EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Students at a Georgia high school will eventually return to class in the wake of a shooting in which a student shot and killed two teachers and two classmates, and wounded nine others.

The shooting happened the same day the El Paso district attorney announced an increased focus on prosecuting those who make threats against schools locally.

The scheduled news conference focused on school threats; the joint law enforcement awareness campaign's timing couldn't be more relevant.

D.A. Bill Hicks, County Attorney Christina Sanchez, the FBI and local school district police officials showed a video they produced called "School Threats Are No Joke."

It was made in response to the threats of violence local school districts are handling weekly.

Hicks said those who make threats will be prosecuted and that parents need to take responsibility for how they're raising their child.

The message -- and the video itself -- prompted comments from ABC-7 viewers.

"I like the idea of holding parents accountable for letting their kids have access to firearms. The teenage killers aren't magically popping out of the ground," said one person in the article's comment section. "Their parents are at least partly to blame for the damage caused by mass shootings."

Another viewer stated, "My son shot his first shotgun when he was 12 years old. However, he was taught how to use it properly and to respect its use. You know, the things that the NRA teaches, gun safety!"

ABC-7 also received an email, asking, "Where can parents go to access and watch the PSA regarding school shooting?"

Watch: School Threats Are No Joke

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Election Day is on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

And while much of the focus has been on the presidential race, there are many local items on the ballot, and some could affect how much EL Paso residents pay in property taxes. 

El Paso County Commissioners Court recently approved placing two items on the November ballot.

One is the nearly $324 million Capital Improvement Bond, and the other is a nearly $400 million bond for University Medical Center of El Paso.

ABC-7 reported both on County Commissioners moving forward on the bond election when it happened on Aug. 12, and the potential impact on your tax bill on Aug. 16.

The reporting caught the attention of one ABC-7 viewer.

Mike Rooney said, "(Reporter Paul Schulz's) reports were detailed and easy to understand, plus his supporting charts were well thought out and thus most helpful in understanding the full yearly impact to property taxpayers, plus the additional detail of the total increases due to the yearly property appraisals for the last 4 years. (I'm) wondering what the full impact in taxes will be when you add in the City, EPCC, El Paso Water and our individual school districts. SUPER and well done report — THANK YOU!"

Everyone in the county over age 18 can vote on those bond proposals.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- (Originally broadcast on April 7, 2024) The campaign for president is ramping up ahead of the November election, and one viewer has a question about the actions by one campaign in particular.

It was more than five years ago when President Donald Trump came to El Paso for a 2020 presidential re-election campaign rally.

He filled the county coliseum with voters and supporters from El Paso and the region.

But the news soon shifted away from the crowds he brought, to the debt he owed the city for services provided that day.

And some El Pasoans have a long memory.

Sylvia wrote ABC-7 asking, "Did Donald Trump pay the city of El Paso the $500k+ he owes from his February 11, 2019 rally?"

ABC-7 obtained a copy of the invoice the city sent to the Trump campaign 5 years ago, in April 2019.

The initial amount due was $470,417.05.

The charges to the campaign were for services provided by the airport, the police and fire departments, Sun Metro, primarily, according to the city.

And when it didn't receive payment, the city charged a one-time late fee of 21 percent, which amounts to $98,787.58.

The grand total owed by the Trump campaign is $569,204.63.

When asked if the campaign has repaid the city, the city's spokeswoman told ABC-7 in an email, "The Trump campaign has not submitted any payments for their debt. The City continues to seek the payment of these past due."

The city went on to state, they hired the Law Offices of Snapper L. Carr back in Nov. 2020 to try to recoup the money. 

The post ABC-7 Listens: Trump campaign still owes City of El Paso appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- How closely do you scrutinize your utility bills?

One fee caught the attention of one ABC-7 viewer, who wrote to the newsroom with a question about our grey trash bins. 

Robert said, "Why does the city charge you $19 a month ... for the use of the grey trash bin. Can't you just buy one. That comes at $228 a year."

