EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Southern Utah University football head coach DeLane Fitzgerald had some fiery comments about UTEP, El Paso, and Ciudad Juárez ahead of his team's game against UTEP on Saturday.

Fitzgerald was on the Thunderbird Coaches Show on YouTube when he talked about UTEP being a rebuilding program.

"It's hard to call it a rebuild. It's a build. 'Re' what? 'Re' means at once upon a time they were good. Somebody gotta tell me what time that was."

"They'll have 20... 25,000 people in a stadium that seats 52,000."

Fitzgerald later spoke on El Paso and Ciudad Juárez as well, saying he had heard El Paso called a "vacation destination."

"Maybe Friday evening we'll lay on the beach chairs and overlook Juárez, heard that's a beautiful city also," Fitzgerald added, while laughing.

UTEP and Southern Utah will face off in the Miners' home opener on Saturday night at 7 PM.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso has yet to reach an agreement with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) to keep the group's specialists in-network.

Texas Tech sent out the email to its patients on August 21, 2024, notifying them about a potential end in partnership between the group and BCBSTX.

As of the publication of this article, Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso is still part of the network. On October 7, 2024, however HMO and PPO plans will be terminated in-network. Blue Cross Advantage HMO plans will be terminated on January 5th, 2025, Texas Tech's letter explained.

ABC-7 has reached out to BCBSTX for comment on the situation and they gave this statement:

"Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso notified us of its intent to leave our networks starting on Oct. 7, 2024, unless new terms are reached. That means Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso would be out of network for BCBSTX PPO members and some of our HMO members on Oct. 7.  Blue Advantage HMO^SM members would not be impacted until Jan. 5, 2025. We value our relationship with Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso and hope to reach a new agreement before the deadline."

ABC-7 has also spoken with officials at Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso. More details on the story will be available on ABC-7 at 10.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Pasoans Fighting Hunger is an organization that feeds nearly 1,600 families per day. These families can go get food for a variety of reasons.

"Actually for me, I'm a senior citizen, it's real hard you know, for whenever we get our social security." Manuel Estrella told us.

Denise Aguirre, another El Paso resident who goes to EPFH, told us she has two young children and the summer was hard for her.

"My kids got out of school, so summer break was definitely a hard one for us and we needed the extra help."

The U.S Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as reduced quality and variety of your diet as well as a potential reduced intake of food.

Celeste Varela, an executive with El Pasoans Fighting Hunger, says that food insecurity can hit you a lot faster than you think.

"Many times folks are just one emergency car repair, or one unexpected medical or job change away from sending an already fragile financial situation for a family into chaos. And then hard choices have to be made, and food shouldn't be one of them."

The Borderland Rainbow Center is another group that helps people in the El Paso area. They feed about 500 people every Monday. The pantry director told me that sometimes, it may not be obvious someone is struggling.

"You'd see a brand new SUV come through, you'd see Mercedes coming through... we had a volunteer one time ask 'why are they driving that car having to come here getting food?' Like dude you don't know, they could be living in their car. They could be one car payment away from getting that thing repossessed."

The national number for citizens across the U.S who do not have food security is around 13%. The Texas number is very similar at 12.5%.

But according to a UTEP study done in 2022, the El Paso number is nearly triple of both, at 35%.

When you dig deeper into those numbers, students are a standout demographic. The same UTEP study found that 61% of their students reported food insecurity.

Other schools also had high food insecurity numbers, with El Paso Community College reporting in 2018 that 43% of their students had food insecurity. Texas Tech Health El Paso recently reported 28% of their students had food insecurity.

After talking with all these schools, there was one major takeaway: students need food.

"That's the story right? The starving college student. But it's really not a joke, this could cause them to end their educational careers." said Varela.

UTEP, El Paso Community College, and Texas Tech Health El Paso all have their own food pantries. Students can sign up through their websites and get food at no extra costs.

John Harrell, the assistant vice president of student services at Texas Tech, said, "You have students who will be starting school this week or next week, and they are having to decide 'Do I get this textbook or do I get groceries for the next week.'"

