LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- Students at Del Valle High School this morning were evacuated due to a routine gas-line maintenance procedure. That is according to a Ysleta ISD spokesperson.

Out of an abundance of caution, staff evacuated the students from the Fine Arts area of the building after they detected the smell of gas just before 11 AM today.

The El Paso Fire Department and Texas Gas Service helped clear the building before allowing students and staff to return at around 11:45 AM. Classes then resumed as normal.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Local credit union GECU has inducted 40 local high school students into its annual Student Board of Directors.

Students take part in the program for a year. The program aims to give students a hands-on experience in the financial industry. Students will also have the opportunity to engage with GECU's senior leadership, develop financial skills, and learn about credit union operations.

Students must rank in the top 25% of their class to be considered for the program. Students will also need to apply for the program. For more information, click here.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The beginning of every semester at the University of Texas at El Paso brings a problem to many neighbors as students fill the streets with their cars in an attempt to get free parking.

ABC-7 spoke to neighbors in the area who say this is a constant issue they face, despite some of their blocks being designated decal parking only.

Neighbors say students park in front of their homes, preventing them from parking in front of their own house. Many houses in the area were built without driveways. To prevent students from taking the parking spots, some neighbors have resorted to placing cones and trash cans on the streets.

Adam Zarowski, who lives on Porfirio Diaz, says his house is a popular destination for student parking.

While Zarowski's house is not a decal only parking zone, Zarowski says he's had people try to confront him after receiving a ticket for parking their car 5 feet into his driveway.

“It absolutely doesn't make a difference to me. But I have seen those cars get tickets because technically they're breaking the law. Right? And so I've actually had someone come and knock on my door and be like, 'Why did I get a ticket?' And I have to explain to them,” said Zarowski.

Despite having to explain to students that he was not the one to call police, Zarowski says he doesn't mind as much as other neighbors to see students park on their streets because he know how expensive UTEP parking permits can be for students.

According to UTEP's website, parking permits currently range between $150 and $400 per year, depending on the desired permit by each student.

ABC-7 also spoke with Gilbert Izquierdo, board member of the Sunrise Civic Organization, who says seeing students park near his neighborhood was a problem they faced often until his block was changed to decal parking.

“They are issuing tickets. So the students are kind of learning where they can park and where they cannot park,” said Izquierdo.

Izquierdo told ABC-7 that at one time the Organization was thinking of making the entire neighborhood on Kansas St. decal parking only, but there were some neighbors who were in favor of allowing students to park.

Despite saying he sympathizes with the students, Izquierdo said he thinks students need to get student parking permits.

With many residents unsure on how they could make their block decal only, ABC-7 reached out to the City of El Paso to learn more on the process.

The City told ABC-7 that for neighbors to apply for decal parking on their street, they must first apply for a Residential Parking District (RPD). Once the City has established an RPD, a petition with signatures of 75% of residents in the block must be completed requesting RPD sign installation.

If an applicant already lives in an established RPD zone, one can apply for a petition to install signage.

Once signs are installed, residents can purchase parking decals from the City's One Stop Shop.

The initial application fee costs $25, and there is a fee of $10 per vehicle per year. Each household can get up to 2 decals and will receive 2 visitor passes at no fee.

RPD applications can be requested by calling 311 or by calling the City's Streets and Maintenance department at (915)-212-0151.

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EL PASO (KVIA) --The El Paso Foundation had a special ceremony on Sept. 4th at El Paso Children's Hospital by dedicating a room in the name of 2-time cancer survivor Hailee Ozaeta. It was part of a $25,000 donation to help kickoff Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Hailee Ozaeta can't couldn't contain her emotions, as she cried in the arms of her father while she and her family congregated around the room dedicated in her name at El Paso Children's Hospital.

 "They've helped save my life so many time," said 15-year-old Hailey.

As a kid who suffered mightily from cancer, she was thrilled to join dozens of others for the ceremony, including U.S. veterans, law enforcement, and scores of volunteers as the room she spent countless hours in as a patient was given the official name in her honor saying: "Do Not Fear, For I Am With You -Isaiah 4:10, Hailee & The Ozaeta Family."

Hailee's mother, Sandra Ozaeta, said, "So this is an honor for us to be able to give back to the hospital that helped save her life," after talking about the $25,000 dollar donation to El Paso Children's Hospital.

Hailee is also grateful for her little sister, Josie, who helped save her life by being her bone marrow donor.

When ABC-7's Paul Cicala asked Josie if she felt like a hero for donating the life-saving bone marrow, she answered, "Yes, because I love my sister, and I've done everything for her. When she's in her ups and downs, I always cheer her up."

Hailee told ABC-7's Paul Cicala: "(El Paso Children's Hospital) means so much to me honestly, through mental and physical (struggles). They first help save my life. I'm here because of them,  Me and my family have been through so many things together that I never expected. For them to get that room that I was first diagnosed in, I'm just so blessed, that they were able to do that for us," added Hailee with a huge smile on her face as members of the Official American Legion Riders Chapter 36 El Paso surrounded her in support.  

"We are incredibly grateful to Hailee’s family for their generosity and for choosing to honor her journey in such a meaningful way," said Dr. B. Abigail Tarango, Executive Director of the El Paso Children’s Foundation. "Their contribution will have a lasting impact on the lives of many children and families who walk through these doors."

The non-profit also pointed out that the donation marks the beginning of a series of events planned by the El Paso Children’s Hospital Foundation throughout September to raise awareness and funds for pediatric cancer care and research.

People, Places & Paul stories can be seen periodically on KVIA ABC-7 and features many of the movers and shakers in our borderland.

ABC-7's Stephanie Valle also featured Hailee in a story back in 2019. You can see it here.

In Stephanie Valle's story, she touched on how it was in March of 2018, when Hailee was 8-years-old, and she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. It's a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow that affects white blood cells. HERE'S MORE FROM STEPHANIE VALLE'S 2019 REPORT:

“I felt very sick. I felt weak,” Hailee told Valle at the time. “I felt like a weight on me. I would get a lot of headaches.

Her mother, Sandra Ozaeta, told ABC-7 that when doctors confirmed Hailee’s diagnosis, she didn’t tell her daughter.

“How do you tell your 8-year-old that she has cancer?” Sandra said.

But Hailee told ABC-7 that she learned anyway, through dreams based in her faith.

“There was this dark tunnel and I was walking to it,” Hailee said. “And there was this big light at the end. I see the Virgin Mary and she is in a burgundy thing with green, with her hands like this,” she said, gesturing with her palms up in her lap. “She didn’t use the word ‘cancer,’ but something told me in my heart that I had it,” Hailee said. “She was just telling me how I had to keep strong.”

“I wasn’t scared, I wasn’t crying, I wasn’t anything,” she added. “I just felt peaceful, and I knew that I was going to be OK. I just had that faith in me.”

Hailee said she did keep strong through chemotherapy and hair loss, but that kidney failure two months into her intense treatment brought another dream of a heavenly encounter.

“I had another dream,” Hailee told ABC-7. “There was God, but he was a figure of light.”​​​​​​​

She described seeing stairs blanketed with clouds and eating at a banquet with angels.

“We all ate tamales and Takis,” she said, laughing.

But then she said the tone of the dream turned more serious.

“This little (angel) broke his wing, and God touched it,” she said. “I was like, ‘What is that supposed to mean?’ And God said, ‘The same thing that I’m going to do to you.’ So he touched my kidneys. And that’s when I woke up.”​​​​​​​

She said that when she awoke, she was able to use the restroom — something that hadn’t been possible for a whole day due to her kidney failure.

In June 2018, her scans came back clean. She was cancer-free.

That summer, she attended a weeklong camp organized by Candlelighters of El Paso for kids who are battling or who overcame cancer.

“That was her first step out of the hospital,” Sandra said. “She was able to be a kid for a whole week.”​​​​​​​

When Hailee talked about camp, her face lit up. “My favorite thing was at the end — the dance. It was really fun this year,” she said while laughing.

With a year left of treatment, the fifth grader is dreaming of her future.

“I want to work at the children’s hospital for kids that have cancer,” Hailee said. “Now that I’ve been through this, I want to help other kids and tell my story to them and tell them that everything’s going to be OK.”​​​​​​​

Candlelighters of El Paso supports families who are fighting childhood cancer. In honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Candlelighters is hosting the Walk of Hope for families of fighters, survivors, and those who who lost their battle with cancer.

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El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV)-Jefferson High School, located in Central El Paso, is celebrating a significant milestone. This year, the campus will turn 75. El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego discusses how the community can celebrate the 75th anniversary. https://www.episd.org/o/jhs

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El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV) — Alexis Orate's niece, Bridges, died from D.R.E.S.S. Syndrome when she was 11 years old. According to the Jama Network, D.R.E.S.S affects adults and children and can be associated with harm or even death. It usually occurs 2 to 8 weeks after beginning to take a medication. Around 1 in 1000 people taking specific drugs develop DRESS.

Dr. Ogechika Alozie is an infectious disease internist in El Paso, Texas. He said, "Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) is a severe adverse drug reaction characterized by an extensive skin rash in association with visceral organ involvement, lymphadenopathy, eosinophilia, and atypical lymphocytosis." He said, "Unfortunately, even though it is caused by a drug, typically antibiotics and anti-epileptics in kids, even when the drug is stopped, it can continue and wreak havoc on the body. Even though it is called eosinophilia, the real issue is the immune system going hyper-responsive to a new medication/drug."

"I don't think the eosinophilia part matters in this topic since they're elevated, but the main thing is the immune response," Alozie said.

Alexis Orate wrote the book about her niece, Balloon Bridges, hoping people could find comfort in her words. She explains that the story is about loss and love. It provides a comforting reminder that we never forget our loved ones.