Sure enough, on the Environmental Services side of the water bill, there is a $19 charge for "1 grey trash bin."

ABC-7 reached out to the city to find out what is behind the fee.

The Environmental Services Department said, due to space limitations on the bill, the fee states "grey bin," but there's much more to that fee than just the bin.

ESD added, "The monthly fee to the resident covers the collection of both trash and recyclables (trucks, fuel, payroll, maintenance) as well as the cost of the landfill operation and the citizen collection stations.

And as for buying your own bin, ESD explained, "These bins are provided by ESD to keep a universal size of the bins that work with our trash/recycling collection fleet. ESD in addition provides maintenance of the bins which include replacement of lids, wheels, and body due to wear and tear."

The city will replace the bin at cost, if it's damaged by residents.

And there is no additional fee to repair the bins due to wear and tear.

Find a collection station near you and review which recyclables are collected on the Environmental Services website.

The post ABC-7 Listens: What is the “Grey Trash Bin Fee” appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso electric crews are flocking across the city, exchanging existing meters with a "smart meter."

El Paso Electric said on its website, a smart meter tracks energy use in real time and sends the data directly to EPE through a secure communication network.

EPE says customers will have access to energy consumption data and therefore, better control of energy costs; faster outage notification and restoration; and enhanced service and programs for customers.

Customers can opt-out, and one ABC-7 viewer wrote the newsroom to sound off about why he is doing just that.

Chris wrote, "...no one should have control over you or your property. Now, I could understand if they had come out and said... 'We will allow the public to vote on it, or have (a) choice to opt in or out without any charge or threat of discontinuation, or increase of monthly charges,' then that would have been different."

According to the EPE Website, customers will be charged a monthly fee to cover the cost of the smart meter installation.

For residential customers, that fee will be $2.03. There are opt-out fees: the one-time fee to opt out ranges from roughly $106 to about $171, with a monthly recurring fee of $13.44.

When ABC-7 asked El Paso Electric about both fees, the spokesman said in an email, "The opt-out fee is to cover the two systems we will have to maintain for customers that decide to opt out – the new smart meter network and the legacy system. If a customer opts out and then decides to receive the new smart meter, they can contact EPE by email, chat or phone."

He also said the monthly smart meter fee will be in place for 12 years and will decrease after year 5.

That is for Texas customers.

In New Mexico, the monthly fee will be in place for 10 years and will be adjusted annually, and he explained, the differences are due to varying state regulations.

Go to the El Paso Electric website to learn more about the smart meters.

And if you haven't gotten yours yet, the installation process will continue through 2025.

The post ABC-7 Listens: El Paso Electric’s Smart Meter installation appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- In light of the wildfires in Ruidoso, helping Southern New Mexico residents stay informed is more important than ever.

While ABC-7 posts constant updates on the KVIA News app, the KVIA website and our social media sites, one Alamogordo resident wanted to know how to get ABC-7 KVIA news on her television.

"I recently moved here from Las Cruces and cannot receive borderland news!" Sherry said in her email. "It seems we only get the Albuquerque news, which is ridiculous. I consider myself part of the borderland and would like KVIA news."

The head engineer at KVIA said Alamogordo residents should be able get our channel with a regular off-air antenna. 

"(Sherry) will probably need to pick us up from our translator," Chris Swann said, describing the technology used to carry a signal to more rural areas.

Be sure to scan your television channels; KVIA is on channel 21 in Alamogordo, Swann added.

KVIA serves both the El Paso and Las Cruces communities directly, but has over time installed translators in Alamogordo, Deming and rural parts of Las Cruces to better serve the thousands of residents in the region who are affected by, and depend on, news happening in the borderland.

And another reminder: ABC-7 has launched a new CTV (Connected Television) app for your home TV.

This means you can watch full newscasts without cable, satellite, or an antennae.

The KVIA app is available on Roku, Amazon Fire, and Apple TV. 