All the food banks and pantries we spoke to get traffic at all points of the year, but they all also know it should be more.

Dr. Charles Gibbens, the assistant vice president for student support at UTEP, says people should not be scared to reach out.

"We are seeing more and more that it's OK to ask for assistance, it's ok to ask for help."

Varela agreed by saying,  "We think it's important to treat everybody with dignity and care and respect, and so there should be no stigma around coming and asking for help because there's no reason to go hungry."

Estrella and Aguirre urged others in their situations to put pride aside and get help.

"If they need the help, don't be afraid, don't be ashamed, come in, get all the help that you definitely need," said Aguirre.

The organizations we spoke to are listed below. If you are struggling with your food security, go to the nearest one to you and get the assistance they offer.

El Pasoans Fighting Hunger

Borderland Rainbow Center

Texas Tech Health El Paso

UTEP Food Pantry

El Paso Community College

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- City council voted today on the contract terms for new city manager Dionne Mack.

Mack was chosen as the new city manager on August 19th.

Her official first day will be on September 3rd of this year, with her base term running until March 2nd, 2028.

Mack's base salary will be $350,000 per year. Mack will have a written performance review from the council every year but her salary will not be changed based on that review.

Other terms include:

• Up to 6 months of vacation time
• Unlimited sick leave
• Eligible for 6 months of paid vacation time and sick leave upon separation of employment
• Vehicle allowance of $500 per month
• If agreement is terminated by the city, eligible for up to 18 months of paid severance

The motion was passed unanimously, by a vote of 8-0.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- 1700° Steakhouse is partnering with FamilyMEAL to hold a charity dinner to raise money for El Pasoans Fighting Hunger.

The dinner is on Wednesday, August 28th. It will be catered by 8 chefs from around Texas. Some of the chefs work in other cities, but are from El Paso and are returning to assist with the dinner.

FamilyMEAL puts together a dinner like this every year. The dinner is an 8 course meal with cuisine inspired by the city.

"So there's a huge Hispanic influence. there's, oxtail tostada that we're doing," said Chef Michael Graham. "There's a bison and molé dish where there's four different, you know, different molés from, where pipion to molé poblano, all utilizing bison."

Graham is the chef de cuisine at 1700° Steakhouse and loves to cook for others. This will be his first time participating in the charity event and he talked to us about why he is helping out this year.

"You know, it really defines why we do this as chefs. We don't do this to feed ourselves. No one wants to spend hours cooking a whole meal... not only are these people sitting down and dining with us and getting a great meal by 8 amazing chefs, they're also feeding a family."

Tickets for the dinner are still available for the dinner, and will be available until Tuesday, August 27th at 5PM. Each ticket costs around $193 which includes tip and tax.

Tickets can be found at this link: https://www.opentable.com/restaurant/profile/281980?shareReferrer=ios-share.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- On Monday, El Paso County Commissioners are discussing the adoption of a new tax rate.

County commissioners go through this process every year. Last year, the county chose to adopt a no-new revenue tax rate.

A similar no-new revenue tax rate is on the table for this upcoming year.

ABC-7 will follow the court's decision and provide more information as it becomes available.

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El Paso, Texas (KVIA) -- On August 1st, 2021, Mayvel Alexandra Morales was driving her family back from vacation, when their lives were changed in an instant.

Mario Martell, a driver with a BAC of .135, according to El Paso Police, drove the wrong way on I-10 and crashed into their car, killing Morales.

Her fiancée and children were injured in the crash as well, but survived.

Martell pleaded guilty in court this week and received a 5 year sentence as part of a plea deal.

The victim's mother Maria Herrera Ortega wanted Martell to get a trial.

"I was very angry. I was angry because I wanted to go to court. I wanted everything to be heard... To me, it did feel like there was no justice. To me, it felt like everything was going the wrong way."

ABC-7 spoke with El Paso District Attorney Bill Hicks about why Martell only got a 5 year sentence. He told us they had to take everything into account, including the emotional trauma of the children having to re-live what happened during a trial.