Interested in purchasing Balloon Bridges:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71498104-balloon-bridges

https://a.co/d/5OPfxHf

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Like many other school districts across Texas, the El Paso Independent School District is facing challenges ranging from declining enrollment to budget deficits and plans to shutter some elementary schools.

How EPISD is facing those challenges and others is the topic of this Sunday's ABC-7 Xtra with Mark Ross. Joining Mark are three key members of the superintendent's leadership team - Chief Operating Officer S.B. Pierson, Chief Financial Officer Martha Aguirre, and Chief of Organizational Transformation and Equity Marivel Macias. Macias is overseeing the Destination District Redesign, which is the plan that will, in part, determine whether certain elementary school campuses will be shuttered.

ABC-7 Xtra Sunday airs at 10:35 p.m., right after ABC-7 at Ten Weekend.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) has secured a spot on Forbes' Top 500 Colleges list for 2024.

Among Texas’s 80 four-year institutions, UTEP is one of only 15 recognized, joining the ranks of prestigious universities like UT Austin and Rice.

UTEP stands out for graduating students with minimal debt, ranking first in Texas and 15th nationwide in this category.

Forbes reports that UTEP graduates earn a median salary of $106,000 within a decade of graduation, with an average debt of just $4,735—well below the national average of $28,244.

President Heather Wilson and Vice President Amanda Vasquez highlight UTEP’s dedication to providing affordable, high-quality education, reflecting the university’s commitment to reducing financial barriers and enhancing student success.

The post UTEP tops Forbes list as Texas leader for low student debt appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso City/County Health Authority Dr. Hector Ocaranza tells parents in the community not be afraid or panic after a vaccinated student at Alderete Middle School tested positive for Chickenpox , Canutillo ISD officials announced Thursday.

According to the district, the student was fully vaccinated against the Varicella virus, Canutillo ISD officials say, meaning this appears to be a breakthrough case.

"This is something that can happen, and it is not to cause any alarm," said Dr. Ocaranza. "We are working very closely with school officials and it is a good reminder that people need to stay up to date with their vaccinations as well."

Dr. Ocaranza explained people who have been vaccinated against chickenpox can still get the disease. However, they usually have milder symptoms than people who are not vaccinated.

"And that's the reason why, before the school starts, we invite everybody, all the parents, to bring their child in and make sure that they're up to date with the vaccinations," he said.

According to the CDC, Chickenpox usually lasts about 4 to 7 days. A common sign of chickenpox is a rash that turns into itchy, fluid-filled blisters which eventually become scabs.

Dr. Ocaranza said the people that medical providers are mostly concerned about getting chicken pox are those that are not vaccinated, have never gotten chickenpox, and have a weakened immune system.

He reminds parents to continue teaching children to wash their hands as a preventative measure, and for parents to stay up to date with their vaccinations.

The post “Don’t panic”: El Paso Health Authority weighs in on Chickenpox breakthrough case at middle school appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Forbes put UTEP in the 280th spot on its list of 2024 Top Colleges.

Of the five University of Texas schools on the list, UTEP was ranked last. Rice University and Texas A&M are among the other Texas four-year colleges on the list, which ranks the top 500 schools in the country.

Forbes also ranked the schools based on the average amount of debt per graduating senior. UTEP ranked first in Texas on that criteria, with the average student graduating with $4,735 in debt.

“UTEP wants every student to have an exceptional and an affordable education,” said Amanda Vasquez, Ph.D., vice president for enrollment management. “Our teams do everything in our power to remove financial barriers for students interested in attending UTEP.”

Forbes' list ranks colleges on their student success, return on investment, and alumni influence.

"The Forbes ranking system analyzes alumni salary, student debt, graduation and retention rates, return on investment, academic success and leadership and entrepreneurial success of graduates," a UTEP spokesperson explained.

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El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV)—The Canutillo Independent School District is thrilled to announce the grand opening of the Employee Development Service (EDS) Goodwill Store at Canutillo High School, a student-operated store on campus.

The store, developed through a partnership between CISD and Goodwill Industries of El Paso, aims to provide special-education students with invaluable job skills and real-world experience. Students will staff the store, gaining hands-on training in retail operations, customer service, and inventory management — all within a supportive learning environment.

The store will offer a variety of goods, including gently used clothing, accessories, and household items. All proceeds from the sales will be reinvested into the program to enhance students' learning experiences further and provide additional resources for their development. A Goodwill donation bin will be housed at the Canutillo High School campus to support the training store. Donations are encouraged and welcomed.

Store hours are 8:00 a.m. - 4 p.m., closed 11:30 a.m. - noon, Mon. -Thurs.

https://www.canutillo-isd.org/post-details/~board/what-s-new/post/cisd-goodwill-partner-to-train-special-ed-students-at-on-campus-store

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El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV)—Meridian Medical & Associates, a local veteran and minority-owned clinic will host a Health expo to honor veterans in the El Paso community. Veterans.

The expo will be held on September 7th, 2024, at Meridian Medical and Associates LLC, 1900 N Mesa Suite B, El Paso, TX 79902.

They will also be accepting canned food and monetary donations. The money received will go to a local organization that helps feed the community and veterans.

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CANUTILLO, Texas (KVIA) -- A student at Alderete Middle School just tested positive for chicken pox. The student was fully vaccinated against the Varicella virus, Canutillo ISD officials say, meaning this appears to be a breakthrough case.

"The student is doing well and is under medical care," the Canutillo ISD officials explained. "As per El Paso City-County Health Department protocols, the District is also monitoring a pre-kindergarten student at Canutillo Elementary School since he is a sibling of the impacted student."

Canutillo ISD officials say they are working closely with health officials to make sure any student or adult that had contact with either the infected student or the sibling is okay.

"We have met with teachers and staff to alert them of the situation and ask them to be on the lookout for potential additional cases," district officials explained.

Chicken pox is highly contagious. The symptoms, initially, include fever and an itchy, blister-like rash.

"Chickenpox can be serious, especially during pregnancy, in babies, adolescents, adults, and people with weakened immune systems (lowered ability to fight germs and sickness)."

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EL PASO, TX (KVIA) -- El Paso Independent School District is moving forward with Phase II of its Destination District Redesign (DDR). Currently, EPISD is focusing on elementary schools, with potential school closures and reallocations of resources. 

EPISD says they currently have 75 elementary campuses, however they are not at their maximum use. The target is to achieve 80% utilization, which the district says they are far from.

A facility study also identified the costs of upgrading facilities to meet 21st-century learning standards, including the possibility of renovations or complete rebuilds. 

ABC-7 spoke to Marivel Macias, chief organizational transformation equity officer for EPISD, who says they are examining factors such as enrollment, transfer rates, and the condition of school facilities.

"In elementary, we have the 22 to 1 class ratio, and that's something that is maximized," says Macias. “Currently we have campuses or classrooms that are underutilized. So we have many vacant seats, any classroom or any school that we would consolidate, we would make sure that it's at the optimal capacity.”

Macias says by optimizing campus utilization, they can focus on improving their “sister schools,” these are schools that have higher capacity and better facilities. “As we consolidate, that means that we have more funding within our system to allocate resources to those facilities that need to be upgraded,” Macias explains.

She also mentions that surplus property from any schools that may close could be repurposed in collaboration with the City of El Paso, such as the recent sale of Morehead Middle School which is now an animal shelter and emergency shelter to house migrants. 

Macias says they want parents to be involved in the decision making process, “It's about bringing our students together, make sure they're one community, and that they're growing up together with the programing that they need and with our amazing teachers to continue to move them forward. It's very important that we hear our community so that we're able to share with them the data we've looked at.”

The next meeting is tonight at Jefferson High School at 5:30. The focus audience for this meeting is Tinajero PK8, Zavala ES, Cooley ES.

Schedule for the rest of the community meetings:

• Tuesday, Sept 3
  Coronado High School (100 Champions Pl., 79912)
  Focus Audience: Coronado, Murphree PK8, Haskins PK8, Zach White ES, Green ES, Putnam ES, Rivera ES, Western Hills ES

• Wednesday, Sept 4 
  Andress High School (5400 Sun Valley Dr., 79924)
  Focus Audience: Andress, Charles MS, Richardson MS, Bobby Joe HIll PK8, Newman ES, Torres ES, Barron ES, Tom Lea ES, Nixon ES 

• Thursday, Sept 5 
  Austin High School (3500 Memphis Ave., 79930)
  Focus Audience: Austin, Navarette MS, Coldwell ES, Crockett ES, Moreno ES, Clendenin ES, Rusk ES, Travis ES, CCTA 

• Monday, Sept 9 
  Bowie High School (801 S San Marcial St., 79905)
  Focus Audience: Bowie, Guillen MS, AOY ES, Hart ES, Douglas ES 

• Monday, Sept 16 
  Franklin High School (900 Resler Dr., 79912)
  Focus Audience: Franklin, Hornedo MS, Brown MS, Lundy ES, Polk ES, Tippin ES, Kolhberg ES, Guerrero ES, Herrera ES  

The post EPISD advances to Phase II in Destination District Redesign, considers school closures appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso ISD is moving into Phase II of its Destination District Redesign (DDR). The redesign analyzes programs, allocation of resources and a facilities assessment to ensure the needs of the students and the community are being met.

"The DDR process is dedicated to ensuring that every child in El Paso ISD receives a high-quality education," and EPISD spokesperson explained.

The DDR will be completed in 3 phases:

Phase I: Review submitted feedback to determine what’s important to the community to develop a preliminary set of quality seats criteria.  