All you have to do is search KVIA and download to watch the newscast stream or watch individual stories on demand.

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EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Political candidates in El Paso are looking ahead to the November general election, now that the May primary runoff is over.

But the results aren't the only remnants of the races. 

On May 28, dozens of spots across El Paso county morphed into polling locations, complete with voting booths, volunteers, and campaign signs.

Even though the votes have been cast, at some places, the campaign signs have not been cast aside.

ABC-7 viewer Leo emailed the newsroom with a complaint, and attached photos taken in west El Paso, two days after the election.

He wrote, "...who is in charge of clean-up? ... my children's school campus is STILL littered with campaign signs. Regardless of win or loss, the candidates should have more pride in their city and pick up after themselves."

ABC-7 reached out to the El Paso County Elections Department to find out who is in charge of picking up the signs.

They said in an email, "It's the responsibility of the candidate and/or campaigners."

Based on the signs in the photos, they are located in the parkway, which is the area located between the curb of the street and the sidewalk, or the area nearest to the edge of street paving.

According to the city code provided by the elections office, a campaign sign can only be displayed between the hours of 6:00 am and 8:00 pm on a parkway and must be taken down on a daily basis.

Both the city and elections department state that the code enforcement division of the El Paso Police Department will remove and dispose of signs in violation of the code. Signs placed at a school or any place designated as a polling site, may be removed by the school or property owner/manager.

The city urges residents with questions about political signs to call 311 for more information, or to go to ElPasoTexas.gov.

The post ABC-Listens: Campaign sign removal post-election appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas - It's commonplace for television news anchors to face criticism for their on-air appearance.

One ABC-7 viewer was concerned by the green bracelet worn by ABC-7 sports director Adrian Ochoa, and she asked that he take it off.

Adrian responds to that viewer and explains the reason he wears the bracelet in this week's ABC-7 Listens.

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It's almost that time for everyone to "turn back the clocks" for daylight saving time here in the borderland.  It's an annual period when the USA and other countries change the clocks to make daylight last longer.

Don't forget to set your clocks back on hour this Upcoming Sunday, November 5^th (It may be best to do it before you go to sleep on Saturday night).

It's something most of the country is accustomed to (with the exception of Arizona and Hawaii, who, have never adhered to the changes.

"Daylight Saving" has been the topic of conversation for many El Pasoans and was addressed on ABC-7 Listens.

KVIA Viewer, Jesus, wrote us an e-mail saying: "I heard the weather man say we change clocks in the fall again.  Aren't the time changes supposed to end?  Didn't they pass some bill in Washington to stop the time change?

We answered Jesus "on air", and basically it goes like this:

Jesus is right that some lawmakers thave tried to get rid of the time changes, which is federal law.  In fact, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida proposed legislation called the "Sunshine Protection Act".   However, it satlled earlier this year despite gaining a lot of momentum in 2022.

If you're wondering, at the state level, new clock change legislation was voted down recently in ten states, including New Mexico.

There are strong opinions on both sides, and changing federal law can be a drawn out process, which has helped keep the current system in place.

So, for now look for the positive: You gain an hour back (because in March, it'll be the opposite, and we'll lose an hour in the daylight saving time change).

For that reason, this upcoming Sunday... you'll be able to treat yourself to sleeping in for an extra hour.

Catching some zzzz's as we put this issue, for now, to bed.

The post ABC-7 Listens: Daylight Saving Time Debate In El Paso appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Many changes are happening and coming soon to ABC-7.

For the last week, many have been calling, emailing, and commenting on social media, asking about the absence of co-anchor Erik Elken.

Erik stepped away from the news industry to spend more quality time with his family. We are grateful for his tenure at ABC-7.

Now, looking ahead, very soon, a familiar face will join Stephanie Valle at the anchor desk. Former ABC-7 Sports Director Paul Cicala is coming back to the Borderland.

