Local News

The Highlands Board of Regents on Monday improved an increase in the cost of student meal plans, but officials said the company providing the meals promises to improve its service.

Last month, students complained they couldn’t get a full meal at the Cantina with the meal plan and that the Cantina wasn’t open enough hours. And they had other objections to the meal service.

After the complaints surfaced, officials from ABL Management Inc., the food service contractor, met with students.

The City Council on Wednesday will look at Highlands University’s plan for dorms, which would require the closure of Washington Street.

The city Planning and Zoning Commission approved the school’s proposal a couple of weeks ago after Highlands told officials that it could accommodate a couple of nearby residents’ requests.

The planned residence hall would cover 100,000 square feet and house 284 students. The school hopes to have the residence hall ready by the fall semester in 2009.

An employee of Valmora Ranch has been accused of abusing children at the nonprofit residential treatment center.

Clarence Padilla, 48, who lives at Enchanted Hills mobile home park in Las Vegas, faces three counts of child abuse and six counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, court documents state.

The incidents allegedly happened at Valmora, which helps children from 12 to 18.

Las Vegas will have a delegate at the national Democratic convention in Denver in August.

Carla Arellanes was recently elected during a party meeting in Taos as a pledged delegate for Sen. Hillary Clinton, who prevailed in San Miguel County during New Mexico’s Democratic caucus in early February.

“I feel she is very optimistic and hard-working and will fight for us every single day,” Arellanes said. “She will build a consensus on health care, the war in Iraq, education and the economy. She will bring dignity to the White House.”