Phase II: Share the proposed high-quality seat criteria to the community. In addition, the district will use the criteria to conduct a preliminary analysis of its campuses.  After another round of community conversations, the district will determine areas within the district where right sizing measures are necessary, campuses that may require facilities improvements, and program expansion opportunities.

Phase III: The district will present recommendations from the DDR process to the Board of Trustees. If approved, El Paso ISD will support students and families to ensure a successful transition for the 2025-26 school year.

Tune in to ABC-7 at 10p to find out what information was found in Phase l and what will be happening in Phase II.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- An El Pasoan is spreading the joy of reading books to children through her work at a bookstore with a special mission.

"The idea came about out of a tragedy," said Susan Patterson.

That idea is "Books are Gems."

Susan Patterson is the bookstore's manager.

"The founder, Miss Paula Madrid, she was a teacher in South El Paso, and her teenage daughter passed away tragically in a car accident. and her daughter loved to read, so she wanted to honor her daughter," said Patterson. "So she started collecting books."

Susan is helping honor her memory.

"It's grown into this just great resource for, for children and adults to to read."

"Books are gems" is a non-profit organization.

"The best thing is seeing a book that you read when you were a child" said Patterson. "We have all of these books right here. They're just waiting to be put on the shelf."

It's been around for more than 20 years. And it's books fly of the shelves.

"We probably have close to 200 people come in a week, and get books for their children, or themselves, or their classroom."

The bookstore offers up to 9 free books a week.

Susan also helps bring stories to life by organizing weekly story hours to capture the imagination of children including Saturday story time on Facebook live.

"It's really a lot of fun to see the kids, participate with the reader and everything." said Patterson. "It just brings great joy to help these kids learn how to read and sometimes help their parents as well."

Susan's willingness to help readers of all ages navigate book genres has earned her the title of this month's ABC-7's Do-Gooder, rewarding her charity of choice with $1,000 from the El Paso Community Foundation.

Susan will donate the award money to non-profit "Books are gems" to keep the literacy efforts.

"It it feels really good. I mean, a lot of people don't realize, how many people don't have access to free books or free teaching materials, and we're just trying to help out the community, teach their children to lead and be to read and be successful and, lead some productive lives."

"Books are gems" accepts book donations including children's books, adult books, and curriculum for the teachers. Because of community response books for gems has made donations to Ruidoso libraries that faced damages after recent flooding.

You can nominate someone who makes a difference in the community like Susan for ABC-7 Do-Gooder. Just follow this link to the submission form on here.

ABC-7's Do-Gooder is sponsored by the El Paso Community Foundation and Gozo's Ice cream.

The post ABC-7 Do- Gooder: El Pasoan exchanges books for smiles appeared first on KVIA.

By Kate McGee, The Texas Tribune

Aug. 23, 2024

"UT System prohibits its universities from making political or social statements" was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.

The University of Texas Board of Regents amended its free speech policy this week to prohibit the system and its 14 universities and health-related institutions from adopting political or social positions unrelated to campus operations.

“Institutions should not, in their official capacity, issue or express positions on issues of the day, however appealing they may be to some members of the university community,” reads the new language that was added to the system’s statement on freedom of speech and expression and approved by the board during its Thursday meeting.

The policy does not apply to individual faculty, staff or students free speech and only relates to “official university statements, functions, ceremonies, and publications.”

In a statement, Paul Corliss, associate vice chancellor for external relations and communications, said the new policy is an extension of the principles put forth in the Kalven Report from the University of Chicago, a 1967 report on the university’s role in political and social action that concluded “institutional neutrality” is necessary for the university to fulfill its core mission and create a campus environment were all students, faculty and staff have the freedom to take their own political or social views.

In 2022, the UT System adopted a version of the “Chicago Statement,” a set of principles affirming an institution’s commitment to free speech. It calls for the protection of speech even if it is considered “offensive, unwise, immoral or wrong-headed,” with restrictions on speech that is illegal, defamatory or harassment.

The UT System’s policy change comes during the first week of the fall semester at many of its campuses, the first time students are back to school after its flagship, the University of Texas at Austin, became ground zero for clashes over the Israel-Hamas war.

The Middle East conflict has tested free speech policies at universities in Texas and across the country as pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel students engage in protests and heated discussions. School leaders have struggled to strike a balance between their roles as moderators and facilitators of intellectual debate on campus.

After the war began Oct. 7, UT-Austin President Jay Hartzell issued two statements to the university community related to the unfolding conflict. In his first message, he laid out safety measures in place for Jewish students on campus. In the second one, Hartzell said the university refrains from issuing statements in response to major events unless there is a connection to the campus community or a matter of public safety, but said he has zero tolerance for any antisemitism toward Jewish students or “hate-filled actions” toward Muslim communities.

During the spring semester, tensions exploded on U.S. campuses in response to the war, including UT-Austin and the University of Texas at Dallas. In April, hundreds of students walked out of class at the flagship university, leading to the arrest of 57 people after police ordered them to disperse. A few days later, nearly 80 more people were arrested after protesters tried to set up an encampment on campus. Protesters were also arrested at UT-Dallas after students set up an encampment on campus, demanding the university divest from U.S. corporations that have ties to Israel’s war in Gaza.

Other universities, including the University of North Carolina System and University of Wyoming, have previously adopted positions to remain neutral. Since the Israel-Hamas war, others have joined them, including Stanford University and Northwestern University. Harvard University said in May it would no longer make political statements at the recommendation of a faculty committee, though they stopped short of fully embracing “institutional neutrality.”

The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

Disclosure: Northwestern University - Medill School of Journalism, University of Texas - Dallas and University of Texas at Austin have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

TribFest Keynotes Announced! Be there when Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin take the keynote stage at The Texas Tribune Festival! Whitmer will talk with Texas Tribune co-founder Evan Smith about her memoir, her key victories in Michigan and the importance of every vote. Youngkin and Smith will close out TribFest with a conversation about his record, the state of his party and a conservative policy agenda for America. Explore the full program of 300+ speakers and 100+ events. Get tickets today.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/23/ut-system-free-speech-policy/.

The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.

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Update (August 26, 2024): The $12M that UTEP is receiving for the Regents' Research Excellence Program will be a contribution made annually.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Today, UTEP President Heather Wilson announced the university is getting $12 million dollars to expand research efforts.

Wilson spoke during the University’s Convocation Ceremony about expanding research efforts at the university that will benefit students and El Paso. Wilson says this sum is part of the Regents’ Research Excellence Program. UTEP says this sum will also allow them to employ 69 new researchers, including 22 tenured faculty, 29 research faculty, and 18 postdoctoral researchers. This will also double the number of research faculty at UTEP.

These areas of research include Advanced Manufacturing, Cancer Therapeutics, Artificial intelligence, Intelligence and National Security, Quantum Computing, Water Scarcity, Rehabilitation Engineering, and Hispanic Student Success.

During the event, President Wilson discussed the 10-year Master Plan, including completion of the advanced manufacturing facility, and Texas Western Hall. Wilson says students will be moving forward with deciding whether or not they want to renovate the Student Union.

UTEP's current student union fee is $30 per semester. If students want the university to renovate the union, that fee will jump to $70 per semester.

UTEP students can vote on whether they want the university to revitalize the union from September 16th through the 19th.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)-- El Paso Independent School District has launched a new app to improve communications between parents and teachers. El Paso ISD in partnership with Apptegy, an EdTech vendor that provides software products, including its Rooms platform which allows parents to communicate with teachers.

However, some parents and teachers say the app displays incorrect information and it concerns them. One parent, Mindy Sutton says when she logs into the app it shows a man she doesn't know listed as her daughter's guardian.

Sutton says once she noticed the error she reached out to her daughter's teacher to have the man's name removed but according to Sutton the teacher was unable to assist because she had not been trained on the app.

Sutton isn't alone, teachers also say they are listed as guardians on other students profiles. One teacher commented on a Facebook post saying she could see information a teacher from another school was posting as well as direct messages from parents addressed to that teacher.

I reached out to EPISD and they responded with the following statement

To develop this app, El Paso ISD has partnered with Apptegy, an EdTech vendor that provides software products and solutions, including its Rooms platform, to approximately 4500 K-12 school district customers in the US. 

Part of perfecting any application is improving issues that arise during deployment and implementation. EPISD experts and our Apptegy partners have taken the appropriate steps to address a visibility issue for registered users involving duplicated numbers. It is important to emphasize that no sensitive or private information was shared due to this issue; the privacy and security of our students’ information is our top priority.  

El Paso ISD’s new app streamlines and enhances communication between teachers and parents by providing a single, centralized platform for all messages, and it also improves information security allowing for greater oversight. The application can be centrally managed and monitored, ensuring a higher level of student safety. This capability is crucial in our ongoing efforts to protect our students and provide a secure environment for their educational journey. 

EPISD will continue to monitor and improve the app and offer support to users as adoption grows. We believe this application will be a game changer in making communication easier, more effective, and safer for everyone involved. EPISD has already received positive reports from parents and educators.

EPISD spokesperson

Norma De La Rosa, President El Paso Teachers association says among the teachers she spoke with they didn't have an issue with incorrect information on students profile. However, De La Rosa said she did notice missing information on the EPISD website. She says she reached out to the central office to notify them of the missing information and they said they will look into it.

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EL PASO, TX (KVIA) -- The University of Texas at El Paso is welcoming students back to campus today. UTEP has many new initiatives in store, along with their yearly, miner traditions!

The first event, Texas Western Gold Rush kicks off tonight at 7:00 p.m. at UTEP's Centennial Plaza.

Tune into Good Morning El Paso to learn about all the events. We will have live reports with UTEP's president Dr. Heather Wilson and UTEP's vice president of student affairs, Dr. Catie McCorry-Andalis all morning.