He left El Paso for his hometown of Tucson in 2013, but Paul told us he is eager to return to the Sun City, which he considers his adopted home. He'll be joining us on September 25.

Rest assured, every one of us at ABC-7 is passionate about covering the stories that matter to you, and work hard to provide the Xtra Context, Depth, and Perspective you’ve come to expect.

That’s our commitment to you, and we are grateful for your trust.

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UPDATE, July 6: The city of El Paso on Tuesday officially reopened some of its senior centers.

The city's ten senior centers will open once a week, either Tuesday or Thursday, from 9 a.m. to noon to allow older adults to socialize and participate in activities such as bingo and loteria. (Scroll down in this article to see the days and hours of operation for specific centers.)

To adhere with current Covid-19 protocols, officials said capacity at each center will be limited to 80 percent. If demand exceeds this level, staff will create timed sessions for games and socializing to ensure all seniors have access to the centers.

The city said it delayed the reopening of the centers because older adults who contract Covid-19 are at a higher risk of complications from the virus.

UPDATE, June 20: After a public outcry earlier this month in which older adults complained to ABC-7 of having "nothing to do" as pandemic restrictions were lifted for other facilities and activities, the City of El Paso Parks and Recreation Department has now unveiled plans to reopen ten of the community's senior centers beginning July 6.

“Because the virus still poses a threat to the health and well-being of our seniors, the re-opening process will be conducted gradually and cautiously to further minimize the risk of infection to our seniors," said the city's Cultural Affairs and Recreation Managing Director Ben Fyffe. "Beginning with a few in-person activities (such as Bingo and Loteria) with seniors is one step forward to fully reopening.”

The ten re-opening senior centers will operate from 9 a.m. to noon, either Tuesdays or Thursdays based on the schedule below:

Open Tuesdays

• Pavo Real, 9311 Alameda San Juan, 5701 Tamburo
• Happiness, 563 N. Carolina Grandview, 3134 Jefferson
• Hilos de Plata, 4451 Delta Wellington Chew, 4430 Maxwell
• Eastside, 3200 Fierro Polly Harris, 650 Wallenberg
• Memorial, 1800 Byron South El Paso, 600 S. Ochoa

Open Thursdays

• San Juan, 5701 Tamburo
• Grandview, 3134 Jefferson
• Wellington Chew, 4430 Maxwell
• Polly Harris, 650 Wallenberg
• South El Paso, 600 S. Ochoa

ORIGINAL REPORT, June 9: EL PASO, Texas -- The grand opening of two new city-owned water parks was not welcome news for some older El Pasoans who said they felt forgotten because the facilities they depend on remain closed.

Elvira Ortega sent ABC-7 an open letter she addressed to the city, asking for the centers to reopen.

Ortega and others who use the facilities gathered outside the San Juan Senior Center Tuesday to discuss their frustrations with ABC-7. Some of them carried handmade signs that called for the centers to be opened again.

Ortega said before Covid-19, she was at the San Juan Senior Center daily. She said she goes to stay cool, play games or exercise. But her most important activity is human interaction.

"We talk to our friends," Ortega said. "A lot of us don't have family and live by ourselves. There's nobody there. All we have to keep us company is the TV.

"There are not that many places we can go to," Ortega added. "I won't go to a water park or a splash park. I won't go to a rec center and play basketball."

Dora Villanueva joined the group outside the senior center, but told ABC-7 she considered Hilos de Plata Senior Center her second home.

Villanueva told ABC-7 she heard 22 of her fellow seniors who frequented that facility have died over the last year --not from Covid, but from lack of human interaction and physical activity.

"They didn't get exercise, they didn't dance or sing with friends, and they became sad," Villanueva said.

She had a direct request of El Paso's public health leader: "We want to go back. We have ceramics and dancing and singing. And that's why we want to go back and do our exercise and last at least one more day. We're retired and we ain't got nothing to do," Villanueva added, choking back tears.

