Spence said.

Odom hopes this mural reminds many of home.

“I hope I was able to capture that and that feeling of, ‘Oh, I’m going home. You know, I love to travel the world, but I love coming home.’ So I hope whenever the people of Dell City come through, they see the mural. They have that sigh of relief that they are home.”

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Nicole Ardila

This year marks the 25th anniversary since the tragic terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

UTEP is hosting their 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb, where El Paso law enforcement and community members come together to honoring all the lives lost.

Good Morning El Paso’s Nicole Ardila joins them live from the Sun Bowl Stadium where the ceremony begins at 7 a.m. on Friday morning.

UTEP Army ROTC in partnership the City of El Paso and the El Paso County Emergency Services District No. 1 are hosting this event to honor and remember the firefighters, police officers and emergency medical services staff who selflessly gave their lives for others 25 years ago.

The university says over 1,500 people have signed up to participate in the climb, including members of Fort Bliss, Border Patrol, FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration.

Everyone climbs the stadium steps to match the steps the rescuers climbed up the Twin Towers in 2001.

Remarks will be delivered by UTEP President Heather Wilson, El Paso Police Department Chief Peter Pacillas, El Paso Fire Department Chief Jonathan Killings, El Paso County ESD No. 1 Fire Chief Kristian Menendez and others.

The event will include a 21-gun salute and flyover by the 1st Armored Division Aviation Brigade from Fort Bliss.

Watch Good Morning El Paso from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. to hear from organizers and see the ceremony throughout the morning.

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Heriberto Perez Lara

UPDATE: Congresswoman Veronica Escobar toured Camp East Montana Thursday morning to find out about the reported confrontations between detainees and facility staff.

Escobar said ICE blamed a group of Venezuelans for starting those exchanges that led to the assault of staff and what ICE is describing as a riot.

Escobar said several people were taken to an area hospital and are expected to recover.

The Department of Homeland Security said that about 130 detainees started throwing items and flipping furniture in the detention center on September 7. They also disabled the security cameras in the area. DHS described this incident as a riot, but reported no injuries to staff or detainees.

“So while I absolutely agree that there should be consequences and accountability for those participants, my question was what will the accountability be for the contractor? The contractor, in my view, shares blame and responsibility,” said Escobar.

In a written statement, DHS said, “Violence against ICE officers, or any law enforcement personnel, will not be tolerated. Our officers carry out their Congressionally mandated duties in service to public safety and the rule of law. Any bystander or individual who assaults, obstructs, or violently attacks officers will be subject to arrest and prosecution permitted by law.”

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Congresswoman Veronica Escobar will hold a press conference to discuss her visit to Camp East Montana.

She has previously been very vocal in calling for the closure of the immigration detention center due to various incidents that have occurred there.

ABC-7 has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.

In a statement, a spokesperson with DHS said the following:

“Is there any reasonable expectation that illegal aliens who resort to violence while awaiting their immigration proceedings in custody have any intention of becoming peaceful, law-abiding members of American society?

On September 1, detainees assaulted security staff by striking, kicking, and throwing tablets at them. Combative detainees were immediately removed from the dormitory and operations returned to normal. Multiple security staff sustained various injuries as a result of the assault and immediately received medical care.

On September 7 around 1 PM, approximately 130 illegal alien detainees at Camp East Montana began throwing items, flipping furniture, and disabling security cameras. The detainees involved caused significant damage to the detention facility and property. There are no reported injuries at this time, and all detainees have been accounted for.

Violence against ICE officers, or any law enforcement personnel, will not be tolerated. Our officers carry out their Congressionally mandated duties in service to public safety and the rule of law. Any bystander or individual who assaults, obstructs, or violently attacks officers will be subject to arrest and prosecution permitted by law.

Being in detention is a choice. We encourage all illegal aliens to take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering illegal aliens $3,000 and a free flight to self-deport now. Every person here illegally can take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.”

All migrants involved were isolated inside of Camp East Montana and will now be referred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for inciting a riot, participating in a riot and for damage of federal property.

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Heriberto Perez Lara

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — A massive water main break in January left approximately 100,000 people across Northeast and Central El Paso without water or experiencing low water pressure for four to five days. The outage impacted 38,000 El Paso Water customers and resulted in repair costs of $877,000, which were covered through the utility’s existing operational budget.

The widespread disruption occurred after two valves failed to close, preventing utility crews from isolating the pipeline leak. Water from the break flooded nearby properties, including one home that city inspectors later declared unsafe for living.

In response to the multi-day outage, El Paso Water established water distribution centers in different parts of that sector to assist affected residents.

Gilbert Trejo, vice president of operations and technical services for El Paso Water, acknowledged the severe impact the outage had on residents in the area.

“I think for the residents in the Northeast, we failed them,” VP Trejo said. “We do ask them to think about the other 361 days that perhaps they were not impacted because that’s what we’re working toward and we need to do better by them.”

VP Trejo acknowledged to ABC-7 that the $877,000 repair expense was absorbed entirely by the utility’s budget, meaning customers will not see a direct rate increase as a result of the incident.

“Unfortunately, the impact to our customers was great that week, but from a financial standpoint, we anticipate these types of events to occur,” VP Trejo said.

According to EPWater, the ruptured pipeline was installed in the 1950s, making it approximately more than 70 years old; pipelines typically have a 50-year lifespan, but not all of them.

According to El Paso Water, 30% of its large pipes citywide are near 70 years old, while 65% of its other pipes are 30 years old; the utility manages 3,000 miles of pipeline across the city.

VP Trejo also said that replacing the entire infrastructure network at once is not feasible due to the immense cost it could have.

“It’s more a targeted approach and a smarter approach to repair these aging pipes versus saying we have a plan to repair all 3,000 miles of pipeline that we have,” Trejo said. “That’s not practical; the ratepayers won’t be able to bear that type of cost.”

Although main breaks occur regularly, EPWater utility crews are typically able to isolate problems so residents remain unaffected.

“These types of main breaks, not to this size, but main breaks happen every day in El Paso and every week,” Trejo said. “The lessons that we learned, the things that we want to implement, we’re already implementing them so that we can act on them and certainly an event that large can be mitigated and even better prevented.”

Following the outage, El Paso Water began making operational adjustments to reduce the likelihood of similar widespread service disruptions.

VP Trejo also said the utility understands the frustration felt by impacted customers during the multi-day disruption.

“I think it’s fair. It’s fair that they’re upset,” Trejo said. “It’s fair that they’re bothered with it; I’d be very upset too if I didn’t have access to water that I felt that I have paid my fair share for.”

ABC-7 also spoke with Northeast El Paso resident Margarita Juarez, who witnessed the flooding affect her neighborhood, particularly her neighbor’s house directly across the street. While Juarez’s home was spared from severe damage, inspectors later deemed her neighbor’s home unsafe to live in.

Juarez also says she does not blame El Paso Water for the break and felt grateful that the utility provided help and found a solution for the community.

Watch the special report: “After the Break,” here.

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