Click here for a full list of the Miner Welcome events.

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EL PASO, TX (KVIA) -- As the school year begins, many parents will be packing lunches for their children. Having healthy, kid-approved meals can be challenging at times.

ABC-7 spoke to Leticia Diaz, registered dietician at Del Sol Medical Center to get tips for parents battling with picky-eaters. 

“Packaging different food groups such as vegetables, fruits, a dairy, a protein or whole grains is very important for them to be more proactive at school,” says Diaz. “If you make fun shapes from the food by using a cookie cutter, there will be more interest spread and they will be more motivated to go ahead and eat it.”

Diaz recommends engaging children in the lunch preparation, “Let them give them choices like peanut butter, yogurt, fruits, vegetables. They'll be a little bit more willing to go ahead and try it because they were involved and they could choose what they wanted it on their lunch box,” she advises. 

Building healthy eating habits early on is crucial to long term health, experts warn that processed foods, high in sodium and saturated fats can lead to chronic health issues if consumed regularly. “I would recommend if it's possible for parents to start with their healthy whole foods early in childhood and then all the way until they're a little bit more grown up, like teenage years” says Diaz. 

Balance is important, while treats are okay occasionally, the focus should be on giving them the right nutrients to grow and develop a healthy life style.

Diaz also says making healthy food accessible for children can prevent them from choosing junk food, “I know moms are very, very in a very limited time. They have to prepare quick and easy meals. But having, for example, a fruit already cut, a vegetable already cut up, everything ready where the child goes and opens the fridge and can have that ready and easy to eat helps a lot for them to enjoy those nutritious foods that you can offer.” 

“I would highly recommend to limit, for example, the sugary drinks,” says Diaz. “When kids are thirsty, they want to have something flavored, so they want to have a juice first, offer water when they're very thirsty and limit the juice or diluted as well so we can decrease the calories and the sugars.” 

Diaz says it’s important to have a structure and schedule meals and snacks to ensure they are hungry for lunch and dinner time. “When kids are hungry, they tend to ask for milk because the milk provides carbohydrate proteins and fats,” she says. “Try to limit it to four ounces, three times per day. That way you can encourage them to eat a little more at meal time because they can they can get full with milk.”

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Paso Del Norte Fine Arts Academy received a verbal threat from a student. Officials at the school found "no evidence of a viable threat to students of the campus."

Read the message sent out to parents from the school below.

"Hello, this is Melissa Smith, principal of Paso Del Norte Fine Arts Academy. I am calling to inform you that we received a report that a student made a verbal threat against our school. We take every concern seriously and investigated the situation. The student who made the threat has been identified and addressed. There is no evidence of a viable threat to students or the campus. Parents, please help us by reminding your children of the gravity and the serious consequences that they will face if found to have made a threat to a school or individual, whether made as a joke or not. Thank you for your continued trust and support of Paso Del Norte Fine Arts Academy and Team SISD."

The school is run by Socorro ISD and is located south of Edgemere Boulevard in Far East El Paso.

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UPDATE: The Phase 2 meeting scheduled for Thursday, August 21 at Chapin High School has been canceled.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso Independent School District has announced the upcoming community meetings for phase 2 of its Destination District Redesign project.

El Paso ISD says the project targets educational standards within the district and "is a commitment to ensure that every child in El Paso ISD receives a high-quality education, regardless of their background or circumstances."

Phase 2 meetings will be held at 5:30 P.M. on:

• August 21 at Burges High School
• August 22 at Chapin High School
• August 27 at El Paso High School
• August 28 at Irvin High School
• August 29 at Jefferson/Silva High School
• September 3 at Coronado High School
• September 4 at Andress High School
• September 5 at Austin High School
• September 9 at Bowie High School
• September 16 at Franklin High School

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The UT System Board of Regents just approved a new 10-year master plan for UTEP.

University President Heather Wilson presented the plan to the board Wednesday in Austin. Members passed the measure unanimously.

The board oversees 14 institutions, including UTEP, and 256,000 students. That makes the UT System the largest university system in the state.

PJ Vierra, a representative for the UTEP Heritage Commission, says that some of the buildings scheduled for demolition are historically significant.

"This UTEP campus master plan calls for demolishing several historically significant Bhutanese Revival buildings designed by noted Southwestern architect Henry Trost (Vowell Hall, Benedict Hall, and Worrell Hall) and Percy McGhee (Miners Hall, Hudspeth Hall, Union West), and O.J. Thorman (Holliday Hall). Union West was home to the acclaimed UTEP Dinner Theatre before its recent closure."

PJ Vierra, PhD
UTEP Heritage Commission

ABC-7 is trying to get more information on what UTEP's new plan entails.

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EL PASO, TX (KVIA) -- As college students begin a new academic year and transition into a new phase of life, the pressure can feel overwhelming.

ABC-7 spoke to Krista Wingate, Chief of Child and Adolescent Services at Emergence Health Network, who explained that college students may experience a range of emotional challenges. These challenges include fearfulness, anxiety, and even a lack of self-worth.

“For a college age student, regardless of the grade level, it's really important to look at their everyday functioning” Wingate says. “So how often out of the week are they maybe not wanting to get out of bed and go to class? How often are they skipping out on a lunch or dinner with their friends or their family that they committed to?”

Wingate notes that the transition can be particularly difficult for incoming freshmen who are navigating new responsibilities and freedoms. “They're getting ready to spread their wings and parents should be, encouraging them to do things on their own, giving them some independence. Yet at the same time just trying to find that balance of, okay, I'm here to support you,” she says. 

Wingate emphasizes that parents play an essential role in supporting their college-aged children and maintaining open communication is key. “As a parent, if you're feeling a little bit of anxious, you're feeling fearful because they're going to be sleeping in a dorm or they're going to be renting a house with other peers, talk to your kids about that," Wingate advises. "Always ask, what can I do to support you? How is it that I can help? So that way you can get the input from your college student about maybe where it is that they need more support."

The weight of decision-making and the pressure to succeed can feel overwhelming, Wingate says it’s crucial for students to seek help early.

“They can go to support groups, get involved in different activities on campus or with other peers, their own age, and talk about the struggles, talk about the struggles learned from other people, get the coping skills,” Wingate says. “Learn how to manage the stress so that way it doesn't continue to follow them and they don't continue to struggle with stress, especially as years go on, particularly for freshmen, or they're just entering college.”

Wingate says many students may also turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as substance use, to deal with stress or fit in with their peers. “You see it a lot on social media and the media in general. Have a drink. It's okay. That'll make you feel better," she says. "The thing with drugs and alcohol is that it may make you feel better in the short term, in the very immediate. But when you become intoxicated or you start to use substances as a way of coping and then limits your ability to possibly use other healthy ways of coping with stress in life challenges in the future."

Journaling, exercise, or simply taking a break and watching a movie are all healthy ways to cope with stress, according to Wingate. “Journaling, I like to call it brain dump. You just envision it. Get everything out of your head. Just put it all on a piece of paper or type it up on your phone or on a computer, just doing visualization. So imagine all that stress, just leaving your brain, leaving your body and leaving it on the paper,” she says.

Everyone has different ways of coping, it depends what the person likes to do, it could even be crafts, going to a dance class, or even just sitting and watching the sunset for 20 minutes.

Emergence Health Network (EHN) offers a variety of mental health programs for all ages, to learn more about their services you can click here.

You can also call the EHN crisis hotline at 915-779-1800.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso Community College has announced it has opened mamava lactation pods at 5 of their campuses. This is part of EPCC's Family Friendly Campus Project.

The lactation pods will be available students, faculty, and staff at Mission del Paso campus, Valle Verde campus, Rio Grande campus, Northwest campus, and the Administrative Services Center.

EPCC says the pods will provide a welcoming study space for students and their families, and will also help with parenting responsibilities. EPCC says the lactation pods will give mothers a chance to recharge as they nurse or pump. EPCC adds they want to encourage mothers to continue their education and utilize these lactation pods.

Lactation pods do not have room numbers. The Mamava XL-V6 pods are best suited for large workspaces, and wheelchair accessibility. Lactation pods will have a cell phone app that allows students to unlock the pod.

For more information, click here.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) --  Parents are calling for change after classrooms at Purple Heart Elementary School have gone without A/C.

Some parents said it has been an issue for weeks. One parent even told ABC-7 she brought her own fan to her child's classroom to ensure they stay cool.

"Yeah, it's been a problem. They've been coming home real hot, you know, like, not dehydrated, but, they have to bring water bottles, a lot, to school so that way they can, not overheat and stuff," said family member, Ezequel Montiel. "I feel like they're just going to get sick and, due to heat stroke and stuff."

Worried about their safety, some parents question why they weren't notified.

"I was not aware. I'm a little shocked," said parent, Edgar Venegas. "..We pay our taxes so they can have their, amenities all up to date, so that's not fair for us."

A Socorro School District Spokesperson released this statement:

"This time of year can be challenging to keep schools cool due to the extreme heat. High temperatures put a strain on equipment which unfortunately at times causes systems to malfunction.

Maintenance and repairs for air conditioning systems have been fully funded, however with schools, businesses and households facing similar challenges at the same time, it has taken longer to receive parts needed for repairs. For Purple Heart Elementary, some of the needed parts have recently been received and repairs are ongoing.

To support students and teachers while units are pending repair, our maintenance team works diligently to provide portable units to help cool and ventilate classrooms. Schools also work to provide alternative learning spaces for classes whose systems are pending repair."

ABC-7 reached out to EPISD, YISD, and Canutillo ISD to see if they are dealing with similar issues.