"Believe me when I say, I think this person deserves 15-20 years in prison for what he did."

"It's like ripping off that scab that they have managed to build up over the years, and to have to go through all of that again, sometimes it can be too much for a witness."

Herrera Ortega wants people to know how drunk driving impacts not only the direct victims, but the victim's families as well.

"I'm the one had to see her in the bag. I'm the one who had to see. How her body was because it was hurt... She was crushed. And I had to close her eyes. I closed her eyes... I did not get a phone call for my birthday. And unfortunately it was today."

DA Hicks told us his office has a ride share program with a 20 dollar voucher for anyone who needs to get a ride instead of drinking and driving on weekends and holidays.

The program runs until September 30th of this year.

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El Paso, Texas (KVIA) -- An old El Paso landmark just got a facelift.

Organizers posted on social media last week explaining that the Thomas Jefferson Ex Student Association has repainted the "J" on the mountain, next to the star.

Organizers thanked those who contributed to the project to make the revitalization possible.

Officials explained that the project was funded by proceeds from the Jefferson Memorial Walkway, built with brick pieces from the old school before it was rebuilt.

The proceeds for the walkway were primarily meant to go to the school's 2024 senior class.

But according to Kevin Keich, a recently retired journalism teacher at Jefferson High School, the students at the school decided to use some of the money towards repainting the "J".

Keich and president of the Ex Student Association Joe Garcia III both said that the repainting was not just one person's effort, but the effort of everyone involved and especially the students.

The major snag for the Ex Student Association was getting permission to repaint the "J", as the site is now on private property.

Ricardo Rubio, a member of the association, was able to find out who owned the land. They reached an agreement where the money would go to materials and the land owner would use those to paint the "J".

Jefferson High School is celebrating their 75th anniversary this year and the "J", while not officially part of the celebration, lined up with the school's effort to honor its history.

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El Paso, Texas (KVIA) -- The City of El Paso is looking to build a new amphitheater at the site of the old Cohen Stadium in northeast El Paso.

The city passed an agreement in July to build the new amphitheater in a 4-3 vote.

KVIA has reached out to city representatives for further comment on the vote and the amphitheater.

The amphitheater will be built by Notes Live, a company based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Notes Live opened an 8,000 seat amphitheater in Colorado Springs this past week.

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El Paso, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso Electric will be conducting brief, planned power outage in the Coronado Hills Neighborhood in Northwest El Paso Thursday, Aug. 8.

According to an El Paso Electric spokesperson, the maintenance will affect roughly 730 residents in the area.

ABC-7 is working to gain more details on the maintenance.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- As the El Paso Independent School District begins the 2024-2025 school year Monday, the district has several new changes for students to enhance their learning. One of the major changes: the district is introducing algebra to many eighth-graders for the first time.

Seven middle schools will incorporate algebra into their curriculums:

• Brown Middle School
• Canyon Hills Middle School
• Charles Middle School
• Guillen Middle School
• Tinajero PK-8
• Wiggs Middle School
• Bobby Joe Hill PK-8

The district said this prepares students for future academic success, and creates more opportunities.

Additionally, there are several non-pilot schools that will implement the same 'Algebra for All' curriculum for 6th and 7th graders. However, the district said while Algebra I Pre-AP will be available, double-blocked Algebra I will not be introduced to 8th graders until the 2025-2026 school year.

Those schools include:

• Don Haskins PK-8
• Hornedo Middle School
• MacArthur PK-8
• Magoffin Middle School
• Murphree PK-8
• Navarette Middle School
• Young Women's STEAM Academy

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LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- Two 15-year-olds were taken into custody after Las Cruces Police officials say they were found with guns at Organ Mountain High School Thursday morning.

The school was placed under a short shelter in place order while police searched for the teens. Officials say officers found one handgun on each of the students.

Both boys were charged with unlawful carrying of a deadly weapon on a school premises and unlawful possession of a handgun by a person under the age of 19. They booked them into the juvenile section of the Dona Ana County Detention Center.

