Children’s Hospital Says Disputed Rent Was Not Really Rent + More Local News

Children's Hospital Says Disputed Rent Was Not Really Rent

The continuing dispute between Children's Hospital and University Medical Center may not be resolved this week. A federal bankruptcy judge in Austin will hear more arguments in the case Thursday before making a decision on whether Children's owes about three-million-dollars in rent to UMC. During testimony yesterday, a member of the hospital's board of governors said money paid to UMC was not rent at all. Vice Chairwoman Mary Lou Camarena said money paid as rent was actually designed to help get federal matching funds to help pay medical expenses for people without health insurance. Hospital officials say they have lost $20 million in matching funds over two years because of "qualms" about the situation.

El Paso Faces Unique Transportation Challenges

U.S. Senator John Cornyn says the El Paso region faces unique transportation challenges due to its position as an important international port of entry. Cornyn was in town yesterday as part of a transportation roundtable at UTEP. Texas' senior senator said long term investment in infrastructure and public-private partnerships were ways to ensure that El Paso's roads and bridges continue to keep trade flowing across the border. Cornyn hopes to get a highway funding bill passed when Congress goes back to work this month.

El Paso Police Find More Than Ton Of Marijuana In Abandoned Van

El Paso Police say a van abandoned due to mechanical problems wound up containing a lot of marijuana. Police received a narcotics use in progress call Friday and went to a location on North Desert Boulevard near Redd Road. They noted a strong smell of marijuana coming from the van and opened it up to find more than a ton of pot inside. Officially, the marijuana weighed in at nearly 2,300. Investigators are still trying to locate the people who abandoned the van.

Commissioner's Court Denies Permission For Pipeline Survey

El Paso County Commissioner's Court is denying an energy company permission to survey land for a possible pipeline. Energy Transfer Partners wants to run a 195 mile natural gas pipeline from Pecos County to the U.S.-Mexico border. They've asked for permission to survey county land for a possible route, but the court wants an exact map of the potential route before giving any permission. The company says they are frustrated with the county because they can't produce a map without surveying the land first.

EPCC Among Top Ten Percent In Community College Survey

El Paso Community College gets high marks in a new ranking of the nation's best and worst local colleges. EPCC ranked 60th out of 670 schools in the latest WalletHub study, getting good marks for students' career success after graduation. Texas' community college system didn't fare as well, coming in 22nd overall among the 44 states that were ranked in the WalletHub study.