A Canutillo ISD Spokesperson responded with this statement:

"District-wide we currently have six classrooms without working air conditioning units along with one portable at Northwest Early College High School. The district currently operates with 95% HVAC refrigeration units and 5% evaporative coolers.

Short term, students are moved from impacted classrooms to other classrooms with functioning AC units and at Northwest Early College, portable refrigeration units are added. Long term, the recent voter approved bond program will provide new HVAC units to our campuses"

ABC-7 is waiting to hear back from the other area districts.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- According to Fabens Independent School District, the district has completed an investigation into a recent bus incident that was posted on social media.

This comes after a video was shared on the Facebook group Make Fabens Better, showing what parents say is a student being hit with pencils.

ABC-7 has viewed the video and is continuing to gather more information about the alleged incident.

Read Fabens ISD's statement in full below:

"Fabens Independent School District has completed a thorough investigation into the recent school bus incident posted on a social media group not affiliated with the district. We are pleased to report that the investigation confirmed that all safety and security protocols upheld by the transportation department were followed correctly.

Our investigation involved close collaboration with the transportation and security departments and interviewing all parties involved. As a result of this investigation, we are confident in the effectiveness of our current procedures. However, we remain committed to continually improving our practices to ensure our students' safety and security.

The student's legal guardian is satisfied with the conclusion of the district's investigation and requests that the family's privacy regarding this matter be respected to maintain confidentiality under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The legal guardian is not willing to speak with the media at this time.

We want to thank the parents, guardians, and community members for their understanding and support. The well-being of our students remains our highest priority, and we will continue to uphold the trust placed in us."

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LAS CRUCES, NM (KVIA) -- Today marks the first day of classes at New Mexico State University. The university is welcoming 15,000 students back to campus for the academic year, marking an increase in enrollment compared to last year.

NMSU is emphasizing student wellness and career preparation, which will be central, key themes throughout the year. 

ABC-7 spoke to Dr. Renay Scott, NMSU’s Vice President of Student Success and Enrollment Management, who emphasized several initiatives aimed at supporting students, including new speakers and events on campus. Scott also says the the university is doing more to promote opportunities for internships and job interview preparation.

“We have put into place the support systems you need, the different programming you need,” Scott said. “What you need to do is engage yourself, show up to your classes, do your homework, and collectively, between the work that you put in and the work we put in, you can and will be successful here.”

In addition to these new initiatives, NMSU continues to offer tutoring and mentoring programs to ensure students have the resources necessary year-round.

NMSU's Global Campus is also welcoming students worldwide. They were recently recognized by Forbes Advisor as the best online college in New Mexico for 2024.

The Global Campus offers more than 70 online bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs, designed specifically for adult learners who are looking to finish their degrees.

Seth Miner, the Vice Chancellor of Strategic Enrollment Management at NMSU Global Campus, told ABC-7 what sets them apart is their integration with the main campus, “We intentionally had that connection to the main campus because there's no question about the the level of service, the level of education that our adult learners are going to be experiencing through the process,” he says.

New Mexico residents enrolled in the Global Campus are eligible for up to 100% tuition coverage through the Opportunity Scholarship, a state-funded scholarship. “If you're a new student, you can qualify for that as long as you attend an institution within the state of New Mexico within 16 months of graduation. You just have to be a New Mexico resident and graduate from a New Mexico high school,” explains Miner.

For more information on NMSU Global Campus and the Opportunity Scholarship, click here.

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LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- NMSU has named the people it is considering for the President position at the university. After a regular meeting on Monday, Aug. 19, NMSU narrowed down its nationwide search to these five individuals. WittKieffer is the firm that assisted in the search for the next President. Here are the five finalists:

1. Valerio Ferme, Ph.D., Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, University of Cincinnati
2. Brian Haynes, Ph.D., Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, University of California, Riverside 
3. Monica Lounsbery, Ph.D., Dean, College of Health and Human Services, California State University, Long Beach 
4. Neil MacKinnon, Ph.D. Professor, School of Public Health, Immediate Past Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, Augusta University 
5. Arsenio Romero, Ph.D., Secretary of Public Education, State of New Mexico

Regents Chair Ammu Devasthali says the next phase of the search will require candidates to visit NMSU in September to allow the community to hear from the candidates about their intentions in moving the institution forward. The schedule for the visits is expected to be released soon.

For more information, click here.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The Canutillo Independent School District has now released to ABC-7 the surveillance footage of a "Senior Assassin" school prank involving water guns, which made some students afraid.

The "Senior Assassin" game was a trend that was popular among teens and that had been banned by some schools. Those participating would be assigned a target with the objective of tagging out that assigned target.

ABC-7 previously reported the school prank happened at Canutillo High School, where 10 students were suspended as a result.

The surveillance footage shows students playing volleyball at Canutillo High School's gym when one student entered, pointing a water gun at the group.

Students are seen running to a different exit in the gym at the sight of the student pointing the water gun. One student can even be seen crawling on their knees to hide away under a table at the gym.

As students raced towards the exit, another student appeared holding a water gun in that same direction, causing students to run across the gym.

After many of the students are driven into a corner of the gym, the two students holding water guns appear to leave, and the situation deescalates.

Additional video shows more students in Canutillo High School's hallway playing the "Senior Assassin" game with other students running away from those with water guns.

This prank had taken place on March 28, 2023, one day after a school shooting in Nashville.

On Friday, August 16, the Texas Attorney General's Office sent a letter to Canutillo ISD's director of communications, Gustavo Reveles. The letter demanded Reveles to comply with the state's Public Information Act after he had failed to respond to various requests for information, including one of our own.

In the letter sent out by the Texas Attorney General's Office, Reveles was also asked to complete an open records training within 60 days and to send a certificate of completion to the office within 60 days.

ABC-7 had filed an open records request to obtain this surveillance footage since April of last year and had not received the footage until Tuesday, August 20, 2024.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA-TV)—Memorias del Silencio will hold a release party at the Mexican Consulate in El Paso on Thursday, August 22, 2024, to honor its 15th Volume. Memorias del Silencio is a project that provides creative writing workshops to migrant farmworkers and their families finishing their GED at El Paso Community College. Daniel Rios-Lopera, the project's director, stopped by ABC-7 at 4 to talk about the event. Here is the information if you are interested.

What: Memorias del Silencio Vol. 15 Release Party

Where: Consulate General de Mexico, 910 E. San Antonio Ave, El Paso, TX 79901

When:  Thursday, August 22, 2024, 6:00 p.m.

Who: Open to the Public

Contact: Daniel Rios-Lopera, drioslop@epcc.edu

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Ysleta Independent School District is the highest-performing school district in the El Paso region, according to new scores calculated with Texas Education Agency (TEA) data.

The district received a score of 86 for overall academic performance and an 89 for college and career readiness for the 2023-2024 school year.

This year, many Texas school districts are calculating their own scores using TEA data as the agency faces a lawsuit prohibiting it from releasing the 2023-2024 accountability ratings. The districts have the capacity and the authorization from the TEA to calculate and self-report their own grades, YISD officials explained Monday.

Socorro Independent School District, meanwhile, received an 83 overall rating.

"The TEA introduced more rigorous STAAR/EOC assessments in 2023 and a new scale to determine accountability ratings," SISD officials explained. "Due to lawsuits against the new TEA accountability system, official A-F school ratings have not been released."

El Paso Independent School District received an overall rating of 77, according to a district spokesperson.

"This rating is based on performance in three key domains: Student Achievement, School Progress, and Closing the Gaps," the EPISD spokesperson explained.

Each campus is given an individual grade. ABC-7 is working to find the list of EPISD's A-rated schools. See the list of YISD and SISD A-rated school below.

YISD A-rated Schools

• Alicia R. Chacon IS
• Eastwood Heights ES
• Eastwood Knolls IS
• Glen Cove ES
• Loma Terrace ES
• North Loop IS
• Pebble Hills ES
• Presa ES
• Scotsdale ES
• Tierra Del Sol ES
• Vista Hills ES
• Ysleta ES
• Bel Air HS
• Eastwood HS
• Hanks HS
• Parkland HS
• Valle Verde Early College HS
• Young Women’s Leadership Academy

SISD A-rated Schools

• Mission Early College High School
• Options High School
• Spec. Rafael Hernando III Middle
• Col. John O. Ensor Middle
• SSG Manuel R. Puentes Middle
• Montwood Middle
• Eastlake Middle
• Salvador H. Sanchez Middle
• Sgt. Roberto Ituarte Elementary
• Loma Verde Elementary
• Cactus Trails Elementary
• John Drugan School

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- In their 16th annual white coat ceremony Texas Tech Health El Paso welcomes 135 incoming medical students of the class of 2028.

Texas Tech said it's the largest class since it was founded and they are receiving the white coat, which symbolizes the cloak of compassion, reminding each student of the importance of compassionate, collaborative and scientifically excellent patient care during their careers.

"For me, it's a sense of accomplishment. I spent my entire life working for this moment, especially the last four years of college, and being able to actually put this white coat on and receive this recognition of my hard work and perseverance," said new medical student, Michelle Tiji.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Twelve students graduated from the Western Technical College (Western Tech) lineworker program Friday morning in a first-time collaboration with Workforce Solutions Borderplex and El Paso Electric.

The graduates will now be able to enter the energy and utility sectors with the skills, knowledge, and hands-on experience needed to address the growing demand for skilled professionals in the industry.

All local residents, the new lineworkers will play a big part in maintaining and improving the power infrastructure that supports the area’s homes, businesses, and critical services.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)-- A recent audit performed by ESSER lll states "there is a lag in the implementation of the planetarium" the audit went on to say the El Paso ISD only used 12% ($70,000) of the project's $560,000 budget.

