From the Pecos Valley Newsroom

A Southeast New Mexico Junior College wants to help New Mexico students earn a college degree for under $10,000. The Hobbs News-Sun reports the school’s College FasTTrak program will allow Lea County students to graduate within three years and spend time at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. Schools officials have worked to improve a system for high school students to receive dual credit that can be used at the junior college and then transferred to Texas Tech. New Mexico Junior College Vice President of Instruction Larry Sanderson introduced the revamped duel credit system to the school’s board at its meeting last week.

The National Park Service is creating a digital map of Carlsbad Caverns National Park to help with repairs and maintenance projects. The agency is using light detection and ranging equipment to digitally map out the entire cave system in southern New Mexico down to the millimeter, the Carlsbad Current-Argus reports . The Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies at the University of Arkansas is helping with the $186,000 project, which began in 2015. Staff is shooting images and collecting data using laser lights and measuring the reflected light with hundreds of sensors.

THE NEW UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS ARE IN. DARRELL MOODY HAS THE DETAILS…

NEW MEXICO’S SEASONALLY ADJUSTED UNEMPLOYMENT RATE — UNCHANGED FOR THE MONTH OF JULY — AT 4-POINT 9-PERCENT. YEAR-TO-YEAR, NONAGRICULTURAL PAYROLL EMPLOYMENT GREW BY 21-THOUSAND 7-HUNDRED JOBS…WITH LARGE GAINS COMING FROM BOTH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS. LEISURE AND HOSPITALITY SAW THE LARGEST JOB GAINS WITH 69-HUNDRED NEW JOBS — FOLLOWED BY MINING AND CONSTRUCTION — WHICH ADDED 42-HUNDRED NEW JOBS. IN CHAVES COUNTY, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE CLIMBED FOUR TENTHS OF A PERCENT FROM JUNE TO 6-POINT 1-PERCENT. IN EDDY COUNTY, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE ROSE THREE TENTHS OF A PERCENT TO 3-POINT 8-PERCENT.

ROSWELL IS HOSTING THE WALK TO END ALZHEIMER’S NEXT MONTH. DARRELL MOODY HAS THE DETAILS…

THE WALK IS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21st AT PIONEER PLAZA IN ROSWELL. SOUTHEAST REGIONAL MANAGER SASHUA PATTON WITH THE ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION SAYS CHECK IN STARTS AT 8-30 IN THE MORNING…
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, OR TO REGISTER FOR THE WALK, GO TO ACT.ALZ.ORG/ROSWELL19

LOCAL AUTHORITIES ARE INVESTIGATING SOCIAL MEDIA THREATS IN THE WAKE OF THE MASS SHOOTING IN EL PASO. DARRELL MOODY HAS THE DETAILS…

ON FRIDAY, THE CLOVIS POLICE DEPARTMENT RECEIVED INFORMATION STATING THERW WAS GOING TO BE A MASS SHOOTING AT THE LOCAL WALMART. INVESTIGATORS SAY SEVERAL OTHER AREA LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES RECEIVED SIMILAR THREATS WHICH ALSO PROVED TO BE FALSE. WE’RE TOLD AUTHORITIES ARE INVESTIGATING AND IF A THREAT IS FOUND TO BE CREDIBLE ALL MEASURES WOULD BE TAKEN TO ENSURE THE COMMUNITY IS SAFE AND WELL INFORMED. IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE THREATS OR WHO’S RESPONSIBLE, YOU’RE ASKED TO CALL THE CLOVIS POLICE DEPARTMENT.

Vice President Mike Pence has announced he will visit Artesia next week as a special guest for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreemnent trade event. The event is scheduled for August 21st and will be held at Elite Well Services. A group called America First Policies is sponsoring the event. While local leaders said they were looking forward to the vice presidential visit, some local Democrats said they’re not enthused. In a statement issued by Democrat Party Chairperson Marg Elliston, she said that the Trump administration is only sending Pence in order to distract from their long record of broken promises. The US-Mexico-Canada agreemwent was drafted by the Trump Administration and replaced the controversial NAFTA agreement that was in place for the last 25 years.

THE CARLSBAD POLICE DEPARTMENT IS STILL LOOKING FOR SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS. DARRELL MOODY HAS THE DETAILS…

IT’S A PART TIME JOB…BUT THERE ARE NO NIGHTS, WEEKENDS OR HOLIDAYS…
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KIM BROOKS IS NATIONAL ADVERTISING AND RECRUTING COORDINATOR FOR ALL CITY MANAGEMENT SERVICES, THE CROSSING GUARD COMPANY…
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YOU CAN ALSO LEARN MORE AT THE CARLSBAD POLICE FACEBOOK PAGE.

A ROSWELL MAN IS BEHIND BARS, ACCUSED OF SHOOTING A FATHER AND SON OUTSIDE OF THEIR HOME TUESDAY NIGHT. DARRELL MOODY HAS THE DETAILS…

21-YEAR-OLD JULIAN ROMAN IBARRA FACES TWO COUNTS OF AGGRAVATED BATTERY WITH A DEADLY WEAPON AND ANOTHER COUNTY OF SHOOTING FROM A MOTOR VEHICLE. INVESTIGATORS WITH THE ROSWELL POLICE DEPARTMENT SAY IBARRA SHOT AT THE FATHER AND SON FROM A PICKUP TRUCK IN THE 800 BLOCK OF WEST TILDEN AVENUE. BOTH THE 41-YEAR-OLD MAN AND HIS 20-YEAR-OLD SON SUFFERED NON-LIFE THREATENING INJURIES. IBARRA WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTDY DURING A TRAFFIC STOP ON US 285. HE’S BEING HELD WITHOUT BOND.

THE ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION OF NEW MEXICO IS HOSTING A FREE COURSE IN ROSWELL FOR FAMILIES FACING DEMENTIA. DARRELL MOODY HAS THE DETAILS…

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SOUTHEAST REGIONAL MANAGER SASHUA PATTON SAYS THE SKILLS FOR DEMENTIA CAREGIVING PROGRAM WILL COVER A VARIETY OF TOPICS…
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THE FIRST COURSE IS THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 26th. FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEND AN EMAIL TO SAPATTON@ALZ.ORG.

CARLSBAD POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR A MAN WHO DISAPPEARED LAST MONTH. DARRELL MOODY HAS THE DETAILS…

JUAN PESANTE WAS REPORTED MISSING ON AUGUST 1st JUST DAYS AFTER LAST SPEAKING ON THE TELEPHONE TO HIS MOTHER. HE’S HISPANIC, ABOUT 5-FEET 8-INCHES TALL WITH BLACK BRAIDED HAIR AND BROWN EYES. CARLSBAD POLICE DID NOT RELEASE PESANTE’S AGE, BUT HE APPEARS TO BE IN HIS LATE 20s OR EARLY 30s. HE HAS SEVERAL TATTOOS INCLUDING A TEAR DROP UNDER ONE OF HIS EYES…AND SMALL TATTOOS ON EACH SIDE OF HIS NECK. CRIMESTOPPERS OF EDDY COUNTY IS OFFERING A REWARD IN THE CASE.