"Task Force Officers with the FBI Safe Streets Gang Task Force will be pursuing federal prosecution on both subjects in reference to firearms violations and narcotics trafficking," a LCPD spokesperson explained.

ABC-7 is working to get details from Las Cruces, tune in to our evening broadcasts for more.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso Community College announced today that they will be distributing NARCAN to all employees and students free of charge.

The locations are the Valle Verde Writing Center, Northwest Library, Transmountain Library, Mission del Paso Tutoring Center, Rio Grande Library, and the Rio Grande Border Health Clinic.

ABC-7 is working to gain more details, watch our evening newscast for the full story.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso City Council just took a major vote to determine the future of the Multipurpose Performing Arts and Entertainment facility (MPC) project.

In 2012, voters approved a bond to build the entertainment center. Since then, the project has hit a number of roadblocks. The MPC is the final remaining bond project from that election yet to have started construction.

Today, El Paso City Council voted to start the process to possibly get the project back on the ballot. If the measure makes it on the ballot, voters would have the chance to tell the city to stop the project. Today council voted 5 to 3 to start the process.

Representatives Isabel Salcido, Cassandra Hernandez, and Josh Acevedo voted against the measure.

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Hello! My name is Rishi Oza. I am from Colorado Springs, Colorado and graduated from Arizona State University in May of 2024 with a degree in sports journalism. I love all sports but basketball is by far my favorite. In my free time I love watching movies, hiking outside, finding burgers to eat, or struggling on College Football 25. I can't wait to explore and learn more about El Paso during my time here! 

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- ABC-7 has obtained video of an alleged burglary that happened on Friday night at Lucy's Cafe North on 10025 Dyer Street.

ABC-7 is working on getting more information about the incident, expect more tonight on our evening newscasts.

Owner Josh Lepe told ABC-7 that two men broke into his store and stole a cash register from the front.

This is the second time in less than a month that Lucy's has been burglarized. Lepe said that they still have not heard back from police about the most recent incident.

The first incident had a "large amount of cash" taken, according to Lepe. The second incident this past Friday did not have any cash taken, however.

Lepe asks both the police and the community to stay diligent in keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity around the area.

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SANTA TERESA, New Mexico (KVIA) -- The Gadsden Independent School District is in the process of installing advanced water filtration systems at multiple campuses around the school district.

The systems are being installed by Waterhouse, a company based in El Paso.

The new filtration systems have already been installed at Santa Teresa High School, Santa Teresa Middle School, and Santa Teresa Elementary.

The district will complete three more installations over the course of the next week. Riverside Elementary School will have their installation done on July 26th, Desert View Elementary School on July 29th, and Sunland Park Pre-K on July 31st.

Superintendent Travis Dempsey will hold a press conference today at 1:30 PM at 4950 McNutt Drive to address questions about the new filtration systems.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The El Paso Animal Services announced the arrest of Erika Trevino today in an animal cruelty case.

Trevino was taken into custody by the El Paso Police Department in June for an outstanding warrant related to animal cruelty to non-livestock.

Officers with El Paso Animal Protection and detectives with the El Paso Police Animal Cruelty Unit began an investigation in an abandonment case with a dog named Eva back in August of 2023. According to police Eva was abandoned in a ditch and left to die. Police say that the case is currently in litigation and no further details can be released at this time.

Since Eva was found, she has been adopted. According to the El Paso Animal Services, Eva is "healing and thriving. She is a testament to the resilience of animals and the power of compassion."

“This arrest marks a significant step in our ongoing efforts to combat animal cruelty in our community,” said Animal Protection Field Manager Gina Ramirez. "We are committed to ensuring that those who mistreat animals are held accountable for their actions."

The El Paso Animal Protection and the El Paso Police Department ask the community to report any suspected cases of animal cruelty by calling 311 or 911.

"Everyone’s vigilance and willingness to provide contact information and relevant statements can help bring justice to the victims of animal cruelty."

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