Audit documents say some of the causes for the lag are due to miscommunication and misunderstanding in regards to contract approvals and requesting quotes.

ABC-7 spoke to Daniel Vasquez, Fund Development and Education foundation officer for El Paso ISD, he says the misunderstanding and lag were due to them being behind with the internal timeline they set for themselves.

This project is a partnership between El Paso ISD and the City of El Paso. Through a community development block grant El Paso ISD were awarded for $1.2 million to convert the old multipurpose center at Crosby Elementary into the planetarium.

Vasquez says "We used 100% of the $1.2 million for the capital. The 12% of the funding was supplemental funding that the district invested. And at the point in time when that audit was done, that project had only spent 12% of the funds."

Vasquez also added the project was completed with $102,000 to spare that they able to use across the district to enhance curriculum.

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SANTA TERESA, New Mexico (KVIA) -- Changes being made at Santa Teresa Middle School in the Gadsden Independent School District after recent physical altercations.

In a statement released this week, Gadsden ISD said the new Prevention Plan will take steps to address these incidents and prevent future occurrences.

Some of the changes include early start time, increased security presence, staggered dismissal and an updated cell phone policy to prohibit the use of devices during school hours.

The district said last Friday’s altercations stemmed from social media exchanges over the weekend, highlighting the importance of this policy.

Read the full list of changes below:

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)-- In an effort to determine if school campuses are following the Texas Education
Agency's (TEA) Student Attendance Accounting Handbook (SAAH) an audit was performed on 5 campuses.

The audit found a total of 55,960 unverified/ No note no call absences, which translates into a loss of approximately $3,245,546 in state funding. The schools audited were Jefferson High School, Tinajero PK-8, Crockett Elementary School, Austin High School and Franklin High School. Franklin High School lead the trend by far with a whooping 40,362 unverified/ No note no call absences.

It was explained that once a teacher marks a child absent the campus attendance clerk assigns the reason, however in the audit they found eleven clerks as well as campus principals at all 5 campuses did not complete attendance training.

Lisa Estrada-Batson, assistant superintendent of student and parent services for EPISD says this year they made training mandatory for campus staff they also implemented a new system that would give parents a way to report absences at the click of a button.

Estrada-Batson says the audit gave them insight into how they can better support their students. She says they plan to work together moving forward to make sure that this year is better.

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LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- Las Cruces Public Schools will soon start re-drawing school boundaries, and it coincides with the future opening of an elementary school that’s been closed for six years.

Columbia Elementary School was knocked down two years ago, after being closed since 2018 when dangerous mold was discovered in its walls.

LCPS says its reconstruction and planned fall 2025 opening is the perfect opportunity to address the district’s boundaries.

The district says re-drawing school boundaries will address multiple issues that include getting students back into Columbia Elementary, and out of the temporary campus ten miles away at Centennial High School, as well as solving overpopulation issues at schools on the rapidly growing East Mesa.

“We have Organ Mountain High School, we have Camino Real Middle School, Sonoma Elementary, Highland Elementary, Monte Vista Elementary, Mesa Middle School," said LCPS spokeswoman Kelly Jameson to ABC-7 Wednesday.

"Those are just a few of the schools where we’re seeing large student demographics, large student populations, and we need to balance those out across the district," she added.

Another issue that the district hopes to solve by re-districting is getting funding for the aging Mayfield High School campus.

“We are hoping that redistricting will push more students back to mayfield high school, so it can then be eligible for state funds to get the school back to the condition that it deserves to be," said Jameson.

She adds parents will play a large role in the re-drawing process, and a redistricting advisory committee of parents across the district is being assembled.

Some parents ABC-7 spoke to say re-districting will be great to help Mayfield get renovations, while others were concerned about their kids potentially moving schools.

George Contreras, the grandfather of a Monte Vista Elementary School student, which is located on the East Mesa, shared those concerns.

“He’s got one more year left here, and for him to be shipped out to another school, that wouldn’t be fair," said Contreras.

If you’d like to be one of the 12 parents on the redistricting committee, you have until August 23rd to apply.

The link to apply can be found here.

Meetings for the committee, for which all members must commit to attending, have been scheduled for the following dates:

• Thursday Sept. 5, 2024, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. 
• Tuesday Oct. 15, 2024, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. 
• Wednesday Oct. 30, 2024, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. 

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El Paso, TX (KVIA)T)- Raul Rodriquez and Maria Ramos from Lulac Council 9 join us to talk about an opportunity for local business leaders.

The post ABC-7 at 4: Lulac is working to educate local entrepreneurs appeared first on KVIA.

by Daniel Perez, El Paso Matters
August 13, 2024

The Texas Tech University System Board of Regents voted 8-0 to approve spending $6.3 million for the design of the planned Clinical Sciences Building at the Texas Tech Health El Paso campus during its quarterly meeting Aug. 8-9 at the system’s Lubbock headquarters.

The proposed five-story, 352,000-square-foot structure will be built on the north end of campus near Interstate 10. Two thirds of the building will be for clinical sciences and cost an estimated $186 million. The rest will house the Steve and Nancy Fox Cancer Center. Its second-stage design process started in June 2023.

Billy Breedlove, vice chancellor for Facilities Planning and Construction, pointed out that the clinical services center and cancer center are being tracked as two separate projects with two separate funding streams. The regents’ recent decision only involved the clinical sciences side. Regent Cody Campbell was not present.

As presented, the clinical sciences services would be on the south end of the building. Each center would have its own entrance.

The expenditure will pay for services such as design development, construction documents and administration, and cost estimates, and will allow planning for the clinical sciences side to catch up with the cancer center. Both centers will be constructed simultaneously.

Richard Lange, TTHEP president, said that the regents' support is a significant step in the university’s mission to provide world-class cancer care to the Borderplex.

“This allows us to move forward with our plans to build a future where every patient receives the highest level of compassionate and comprehensive care close to home,” Lange said. “We look forward to breaking ground soon, here at Texas Tech Health El Paso.”

Breedlove, whose presentation included a conceptual site plan and a cutaway view of the building, said that the new building would do the job of three existing buildings and be more economical. He added that the existing TTHEP clinical sciences space, about 173,000 square feet, is on University Medical Center of El Paso property and has benefited the community for about 40 years. It serves about 1,200 patients daily and is at full capacity.

The new building will continue to offer the existing clinical options such as the Breast Care Center, surgery, neurology, pediatrics, ophthalmology, internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, orthopedic surgery and rehabilitations, and several sub-specialties.

“We've had our meetings (and) have included all those clinicians in all of this, and so their input is very valued for our design team,” said Breedlove, who added that his people are working with HDR, one of the country’s largest medical design teams on this project.

The two centers will have exam and procedure rooms to support the clinical practices of the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, such as nurses’ stations, lab support, medicine storage, clinical supply rooms and waiting areas.

The conceptual design included a parking lot with about 1,000 spaces, but Breedlove said designers may suggest the construction of the first level of a parking garage. He mentioned that his team wanted to project possible needs and offer the kinds of options for the next 20 years that may involve the need to purchase additional nearby properties.

The funds approved Aug. 8, as well as the previously approved $2.3 million, will come through the Revenue Finance System and be repaid with Capital Construction Assistance Projects Legislative appropriations, as well as gifts and institutional funds.

Breedlove said the multiple funding sources for separate projects that are part of the same building is among the project’s challenges.

Dustin R. Womble, chair of the facilities committee, asked how this kind of combined project could create future conflicts on how expenses get allocated. Breedlove said that the system will need to work hard to ensure that the costs are divided correctly.

Another challenge will be how to deal with the existing railroad operations on the tracks just south of the proposed building site. Breedlove said that Lange wants to create a “quiet zone” in that area where trains are known to blow their whistles long and hard on a daily basis.

A TTHEP spokesman said that Lange is involved in preliminary discussions with several transportation entities to consider options. Breedlove said an initial concept is a tunnel for vehicles and pedestrians to pass under the train track area, and hinted that it could mean buying additional property.

Board chair Mark Griffin, who earlier in the meeting  asked Lange if additional land was needed for this project.

“We’re in the final completion stage of that,” Lange said.

When Regents’ asked for a project timeline, Breedlove said he hoped to present design packages in November along with site and utility packages, some foundation packages in February, and a guaranteed maximum price by May. He said that all funds for the project must be allocated by June 2025. He said the site is basically clear and construction should take no more than three years.  

The Regents approved the initial concept of the Clinical Sciences Building in November 2023. It awarded a little more than $2 million for early design services to include cost estimates and a project schedule. In May, the Regents approved expenditures of $307,000 for the project’s pre-construction activities such as site analysis and a constructability review, and designs for the cancer clinic.

This article first appeared on El Paso Matters and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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by Claudia Lorena Silva, El Paso Matters
August 13, 2024

The El Paso Independent School District potentially lost about $3.25 million in state funding during the 2023-24 school year over unexcused absences and poor attendance reporting, according to an internal audit of five campuses.

The overwhelming majority of the losses came from Franklin High School, which reported 40,362 unexcused absences – the equivalent of having 13 days with no students attending class. This totaled a loss of about $2.34 million for the district.

Austin High School lost $562,252 with 9,694 absences, Jefferson High School lost $184,724 with 3,186 absences, the Tinajero Pre-K-8 School lost $118,801 with 2,049 absences and Crockett Elementary School lost $38,802 with 669 absences.

These findings come as school districts all over Texas face budgetary woes as they deal with inflation and no increases in per-pupil funding from the state since 2019. EPISD plans to dig into its reserves after it approved a $542 million budget with an $18.5 million deficit for the 2024-25 school year in late June.

With school funding based on attendance, many districts rely on students showing up to school and proper record keeping to maintain their budgets.

