Las Cruces News

Photo by Steve MacIntyre Russell Campos and his grandson Aalijah Barrela, 1, get caught in the rain Sunday in Mesilla Park.

Two astronomy-themed events are in the works: the annual convention for one of the world's largest amateur astronomical organizations, and "Plutopalooza," a new, local event honoring the dwarf planet and its discoverer, the late Clyde Tombaugh.

LAS CRUCES >> Las Cruces city councilors are set to consider seeking a $5.5 million bond to buy land and build a civic plaza in the downtown area.

LAS CRUCES >> La Academia Dolores Huerta's board members decided to renew Principal Octavio Casillas' contract - at least for now - after teachers and parents rallied behind the administrator this month.

Amonte Craddock, left, and Oren Whalen, chew and swallow ice cream sandwiches as fast as they can as they compete in the first heat of the Ice Cream Sunday ice cream sandwich-eating competition at a recent Ice Cream Sunday at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum.

The Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected armored vehicle , valued at $658,000, is designed to allow U.S. troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan to survive ambushes and attacks by land mines or improvised explosive devices.

An unidentified 31-year-old suspect is taken into custody by the Las Cruces SWAT team following a stand-off with police in Las Cruces' East Mesa.

An unidentified 31-year-old suspect is taken into custody by the Las Cruces SWAT team following a stand-off with police in Las Cruces' East Mesa.

A little after 1 p.m. Saturday, a routine traffic stop by a Dona Ana County Sheriff Office deputy turned into an officer-involved shooting, according to a spokeswoman from the sheriff's office.

LAS CRUCES >> In an email to faculty and staff Friday, New Mexico State President Garrey Carruthers announced the realignment of his top administrative staff, creating a new liaison to the board of regents, naming a new chief of staff and taking control of NMSU police, communications and the Government Affairs Office.

LAS CRUCES >> Dona Ana County Sheriff's deputies arrested a 35-year-old man for negligent child abuse after three toddlers were seen wandering unattended around a Mesilla Park neighborhood for several hours.

A crane lifts a piece of the Las Cruces High School bridge during construction Friday on El Paseo Road.

A crane lifts a piece of the Las Cruces High School bridge during construction Friday on El Paseo Road.

Artist Tomi LA Pierre creates a sculpture during the the Las Cruces Farmers and Crafts Market on Wednesday evening.

LAS CRUCES >> A woman traveling through Las Cruces told Dona Ana County Sheriff's investigators she was abducted from a local truck stop and then taken to the Rio Grande where she was allegedly sexually assaulted.

LAS CRUCES >> A two-vehicle crash on Highway 70 has temporarily closed eastbound traffic between the Interstate 25 interchange and Rinconada Boulevard, according to a Las Cruces Police Department news release.

LAS CRUCES >> Bird hunting along 30 miles of the Rio Grande in southern New Mexico will be officially permitted by Sept.

Friday: Partly cloudy with a 20% chance of showers and storms. El Paso 96/73. Las Cruces 94/70.

LAS CRUCES >> Garrey Carruthers had a head start when he became New Mexico State University's 27th president last summer.

NMSU Photo Graciela Unguez, a biology professor in the New Mexico State University College of Arts and Sciences, contributed to a published research article in a "Science" magazine.