ABC-7 took the concerns to Dr. Hector Ocaranza, the El Paso City-County Health Authority.

Ocaranza said they're still evaluating how to reopen the senior centers safely.

He emphasized that although the infection rate is decreasing, seniors are still the most vulnerable population.

"Our thoughts are always with them because they're the most precious part of our community," Ocaranza said in a virtual interview Tuesday. "They're our legacy; they taught us a lot of values and a lot of stories, many things that we don't want to lose if we expose them too early. So definitely, we haven't forgotten about them."

The city said the reopening of senior centers depends on El Paso as a whole reaching herd immunity, which is considered to be more than 70 percent of the population being vaccinated.

While 83 percent of the senior population are fully vaccinated, only about 58 percent of all eligible El Paso County residents are fully vaccinated.

The post El Paso senior centers officially reopen after public outcry: ‘We ain’t got nothing to do’ appeared first on KVIA.

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico -- It's graduation weekend, a special time for not just the graduate - but also their family and friends. One Las Cruces family has amazing story about how graduation weekend is truly a family affair.

Eugene Montoya is a proud husband and father, because while it's one thing to see your child graduate from college - it's another to see two children graduate in the same weekend.

That's Amazing! But what about two children and your wife? Now, you see why Montoya is both a proud husband and father.

His wife lilliana graduated from New Mexico State University with her bachelors degree, while their daughter Kelsey graduated from NMSU with her masters degree in biology, and their son Zachary graduated from the University of New Mexico with a bachelors degree in chemical engineering.

You may be asking why lilliana was graduating at the same time as her two children. That is where the story is even more incredible.

She was supposed to graduate in 2017, but then was diagnosed with breast cancer. She stopped school for two years to beat it, and now has finished her degree in individual studies - which will allow her to pursue her goal of becoming a teacher.

The Montoya family is originally from El Paso, with lilliana being a graduate of Jefferson High School. But the family has lived in Las Cruces for the last 25 years.

The post Las Cruces family celebrates weekend college graduations of mom and her 2 kids appeared first on KVIA.

EL PASO, Texas -- The City of El Paso won't be picking up your blue recycling bins for the rest of the year -- and no, your bill won't be going down.

City officials made the decision this past week to suspend the collection of recycling for the month of December due to a shortage of drivers caused by Covid-19.

Many ABC-7 viewers frustrated with the decision right at the start of the holiday season asked the same question -- will my bill be smaller?

"The monthly service fee charged to customers is solely for emptying grey bins," the city's Facebook page states. "Customers are not charged a monthly fee for recycling collection services."

ABC-7 took a closer look at the breakdown of El Paso's monthly bill. It clearly indicates under the "City of El Paso Environmental Services (ESD) Charges" a charge of $19 for "grey trash bin."

But there is also a $5 "environmental fee."

"The environmental fee is not for recycling collections," said Laura Cruz-Acosta, a city spokeswoman. "It is used for various other services such as but not limited to environmental remediation (of asbestos), graffiti removal, street sweeping, code compliance, and alley cleaning -- to name a few."

So what can you do?

·       You may place materials (recyclables and trash) in the gray bin for weekly collection. Recyclables will be landfilled, not recycled.

·       If you are able, store recyclable material until the recycling program resumes.

·       If you are able, take recyclable material to a drop-off site. (Locations are listed below). Materials should be loose when placed in the bins at the sites.  No bagged material will be accepted.

·       Contact the ESD at (915) 212-6000 to schedule a special collection for extra household trash or bulk items. Rates start at $35.

The drop-off sites will be resuming normal operations on Dec. 1 (8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday) and are located at: 2492 Harrison (central), 1034 Pendale (east), 4501 Hondo Pass (northeast), 3510 Confederate (east), and 121 Atlantic (west).

While you won't be saving any money -- the city will. A city spokeswoman tells ABC-7 it will save an estimated $7,900 per week while recycling collection is suspended.

There is no date yet when recycling collection will resume.

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