EPISD Chief Internal Auditor Mayra G. Martinez will present the audit findings as part of the Annual Report to the Board Audit Committee at 5 p.m. Wednesday at district headquarters.

“The El Paso ISD Board, in collaboration with the administration, initiated an audit to identify any issues affecting student attendance and ensure our systems are as robust as possible. The audit confirmed our concerns and provided us with specific insights into system gaps that need to be addressed,” El Paso ISD chief communications officer Liza Rodriguez said in a statement.

The audit, which covers the period from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, found instances of students’ attendance being reported inaccurately and teachers using invalid handwritten sign-in sheets to take attendance. 

Additionally, several attendance clerks did not complete training and none of the principals for the five campuses audited attended attendance training at the beginning of the school year.

The audit also found several instances of administrators failing to follow up with students who were excessively absent to create a 45-day intervention plan required under Texas law.

House Bill 2398, passed during the 2015 legislative session, requires schools to notify parents once a student has been absent three times and meet with them to help improve the student’s attendance.

The district did not have a timeline for sending absence notifications to parents and no way to track when notices were sent, or monitoring procedures to ensure attendance plans are developed, according to the audit.

Rodriguez, in a statement, said the district had already implemented changes to its attendance procedures before the report was finalized, including hiring additional staff to track and report absences and implementing new systems to streamline the process and accountability. 

She said principals and attendance staff have undergone training to better manage attendance procedures, “and all staff have been educated on how attendance directly impacts funding and student success.”

“We have also enhanced communication efforts with parents, offering multiple ways to report student absences and reinforcing the importance of consistent attendance,” she said in the statement.

Franklin High School absences

Franklin is EPISD’s largest campus with over 3,000 students, according to the Texas Education Agency. That means that on average, each student at Franklin had 13 unexcused absences last year, or about 7% of all class days.

Of the 40,362 unexcused absences Franklin reported, 37,393 did not include a note or call from parents and 2,968 were unverified.

“Parents/guardians receive notification, and they are provided with policy and procedures regarding attendance; however, parents/guardians keep students at home or pick them up without notifying the campus,” Principal Amanda Bowser stated in the audit.

When asked in the audit how the school would prevent these issues from happening again, Bowser said the campus will follow the district’s new attendance procedures developed for the 2024-25 school year.

Franklin also lost four attendance clerks, leaving it with only three people responsible for documenting attendance for the school year, Bowser said in the audit. She is requesting additional staff to help.

This article first appeared on El Paso Matters and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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SANTA TERESA, New Mexico (KVIA) -- Gadsden Independent School District was the victim of a ransomware attack at 2:00 PM today, according to a district spokesperson.

The spokesperson says neither student nor employee "data has been compromised during this incident."

The district's technology and communications departments informed all teachers and staff to power down computers and disconnect from the network.

Student devices were not affected, the spokesperson explained. Students will be able to regain access to the network by tomorrow, the spokesperson said.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Texas Senator (D) Cesar Blanco is inviting students from Texas to apply to the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program (TASSP) for this upcoming school year. This is a state-funded program aimed to support students who intend to serve in the Texas Army National Guard, Texas Air National Guard, or the U.S. Armed Forces.

One student from Senate District 29 (El Paso, Hudspeth, Culberson, Jeff Davis, Pecos, Presidio area) will be nominated by Senator Blanco for the scholarship.

Applications are now live. The deadline to enter is this Thursday, August 15th, at 5 p.m. MST.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) --  Twelve sergeants major from Fort Bliss, Texas, are marking a significant achievement as they graduate with master’s degrees from Penn State University.

The soldiers earned their degrees through the Sergeants Major Academy Fellowship Program, which provides Army-funded scholarships.

The program, in partnership with Penn State World Campus, supports sergeant majors in earning advanced degrees.

Since its launch in 2015, more than 100 sergeants major have completed the program, reflecting its ongoing success and impact.

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LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- Three former New Mexico State University basketball players facing sexual assault charges are expected to be in court Monday.

The New Mexico Attorney General's Office has charged Deshawndre Washington, Doctor Bradley, and Kim Aiken Jr. with a combined 37 felony sex crimes.

Washington and Bradley were last seen in court in December of last year, following pleading not guilty a month earlier. 

Aiken Jr. was initially issued a $20,000 bench warrant for his arrest for not appearing in court, but later appeared in December. Aiken's attorney said he was playing basketball overseas.

If the former players are convicted with these charges they will face up to more than two decades behind bars. 

The New Mexico Attorney General's office previously told ABC-7 that four people made allegations that lead to the charges.

The sexual assault allegations within the program first came to light in February of 2023, when one player filed a police report against the three. 

Those allegations saw the program shutdown for the remainder of the season and then Head Coach, Greg Heiar, was fired.

According to court documents, the virtual hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. 

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El PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Sunday, August 11, will be the last day for you to take advantage of Texas' tax-free weekend.

According to the Texas Comptroller, items that qualify under tax-free weekend include most clothing, footwear, school supplies, and backpacks.

Items that don't qualify include jewelry, handbags, and computers.

Texas' tax-free weekend ends at midnight.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The fatal pedestrian collision involving a Parkland High School student Thursday has now been deemed as a suicide by El Paso Police.

The crash happened along Loop 375 near Bomarc Street. The highway was closed down in both direction for several hours Thursday afternoon.

Ysleta Independent School District officials confirmed to ABC-7 that a Parkland High School students was involved in the crash.

Police have not yet identified the person who died.

Posts circulating on social media say students plan to honor the memory of the student by lighting candles.

The post El Paso police deem fatal pedestrian collision involving Parkland student a suicide appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas—The mental health of high school students has worsened mainly in the past decade, except between 2021 and 2023, when things improved slightly. NPR just released this report, and Ivan Torres joined us in discussing this critical topic.

The post ABC-7 at 4: Teens and the mental health crisis appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas—Many El Paso students said goodbye to summer break this week, ready to take on the new school year. TxDOT is asking everyone to stay alert and help keep kids safe. Here, Txdot's Jennifer Wright highlights what drivers can do.

TX Dot Projects to look out for next week:

WEST AREA OFFICE PROJECTS

I-10 Widening West

Emergency Closure

Thursday, August 8

9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

• I-10 East will be closed from Transmountain Road to Artcraft.

DETOUR: Continue on South Desert Boulevard, re-enter I-10 past Artcraft

Crews will be restriping to open a new eastbound onramp south of Transmountain Road.

Monday, August 12, through Saturday, August 17

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• I-10 East and West will be reduced to one lane between Transmountain Road and Vinton.

NOTE: Eastbound lane closure will not take place on Wednesday, August 14.

Crews will be working on retaining walls.

Monday, August 12

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• I-10 East will be reduced to one lane between Redd Road and North Mesa Street

Crews will be removing wooden forms.

Monday, August 12 and Tuesday, August 13

9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

• I-10 East will be closed between Redd Road and North Mesa Street

DETOUR: Take Exit 9 (Redd Road), continue on South Desert, re-enter I-10 past Mesa Street.

Crews will be removing wooden forms.

Wednesday, August 14

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Onramp to I-10 East at Vinton will be closed.

DETOUR: Take SH 20 South (Doniphan Drive), turn right on Talbot Avenue, turn left on Spur 16, turn right on South Desert Boulevard.

• Turnaround from North Desert Boulevard to South Desert Boulevard at Vinton will be closed.
• I-10 East will be reduced to one lane south of Vinton Road

Crews will be replacing a damaged guard rail.

Wednesday, August 14

9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

• South Desert Boulevard will be closed at Redd Road.

DETOUR: Traffic must turn right on Redd Road.

• Redd Road will be closed between North Desert Boulevard and South Desert Boulevard.

DETOUR: Traffic must turn right on South Desert Boulevard.

Crews will be placing bridge beams.

Thursday, August 15

9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

• North Desert Boulevard will be closed at Redd Road.

DETOUR: Traffic must turn right on Redd Road.

• Redd Road will be closed between North Desert Boulevard and South Desert Boulevard

DETOUR: Traffic must turn right on North Desert Boulevard.

Crews will be placing bridge beams.

40 Hour Closure

Friday, August 16 at 9pm, to Sunday, August 18 at 1pm

• I-10 West will be closed at Vinton Road.

DETOUR: Continue on North Desert Boulevard, and re-enter I-10 past Vinton.

• Beginning at 4am on Saturday, the closure will extend to Artcraft.

DETOUR: Take Exit 8 (SH 178/Artcraft Road), continue on North Desert Boulevard, and re-enter I-10 past Vinton.

Crews will be placing permanent concrete barriers and reopening I-10 West to two lanes.

Advance warning

Monday, August 19, through Wednesday August 21

9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

• Redd Road will be closed between North Desert Boulevard and South Desert Boulevard

EASTBOUND DETOUR: Turn right on South Desert, use the turnaround at Mesa Street to North Desert, turn right on Redd Road.

WESTBOUND DETOUR: Turn right on North Desert, turn left on Artcraft Road, turn left on South Desert, turn right on Redd Road.

Crews will be placing bridge deck panels.

The following closures and detours will continue until further notice:

• The westbound mainlanes of I-10 are detoured onto North Desert Boulevard at Los Mochis Drive.
• The eastbound mainlanes of I-10 are detoured onto South Desert Boulevard at Los Mochis Drive.
• South Desert Boulevard is closed to all traffic south of Spur 37 (Vinton Road).
• Thorn Avenue is closed to all traffic between North Desert Boulevard and South Desert Boulevard.
• Both turnarounds at Redd Road are closed.
• Alternating daytime lane closures are possible on North Desert Boulevard and South Desert Boulevard between Redd Road and Vinton Road.

North Mesa Street Rehabilitation Project

Monday, August 12 through Friday, August 16

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• If Needed - Mesa (SH-20) northbound and southbound alternating lane closures Resler Drive to Remcon Circle

Crews will be working on finishing items, striping, and small concert work.

Montana (US-62) Mill & Inlay Project

Sunday, August 11 through Friday, August 16

9 p.m. to 6 a.m. (Nightly)

• Montana Avenue (US-62) westbound and eastbound alternating lane closures McRea Boulevard to Hawkins Boulevard

Monday, August 12 through Friday, August 16

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Daily)

• Montana Avenue (US-62) westbound and eastbound alternating lane closures McRea Boulevard to Hawkins Boulevard

Thursday, August 15 and Friday, August 16 – McRea Boulevard Intersection alternating lanes closure

9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Roughly 4 Hours)

• Montana Avenue (US-62) westbound and eastbound at McRea Boulevard intersection alternating lane closures. No through traffic on McRea Boulevard or left turns from Montana Avenue (US-62) at the intersection

Crews will be milling and paving. Expect delays and intermittent cross-street and driveway closures during milling and paving activities. If possible, seek alternate routes. Please remember those residential/business access locations may be temporarily shifted due to milling/paving activities.

North Mesa Street Lighting Improvement Project

Monday, August 12 through Friday, August 16

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Mesa (SH-20) northbound and southbound right lane closures Festival Drive to Sunland Park Drive
• Mesa (SH-20) northbound and southbound left lane closures Executive Center Boulevard to Festival Drive
• Mesa (SH-20) northbound and southbound alternating left and right lane closures Mesita Drive/Sun Bowl Drive to Executive Center Boulevard
• Mesa (SH-20) northbound and southbound left lane closures Glory Road / East Baltimore Drive to Mesita Drive/Sun Bowl Drive

Crews will be boring for electrical conduit, pouring drill shaft foundations, potholing, installing new lighting poles, removing existing poles, electrical inspection, and Concrete sidewalk and landscape repairs.

Traffic Signal Improvements Project

Monday, August 12 through Friday, August 16

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Mesa (SH-20) north and southbound right lane closures along with left turn lane closures at the Camille Drive intersection.
• Zaragoza (FM 659) north and southbound right lane closures at Escobar Drive intersection
• US-54 Gateway North Boulevard and Gateway South Boulevard right lane closures at Sun Valley Drive intersection
• US-54 Gateway North Boulevard and Gateway South Boulevard right lane closures at Martin Luther King Boulevard/Kenworthy Street intersection
• If Needed - US-54 Gateway North Boulevard and Gateway South Boulevard turn around closures at Martin Luther King Boulevard/Kenworthy Street intersection

Crews will be working on intersection improvements.

Monday, August 12 through Friday, August 16

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Mesa east- and westbound at Belvidere intersection alternate lane closures

Crews will be potholing and boring to line locate.

Monday, August 12 through Friday, August 16

7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Zaragoza and George Dieter intersection alternate lane closures
• Alameda north- and southbound at Delta intersection alternate lane closures

Crews will be working on traffic signals.

Spall Repair

Wednesday, August 14

9 p.m. to 5 a.m. (Night)

• I-10 westbound at Geronimo Exit three left lanes closed.

Thursday, August 15

9 p.m. to 5 a.m. (Night)

• I-10 eastbound at Piedras Exit alternate lane closures

Crews will be repairing spall.

Green Ribbon Project

Monday, August 12 through Friday, August 16

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Montana east- and westbound between Airway and Killarney left lane closed
• Alameda east- and westbound between Loop 375 and Rio Vista left lane closed

Crews will be working on median improvements.

Maintenance

Monday, August 12 through Friday, August 16

9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Spur 601 westbound between Chaffee and Loop 375 shoulder closed

Crews will be working on shoulder.

EAST AREA OFFICE PROJECTS

Montana Widening Project

Monday, August 12 to Saturday, August 17

Nightly, 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

• Montana Avenue (US 62/180) eastbound frontage road complete closure from Global Reach to George Dieter

Crews will be working on removing concrete barrier to open the eastbound frontage road.

Purple Heart Loop 375 Widening

Tuesday, August 20

8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

• Purple Heart Highway (Loop 375) southbound right lane closure from Iron Medics to Montana Avenue

Crews will be installing bridge girders.

Wednesday, August 21

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Purple Heart Highway (Loop 375) northbound right lane closure from Montana Avenue to Iron Medics

Crews will be installing bridge girders.

Thursday, August 22

Nightly, 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

• Purple Heart Highway (Loop 375) northbound main lane closure from Montana Avenue to Spur 601
• Purple Heart Highway (Loop 375) northbound entrance ramp at Montana Avenue will be closed.

Traffic heading northbound will have to use Montana Avenue to Global Reach to continue onto SL 375.

Crews will be installing bridge girders.

Saturday, August 24

3 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Purple Heart Highway (Loop 375) north and southbound main lane closure from Montana Avenue to Spur 601
• Purple Heart Highway (Loop 375) entrance ramps at Montana Avenue northbound and Spur 601 southbound will be closed.

Crews will be installing bridge girders.

Continuous closure until further notice

• Purple Heart Highway north and southbound shoulder closures from Montana Avenue to Spur 601

Crews will be widening main lanes and constructing north and southbound frontage road.

Loop 375 Widening Project

Monday August 12, through Thursday August 15

Nightly, 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

·         Loop 375 south- and northbound main lane closure between North Loop overpass and Zaragoza (POE) overpass

·         Loop 375, North Loop Road, South Americas Road, and Zaragoza Road underpass at intersection with alternating lane closures

Crews will be working on installing bridge and roadway structures. 

Monday August 12, through Friday August 16

Daily, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Americas Highway (Loop 375) southbound frontage road to turnaround at UPRR Bridge underpass and North Loop Road right lane closure
• Americas Highway (Loop 375) frontage road turnarounds will be closed at North Loop underpass, south to north and north to south

Crews will be working on installing concrete driveway and bridge structures.

Continuous 24-hour closure, beginning 5 a.m. Saturday, August 10, through 5 a.m. Sunday, August 11

• Loop 375 southbound main lane closure between I-10 to Loop 375 Connectors and southbound Zaragoza exit ramp

Continuous closure, beginning 5 a.m. Saturday, August 10 through 5 a.m. Sunday, August 18

• Loop 375 southbound Zaragoza exit ramp will be closed

Crews will be performing a traffic switch-over to facilitate installation of bridge structures, concrete paving, and bridge joint repairs.

Continuous closure from present through 5 a.m. Monday, August 19

• Loop 375 northbound frontage road between Joe Rodriguez Road and South Side Road

right lane closure

Crews securing roadway until required asphalt repair work is complete and drainage utilities are installed.

Horizon (FM1281)/Darrington Reconstruction Project

Monday, August 12

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Darrington Road right lane closure at Pawling Drive
• Darrington Road right lane closure at Eastlake Boulevard

Crews will be performing electrical work.

Thursday August 15

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Darrington Road right lane closure at Pawling Drive
• Darrington Road right lane closure at Eastlake Boulevard

Darrington Road Safety Lighting Project

Monday, July 29 through Friday, August 23

Daily, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Darrington Road north and southbound alternating right lane closure between Alberton Street and LTV Road

Crews will be installing conduit, drilling light pole foundation, pulling wire and setting light poles.

SH 20 Raised Medians Project

Monday, August 12 through Friday, August 16

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• SH 20 (Alameda Avenue) east and westbound inside lane closures between Rio Vista Road and Passmore Road

Crews will be installing concrete medians and finishing installing electrical conduits.

Joe Battle Mill and Inlay Project

Sunday, August 10 through Thursday, August 15

Nightly, 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

• Joe Battle Boulevard northbound alternating lane closures between Pellicano Drive and Edgemere Boulevard
• Company E Highway (Loop 375) exit and entrance ramps will be closed between Pellicano Drive and Edgemere Boulevard

Crews will be performing milling operations, base repairs and placing hot mix asphalt.

CONTINUOUS CLOSURES

Horizon (FM1281)/Darrington Reconstruction Project

Monday, March 25 until further notice

• Horizon Boulevard (FM1281) westbound lane closure from Torrey Pines to Desert Mesa Drive, lanes reduced to one lane
• Horizon Boulevard (FM1281) hike/bike trail from Torrey Pines to Desert Mesa Drive will be closed indefinitely

Friday, June 28 until further notice

• Horizon Boulevard (FM 1281) westbound lane from Desert Mesa to Rodman Street will be shifted to the median and transitioned back on Rodman Street
• Horizon Boulevard (FM 1281) and Lago Del Esta intersection closure

Crews will be working on final subgrade, pavement operations and excavating ponding areas.

Median Concrete Barrier Project

Continuous closure until further notice

• Montana Avenue (US 62/180) east and westbound complete left lane closure between RM 124 and RM 126 (Guadalupe Peak)
• Traffic will be reduced to one lane in work areas.

Closure is necessary for installation of median concrete barrier.

RM 652 Full Depth Rehabilitation Project

Continuous closure until further notice

• RM 652 east and westbound alternating lane closure 8.36 miles east of FM 3541 to Reeves County Line
• Continuous two-way traffic, one-lane work zone requiring traffic to be alternating onto one lane and controlled by Temporary Traffic Signals with a 13-foot lane width restriction.

Closure is necessary for the construction of new roadway consisting of full depth rehabilitation.

RM 652 Full Widening Project

Monday, March 11 until further notice

• RM 652 westbound lanes reduces to one lane two-way traffic from FM 3541 to Kimble Draw Bridge

Closure is necessary for the reconstruction of the roadway.

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